UNITED NATIONS — Somalia is set to assume the rotating presidency of the United Nations Security Council in January 2026, a move widely seen as a significant diplomatic milestone that underscores the country’s growing role in global decision-making.
For the monthlong term, Somalia will steer the council’s work: setting agendas, presiding over high-stakes sessions, and guiding debates on international peace and security. The role places Mogadishu at the center of the world’s most powerful diplomatic forum, where the daily calendar can shape responses to crises and sharpen the focus on under-addressed security challenges.
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Issues expected to feature prominently during Somalia’s presidency include:
- Peacekeeping operations and mandates in volatile regions
- Counterterrorism efforts and the transnational threats posed by armed groups
- Regional stability in conflict-affected areas, with attention to the Horn of Africa
- Humanitarian crises driven by war and climate shocks such as drought
Diplomats and analysts say the presidency will provide Somalia a platform to elevate African security priorities and advocate for coordinated international responses to complex emergencies. That includes the ability to convene debates and briefings that bring attention to the interlocking pressures of conflict, displacement, and climate stress, and to press for more effective and sustained global support.
Somali officials are expected to use the gavel to call for peaceful solutions, stronger global cooperation, and long-term backing for countries recovering from conflict and state collapse. Their stewardship will likely emphasize the need for predictable assistance and inclusive political processes, alongside support for institutions that can stabilize fragile states and communities.
The presidency is also viewed as a boost to Somalia’s diplomatic standing, offering a rare opportunity to help shape decisions affecting global peace and security while ensuring the perspectives and interests of the Horn of Africa are represented at the council’s table. By setting priorities and guiding discussions, Somalia can influence how the council addresses emerging threats, from extremist violence to climate-driven insecurity, and how it calibrates responses across humanitarian, political, and security tracks.
The January 2026 term will test Somalia’s capacity to balance its own regional concerns with the council’s broader mandate, even as it seeks to build consensus among major powers on contentious files. The spotlight will fall on how effectively it can marshal attention and resources toward crises that too often remain at the periphery of international focus.
With global attention on the council’s agenda at the start of the year, Somalia’s presidency will be closely watched for the priorities it elevates and the practical steps it pursues to reinforce peace, security, and cooperation — at home in the Horn of Africa and across the world.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
