Dear Participants,
Our country has made significant strides in state-building, economic recovery and significant progress in the fight against terrorism and reestablishing ties with its international friends and partners notwithstanding the very difficult challenges. Despite the positive trajectory, the progress has been slow. How do we as a nation envisage our country’s future building on the progress so far achieved and accelerate it? What kind of Somalia do we want to become by the centenary of our independence 2060? What transformative strategies do we need to construct a united and inclusive society with an economy that is competitive regionally and globally.The Centennial Vision 2060 (CV2060) is a reflection of our aspiration and willingness as a nation to transform our country. It is is a long-term economic transformation blueprint plan for stimulating inclusive economic growth and launching Somalia onto the path of sustained and rapid socio-economic development.
The vision articulates Somalia`s economic growth and long-term strategies, for the thirty-seven-year period between 2023– 2060, and is to be implemented using a series of national development plans. The formulation of the CV2060 became imperative because we needed a compass to guide our national blueprint as we confront enormous post-civil war challenges along with monumental human, institutional and financial constraints. The constraints notwithstanding, I believe we can count on the determination, resilience, and courage of our people to create a better for all of us.
The CV2060 provides a unique opportunity for national course correction as the country primes for sustainable peace and development. The Vision will be prepared through a participatory and consultative approach, involving major stakeholders and citizens at large with the efforts of building a national consensus and as such it reflects the aspirations of the Somali people at all levels. As at its core, the Vision is people-driven and people-centered.
As we launch the development process of CV2060, I am solemnly appealing to each and every Somali citizen, particularly the youth, our future, to embrace the CV2060, and to place it at the core of citizenship, and henceforth to make it a reference point for assessing progress. As a synthesis of our collective aspirations, its implementation is a critical challenge requiring the commitment of all that we have as a people. The major task now is to marshal leadership at all levels to bring about policy formulation and implementation to effect the transformation of Somalia to move the country toward a strong and vibrant private sector, a healthy and well-educated society, rooted in democratic values, good governance and sustainable growth, and development.
The challenges ahead of us are immense, and because our identities have been wrecked, our historical narratives instrumentalized and a culture of entitlement has surfaced when one of obligation and commitment would have been in order. However, I have no doubt whatsoever that Somalia, as a nation can live up to the challenges. I have no doubt whatsoever that a major source of inspiration will be found in the resilience of our people, those who never gave up, those who strived in every possible way to keep this nation going, and those who fought every day for peace, justice and fair society.
I have no doubt whatsoever that the creativity and commitment of the millions of Somalis at home and abroad will be a powerful engine of change and an anchor for our resolve to make poverty, divisiveness, oppression history. Finally, I would like us to remember that development is about people and people are the main agents of development. Therefore, whilst the government has undertaken to implement measure spelled out in the CV2060, the success of these measures lies with all of us. In this connection, I would like to urge all Somalis to work very hard in whatever capacity they are engaged in. This way, we will succeed in making Somalia a prosperous nation and a proud place to live in.
Sincerely,
Dr. Hassan Sheik Mohamoud,
President of the Federal Republic of Somalia
