STORY: Somalia’s government lays out next steps to tackle

corruption and strengthen accountability with

international support
TRT: 3:29
SOURCE: UNSOM PUBLIC INFORMATION
RESTRICTIONS: This media asset is free for editorial
broadcast, print, online and radio use. It is not to be sold on
and is restricted for other purposes. All enquiries to
thenewsroom@auunist.org
CREDIT REQUIRED: UNSOM PUBLIC INFORMATION
LANGUAGE: SOMALI/ENGLISH NATURAL SOUND
DATELINE: 9/DECEMBER/2018, MOGADISHU, SOMALIA

SHOT LIST:

1. Wide shot, participants at the venue to mark the International Anti-Corruption

Day in Mogadishu
2. Med shot, Peter de Clercq - the UN Secretary-General’s Deputy Special
Representative for Somalia (DSRSG), George Conway - the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP) Somalia Country Director, Hassan Hussein Haji -
the Somali Federal Minister of Justice and Judiciary Affairs, and Mohamed Ali
‘Afgoye - the Auditor-General of Somalia.
3. Close up shot, DSRSG Peter de Clercq listening to Mohamed Ali ‘Afgoye, the
Auditor-General of Somalia
4. Med shot, Mohamed Ali ‘Afgoye, the Auditor-General of Somalia
5. Med shot, participants listening
6. Close up shot, an officer from the custodial corps listening
7. SOUNDBITE: (English) Mohamed Ali ‘Afgoye, Auditor-General of Somalia
“The Senate passed the formation of the Anti-Corruption Committee and soon will
pass the Anti-Corruption Law. The House completed the Third Reading of the Draft
of the Audit Bill. We have high hopes that the Federal Parliament will pass both bills
and will be placed before the President by the end of the year,”

8. Med shot, Hassan Hussein Haji - the Somali Federal Minister of Justice and
Judiciary Affairs and Mohamed Ali ‘Afgoye - Auditor General of Somalia listening to
DSRSG Peter de Clercq
9. Close up shot, Abdullahi Sheikh Ali - the Deputy Minister of Finance listening
10. Close up shot, David Concar, the British Ambassador to Somalia listening
11. Med shot, civil society and youth organisations representatives in attendance
12. Wide shot, participants at the event
13. SOUNDBITE: (English) Peter de Clercq, DSRSG and UN Resident Humanitarian
Coordinator for Somalia
“We encourage all branches of Government and Federal Member States to take
measures to protect and expand integrity and accountability of the management of
public finances and resources as well as to advance the legal and institutional
frameworks against corruption through robust enforcement and punitive measures,”
14. Med shot, Hugh Riddell, The World Bank Country Representative for Somalia,
speaking at the event
15. Close up shot, participants listening
16. Med shot, participants listening
17. SOUNDBITE: (English) Hugh Riddell, The World Bank Country Representative
for Somalia
“We will be helping to strengthen the financial reporting centre, the Central Bank,
the National Communications Authority. All of these play a role in addressing money
laundering and countering the financing of terrorist activities. And through the
establishment of an integrated system for national payments and settlement,
Somalia’s emerging banking sector can help facilitate the licit flow of finance and will
increase efficiency and accountability of the economy,”

18. Wide shot, George Conway, UNDP Country Director for Somalia, and Hassan
Hussein Haji, the Federal Minister of Justice and Judiciary Affairs signing the Project
Initiation Plan (PIP)
19. Close up shot, document being signed
20. Close up shot, George Conway
21. Wide shot, George Conway, the UNDP Country Director for Somalia and Hassan
Hussein Haji, the Federal Minister of Justice and Judiciary Affairs signing the Project
Initiation Plan (PIP) document
22. Med shot, George Conway, the UNDP Country Director for Somalia and Hassan
Hussein Haji, the Federal Minister of Justice and Judiciary Affairs exchanging the
signed document
23. SOUNDBITE: (English) George Conway, UNDP Country Director for Somalia
“Additionally, the programme will support public consultations, networking between
the civil society, the private sector, and different levels of Government in order to
facilitate the process of the Government to defining a very clear action plan and
strategy to tackle corruption,”

24. SOUNDBITE: (English) Hassan Hussein Haji, the Somali Federal Minister of
Justice and Judiciary Affairs
“We are (heading) to establish the Anti Corruption Commission. They need a
secretariat, they need training, they need help in all aspects. So, I think this Project
Initiation Plan will lead us to develop this institution that will make it easier for us to
sign and ratify the UN Convention Against Corruption,”
25. Wide shot, guests leaving the ceremony

Somalia’s government lays out next steps to tackle corruption and strengthen
accountability with international support

Mogadishu, 9 December 2018 – As the world marked International Anti-Corruption

Day, the Federal Government of Somalia announced today a series of steps to
strengthen its commitment to combat corruption and reinforce transparency in
order to build more accountable institutions.

At a United Nations-backed event in the capital, Mogadishu, to mark the Day, and
attended by senior government officials and international development partners, as
well as representatives of youth and women’s groups, Somalia’s Federal Minister of
Justice and Judiciary Affairs, Hassan Hussein Haji, expressed his government’s
commitment to promoting accountability and tackling corruption frontally within its
rank and file.

The minister signed a so-called Project Initiation Plan (PIP) between his ministry and
the UN Development Programme (UNDP), which aims at strengthening government
institutions to fight corruption and promote accountability.

“We are on our way to establish an Anti-Corruption Commission; they need a

secretariat, they need training, they need help in all aspects. So, I think this Project
Initiation Plan will lead us to develop this institution that will make it easier for us to
sign and ratify the UN Convention Against Corruption,” Minister Hussein said.

He added that this project would particularly enhance accountability in some of the
country’s key institutions, such as the Auditor General’s Office, among others, and
that it would be followed by more at the end of the PIP.

Speaking on behalf of the United Nations at the gathering today, the UN Secretary-
General’s Deputy Special Representative for Somalia, Peter de Clercq, commended
the Federal Government for its efforts to improve transparency, accountability and
fight against corruption in public offices.

The UN official also urged it to make progress with the UN Convention against
Corruption, the world’s only legally-binding universal anti-corruption instrument,
and which has so far 186 signatory countries.
“We encourage all branches of Government and the Federal Member States to take
measures to protect and expand the integrity and accountability of the management
of public finances and resources, as well as to advance the legal and institutional
frameworks against corruption, through robust enforcement and punitive
measures,” Mr. de Clercq said.
Following the signing ceremony, the UNDP Country Director for Somalia, George
Conway, explained that the newly-signed PIP allows the Federal Government to
tackle corruption in a comprehensive way.

“The PIP builds on significant engagement we have had with the Government at
federal and state-level for many years, to address issues of good governance,
accountability, transparency, support to public financial management and the
broader application of the rule of law,” Mr. Conway said after the signing ceremony.

The Project Initiation Plan will be implemented over a six-month period, after which
UNDP will roll out a full multi-year programme to support the government of
Somalia in its anti-corruption efforts.

Around the globe, 9 December is observed as International Anti-Corruption Day with

the aim of raising awareness of corruption and of the role of the Convention in
combating and preventing it.