The Federal Government of Somalia (FGS) is privileged to present its first submission of the Voluntary National Review (VNR) report. Under the leadership and coordination of the Somalia National Bureau of Statistics (SNBS), the compilation of the VNR report followed an inclusive and participatory consultative process involving active contributions from civil society, women and youth groups, the private sector and the Federal level and Federal Member States’ (FMS) representatives. All contributions have been incorporated into the report. SNBS would also like to acknowledge and thank UNDP and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation for their support to Somalia’s VNR process.

As Somalia continues to emerge from decades of civil strife, which has transformed society, the country has in the past decade been on an upward trajectory towards lasting stability and sustainable development. However, Somalia is still vulnerable to a myriad of domestic and global challenges, including Covid-19 and climate- related shocks, which have had adverse effects on livelihoods and displaced thousands. This has exacerbated poverty and inequality, thus decelerating the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Despite these challenges, the submission of this year’s VNR is a clear attestation of Somalia’s strong efforts towards undertaking multi-sectoral reforms and its commitment to the realization of the Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development as envisioned by the United Nations General Assembly in 2015. The 2022 VNR report has provided Somalia with a perfect opportunity to gauge progress against the Goals, share contextual challenges and experiences, and draw pertinent lessons, which were presented to UN member countries at a High-Level Political Forum meeting in July 2022.