SOMALIA - Minister Bonino at the London Conference (7 May)

ROME, Italy, May 6, 2013/African Press Organization (APO)/ -- Minister Emma Bonino will be in London on 6 and 7 May to participate in the International Conference on Somalia. The event, analogous to the one convened in London by British Prime Minister David Cameron on 23 February 2012, will be co-chaired this year by Cameron and Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, in an attempt by the British to properly underscore Somalia's ownership of the event, reflecting the changes there over the past year: after a long period of transition and the establishment of new and more legitimate institutions, a phase began in the autumn that finally laid the foundations for the country's stabilisation after 20 years of civil war.

Security, justice, accountability, resource management and political process

The London Conference will focus on four major themes: security, justice and policy, accountability and the Somali government's management of financial resources and political process, and political process. The goal will be to offer political support and coordinate the international community's technical and financial support for the reforms drafted by the Somali government and presented to partners in recent weeks.

55 representative delegations

A total of 55 participating delegations will represent both governments and international organisations. The countries of the Horn of Africa will be represented at the highest level; Western country delegations will be led by Ministers or Under-Secretaries. Minister Bonino's attendance will confirm Italy's interest in playing a leading role in Somalia, which remains a top foreign policy priority. A demonstration of this was the MFA-hosted Country Presentation in February, which served to illustrate Somali investment opportunities to Italian firms and academic and institutions representatives.