Madam President,

I thank Mr. Swan, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Mr. Madeira, Special Representative of the Chairperson of the AU Commission for Somalia for their briefings.

Since the last Security Council briefing in August, important progress has been made in the peaceful reconstruction of Somalia. The new Prime Minister and Cabinet have taken office. Preparations for elections are well underway. The Somalia Transition Plan is being updated. Meanwhile, the security and humanitarian situation in Somalia remains fragile. There is still a long way to go to achieve peace and development in Somalia. I would like to emphasize the following three points.

First, the political process should be steadily advanced. China welcomes the consensus reached by the leaders of federal government and federal member states on the electoral model, and encourages all parties to implement the relevant decisions and hold a timely and secured election. China calls on all parties in Somalia to put the interests of the country and its people first, maintain the momentum of dialogue, enhance mutual trust, improve the federalism, and actively promote the constitutional review and other national priorities. The international community should provide technical and logistical support for the elections and help the Somali government improve its governance capacity on the "Somali-led, Somali-owned" basis.

Second, joint efforts should be made to maintain security and stability. The security environment in Somalia is worrying with frequent terrorist activities. China appreciates the contribution of AMISOM in stabilizing the situation. The independent assessment of AMISOM authorized by the Security Council should take into account the views of the AU and AMISOM. We hope that the UN and the AU will make appropriate arrangements to ensure that the results of the assessment fully reflect the concerns of all parties and provide a comprehensive and objective basis for the Council's next action. We take note that the Somali government is taking the lead in updating the transition plan and promoting security sector reform. AMISOM is also developing a phased reconfiguration plan to prepare for the transfer of security responsibilities to Somalia. The international community should help Somalia strengthen its security capacity and continue to provide sustainable and stable funding for AMISOM to perform its duties.

Third, input into development and humanitarian relief should be increased. Somalia is plagued by war, lags behind in economic development, and faces long-term humanitarian challenges. Development is an important basis for solving all problems and is the expectation of the Somali government and people. The international community should integrate Somalia's national development plan to help Somalia develop its economy, improve livelihood, unleash its resource endowment and labor potential, eliminate the root causes of violent conflicts and humanitarian crises, and provide strong support for Somalia's self-development and sustainable peace. China welcomes the signing of the Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework between the United Nations and the Somali government to promote the humanitarian, development and peace nexus. China calls on the international community to continue to increase input to close the humanitarian gap.

China has always supported the Somali government in defending its sovereignty and territorial integrity and embarking on a path of peace, stability, and development at an early date. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, China has provided several shipments of emergency anti-epidemic materials to Somalia, showing our solidarity with the Somalian people in tiding over the difficulties. We will continue to help Somalia in its economic reconstruction through concrete cooperation projects.

I thank you, Madam President.