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COMMUNIQUÉ : Somalia Diaspora Conference in Kigali, Rwanda

Storyline:National News

kamatiireeyAfter five days of discussions on the state of affairs in Somalia, lessons learnt and experience sharing with, and field trips to relevant Rwandan government institutions, we, participants of the Kigali II conference agree:

 

(1) To continue to work towards to a more unified Somali diaspora in order to ensure that the Somali diaspora is able to contribute more effectively to the peace, reconciliation and recovery process in Somalia.

 

(2) To build the capacity of Office of Diaspora Affairs (ODA) through capacity building programs, in order to make it more effective and operational in discharging it mandate. This will include:

 

  • Organizing forums between the Diaspora and Locals (Barasho Horteed ha I nicin)

 

  • Undertaking a system mapping of current Diaspora organizations that are active and bringing about positive change (population stats).

 

  • Organizing Consultations and Collaboration activities between the ODA and similar institutions in the regional states.
  • Creating a Diaspora Roster of Experts in different fields including but not limited to the fields of Education, Healthcare, Justice, Governance and Environment.

 

  • Promoting and establishing partnership between Diaspora and local businesses.

 

  • Developing a strategic alliance of partnerships among Diaspora, civil society, business corporations and government to address environmental issues and concerns.

 

  • Engaging in the various stakeholder consultation processes that will lead to the finalization of the Draft Somali Diaspora Policy that would be launched a Diaspora Homecoming Conference in Mogadishu in December 2015.

 

(3) To establish Implementation Committees on specific areas that the conference participants will support the peace, reconciliation and recovery process in Somalia

 

(4) To establish a Follow-Up/Implementation Committee, Research Committee to facilitate and ensure, in close coordination with the Office of Diaspora Affairs (ODA), that the conference outcomes are realized before the end of 2015.

 

Finally, the conference participants express our appreciation to the Government of Rwanda, the African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (ACCORD), the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) who supported the Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) and in particular, the Office of Diaspora Affairs (ODA) in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Investment Promotion in convening the conference.

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