A/HRC/39/72 submitted two reports to the Council for the universal periodic review process, in 2011 and 2016. It acceded in 2015 to the Convention on the Rights of the Child. With the technical support of UNSOM and other United Nations agencies and development partners, the Federal and the regional State Ministries of Human Rights and Women’s Development are currently implementing some of the country’s human rights obligations. In 2011, Somalia accepted 155 of the recommendations made during the universal periodic review. During the 2016 review, Somalia accepted 168 recommendations out of 228. The recommendations contained in paragraphs 98.144 to 98.155 of the 2011 report of the Working Group on the Universal Periodic Review emphasized the need for Somalia to be given support and technical assistance to enable it to meet its obligations.3 Yet the Federal Government and regional State Governments continue to suffer from lack of adequate human and material resources, which hamper their ability to meet their human rights obligations. Prior to his mission, the Independent Expert sought information from the Government on the rate and capacity of implementation of all Council resolutions accepted by Somalia, but was unable to obtain such information due to lack of capacity. 18. In discussing the capacity issue, the Federal Minister for Human Rights and Women’s Development noted that little had changed since 2017.4 Lack of office space and the need to train staff are some of the urgent capacity constraints the Ministry faces. The Ministry currently has 102 staff, assisted by two consultants, accommodated in five rooms in a building that the Ministry does not own. Of those consultants, one is supported by UNSOM and the other was hired to advise on gender and human rights issues and is helping to draft a report to the Committee on the Rights of the Child. The Independent Expert has raised this issue in previous reports. 19. The Minister for Human Rights and Women’s Development for Galmudug informed the Independent Expert that her state had been neglected by both the Federal Government and United Nations agencies. As a newly established regional state, Galmudug lacks basic services. The Ministry has only five staff, and its capacity is very limited at all levels. The challenges Galmudug faces include high illiteracy rates and a lack of basic social services, such as health centres. The Minister complained that the resources invested by the international community into the Federal Government were not distributed equally among the Federal Member States. She stressed that Galmudug needed assistance, as it relied heavily on livestock, which had been badly affected by the drought. Galmudug called for adequate resources to be allocated to its government. It prided itself on being one of the safest states in Somalia, and it was time that businesses invested in the newly established regional States as they were doing in Mogadishu, Garowe and Hargeisa. 20. The Minister for Human Rights and Women’s Development for Hirshabelle underscored the problem of inter-clan conflict, in particular with respect to land and water. This created food insecurity. She noted that the minority clans suffered the most as their lands were often grabbed by powerful clans, and livestock destroyed their crops before they were harvested. The Government collected money from the powerful clans, which compounded the victims’ suffering and left them with no remedy. She stressed that minority clans had no access to justice as they could not afford the legal fees, thereby forcing them to go to traditional leaders for solutions. Legal aid did not exist. The Minister recommended that legal assistance be reintroduced to help victims. A. Establishment of the National Human Rights Commission 21. During the period under review, the Federal Government established the National Human Rights Commission, which had been a long-standing recommendation of the Council. A section of civil society had complained that the process lacked transparency and credibility and it would perpetuate the clan-based structures. Upon inquiry from the authorities, the Independent Expert was informed that the process was supervised by external consultants, which guaranteed fairness, transparency and inclusivity. According to 3 4 See A/HRC/18/6. See A/HRC/36/62, paras. 29–30. 7