Mr. President, 

I thank Special Representative Catriona Laing and Special Representative Mohammed El-Amine Souef for their briefings, and welcome the presence of the Permanent Representative of Somalia at this meeting.

At present, the political and security process in Somalia is at a critical stage. The international community must not relent in its attention and support at this juncture, and must help Somalia better meet the challenges on all fronts. 

First, all efforts should be made to consolidate the achievements in the fight against terrorism. The Somali authorities have achieved visible results in the fight against terrorism. The terrorist group Al-Shabaab has recently launched frequent attacks on government institutions, airport facilities, and United Nations agencies, resulting in civilian casualties. The international community should continue to support Somalia’s counter-terrorism and stabilization efforts and help the Somali security forces speed up their training and capacity building with a view to assuming greater responsibility for security. Recently, the federal government called for a pause in the drawdown plan of ATMIS. China believes that it is imperative to carry out the drawdown plan in a smooth, orderly, and responsible manner on the basis of a comprehensive assessment of the security situation, so as to avoid a security vacuum. At the same time, ATMIS is seriously underfunded. The Secretary-General expressed his concern, and in his report, called for greater financial support from the funding parties. China takes a positive view of the Council's study of the financing options for ATMIS and hopes that developed country funding parties and major stakeholders will respond to the Secretary-General's appeal by maintaining their financial support, so that years of effort by ATMIS might not be wasted. 

Secondly, support should be given to the political transition in Somalia, which is the very basis for consolidating national security and maintaining political stability. China supports the holding of national consultative conferences between the Somali federation and its member states to promote political dialogue and to discuss major issues such as election, counter-terrorism, and reconciliation. We call on all parties to continue to resolve their differences through dialogue and consultation and advance the transition process. China notes that the situation in Las Anod has yet to ease and calls on all parties concerned to heed the call made in the press statement by the Council in June this year, exercise calm and restraint, and refrain from taking retaliatory actions that could lead to escalation of the situation. The international community and UNSOM should carry out their good offices on the basis of respecting the ownership of the Somali authorities and safeguarding the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Somalia. 

Third, since assuming office, Special Representative Laing has led UNSOM in its great efforts to promote political dialogue, maintain stability, and carry out humanitarian and development activities. The renewal of UNSOM’s mandate is currently under discussion in the Council. China hopes that UNSOM will focus on its core mandate, make dedicated efforts to help Somalia address the root causes of conflict, take more practical measures to promote humanitarian assistance, poverty eradication, and sustainable development, and support the stabilization plan for the recovered areas and the counter-terrorism and de-radicalization measures by Somalia. It is necessary for the UN to plan its future cooperation with Somalia in an integrated manner, promote the transition of UNSOM in accordance with the request by the Somali Government, and align its efforts with the priority tasks in Somalia’s national development. 

The Somali authorities have repeatedly called for the lifting of the arms embargo. The Council should respond to the concerns of the Somali side, adjust the sanctions measures in light of the security situation on the ground, and create conditions conducive to the building of Somalia’s national defense.

Thank you, Mr. President.