Doha(SONNA)-The final statement of the Somali Diaspora Conference hosted by Doha, on harnessing the capabilities of Somalis in diaspora for the prosperity and revival of Somalia, called for reinforcing bilateral relationship between the State of Qatar and the Federal Republic of Somalia, to serve interests of the two countries and the region.
Issued at the conclusion of the conference that was attended by a host of officials, academics, politicians, and Somali entrepreneurs, the statement emphasised the importance of cultural and commercial innovation among Somali in diaspora, along with their role in upgrading development and commercial institutions in Somalia.
It highlighted the considerable progress the Somali government has achieved across multiple sectors and its role in defending Somali sovereignty and national unity, lauding the salient role played by expatriates in implementing development programs in Somalia, and the imperative of strengthening their capabilities and expanding the scope of their cooperation.
Additionally, the statement called for optimising the level of government services offered to Somali in diaspora and recommended leveraging state-of-the-art knowledge and technology to enhance the Somali youth capabilities, in addition to capitalizing on expatriates’ expertise and skills, highlighting the significance of convening periodic meetings for Somali in diaspora and establishing an overall umbrella that unites them across various parts of the world.
The participants underscored the importance of investment and its role in advancing Somalia and boosting its economy, in addition to utilizing their expertise in developing Somalia in all fields, calling for synergistic efforts to encourage expatriates to engage in investment activities in Somalia and advance the country’s economy, such as enhancing incentives and providing necessary guarantees for Somalia’s reconstruction.
They stressed the importance of this convention and its role in shining a spotlight on investment opportunities available in Somalia, through implementing programs and projects that would overtly direct expatriates toward serving their homeland and exploiting the diverse resources available. The three-day conference touched on the latest development in the situation in Somalia and discussed issues of education, entrepreneurship, culture, identity, youth empowerment, encourage investment in Somalia, in addition to other multiple and critical topics.
The sessions tackled the role of Somali in diaspora in advancing their country through benefiting from success stories that have achieved in diaspora, along with the feasibility of applying them in their homeland, as well as investing in their capabilities to forge a multitude of strategic partnerships that are positively reflected on empowering Somalia economically.
Moreover, the sessions highlighted the aspirations of Somali people to achieve development, prosperity and progress, and avenues for beefing up productive capabilities and opening new markets with the aim of achieving sustainable development in the entire fields.
Held for the first time in an Arab country, the conference discussed wide-ranging challenges facing Somalia, foremost of which are environmental challenges, poverty, unemployment, et al, and suggested appropriate solutions to be further studied and applied, to move forward towards achieving sustainable economic development desired by Somalia.
Source: The Peninsula
