Mogadishu, 20 February 2025 – UN Assistant Secretary General and UNDP Regional Director for Arab States, Abdallah Al Dardari, has concluded a three-day mission to Somalia, reaffirming UNDP’s commitment to supporting the country’s evolving development, stability, and governance priorities, taking into account its recent successes, including accession to the East African Community, lifting of the US arms embargo, and completion of the High Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) debt relief initiative.
During his visit, Al Dardari met with senior officials from the Federal Government of Somalia, including the Ministers of Finance, Planning, Interior, Justice, Environment and Climate Change, and Energy and Water Resources. Discussions focused on strengthening partnerships to advance economic development, enhance governance and justice sector reforms, and drive climate resilience efforts. He also engaged with UN agencies, civil society organizations, media and private sector representatives to explore opportunities for collaboration.
A key highlight of the mission was two high-level roundtable dialogues on climate change, renewable energy, water resource management, disaster risk management and economic development, which convened government officials, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Minister of Energy and Water Resources, Commissioner of Somalia Disaster Management Agency, experts, civil society, academia, and private sector leaders to explore solutions for sustainable growth and resilience-building in Somalia. The discussions identified key partnership opportunities between the government, private sector and UNDP to advance the priorities outlined in Somalia’s National Transformation Plan 2025-2033, a newly adopted strategic blueprint for inclusive growth, resilience, and sustainable development.
Reflecting on the visit, Al Dardari said: “Somalia is making remarkable progress in strengthening governance, economic growth, and climate adaptation. UNDP remains committed to the people and Government of Somalia in expanding our strategic partnerships and providing support to attract investment and accelerate sustainable economic development without adverse environmental impact.” He emphasized that Somalia stands at a critical juncture, where public-private partnerships have the potential to not only drive economic growth but also enhance the country’s stability and global image.
The discussions during the visit also underscored the importance of sustained international cooperation to support Somalia’s transition, including for long-term peacebuilding, institutional capacity-building, and inclusive economic growth. Al Dardari emphasized the need for increased investment in long-term recovery and resilience-building to address the root causes of the crisis and reduce Somalia’s reliance on humanitarian aid, while also outlining UNDP’s ongoing process to align its new Country Programme Document (2026-2030) with the National Transformation Plan and upcoming UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework for Somalia.
UNDP will continue working with the UN Country Team to see through the successful transition of the UN Political mission in Somalia to drive impactful and sustainable progress, ensuring that Somalia remains on a path toward peace, stability, and prosperity.
