{{The United Nations has given strong backing to the new leadership of Somalia ahead of a donor conference in London on Tuesday that will seek pledges to rebuild the East African country torn apart by two decades of civil war. }}
Deputy U.N. Secretary-General Jan Eliasson said the United Nations wanted to shift more of its efforts into development projects and away from humanitarian aid as Somalia begins to recover from years of lawlessness, violence and famine.
“The main reason we have hope now, more than ever..is we now have a leadership which has a sense of responsibility,” Eliasson told reporters.
A draft of the final communique for the London conference said the meeting was taking place at a “pivotal” moment for Somalia, and calls on the international community to “consolidate progress quickly”.
Somali officials are expected to outline plans for Somalia’s security forces, justice sector and other institutions, and agree with global partners on how they can back those plans.
New donors were encouraged to come forward at the conference, to which more than 50 countries and organisations have been invited, and existing donors will be called on to honour earlier pledges.
Concerns remain over corruption, however, and while the draft communique recognises the “urgent need” for financial support, it underscores the need for the government to demonstrate financial accountability and transparency.
Somalia’s humanitarian needs are still huge, and U.N. bodies estimate aid requirements will cost $1.33 billion this year, an increase on last year due to improved access to deprived areas.
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