UNDP Somalia Quartery Update

Rebuilding the Somali Police Force

65 police officers from different regions of Somalia spent almost two months in Kampala to create a roadmap to guide the reconstruction of the Somali national civilian police force and a comprehensive police training programme.

The UNDP-supported Somali Law Enforcement Seminar and Police Training Workshop from 22 August to 13 October 2005, were officially requested by Somali Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi to Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni.

In the first three weeks, during the Law Enforcement Seminar, high ranking officers of the former Somali Police Force worked on the Development Plan for rebuilding and restructuring the police force that defined command and coordination structures, discussed the reactivation of police personnel, reviewed police regulations and laws, conducted a training needs an alysis and selected officers to participate in the Training Workshop.

During the Police Training Workshop, a comprehensive training programme was developed including a training syllabus and manual, and trainers identified and trained. A technical facilitation team composed of law enforcement experts from UNDP and the UK’s Department for International Development (DFID) and Ugandan police trainers assisted Somali counterparts through the process.


Civil servants begin training

Kampala Police training

The Civil Service Institute in Hargeisa is now fully functional with around 150 civil servants currently studying in the Institute’s first round of job-related courses, which include Managing Meetings, Human Resource Management, Basic Accounting, Office Administration, Essential Management Skills and Strategic Planning. With a further eight courses scheduled to start in October 2005, the Institute expects to have provided over 400 course places to civil servants by the end of 2005. This will be achieved with a permanent staff of five, plus instructors on contract.

The CSI is a public-private partnership between the Civil Service Commission and the University of Hargeisa, and focuses on developing the capacity of the civil service in such areas as management, planning, office skills and accounting. Private companies and NGOs will also be able to contract training services for their staff.

Update: Rehabilitated Canal leads to major harvest Four months after the inauguration of the Duduble (China) Canal in Jowhar in June 2005, there has been a dramatic change not only in the scenery, but also in the livelihoods of the people in the area. A large area has been planted with simsim fed by the waters of the recently rehabilitated 15-kilometre canal, some of which is now being harvested. Trucks are transporting the harvested grain to Mogadishu for sale and further, for export to the Gulf. In Jowhar, the grain is being processed locally into sesame oil. The planting, harvesting and processing are all labour-intensive processes creating thousands of jobs in the area.

The rehabilitation of the Duduble Canal is the first development project in the south of Somalia for two decades, and is a joint venture between the local community and administration, UNDP and WFP. The canal is also feeding water to a reservoir which is also in need of rehabilitation. Between the canal gates and the reservoir, 1200 families have been able to access water for their farms. In addition, the local administration and community have agreed to allocate 50% of the additional irrigable land for the local community, 30% for the displaced families and 20% for the rehabilitation of demobilised militia, thereby contributing to the ongoing peace building initiatives.

A proposal for Phase 2 of the rehabilitation has been formulated for implementation by the local community and the administration at a cost of USD 2.5 million of which the share of local partners is USD1.7 million. This phase is likely to bring an additional area of 20,000 hectares under cultivation besides substantially increasing the cropping intensity and productivity of some of the land currently under cultivation. The institutional capacity building component at the level of communities and local administration to support peace and reconciliation is a basic component of the interventions.

All references to Somaliland pertain to the self-declared but unrecognised Republic of Somaliland. All references to Puntland pertain to the self-declared Puntland State of Somalia.


Scaling up the fight against HIV/AIDS – AIDS Commissions

Somaliland and Puntland both launched AIDS commissions in the last quarter to increase, improve and coordinate strategies for the prevention of HIV/AIDS and the treatment, care and support of those infected with and affected by the virus. The launches were attended by the Somaliland President and the Puntland (acting) President respectively. UNDP Country Director Elballa Hagona emphasized the critical role that the religious leaders need to play in the aversion of an epidemic.

Both commissions fall under the offices of the President and are multi-sectoral partnerships including the private sector, civil society, ministries, religious leaders and significantly, will in the future include representatives of people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS.

Women in business - pilot project in Puntland

In a pilot project in Garowe, UNDP is facilitating the training of 40 women in small-scale business management and the establishment of small-scale enterprises. The project covers three stages of business establishment: entrepreneur/business training, provision of basic start-up equipment and the availability of support services during the initial start up period to increase the likelihood of business success.

