VISITING JUBALAND, NEW UN SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE REAFFIRMS

WORLD BODY’S COMMITMENT AND SUPPORT

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LANGUAGE: ENGLISH NATURAL SOUND

DATELINE: 17 JUNE 2023 - KISMAYO, SOMALIA

SHOT LIST:
1. Aerial shots – Kismayo, Jubaland.
2. Wide shot – The UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Somalia, Catriona
Laing, disembarks from a UN aircraft on arrival at Kismayo Airport.
3. Various shots – UN Special Representative Laing inspects a guard of honor mounted by
peacekeepers with the African Union Transition Mission on arrival at Kismayo.
4. Wide shot – Kismayo Airport, streets of Kismayo.
5. Various shots – UN Special Representative Laing arriving at Jubaland State House for a
meeting with President Ahmed Mohamed Islam ‘Madobe,’ and members of his
administration.
6. SOUNDBITE: Catriona Laing, UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for
Somalia
"This is the final of my Federal Member State visits as part of this tour. I will be travelling
to New York shortly to [deliver] my first Security Council briefing on the 22nd of June.
So, it is incredibly helpful to hear directly from the presidents of the Federal Member
States to understand their priorities and what they want from the UN. I recommitted
the role of the UN and its good offices, as well as development programmes, in support
of the people of Jubaland.”
 7. Various shots – UN Special Representative Laing and her delegation meet with President
Ahmed Mohamed Islam ‘Madobe,’ and members of his administration.
8. SOUNDBITE: Catriona Laing, UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for
Somalia
"We talked firstly about security, the progress that's been made, reclaiming areas and
the really important follow-on around stabilisation. And I committed to ensuring the UN
is fully behind those objectives to secure the area permanently and to come in with
basic services to help people to rebuild their lives and rebuild trust with communities."

9. Wide shots – Jubaland State house.

10. Various shots – UN Special Representative Laing and her delegation meet with President
Ahmed Mohamed Islam ‘Madobe,’ and members of his administration.
11. SOUNDBITE: Catriona Laing, UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for
Somalia
“We talked about the humanitarian situation, which remains very challenging here.
There are particular issues around access to some parts of this state. But nevertheless,
the UN is committed to try and bring life-saving support whilst we also look at longer-
term solutions around climate change."

12. Various shots – UN Special Representative Laing and her delegation meet with President
Ahmed Mohamed Islam ‘Madobe,’ and members of his administration.
13. Various shots – Jubaland State house.
14. SOUNDBITE: Catriona Laing, UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for
Somalia
“The president explained to me the role he's been playing in the National Consultative
Council and the importance of those deliberations – reaching out to the people in an
inclusive consultative process, including, hopefully, Puntland, so that the country can
complete its very important journey on state-building and peacebuilding, rebuilding the
country for the benefit of all Somalis…I recommitted the role of the UN and its good
offices, as well as development programmes, in support of the people of Jubaland.”

15. Various shot – Streets of Kismayo.

16. Aerial shot – Kismayo.

VISITING JUBALAND, NEW UN SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE REAFFIRMS WORLD BODY’S

COMMITMENT AND SUPPORT
Kismayo, 17 June 2023 – Wrapping up her initial round of visits to Somalia’s Federal Member
States, the new top United Nations official for Somalia today visited Jubaland where she met with
its leadership to discuss topics including UN support, state-building, security and the
humanitarian situation.

"This is the final of my Federal Member State visits as part of this tour. I will be travelling to New
York shortly to [deliver] my first Security Council briefing on the 22nd of June. So, it is incredibly
helpful to hear directly from the presidents of the Federal Member States to understand their
priorities and what they want from the UN," the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative
for Somalia, Catriona Laing, said.

“I recommitted the role of the UN and its good offices, as well as development programmes, in
support of the people of Jubaland,” she added.

The UN Special Representative made her remarks at a joint media encounter in the city of
Kismayo, alongside Jubaland’s President Ahmed Mohamed Islam ‘Madobe,’ with whom she had
met earlier, along with the Federal Member State’s First Vice President Mohamud Sayid Adan.

The top UN official said the discussions were an opportunity to learn more about the security
situation in Jubaland, as well as stabilisation efforts in newly-recovered areas.

"We talked firstly about security, the progress that's been made, reclaiming areas and the really
important follow-on around stabilisation. And I committed to ensuring the UN is fully behind
those objectives to secure the area permanently and to come in with basic services to help people
to rebuild their lives and rebuild trust with communities," Ms. Laing said.

Discussions also touched on the humanitarian situation. According to the UN Office for the
Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), floods caused by recent rains have severely
affected various parts of the country, including the Baardheere area in Jubaland.

"We talked about the humanitarian situation, which remains very challenging here. There are
particular issues around access to some parts of this state. But nevertheless, the UN is committed
to try and bring life-saving support whilst we also look at longer-term solutions around climate
change," Ms. Laing said.

The floods have inundated homes and farmland, washed away livestock, temporarily closed
schools and health facilities, and damaged roads. The flooding has come at a time when Somalia
has been experiencing severe drought.

The UN Special Representative also discussed the Jubaland leadership’s political engagement at
the state level, including with the Federal Member State’s Gedo region, and at the federal level.

“The president explained to me the role he's been playing in the National Consultative Council
and the importance of those deliberations – reaching out to the people in an inclusive
consultative process, including, hopefully, Puntland, so that the country can complete its very
important journey on state-building and peacebuilding, rebuilding the country for the benefit of
all Somalis…I recommitted the role of the UN and its good offices, as well as development
programmes, in support of the people of Jubaland,” Ms. Laing said.

While in Kismayo, the UN Special Representative also met with UN staff based there and with
peacekeepers serving with the African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS).

Soon after landing in Mogadishu two weeks ago, Ms. Laing met with Somalia’s President Hassan
Sheikh Mohamud and Prime Minister Hamza Abdi Barre. She then made visits to Hirshabelle,
Puntland and South West State.

Ms. Laing was appointed to her position in May of this year. Prior to her appointment in Somalia,
she served in various roles in the government of the United Kingdom, and from 1993 to 1994,
she served with the UN’s development arm in Somalia.

*End*