Friday May 12, 2023
Somalia and the United Nations have launched a multi-donor trust fund to strengthen partnerships between the government, the UN and international partners in support of the country's development priorities and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals.
The Somalia Joint Fund, formerly known as Somalia Multi-Partner Trust Fund with more than 500 million U.S. dollars in contributions since 2014, is one of the largest country-level development funds globally, the UN said in a statement issued Wednesday evening.
Adam Abdelmoula, the deputy special representative of the Secretary-General and UN resident and humanitarian coordinator for Somalia, said country-level pooled funds like the Somalia Joint Fund are critical for the UN's ability to better support the development aspirations of the countries concerned.
"The Somalia Joint Fund will provide the necessary flexibility to respond to complex challenges facing Somalia and to maximize synergies across the UN system through joint action," Abdelmoula said.
He said the fund, which was launched in Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, will also serve as a platform for open and honest dialogue between Somalia and its international partners under the leadership of the government.
The Somalia Joint Fund, administered by the UN Multi-Partner Trust Fund Office in New York, seeks to mobilize 60 million dollars annually in the next three years to support the most critical and strategic priorities in Somalia through seven funding windows.
Mohamud Abdirahman Beenebeene, minister of Planning, Investment and Economic Development, said the fund provides the government with a mechanism to ensure international alignment with national priorities, strengthen national ownership of international development assistance, and collectively prioritize and coordinate the use of resources for the best impact.