LONDON CONFERENCE ON SOMALIA: FINAL COMMUNIQUE
EMBARGOED UNTIL 1615 23 FEBRUARY 2012
Introduction
1. The London Conference on Somalia took place at Lancaster House on 23rd
February 2012, attended by fifty-five delegations from Somalia and the
international community. 2. We met at a key moment in Somalia’s history. Somalia is emerging from the
worst humanitarian crisis in the world. African and Somali troops have pushed Al
Shabaab out of Mogadishu and other areas. The transitional institutions come to
an end in August 2012, and the people of Somalia want clarity on what will
follow. The situation remains precarious, and in urgent need of support from the
international community. 3. Decisions on Somalia’s future rest with the Somali people. The Somali
political leadership must be accountable to the people. The international
community’s role is to facilitate Somalia’s progress and development: our
strength is in unity and coordinated support to Somalia. We noted the importance
of listening to and working with Somalis inside and outside Somalia, and
welcomed their engagement in the run-up to this Conference. 4. The Conference focussed on the underlying causes of instability, as well as
the symptoms (famine, refugees, piracy, and terrorism). We, the international
community, agreed: to inject new momentum into the political process; to
strengthen AMISOM and help Somalia develop its own security forces; to help
build stability at local level; and to step up action to tackle pirates and
terrorists. Political
5. We agreed that the Transitional Federal Institutions’ mandate ends in August
2012. There must be no further extensions. We welcomed the agreements that chart
the way towards more representative government: the Transitional Federal
Charter, the Djibouti Agreement, the Kampala Accord, and the Roadmap. We
welcomed the progress represented by the Garowe Principles, endorsed the
priority of convening a Constituent Assembly, and emphasised that the Assembly
must be representative of the views of the Somali people of all regions and
constituencies, and that women must be part of the political process. In line
with Garowe II, we agreed to incentivise progress and act against spoilers to
the peace process, and that we would consider proposals in this regard before
the Istanbul Conference in June. 6. The Conference recognised the need for the international community to support
any dialogue that Somaliland and the TFG or its replacement may agree to
establish in order to clarify their future relations. 7. We condemned terrorism and violent extremism, whether perpetrated by Somalis
or foreigners. We called on all those willing to reject violence to join the
Djibouti peace process. We agreed to develop a defectors’ programme to support
those who leave armed groups. 8. We emphasised the urgency of Somalia funding its own public services, and
using its assets for the benefit of the people, as well as tackling corruption.
We welcomed the progress that has been made in establishing a Joint Financial
Management Board to increase transparency and accountability in the collection
and efficient use of public revenues, as well as international development aid,
and which will help strengthen Somali public financial management institutions.
A declaration by the initial members of the JFMB is at Annex A. 9. Respect for human rights must be at the heart of the peace process. We called
for action to address in particular the grave human rights violations and abuses
that women and children face. We emphasised that journalists must be able to
operate freely and without fear. Civilians must be protected. We called on the
Somali authorities to take measures to uphold human rights and end the culture
of impunity. We agreed to step up international efforts including through the UN
human rights architecture. Security and Justice
10. We agreed that security and justice were essential both to a successful
political process and to development. Better security could only be achieved
sustainably in parallel with better justice and the rule of law. 11. We expressed gratitude to those countries whose troops had served as
peacekeepers and paid tribute to the achievements and sacrifices of AMISOM and
other forces. We welcomed joint planning by the UN and African Union and
reiterated the importance of effective command and control. We welcomed the
adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 2036, which expands AMISOM’s mandate
and raises the troop ceiling. We encouraged AMISOM to ensure the protection of
civilians. We encouraged partners, especially new donors, to contribute to
funding for AMISOM, including through the EU. 12. We agreed that, over time, Somalis should take over responsibility for
providing their own security and develop their own justice systems to deal with
the threats to their security and improve access to justice. We noted that
Somalis themselves must decide what security and justice arrangements they need. 13. We acknowledged the good work underway in supporting the Somali security and
justice sectors. We agreed that we would build an international framework of
partners in order to bring much needed coordination and focus to those efforts,
underpinned by a set of principles at annex B, and working closely with the UN’s
Joint Security Committee. Piracy
14. We reiterated our determination to eradicate piracy, noting that the problem
requires a comprehensive approach on land as well as at sea. We expressed our
concern that hostages in Somalia are being held longer and with more use of
violence. We welcomed the work of the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of
Somalia. We also welcomed the success of international military efforts, and
remain committed to such efforts with robust rules of engagement and sufficient
force generation. We agreed that piracy cannot be solved by military means
alone, and reiterated the importance of supporting communities to tackle the
underlying causes of piracy, and improving the effective use of Somali coastal
waters through regional maritime capacity-building measures. We welcomed those
initiatives underway and agreed to coordinate and support such initiatives
better. We called for full implementation of the Djibouti Code of Conduct and
the adoption of an Exclusive Economic Zone. We look forward to reviewing
progress including at the Piracy Conference in the UAE in June. 15. We welcomed the efforts of partners in industry against piracy, and called
for greater take-up of Best Management Practice on ships. We welcomed current
work on international guidance on the use of private armed security companies.
