Boris Johnson and Antonio Guterres

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:00:34. > :00:39.Good afternoon, everybody. Thank you for coming along. I want to begin by

:00:40. > :00:44.thanking Secretary-General Gutierrez and the president. I want to learn

:00:45. > :00:50.what makes this London conference on Somalia different. Too often in my

:00:51. > :00:53.time as Foreign Secretary, I have attended conferences whose sole

:00:54. > :01:00.purpose has been to apply sticking plaster to a wound, even while that

:01:01. > :01:05.wound is still being inflicted. But what we have got in Somalia is

:01:06. > :01:09.different. Yes, it is true that after decades of turmoil, Somalia

:01:10. > :01:16.remains a wounded country. But it is in the process of being healed. And

:01:17. > :01:22.thanks to the leadership of the president and his colleagues, thanks

:01:23. > :01:29.to the courage and sacrifice of the forces and their Somali courses and

:01:30. > :01:36.to the help being given by the international community. The

:01:37. > :01:41.overriding aim of our work today is to accelerate the healing of the

:01:42. > :01:45.country and to lay the foundations for a peaceful and prosperous

:01:46. > :01:51.Somalia. That is why we have concluded a new security pact,

:01:52. > :01:57.recognising the essential truth that piece is the first requirement of

:01:58. > :02:03.any form of progress, particularly economic growth. The agreement

:02:04. > :02:09.between the federal government and the regional administrations on a

:02:10. > :02:16.national security model will give Somali forces clarity over command

:02:17. > :02:22.and control, making them more effective and in time, allowing them

:02:23. > :02:27.to take over in liberating areas from the terrorists of Al-Shabaab

:02:28. > :02:33.and providing security thereafter. And in return for these vital

:02:34. > :02:40.reforms being carried out by the Somalis, by the federal government

:02:41. > :02:45.and the state authorities, the international community will provide

:02:46. > :02:50.more help, particularly over the training of police and military

:02:51. > :02:57.forces. We will improve the coordination of our work. In the new

:02:58. > :03:01.partnership for Somalia, our Somali partners and the international

:03:02. > :03:07.community have undertaken to work together and to hold each other to

:03:08. > :03:12.account so that we deliver the support and reforms that Somalia

:03:13. > :03:18.will need over the next four years and as we prepare for our shared

:03:19. > :03:24.ambition of one person, one vote elections in 2021. Most importantly,

:03:25. > :03:29.everyone at this conference acknowledged the severity of the

:03:30. > :03:33.drought that Somalia is now enduring. At this moment Kerber over

:03:34. > :03:38.6 million Somalis need emergency food supplies and nobody can forget

:03:39. > :03:49.that the last time Somalia was blighted by famine in 2011, 260,000

:03:50. > :03:56.people died. If we act early and decisively, and that disaster can

:03:57. > :04:01.still be avoided. For this to happen, aid agencies must be free to

:04:02. > :04:09.go wherever necessary in safety and without hindrance to distribute food

:04:10. > :04:14.aid to all those in need. Britain is leading the way in responding to the

:04:15. > :04:19.humanitarian crisis in Somalia in providing food, water and medicine

:04:20. > :04:24.to over a million people. Together, we have come to this conference

:04:25. > :04:32.determined to speed up the healing of Somalia's wound, recognising the

:04:33. > :04:38.scale of the problems that remain, but determined to ensure that

:04:39. > :04:43.Somalia and the Somali people can achieve the peace and prosperity

:04:44. > :04:54.they deserve. I now hand over to President Farmajo. Good evening.

:04:55. > :05:00.Today, the government of Somalia set out our priorities and plans,

:05:01. > :05:05.together with our international partners who have committed to

:05:06. > :05:12.support us. We agreed on a security pact and a new partnership for

:05:13. > :05:17.Somalia in support of Somalia's national development plan, endorsing

:05:18. > :05:24.the national partnership for Somalia is a great step forward for Somalia.

:05:25. > :05:27.The national partnership for Somalia is a partnership based on the

:05:28. > :05:35.principle of mutual accountability between our governments and its

:05:36. > :05:39.international partners. A clear agreement on both our parts to work

:05:40. > :05:46.together on a set of shared goals to bring lasting peace, stability and

:05:47. > :05:52.prosperity to Somalia for the good of the Somali people. Our aim is to

:05:53. > :05:59.fulfil Somalia's vision, to achieve a stronger, more secure, more

:06:00. > :06:07.cooperative union that enhances equity and good governance for all

:06:08. > :06:13.Somalis. But that cannot be achieved without secure Somalia.

