The United Nations and World Bank, in conjunction with the Somaliland authorities, convened a three-day consultative Joint Needs Assessment (JNA) workshop in Hargeysa, Somaliland, from 16 to18 January 2006.

The workshop was opened by the Vice-President of Somaliland, H.E. Ahmed Yusuf Yasin, on behalf of the President Dahir Kahin Rayale who was abroad. It was attended by approximately 120 participants representing a wide spectrum of Somaliland society - authorities, traditional and religious leaders, business community and professionals, women and youth - as well as UN, WB, NGO’s and other members of the international community.

The Vice-President and the Ministers for Planning and National Coordination, Finance, Interior and Foreign Affairs actively participated in the deliberations and expressed their vision and views on the JNA process, its expected outcomes and their implications for the future of Somaliland. The Minister for Planning Hon. Haji Dahir Elmi said, “The JNA is a process that holds great promise and opportunities for moving Somaliland’s impressive self-help efforts to recovery and development.”

UN Senior Technical Coordinator, Mr. David Bassiouni addressed Members of Parliament of Somaliland and the House of Elders (Guurti) at a joint session of the two houses of Parliament during which they endorsed the JNA process and pledged their commitment and support to the process.

The MPs and Elders also presented their perspectives on and concerns over the JNA process and expressed their full confidence in the efforts of the United Nations and the World Bank. Mr. Bassiouni stressed that the JNA is an inclusive, substantive and participatory process for all Somalis and that it is a non-political process. He described the various phases of the process, namely, consultation, technical assessment, analyses, cluster assessments and the reconstruction and development planning.

The Acting World Bank Senior Technical Coordinator, Mr. Jack van Host Pellekaan emphasized the important role of the private sector in the development of Somaliland. A Hargeysa business forum organized by the World Bank prior to the workshop provided a planning platform for private sector entrepreneurial and institutional actors for stimulating private sector-led growth and diversification. The Business Forum brought 35 Somaliland entrepreneurs from a broad variety of business activity backgrounds together to identify key constraints to business growth and diversification. The Forum was opened by Hon. Haji Dahir Elmi, the Minister of Planning and National Coordination, and attended by a strong representation from the World Bank, UNDP and Somaliland Chamber of Commerce. An action plan was prepared that includes, among others, public-private forums to develop an enabling business environment in Somaliland.

The two-day town hall meetings of the workshop allowed the participants to freely voice their views and prioritized needs. Pressing social and economic issues, such as remittances, widespread unemployment, khat, health and HIV/AIDS, female genital mutilation (FGM) and others directly affecting women, youth and vulnerable groups were raised and discussed. Problems of environmental degradation and resource depletion were also acknowledged. The paramount importance of peace, security and the rule of law were repeatedly underscored.

Issues, challenges and priorities were identified for the different cluster areas: productive sectors, infrastructure, social services and protection of vulnerable groups, governance, livelihood and macro-economic policy framework. Joint plans between the JNA and Somaliland technical teams were agreed upon to move forward and speed up the process.