16. There will be no impunity for piracy. We called for greater development of
judicial capacity to prosecute and detain those behind piracy both in Somalia
and in the wider region and recognised the need to strengthen capacity in
regional states. We welcomed new arrangements, which enable some states and
naval operations to transfer suspected pirates captured at sea for trial by
partners across the Indian Ocean region, and if convicted, to transfer them to
prisons in Puntland and Somaliland which meet international standards. We noted
the intention to consider further the possibility of creating courts in Somalia
specialised in dealing with piracy. 17. We reiterated our determination to prosecute the kingpins of piracy.
Recognising work already undertaken, we agreed to enhance coordination on
illegal financial flows and to coordinate intelligence gathering and
investigations. We noted the establishment of a Regional Anti-Piracy
Prosecutions Intelligence Coordination Centre in the Seychelles. Terrorism
18. Terrorism poses a serious threat to security in Somalia itself, to the
region, and internationally. It has inflicted great suffering on the Somali
population. We agreed to work together with greater determination, and with full
respect for the rule of law, human rights, and international humanitarian law,
to build capacity to disrupt terrorism in the region, and to address the root
causes of terrorism. We agreed on the importance of disrupting terrorists’
travel to and from Somalia, and on the importance of disrupting terrorist
finances, and called on countries in the region to implement the Financial
Action Task Force’s recommendations on combating money laundering and the
financing of terrorism. We noted that effective intelligence gathering and
investigation, and support to the Somali criminal justice system, were critical
to the fight against terrorism. We agreed to work with the Global Counter
Terrorism Forum and other international and regional bodies to deliver this
important work. Stability and Recovery
19. We welcomed the success in some areas of Somalia in establishing local areas
of stability, and agreed to increase support to build legitimate and peaceful
authorities, and improve services to people living in these areas. We
acknowledged the importance of creating the conditions inside Somalia for
durable solutions for the displaced, that respect international laws. We agreed
that such efforts should promote local and regional cohesion, and converge with
the national political process. 20. We considered the implementation of the Mogadishu Recovery and Stabilisation
Plan important. We agreed to expand programmes to newly-recovered areas. We
would focus support on enabling the delivery of immediate and sustainable
benefits to ordinary Somali people: safety and security, economic opportunities
and basic services. We would promote effective and accountable local
administrations, and support the resolution of disputes. 21. We agreed that all support to local areas of stability should be in
accordance with the New Deal for engagement in fragile states recently adopted
in Busan, and build on the stabilisation strategies prepared by both IGAD and
the Transitional Federal Government. We endorsed a set of principles to guide
international support to local areas of stability in Somalia (Annex C). We
agreed to continue funding local stability through existing programmes, and
noted the establishment of a new Stability Fund to which a number of us will
contribute . 22. We agreed that Somalia’s long-term reconstruction and economic development
depended on a vibrant private sector, and that both aid and diaspora finance
could develop Somalia’s considerable potential in livestock, fisheries and other
sectors. We noted that stability was a prerequisite for most sustainable
investments in infrastructure such as electricity, roads and water systems. We
looked forward to further discussion on all these issues at the Istanbul
Conference. Humanitarian
23. The Conference was preceded by a separate meeting on humanitarian issues
co-chaired by the United Nations and the United Arab Emirates. Notwithstanding
the end of the famine, participants expressed concern at the ongoing
humanitarian crisis, and committed to providing humanitarian aid based solely on
need. They agreed a set of conclusions on humanitarian issues and linking relief
with longer-term recovery (set out in a separate document). International coordination
24. We agreed to carry forward work agreed at London through the International
Contact Group on Somalia (ICG), and welcomed the ICG’s decision in Djibouti to
look at restructuring to become more effective. We recommended that the ICG
establish working groups on the political process, security and justice, and
stability and development. We noted that, within the ICG, a core group of
engaged countries would drive progress in support of UN, AU and IGAD efforts.
25. We welcomed the efforts of the Special Representative of the
Secretary-General and the United Nations Political Office for Somalia (UNPOS) in
facilitating progress in Somalia. We also welcomed the role of IGAD and the
African Union, and the support of the League of Arab States, the European Union,
and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation. We encouraged effective
coordination between UN entities working on Somalia. While recognising the still
challenging security situation in Somalia, we welcomed UNPOS’ relocation to
Mogadishu and agreed that we would aim to spend more time on the ground in
Somalia in order to work more closely with Somalis on the challenging tasks
ahead. Conclusion
26. We expressed the hope that a new era of Somali politics, supported by the
international community, will bring peace to Somalia. We are determined to place
the interests of the Somali people at the heart of all our actions. We looked
forward to the day when the situation in Somalia would have made sufficient
progress for an international conference to be held there. In the meantime, we
will redouble our efforts to support the people of Somalia in their search for a
better future for their country.
London
23 February 2012
Somali Version: Halkan ka akhri
Faafin: SomaliTalk.com | Feb 23, 2012
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