In 2015, the United Nations Member States adopted the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development, commonly known as the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The Goals have been borne out of half a century of global initiatives to address wars, poverty, inequality and injustice. The nexus between the key themes of peace, development, human rights and the environment and the interdependence of nations and people of the world made it imperative for member states to commit to the shared vision of finding sustainable solutions to the challenges and threats to humankind and to the planet. After more than two decades of civil strife and state failure, Somalia is experiencing the emergence of strong civil society organisations linked by common interests and shared objectives. This positive development is gaining wide support and is floated as a bastion of community cohesion against a repetition of the social breakdown that was seen when the military regime was ousted.
Today civil society organisations deliver vital services to meet societal needs, contribute to the peace and state building efforts and empower communities to participate in the debates and decisions about all sectors of social, political and economic life.This policy document outlines the crucial role of civil society in the efforts to localise and implement SDGs and provides practical recommendations to promote their active and greater participation in all phases of SDGs.
