Madam Chairperson,
Distinguished Governors,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

I would like to thank you for giving me this historic opportunity to participate in this important meeting that comes as the first conference which the Somali Government participates in as a member country in a decade.

May I express my sincere appreciation for the donor community, UN agencies and international NGOs for providing humanitarian assistance during the last ten years of civil war in Somalia.

Madam Chairperson,

Somalia has been without a central government for the last decade. Thanks to His Excellency Ismail Omar Guelleh, the President of Djibouti, for putting great effort to bring back Somalia as a State into the international community and the international organisations as well as regional organisations in which Somalia was a member country before.

Agriculture is the backbone of the country and 80% of the population depends on agriculture. It contributed more than 80% of the total export of the country before the civil war mainly consisting of livestock, bananas, vegetables and other fruits.

Like many other sectors, the agriculture sector has been badly affected by the civil war, particularly the rural poor smallholder farmers, herders, artisan and above all poor rural women. Agriculture production declined more than 80% during the civil war due to lack of security, lack of agricultural inputs and lack of relevant agricultural technology coupled with pests and diseases.

Allow me Madam Chairperson to state here that the new Government of Somalia is committed in helping the rural poor. Its policy towards agriculture is to eliminate all forms of governmental intervention in the agricultural sector and the sector will be governed by market forces. The role of the State will therefore be confirmed to conducting agriculture research and extension services as well as developing and implementing agricultural policies and legislation.

Before the civil war, IFAD was co-funding agricultural development projects; among them were The Central Range Project, Bay Project, North West Project and Agricultural Extension and Farm Management Training Project. During the civil war, IFAD also funded other programmes and projects to help the poor rural; among these programmes was The Beyond Relief Programme.

Finally, Madam Chairperson, a great challenge is ahead for the new Government of Somalia regarding the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the country, which was devasted by the civil war. The Government of Somalia can only achieve its goal if it gets optimum support from the international community.

Therefore, on behalf of the people and the Government of Somalia, we humbly request all of you in this august house to help and participate in the rehabilitation and reconstruction of Somalia, particularly in the agriculture sector.

Thank you.