The initial training course is intended to develop skills in establishing and operating a small enterprise and to enhance self-confidence, attitude to the individual business processes, understanding and awareness of basic market dynamics and opportunities. As all the women were identified from vulnerable groups of the community, a start-up set of equipment and materials will be provided, to minimise their personal investment.


To lower the risk of failure, a simplified version of a Business Incubator will be available to provide assistance during the one-month of practical experience, where the women will receive advice on business-related topics such as bookkeeping and procurement as they face the practical problems during the initial phases of their business start-up. There will also be a common show room available, so that the women can access the market at a low cost. After the initial two months of both classroom training and practical experience the women will attend a second round of training during which they will re-evaluate their original business plans and receive further training on more advanced business topics.

IDPs in Puntland begin to see results

Following extensive assessments on IDPs in urban areas of Puntland, an MCH and three police stations are being constructed in Bossaso and Garowe to boost protection for IDPs and markets being established in Bossaso, Garowe and Quardho for women's income generation activities. As part of the Recovery and Development Programme for the Somali Puntland Coast, and related hinterland, affected by the tsunami, UNDP and UNHCR will be collaborating to rehabilitate a secondary school in Eyl. In addition, capacity building training for the Village Development Committees has started to ensure empowerment of local authorities and communities in the reintegration process.

Somalia Watching Brief

The meeting of the Technical Coordination Group (TCG) consisting of senior technical staff of the ministries of planning from Somaliland, Puntland and the Transitional Federal Government was held in Djibouti during 4 to 9 August 2005. The former Director General, Ministry of Planning of Transitional National Government (TNG) participated on behalf of the Transitional Federal Government.

The current work-plan and progress of work were reviewed and revised. It was also agreed to organize a statistical training course at Amoud University with participation of 30 professionals from line ministries and municipalities, ten each from the three administrations. The Director Generals approved the medium-term plan for statistical data collection and capacity building. Further, UNDP agreed to support an apprenticeship programme whereby 15 university graduates will intern with the Ministry of Planning of Somaliland, Puntland and TFG for a period of one year as part of on-the-job training.

Administrative data collection through the three administrations continued during this quarter. The data include basic administrative statistics on crop production, livestock, fisheries, trade, public finance, social sectors and other socio-economic and macro-economic indicators for Somaliland and Puntland and part of South central. At the local level, they include statistics on municipal administration, municipal finance, trade, commerce, industry, education, health, water, sanitation, public transport etc.

2 UNDP Somalia – Quarterly Update (October 2005) Joint Needs Assessment kicks off – www.somalia-jna.org The UN and World Bank have started the Somali Joint Needs Assessment (JNA) which is intended to help begin to achieve sustained reconstruction and development and deepen the peace process by having teams of Somali and international technical experts work together to assess needs and develop prioritized initiatives to achieve reconstruction and development and reinforce peace building.

The JNA Secretariat has been established and the team is now completing the identification of cluster leaders and focal points for the six priority clusters and three cross-cutting issues, who will undertake the assessment and analysis of the strategic Somali needs for recovery reconstruction and development.

The assessment phase of the JNA will begin with the JNA Inception Retreat during 23-26 November 2005, the purpose of which is to develop cohesive cluster teams with strong inter-linkages, effective involvement of cross-cutting issues, and understanding of the JNA methodology and process, plus refined work plans and timeframes. For more on the JNA, go to www.somalia-jna.org


Civil society groups in Mogadishu get Resource Centre

The foundation stone of the Somali civil society’s resource centre in Mogadishu was set in a ceremony attended by key civil society organisations (CSOs), representatives of Transitional Federal Government, media and other dignitaries on 26 September 2005.

The civil society resource centre which is funded by UNDP and implemented by Formal Private Educations Network in Somalia (FPENS) will comprise a meeting hall, library, an internet café and offices and will provide a forum for information exchange and closer cooperation between CSOs, the government authorities, the Diaspora and the international community. CSOs will also be able to utilise the resource centre as a training venue. UNDP extends this support to Somali civil society to enhance their contribution to the governance process.

Access to Justice working!

The Access to Justice Project that was launched in June 2005 is close to reaching its target of reducing the waiting period in remand, as well as the number of those on remand by 50% at the Hargeisa Central Prison which suffers severe overcrowding. Of the 122 people on remand at the time, 64 cases have been brought to court, of which 47 were released, seven convicted and 10 continued (i.e. given another court date).

The Legal Clinic is the public service component of the University of Hargeisa Faculty of Law and provides no-cost legal representation to individuals and groups who cannot afford legal services while providing the law students with first-hand experience of their profession in a supervised environment.

The project features the active engagement of members of the Somaliland Lawyers Association, the Legal Clinic staff and upwards to sixteen law students.

Optimising our performance to making us faster, stronger, leaner UNDP Somalia is going through a change process as a follow-up to an MCT (Management Consulting Team) workshop in June 2005. This is a soul-searching exercise in order to become more clientoriented, internally and externally more efficient, dynamic and relevant to our clients – from the general Somali population and their administrations, donors, partners, media, etc. The ultimate aim is to be able to deliver better services, mobilise more resources and be the partner of choice in the areas of our expertise.

The exercise includes the set-up of a Business Development Unit which will assist the programmes streamline their structures, identify new business opportunities and ensure adequate information sharing internally and externally. A strategy for UNDP Somalia’s programme will also be developed and a retreat will be organized before the end of the year. A common vision and value propositions for the Country Office were also developed and agreed upon by all staff.


Ayaha Market opens its doors

Ayaha settlement was established in December 2001, and with the return of refugees from Ethiopia and some IDPS, the settlement has grown to a population of 3000 persons. The settlement is a distance from the Hargeisa market and therefore difficult to access for business activity or employment. This led to a request to UNDP for a market in the settlement, which was built in 2003, along with a police station, extension of water supply and a Mother and Child Health Centre (MCH).

The market however has not been functional as the modalities on how the 32 stalls in the market will be allocated amongst the returnees and IDPs were worked out. A meeting with the communities in Ayaha I, Ayaha II and the municipality agreed that the stalls would be shared between the two settlements based on a lottery system on a specified date.

On 16 August 2005, 77 candidates were registered, the lottery was duly undertaken and recorded, and the lucky 32 winners won their spaces in the market, in a fair and transparent process, ensuring that the market now is being used.


Supporting the TFIs to re-engage internationally

For the first time in a long time, Somalia has been represented at various international forums by top government officials. President Abdullahi Yusuf led an eight person delegation to attend the 60th Session of the UN General Assembly in September 2005, Speaker Sharif Hassan Aden attended the ‘Second World Conference of Speakers of Parliament’ in New York and Prime Minister Ali Mohamed Gedi and Planning Minister Osman Jurile travelled to Italy to secure significant funding and in-kind support for Somalia. There has also been a mission to the League of Arab States and specifically to Libya to further strengthen relations between Somalia and the Arab States as well as to address possible funding opportunities and participation in the IMF and World Bank Annual Meeting September 2005.

All this has been made possible by the UNDP-managed Transitional Federal Institutions Global Reengagement Fund, which was established to provide necessary support for the new Transitional Federal Government to re-enter the international community, normalize relations and regain access to international financing and development assistance.

The Fund has proven to be a successful tool to enhance the engagement of Somalia leaders with the international community and the world at large and has subsequently contributed to democratic decision making, an improved financial outlook for the Somali people, has developed an improved understanding by Somali leaders needed to make better decisions and has greatly raised international world leaders awareness of the plight of the Somali people.

Training Centres working well on their own
Berbera Port Training Centre (BPTC) and the Bossaso Vocational Training Centre (BVTC) commenced their operations as independent institutions on 1 August 2005 under a restructuring design facilitated by UNDP.

Under a cost-sharing agreement, UNDP will provide technical and limited financial support to these institutions until 2007 in a decreasing magnitude linking to its sustainability. The support includes the provision of training equipment, Training of Trainers (ToT) and Curriculum Development in collaboration with UNESCO within the sectors of management, financial and technical trades. The two institutions annually provide vocational training for approximately 400 trainees of whom about 25% are women and play a significant role as a source of skilled human resources development in the regions to meet partially the needs of public institutions and private sector.

