Mr. Chairperson
Excellences
Distinguished Governors
Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am delighted to be here at IFAD's 37th Governing Council to represent Somalia for the first time in more than twenty years.

Allow me, first and foremost, to convey to this esteemed meeting warm greetings from the President, Prime Minister and the people of Somalia, including IDPs and refugees committed to overcome the disparate situations they find themselves in.

Somalia, as you are aware, has been grappling with conflict for so long but is now determined to realize its 2016 vision of a stable country; a country that is in peace with itself and with its neighbours; a country that is not anymore a symbol for internal conflict, famine, internal displacement, and young fleeing refugees dying in the seas.

Our grand plan is to end violence and terrorism to realize our people's aspirations for a democratic society where political differences are resolved through the ballot box, and our people can fully enjoy the fruits of development.

Post-conflict processes of state-building and peace-building require economic recovery to be accorded equal attention. Youth unemployment and conflict are intertwined, and agricultural recovery plans offer a lot in the resolution of this problem. Developing sustainable livelihoods through investing in our rural communities and small hold farmers forms a key component of our government's recovery plan.

Excellences, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Somalia has lost everything except its people and the potentials of its highly productive natural resources - including fertile agricultural land, livestock and marine resources.

The resilience of our rural people against natural and man-made hardships, the entrepreneurship spirit of our business community, and the participation of caring and dedicated Diaspora communities constitute the foundations for bouncing Somalia back to its rightful place in the community of nations.

Our plan for the agricultural sector is to prioritize institutional development and effective leadership for the recovery and enhancement of productive capacity of our people, including smallhold farmers, as well as commercial farming, such as export-oriented crops.

International financial and technical support is critical for these national efforts to bear meaningful results as quickly as possible. We, therefore, appeal to all donors and international partners to help Somalia in its commitment to economic recovery.

Thank you.