Acting on the recommendations of United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the Security Council decided on 2 May 2013 to establish the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) by 3 June for an initial period of 12 months, providing the United Nations “good offices” functions — and a range of strategic policy advice — in support of the Federal Government’s peace and reconciliation process.
Unanimously adopting resolution 2102 (2013), the Council decided that the mandate of UNSOM — which it intended to renew as appropriate — would include the provision of policy advice to the Federal Government and the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) on peacebuilding and state-building in the areas of: governance, security sector reform and rule of law (including the disengagement of combatants), development of a federal system (including preparations for elections in 2016), and coordination of international donor support.
Among its other mandated functions, UNSOM would help build the Federal Government’s capacity to promote respect for human rights and women’s empowerment, promote child protection, prevent conflict-related sexual and gender-based violence, and strengthen justice institutions. Further, it would monitor, help investigate and report to the Council on any abuses or violations of human rights or of international humanitarian law committed in Somalia, or any abuses committed against children or women.
In such work, the Council underlined the importance of Somali ownership, requesting the Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Nicholas Kay, to align closely United Nations country team activities with the priorities of UNSOM and the Federal Government, as well as AMISOM, the Intergovernmental Authority for Development (IGAD), the European Union and other regional, bilateral and multilateral partners.
By other terms, the Council decided that UNSOM would be based in Mogadishu and deployed across Somalia, as requested by the Federal Government and as conditions permitted, in line with arrangements set out by the Secretary-General in his 19 April letter to the Council (S/2013/239). Further, it recalled provisions in resolution 2093 (2013) in relation to UNSOM as a structurally integrated United Nations mission, welcoming the proposed leadership and coordination structures, with a clear delineation of duties.
For his part, the Secretary-General was requested to keep the Council regularly informed of the implementation of UNSOM’s mandate, including steps he was taking to ensure the presence of a structurally integrated mission by 1 January 2014, as well as an assessment on the political and security implications of wider United Nations deployments across Somalia, with a first report to be delivered no later than 2 September 2013 and every 90 days thereafter.
MISSION LEADERSHIP
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On 23 November 2015, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced the appointment of Michael Keating of the United Kingdom as his new Special Representative for Somalia and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia.
Mr. Keating succeeds Nicholas Kay of the United Kingdom, who completed his assignment at the end of 2015. Mr. Keating brings to this position extensive experience in supporting political and peacebuilding transitions, as well as leading complex humanitarian and recovery programmes in Afghanistan, the Middle East and Africa. While Associate Director of Chatham House since 2012, he concurrently served as Senior Adviser to the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy to Syria. He was Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General and United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Afghanistan from 2010 until 2012. Mr. Keating also served as Executive Director of the Africa Progress Panel, a policy group chaired by former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan. His earlier career was divided between assignments with the United Nations, serving in Malawi, Gaza/Jerusalem, New York, Afghanistan and Pakistan, and the private sector, where he worked with companies and public sector bodies engaged in environmental, human rights and development issues. Mr. Keating holds a Master of Arts in history from the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom. Born in 1959, he is married and has four children. Follow SRSG Keating on Twitter: @SRSGKeatingOn 5 December 2014, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced the appointment of Mr. Raisedon Zenenga of Zimbabwe as his Deputy Special Representative for Somalia. Mr. Zenenga succeeds Ms. Fatiha Serour of Algeria. Mr. Zenenga possesses a diverse and substantial background in political processes and mediation, proven skills in managing peacekeeping operations, and significant experience in working with Government and other key stakeholders in conflict and post-conflict settings. He has over 30 years of United Nations, Government and diplomatic service experience, 21 of which he served with the Organization in the field including in Liberia, Iraq-Kuwait, Sierra Leone and Somalia. Educated at the University of Zimbabwe, Mr. Zenenga graduated in public administration and political science. He also received diplomatic training from the Australian Development Assistance Bureau. Mr. Zenenga is married and has three children. On 18 June 2015, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced the appointment of Mr. Peter de Clercq of the Netherlands as his Deputy Special Representative, United Nations Resident Coordinator, Humanitarian Coordinator and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Resident Representative. Mr. de Clercq brings to the position solid experience in managing political processes, security sector development, operations and emergency management, protection of civilians and rule of law, as well as mobilization and management of humanitarian and development assistance. His most recent assignment was that of Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary General for the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH).
Prior to that, he served as Senior Adviser to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Somalia and Deputy Special Representative for Somalia for the United Nations Political Office for Somalia. He has also served as United Nations Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator ad interim in Sudan and worked with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for 27 years, during which time he held various positions in its Headquarters in Geneva and Budapest, as well as in field assignments in Angola, Pakistan, Sudan and Zimbabwe. He was also seconded to the Department of Peacekeeping Operations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and to UNDP in Sudan.
Mr. de Clercq holds a master’s degree in development sociology from the University of Tilburg in the Netherlands and is a graduate of the Netherlands’ Institute for International Affairs “Clingendael” in The Hague. rate |
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