Progress with the Religious Leaders on HIV/AIDS

UNDP continued to support the on-going regional initiative for religious leaders. In September 2005, six Somali sheikhs participated in a sub-regional training on HIV/AIDS in Yemen based on a training tool especially aimed at religious leaders. The training created a great momentum, and the trained sheikhs are now planning to establish religious leaders' networks, translate the Religious Leaders Kit into the Somali language, and to use this important tool for further training initiatives.

4 UNDP Somalia – Quarterly Update (October 2005) Deputy PMAC

Mine Action – the key to ensuring humanitarian and development access Post conflict situations will almost always come hand in hand with unexploded ordnance (UXO) and mines that pose a threat to life and impede access into areas that need humanitarian assistance and in the longer term, rehabilitation and reconstruction. The socio-economic impact of landmines and UXO are apparent in almost every aspect of Somali society: reduced land availability for livestock and agricultural production, increased transportation costs, poor performance of rehabilitation and development efforts, increased challenges in repatriation and reintegration, disability and loss of life, and a general lack of security.

However, despite the challenges that exist in Somalia, the threat posed by land mines and UXO could be significantly reduced. Given adequate resources and the continued improvement in security, it is estimated that in the regions of Somaliland and Puntland the issue could be solved within a seven to ten year period. Mines are still being laid in southern Somalia, and the ongoing insecurity there has hindered a comprehensive plan to deal with the issue of UXO and mines.

Landmine Impact Surveys
Mine-action programs have only been implemented in Somaliland (1992-1993, 1997-1998 and 1999-present) and Puntland (2003-2005). Results from the Landmine Impact Survey (LIS) in four regions of Somaliland show some 357 affected communities from some 772 suspected danger areas. Of these, 45 were deemed to be high-impact, 102 medium-impact and 210 low-impact. The affected population is estimated at 1,340,600 and, in the last two years, there were 276 victims, 60 percent of which were the result of handling mines or UXO.

Phase I and Phase II of the LIS for Puntland has been completed. It has revealed similar levels of contamination along the Ethiopian border and southern clan border areas, and less contamination in coastal and northern regions.

What is being done?
In Somaliland, the Somaliland Mine Action Centre (SMAC) is responsible for coordinating mine action and quality assurance with the support of UNDP. UNDP has completed a programme of creating five Police Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) Teams and is now working to build a regional mine clearance capacity.

In Puntland, significant progress has been made in creating and operationalizing the Puntland Mine Action Centre and building the capacity for UXO clearance. Phase II of the Somalia LIS has been completed in three regions of Puntland, and with the completion of Sool and Sanaag regions, the whole of northern Somalia will be completed.

While coordinated strategic plan does not yet exist for southern Somalia, UNDP intends to train police EOD teams, whose engagement will, it is hoped, lead to information and greater access. UNDP will continue to work with the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) to support policy development, capacity development within the line ministry while working to establish regional MACs and a Federal MAC in Mogadishu when the security situation allows. UNDP continues to track results from LIS, and will hand over the central database to the TFG as capacity is developed.

Training
In the last quarter, funded by Germany, 18 policemen graduated from a seven week Police EOD Training course at the International Mine Action Training Centre in Nairobi. In September 2005, one member of SMAC and one of PMAC attended a six-week UNDP Middle Management training course from Cranfield University provided in Bangkok, while one senior member of SMAC attended the eight-week UNDP Senior management training course at James Madison University in the US. Currently the Somaliland EOD Commander and the SMAC quality management officer are attending middle management training in Amman, Jordan.

Funding
The total funding request for mine action in Somalia for 2006, as of 2nd September 2005, is USD 11,136,750 to clear priority areas identified in the Somaliland landmine impact survey phase I and the Puntland landmine impact survey phase II, continue the coordination, planning and quality of work in mine action in Somaliland, assess the impact of mines and UXO on the populations of Sool and Sanaag regions and clear UXO and stray mines from the southern regions.

More: http://www.so.undp.org

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