Minister of Information Meets UNDP Representative in Somalia

Mogadishu, (SONNA) — The Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism of the Federal Government of Somalia, H.E. Abdulfatah Kasim Mohamud, today held a meeting at his office with the Resident Representative of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Somalia.

Upon arrival at the Ministry, the UNDP Representative was welcomed by the Director General, Mr. Abdullahi Hayir Duale. The delegation toured the National Media facilities and the historic Radio Mogadishu Archive, where they were briefed on ongoing operations and efforts to preserve Somalia’s valuable media and cultural heritage.

The meeting focused on strengthening cooperation between the Ministry and UNDP and establishing a sustainable partnership to support the Ministry’s priorities in media development, strategic communication, public awareness, culture and tourism.

The two sides discussed potential areas of cooperation, including media capacity development, public awareness and communication, media support and voter education, countering misinformation and disinformation, preventing and countering violent extremism (PCVE), and promoting Somalia’s culture and tourism sectors.

The Minister emphasized the importance of translating the discussions into practical technical cooperation, with clearly defined priorities, an implementation framework and a regular coordination mechanism between the Ministry and UNDP.

The Ministry was represented at the meeting by Director General Abdullahi Hayir Duale, the Director of Strategic Communication, and the Director of the Somali National News Agency (SONNA). The UNDP delegation also included officials responsible for government relations, political affairs and media.

Both sides agreed to continue technical discussions with a view to translating the identified areas of cooperation into concrete programmes and activities.