Somalia’s membership of COMSATS celebrated

Islamabad: A number of foreign dignitaries, representatives of a number of Pakistan-based and international organisations and Pakistani ministries of Science and Technology and Foreign Affairs gathered to celebrate induction of Somalia as the 26th Member State of the Commission on Science and Technology for Sustainable Development in the South (COMSATS).

The Federal Republic of Somalia formally became COMSATS member during a signing ceremony held last month at COMSATS Secretariat, when the Minister for Education, Ministry of Education, Culture, and Higher Education, Somalia Abdi Dahir Osman and Executive Director COMSATS, Dr. S. M. Junaid Zaidi, signed Somalia’s accession agreement.

With a Eurasian country, Turkey, as its member, COMSATS has a presence in four continents, the other two being Latin American and Africa. Inclusion of Somalia has further strengthened COMSATS’ presence in Africa. Somalia is the 12th African State to join the organization. Besides COMSATS, Somalia currently holds membership in African Development Bank (ADB), Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), G-77, IDA, IDB, IFAD, NAM, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNIDO, WTFU, WHO, and WTO.

Speaking to the audience that included a number of diplomats from member and non-member states of COMSATS, Dr. Zaidi welcomed Somalia to COMSATS’ fraternity. Dr. Zaidi asserted the need to have stronger international collaborations to help overcome common challenges of the developing countries. Highlighting COMSATS’ functions and contributions of COMSATS towards member states, he highlighted COMSATS Institute of Information Technology (CIIT) and COMSATS Internet Services (CIS) as two of its important flagship projects worth emulating in other member states. He noted that the organization has been working to uplift the members of COMSATS’ international Network of Centers of Excellence. He also highlighted the importance of strengthening the triangular relationship so as to get the most out of South-South Cooperation for the developing countries. Possible collaborations with South Centre, Common Wealth Association, EU, and others were mentioned in this regard. He thanked the Institute for Policy and Development Studies for their efforts in helping expand COMSATS’ membership.

Representing Somalia, the Ambassador of Somalia to Islamabad, Pakistan Khadija Almakhzoumi spoke on the occasion. She was pleased for Somalia to now be able to benefit from a number of opportunities available with COMSATS and looked forward to the country being an active part of the organization’s international activities.

By virtue of this membership, Somalia will be represented at the Heads-of-State level Commission of COMSATS and the ministerial-level Consultative Committee. The country can now also have representation at COMSATS’ technical cooperation forum, the Coordinating Council.

Somalia would now be able to benefit, inter alia, from COMSATS’ scholarships schemes to study at COMSATS’ Network Members including COMSATS Institute of Information Technology (CIIT), as well as joint research under COMSATS International Thematic Research Groups.