Meetings Minutes

Name: It is proposed for the SACB name to be replaced by

COORDINATION OF INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT TO SOMALIA (CISS) 

Mandate/objective:
Support and facilitate coordination for a constructive and effective partnership between the international aid community and Somali counterparts[1]. The Executive Committee leads and guides the CISS in accordance with its mandate and is responsible for its activities.

Principles:

The Executive Committee composition and work will be based on the following principles:

• Small, efficient, transparent and pro-active;

• Representative: members will represent their constituencies rather then individual organizations/countries. Each constituency will have to discuss common positions prior to the meetings ;

• Aim at providing a more coordinated and coherent international presence/visibility inside Somalia;

• Will actively promote joint coordination structures at sector/thematic level;

• Will actively promote coordination at field level inside Somalia; and

• Will be supported by the Somalia Support Secretariat.

Tasks:

The following is a non-exhaustive list of tasks the Executive Committee will undertake:

• Monitor political, economic, social and security developments in relation to Somalia. In this regard ensure exchange of information between the constituencies and provide relevant information to actors (individual/organizations interested in Somalia.);

• Meet regularly to deal with substantive operational and policy issues in relation to international assistance to Somalia and the coordination of that assistance. It operates on the basis of promoting consensus, taking into account the respective mandates of its members and their independence;

• Address the CISS response to security situations;

• Assess longer-term policies and strategies for the humanitarian relief and development, in particular the Somali Joint Needs Assessment;

• Support all relevant existing and emerging Somali Institutions with a view to establish joint coordination functions;

• Receive, consider and respond to substantive issues from the Somali Donor Group, the UN country team and the NGO Consortium and the members of these groups;

• Receive, consider and respond to substantive issues from the Sectoral Committees and provide policy guidance;

• Receive, consider and respond to substantive issues from the Consultative Forum as well as Field Coordination Structures and provide policy guidance and promote adequate resolution of conflicts among partners;

• Monitor the implementation of the Code of Conduct for International Rehabilitation and Development Assistance to Somalia.

• Lead the continued development of international coordination structures with the aim of responding to the changing situation inside Somalia.

Considering the current transitional and volatile nature of the Somali context, appropriate flexibility will be built into the Executive Committee’s work to be able to address emerging and pressing issues. The Executive Committee, in this context, recognizes the importance to work towards the establishment of joint coordination functions with central and regional authorities as appropriate.

Chair:

The Chair will be provided, in line with the Joint Planning Committee arrangements, by the UN Resident Coordinator / Humanitarian Coordinator and the World Bank[2]. The Somali Support Secretariat (SSS) will provide technical support and input to the facilitation of the meeting and follow up on implementation on action points and decisions/agreements.

Representation/membership:

The following will be permanent nominated members of the Executive Committee:

• NGO Consortium: Focal point plus one designated member;

• UN Country Team: chair of UNCT plus one designated member;

• Somalia Donor Group (SDG): chair plus one designated member;

• Technical committees: two representatives of the Sectoral Chairs Committee and one representative of IASC.

Observation will be possible by or on request through the chair of CISS.

Members represent their constituencies’, and not their individual or organizational views and interests at the Executive Committee. Members will therefore commit themselves to consult their constituencies in preparation of meeting and to provide feedback and information on discussions, decisions and any other issues of relevance. Consultations between members of the respective constituencies between the meetings of the Executive Committee may be needed to ensure more effective meetings. The Support Secretariat will facilitate these consultations.

Each constituency will decide on the process and procedures to nominate their representatives. Constituencies are requested to nominate members as per the list above plus replacements in the case of absence of the members, as appropriate.

Frequency of meetings:

The Executive Committee will meet on a monthly basis (exact date to be determined) allowing for meetings of the constituencies and the sectoral chairs to meet and report before the meeting.

Peer review:

Since the new TOR of Excom are part of a transitory process, a review by members of the CISS Executive Committee’s revised mandate will be conducted after 6 months of the approval of these terms of reference and thereafter on an annual basis and be facilitated by the chair with the support of the secretariat.