Global General

UN Somali conference opens

(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-05-22 16:54

ISTANBUL - The United Nations' Somalia Conference opened here on Saturday.

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon (L) shakes hands with Turkey's President Abdullah Gul before their meeting in Istanbul May 21, 2010. Ban is in Turkey to attend an international conference on Somalia. [Agencies]

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Somali President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed and delegates from 55 countries attended the conference.

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The UN chief made a speech at the opening ceremony. He said, " Somalia pirates are one of the world's greatest crisis."

In regard to the conference, he said, "This is a clear sign of our commitment and solidarity with the people of Somalia at a time when they need our support."

"This is another sign of Turkey's willingness to take on the most serious international problems," he added.

The Somalia Conference seeks to address issues of "security, political cooperation and rebuilding and development" as part of the Djibouti Peace Process outlined in the 2008 Djibouti Peace Accord, according to an official from the Turkish Foreign Ministry.

The UN aims for the conference to address the decisions taken by the Somalian International Contact Group during their December 2009 meeting in Jeddah and remain within the framework of the Djibouti Peace Process, which also anticipates the acceptance of an Istanbul Declaration regarding Somalia.

Twelve international organizations, including the Organization of the Islamic Conference, are among the attendance.