:06:14. > :06:27.You Today we have endorsed Somali-led and security pact with

:06:28. > :06:30.our partners, based on an agreed vision on Somali-led institutions

:06:31. > :06:36.and force that is are affordable, acceptable and accountable. It has

:06:37. > :06:39.come to a realisation that Somalia needs bold and courageous steps from

:06:40. > :06:46.our international partners. We need our partners to invest more directly

:06:47. > :06:52.in our priorities and our country system. As this will strengthen

:06:53. > :06:58.Government institutions and is critical for sustainability. Our

:06:59. > :07:04.Government has committed change, the way we manage our economy. To work

:07:05. > :07:11.together and work with a development of partners. We have committed to

:07:12. > :07:16.another kind of partnership which also moves us forward and enables us

:07:17. > :07:21.to grow a public-private partnership and my organisation will ensure a

:07:22. > :07:27.concrete, concrete and tangible steps are taken to improve the

:07:28. > :07:33.business environment. . Also, I'm pleased with the outcome of the

:07:34. > :07:41.events that took place during this conference on the contribution of

:07:42. > :07:45.the civil society to Somalia and recognise their collective role in

:07:46. > :07:50.supporting be stability and prosperity in Somalia. Great things

:07:51. > :07:58.are happening for Somalia and I'm so happy to be here, to witness it. My

:07:59. > :08:01.people have a promise that my fairly new organisation is here for them

:08:02. > :08:07.and their needs. Together we can achieve anything. Let's work

:08:08. > :08:12.together, Somalia, and her friends, to tackle the challenges that come

:08:13. > :08:17.our way. As I mentioned this morning, the expectations are very

:08:18. > :08:25.high but not performing is not an option. Thank you all for being

:08:26. > :08:28.here. I will now give the floor to the the excellent UN

:08:29. > :08:34.Secretary-General. I thank you. Thank you, very much, first of all

:08:35. > :08:37.to the Government of the United Kingdom, to Boris Johnson for having

:08:38. > :08:41.had the initiative of this conference and to the president of

:08:42. > :08:48.somal why for having created the political conditions that allowed it

:08:49. > :08:54.to happen. And this conference was an unmitigated success. This

:08:55. > :08:57.conference has created the conditions for an opportunity to

:08:58. > :09:05.materialise, a opportunity that we cannot miss. An opportunity to take

:09:06. > :09:10.Somalia out of decades of conflict, of poverty and of terrible suffering

:09:11. > :09:17.for the Somali people. An opportunity to defeat terrorism and

:09:18. > :09:24.to establish peace. An opportunity to allow for the build-up of

:09:25. > :09:27.national Somalian institutions and lay the foundations of a normal

:09:28. > :09:35.economic and social development process. And these opportunities are

:09:36. > :09:39.possible because we have, in Somalia, a plan for the Government

:09:40. > :09:43.and we have a strategy and plan that makes sense and is supported by the

:09:44. > :09:46.international opportunity. But now for the opportunity not to be

:09:47. > :09:51.missed, the international community needs to come together and to

:09:52. > :09:59.massively support Somalia. First of all, responding to the appeals to

:10:00. > :10:04.increase humanitarian aid to be able to face the dramatic challenges of

:10:05. > :10:10.food economy and disease in the country. Second, to fully support

:10:11. > :10:15.the Government in the build-up of institutions in particular, as it

:10:16. > :10:22.was mentioned by the Foreign Secretary, the national army and the

:10:23. > :10:27.national police force that need to be built in a co-ordinated way and

:10:28. > :10:33.end the strategy of the Somali Government. The interests of the

:10:34. > :10:38.international community is also to be able, in between, before the

:10:39. > :10:43.national Ince stewings are able to fully protect the Somali people, the

:10:44. > :10:48.international community must give strong and predictable financial and

:10:49. > :10:54.equipment support to our mission, to the mission of the African Union,

:10:55. > :11:00.that with enormous sacrifice and enormous courage, has been fighting

:11:01. > :11:03.Shah Babb in very dramatic circumstances, but creating the

:11:04. > :11:07.conditions that allow these conference and this opportunity to

:11:08. > :11:11.take place, our mission deserves a much stronger support than the much

:11:12. > :11:15.more predictable support from the international community and,

:11:16. > :11:21.finally, it is very important for us all to be able to support the new

:11:22. > :11:26.national development plan of Somali and to create the conditions for it

:11:27. > :11:30.to be possible through all the instruments of Development

:11:31. > :11:35.Corporation, including with the necessary technical mechanisms to be

:11:36. > :11:38.put in place and the guarantees of sustainability, including an

:11:39. > :11:42.effective process of debt relief. If the international community will be

:11:43. > :11:47.able to respond to the challenge, I'm sure this opportunity will not

:11:48. > :11:53.be missed and I'm sure that Somalia will be the success story we need in

:11:54. > :11:55.our troubled world. Hear, hear. Thank you very much, Antonio,

:11:56. > :12:00.Secretary-General, we will have a few questions now. Can I invite a

:12:01. > :12:12.question from representatives, first of all, of the Somali media. Yes,

:12:13. > :12:18.Universal? Until I miss my guess. My question, I will put in Somali

:12:19. > :12:42.language for the benefit of the audience back home.

:12:43. > :12:46.TRANSLATION: There is the third conference of London, this

:12:47. > :13:03.conference is different from the other conference.

:13:04. > :13:10.This one is special because there is the international community on in

:13:11. > :13:19.conference and there is full support from the international community

:13:20. > :13:26.that there was support the Somali attack. So if we work collectively

:13:27. > :13:41.with the international community, the outcome of this conference will

:13:42. > :13:56.be successful. We put a lot of emphasis on Somali's security pact.

:13:57. > :14:02.And we came up with this security pact and the objective together to

:14:03. > :14:09.defeat the terrorist groups and how we drive forward our community, also

:14:10. > :14:19.to build the Somali national army, then once the community are

:14:20. > :14:25.committed and they are with us to help us with both economy, Somali

:14:26. > :14:38.economic recover rain also to build Somalian national defence army. Also

:14:39. > :14:44.the national community knows that 40% of Somali's population is the

:14:45. > :14:52.youth, so we want to do all, take the actions so that our youth

:14:53. > :15:01.doesn't radicalise and go to Al-Shabab or illegal immigration.

:15:02. > :15:08.Thank you. I will have a go at answering that too. I think I

:15:09. > :15:13.understood the gist of the question. You are saying - what is the

:15:14. > :15:18.difference between this conversation and proceeding coverses on Somali. A

:15:19. > :15:21.perfectly fair question. There have been dozens since 2000. I think the

:15:22. > :15:25.real difference and why this London conference is potentially so

:15:26. > :15:30.important is that the president has come here today, representing not

:15:31. > :15:37.just the federal Government of Somalia, but also, he's brought with

:15:38. > :15:43.him, I think half a dozen presidents of the regional governments and they

:15:44. > :15:47.have put on a wonderful show of unity and of their determination to

:15:48. > :15:52.work together to deliver the security architecture. And I think

:15:53. > :15:59.that's the thing I would personally single out as being most important

:16:00. > :16:05.about this conference and what the international community wants to do

:16:06. > :16:09.now is to back that security architecture and the strong her and

:16:10. > :16:12.more robust it is, and we had some very powerful words today we heard,

:16:13. > :16:17.then the more the international community will be able to come in

:16:18. > :16:27.with support. So, we will be reviewing progress, obviously, in

:16:28. > :16:30.October, but that is the big development for me, because it is

:16:31. > :16:34.peace and the peace and security architecture that will be the

:16:35. > :16:40.bedrock of prosperity. I think we'll go now to a representative of the UK

:16:41. > :16:45.media and James Landale. The BBC? James Landale, BBC. First of all,

:16:46. > :16:48.can I ask about the arms embargo, Mr President, can you explain why you

:16:49. > :16:55.believe it is important that the arms embargo is lifted and Foreign

:16:56. > :16:57.Secretary, can you explain why the international community is so

:16:58. > :17:01.reluctant to do it. Foreign Secretary, can I ask you about the

:17:02. > :17:08.humanitarian need? The United Nations says there is a short fall

:17:09. > :17:18.of 900,000 dollars. What more will the British Government to do meet

:17:19. > :17:21.that need? I have covered many conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan, I

:17:22. > :17:26.have been told about the importance of training up the army and police

:17:27. > :17:31.force. With respect, it is a slow, patchy gradual process at best. How

:17:32. > :17:39.can we be confident it is going to happen in time? Let me take that

:17:40. > :17:51.first question. Well, it is a very valid question. The reality is

:17:52. > :17:54.Al-Shabab has been active in Somalia for ten years and the reason we are

:17:55. > :18:02.looking to rebuild, to reorganisation our army is because

:18:03. > :18:07.of lack of equipment and weapons. Al-Shabab has AK-47 and the Somali

:18:08. > :18:12.national army, national forces has the same equipment, the same

:18:13. > :18:19.weapons. And that's why this war has been lingering for ten years and if

:18:20. > :18:24.we don't have more sophisticated and better weaponry, definitely this war

:18:25. > :18:28.will continue for another 10 years. That's why we would basically like

:18:29. > :18:34.to see the arms embargo to be lifted and of course that's why we need the

:18:35. > :18:38.international to help us in rebuilding Somali national army and

:18:39. > :18:43.that's why we wanted to face the challenge of al-Shah Babb. Because

:18:44. > :18:47.they are here in Somalia, they are in Somalia simply to destroy and

:18:48. > :19:08.deny the opportunity, Government to function.

:19:09. > :19:15.And to be part of the international community. So that's why we will

:19:16. > :19:22.require. Why we want to see the arms #e78 barring yo to be lifted. But we

:19:23. > :19:29.are not asking now that arms embargo to be lifted today but we are

:19:30. > :19:35.requiring to have a road map and then a milestone to see that maybe

:19:36. > :19:41.next year, in maybe in eight months after we meet all the requirements,

:19:42. > :19:44.that arms embargo to be lifted. I agree very strongly with the

:19:45. > :19:48.president that this is not the time to lift the arms embargo and we

:19:49. > :20:00.shouldn't be thinking of doing it that way around. The priority has

:20:01. > :20:03.got to be, as he rightly says, to get the forces to a condition

:20:04. > :20:15.working with the regional authorities where they are able to

:20:16. > :20:19.take on Al-Shabab and where they are able to engage their operations

:20:20. > :20:22.where it has done so heroically and bravely over the last ten years and

:20:23. > :20:26.that's what we are trying to achieve.