Listening to Somali civil society voices

Saferworld recommendations for the May 2013 London Conference on Somalia

On 7 May 2013 the Federal Government of Somalia and the UK Government will co-host a second international conference in London on Somalia. The voices of Somali civil society have been largely absent from discussions on peace and statebuilding, undermining the local buy-in needed for progress towards peace and stability. Ahead of the conference, Saferworld and our partner organisations conducted consultations with a range of non-state and civil society representatives to discuss the themes of the conference and make recommendations to the Somali authorities and the international community on priority concerns. Saferworld endorses many of the recommendations and concerns outlined in the resulting consultation briefing Civil Society Voices; this briefing outlines Saferworld’s overall recommendations.

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“If the Somali authorities and international community are to be effective in helping to build a more stable and resilient society, they must understand and meet the needs of the people themselves.”

Saferworld