Beirut, 1 July 2026--On the National Day of the Federal Republic of Somalia, the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA), Dr. Rania Al-Mashat, extended her well wishes to the Government and people of Somalia, hoping for peace, stability, progress and prosperity in the country.
Al-Mashat expressed the pride of ESCWA in its growing partnership with Somalia and reaffirmed the Commission's commitment to continuing its support for the country's sustainable development efforts and national capacity-building, in line with government priorities.
Cooperation between ESCWA and Somalia has advanced significantly in recent years across several key areas. These include the development of a conceptual framework for a labour market information system and an analytical study on labour market skills requirements; the formulation of the National Strategy on Older Persons and the National Migration Strategy; the review and updating of the National Disability Strategy and Action Plan; the strengthening of national statistical capacities through the localization of the ESCWA Monitoring and Reporting Platform for the Sustainable Development Goals (MARS); and the development of the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy.
ESCWA continues to support efforts to strengthen Somalia's social protection system, build national capacities in poverty and vulnerability analysis, and provide technical assistance for the implementation of the Population and Housing Census. The Commission is also working closely with national institutions to enhance governance, digital transformation, advanced data analysis and economic diplomacy.
The Executive Secretary reaffirmed the commitment of ESCWA to maintaining its partnership with Somalia to build more effective and resilient institutions capable of addressing current and future challenges while advancing inclusive and sustainable development.
