Somalia Support Secretariat

The Somali Support Secretariat is responsible for providing secretariat support services to the Somali authorities and the international community in order to facilitate their efforts of coordination of the humanitarian, reconstruction and development programme for the country. The Secretariat is to ensure a coherent and integrated secretariat support mechanism, thus guaranteeing political neutrality and independence to all constituencies including sectoral technical coordination meetings.

Mission

To facilitate policy and planning dialogue between the various constituencies of the Somalia Coordination Structure with an aim to create a coherent coordination framework.

The Somali Support Secretariat provides responsive secretariat service in support of the Coordination of International Support to Somalis (CISS) constituencies.

Constituencies & Committees

Key constituencies of the Coordination of International Support to Somalis (CISS) include Executive Committee, Somali Donor Group, NGO Consortium, the UN Country Team and Inter Agency Standing Committee.

The secretariat also hosts monthly sectoral coordination committees' meetings on Food Security & Rural Development; Education Sector; Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH); Health Sector and Coordination Committee for RDP Pillar 1 (Formerly Governance). This is in addition to support to large number of working groups in different sub-sectoral areas.

Key meetings and support provided in 2007:

The Secretariat assisted in organizing and proving secretariat support to a total of 412 meetings between January and September 2007. In addition, the following support was provided:

•  Management of the online calendar to avoid overlapping of meetings for the different constituencies.

•  Commitment to strengthened coordination among the various constituencies - donors, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), local communities and UN agencies. The Secretariat plays a supportive and catalytic role in this regard and advocates the importance of coordination in the field.

•  The Secretariat ensures that the needs of constituencies are carried out swiftly and effectively through quick and timely response to enquiries and dissemination of information and documents for effectiveness of work/activities among constituencies.

•  Facilitates meeting venues, dissemination of agenda, and minutes and follow up on issues with all constituencies.

•  Management of Database/Resource Centre by keeping track of all the important information and documents and in addition it manages its own website for use by all constituency members.

•  Briefing and updating committees' chairs and members on issues related to their efforts towards Somalia and the programme.

For more information please visit www.somalisupportsecretariat.info