Somali Minister for Foreign Affairs Mr. Abdirahman Beileh at the London Summit in East London.
Hiiraan Online
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
London, UK (HOL) - The Somali Minister for Foreign Affairs and Investment Promotion, Abdirahman Beileh, arrived in London today to take part in the Global Summit to End Sexual Violence in Conflict areas, organised by the British government.
The four day summit is hosted by the British Foreign Minister William Hague and the special Envoy for the UN High Commission for Refugees and movie star Angelina Jolie.
The summit is the biggest of its kind and aimed at bringing together national governments, international bodies and civil society groups to take action against sexual violence and to offer protection to the most vulnerable in affected countries.
William Hague, the British Foreign Minister and his co-host Angelina Jolie both spoke of the devastation and pain rape and sexual violence causes women in times of war. Both urged immediate and co-ordinated action to tackle this matter through education and the strengthening of international legal frameworks.
Over 140 nations were represented at the Summit and the Somali government was represented by Dr. Beileh and the Minister for Women and Human Rights Khadija Mohamud Deriye among others. Many Somali civil society leaders were also invited and participated at the summit and will continue to do so for the remaining few days. Most had come directly from Somalia and stated that they were proud to represent their country and to build links with other organisations around the world fighting for the same cause.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Investment Promotion Mr.Beileh, having met with many different organisations at the summit spoke of his reasons for attending the summit and its importance for the Somali government and people.
“We are participating in this international Summit alongside many other governments, organisations and interest groups to not only promote the issue and raise awareness of it but to also learn from other countries experiences of violence against women during war,” said Mr. Beileh in an interview. “It is important that we address this issue and find an international solution to remedy what is an unbearable crime against some of the most vulnerable in our society.”
HOL English News Desk