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Denmark in Somalia

Read about Denmark’s development engagement in Somalia.

Somalia has experienced significant progress the past years in terms of state-building and institutional and economic reforms. Somalia continues to face serious challenges, however, that contribute to instability in the Horn of Africa that directly affects Europe and Denmark. Accordingly, Denmark remain a committed partner to Somalia on its  course towards stability, peace and state building.

The country policy paper for Somalia outlines the vision and strategic interests of Danish engagement in Somalia with the overall vision being:

to support the development of a stable, peaceful and resilient Somalia undergoing inclusive economic development, which can offer its citizens a positive future and where the government is able to exercise authority with the aim that the situation in Somalia no longer constitutes a threat to regional or international peace, security and welfare.

Over a number of years, Somalia has been a so-called priority country for Danish development policy and belongs to the group of poor, fragile countries. The Danish engagement in and with Somalia implements the vision in Denmark's Strategy for Development Cooperation for a more secure, free, prosperous, sustainable and just world, where the rights and potential for each individual to provide for herself/himself are realized. For the period 2018-2023, Denmark will work to promote this vision with three strategic objectives where Somalia and Denmark have coinciding interests and aims, and where Denmark can contribute to the achievement of the SDGs in Somalia:

  1. Promote stability, security, state-building and strengthen the respect for human rights, focusing in particular on the rights of women, youth and the protection of children.
  2. Strengthen resilience and support Somalia’s handling of internally displaced and returned citizens to prevent refugee flows and irregular migration, and to promote constructive cooperation on the return of Somali citizens.
  3. Contribute to poverty reduction through inclusive and sustainable, private sector-driven economic development and job creation with a special emphasis on women and youth.

The Somalia Country Programme 2019-2023 and the Peace and Stabilisation Programme 2018-2022 provides a coherent framework for delivering development assistance to support these policy objectives.