Security, Rule of Law and Human Rights - Somalia

Security, Rule of Law and Human Rights 

Human rights are the cornerstone of a democracy in which every person counts, and every voice is heard. The Netherlands strives to protect and promote human rights across the world. The Netherlands and Somalia work together to improve access to justice and enhance security to nurture and safeguard respect for human rights for all, and to strengthen a culture of accountability and international legal order. 

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Somalia is dealing with an enormous security challenge, which is impacting daily life of citizens and hampering progress of state building and the economy. The African Union Transition Mission to Somalia (ATMIS) is planned to phase out. Developments on the Somalia Transition Plan and the National Security Architecture are aimed at enabling a transfer of security responsibilities from these international troops to the Somali Security Forces.

The EU initiated several security missions (EUTM, EUCAP, Atalanta) to support Somalia become safer. NL as an EU member contributes with strategic secondments to support missions such as EUCAP with work on capacity building of the Somali security sector in order to create more stability offshore (coastguard) and on land (support to the broader maritime justice chain). The Netherlands also support the EU training mission (EUTM) and the African Union Mission in Somalia (ATMIS).

Facilitating cooperation between security sector actors, civil society and communities is another key engagement of the Netherlands for the purpose of preventing and countering violent extremism. Together with other countries, the Netherlands supports an IOM defectors program to help low-level defectors from Al-Shabaab to reintegrate back into their in communities.

Rule of Law: Strengthening the social contract 

Image: ©IDLO Somalia

The Netherlands Rule of Law efforts are designed to help Somalia in their ambition to restore the social contract between state and citizens. Somali judicial institutions that completely collapsed during the civil war have never fully recovered and made citizens rely on longstanding forms of community and religious justice, including Al-Shabaab courts. Marginalized segments of society face discrimination when seeking justice, especially women (e.g. victims of sexual based violence), youth, internally displaced persons and members of minority clans.

The Netherlands encourages pathways and models for improved justice service delivery and legitimacy of security and rule of law institutions by increasing accessibility of justice. To this end, we support initiatives at the local level, where direct impact for the population is most tangible. Through supporting IDLO’s Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) centres, the Netherlands contributes to a unique model of justice delivery, facilitating settlement of disputes through the use of informal dispute resolution, complementing concurrent strengthening of the formal judicial system.

The Netherlands aims to consolidate peace in Somalia by supporting a more peaceful and inclusive society with respect for human rights improving the civic space and freedom of expression, leading to a diverse and vibrant public debate.

In summary, the Embassy aims to:

1. Promote inclusive access to justice with a focus on the vulnerable and marginalized;
2. Sustain  justice sector reforms through institutional strengthening of the Judiciary;
3. Break the cycle of impunity for human rights violations and corruption;
4. Strengthen civil society organizations as  watchdogs on the implementation of the constitution, catalysts of political dialogue and partners in development.

Links to initiatives that the Embassy supports: