A/HRC/27/71 assistance in newly recovered areas. Some interlocutors were of the opinion that AMISOM or other military forces in Somalia should not engage in directly providing humanitarian assistance as this could blur the distinction between military forces and humanitarian actors and undermine the principles of neutrality, impartiality and operational independence which underpin the work of humanitarian actors. 17. The Permanent Representative of Somalia informed the Independent Expert that despite the number of resolutions adopted by the Human Rights Council on Somalia, there had been little improvement in the human rights situation in the country. He emphasized the importance of studying the root causes of the conflict if durable solutions and a sustainable mechanism for peace and reconciliation were to be found. He also stated that implementation of the human rights road map which had been adopted by his Government had stalled and that there was need for the Independent Expert to bring added value to ensure its implementation. The Permanent Representative further encouraged the Independent Expert to support Somalia as it prepared for the second cycle of the universal periodic review. IV. Emerging issues, analysis and recommendations 18. A number of issues emerged from the meetings held, which the Independent Expert intends to raise with the authorities of the Federal Government of Somalia and other stakeholders. Those issues touch on the various recommendations made under resolution 24/30 as well as the commitments made by the Federal Government with a view to a better realization of human rights in Somalia. 19. The Independent Expert holds the view that it is necessary to identify and prioritize urgent technical assistance for Somalia. The Independent Expert intends to consult the Federal Government of Somalia and other international and bilateral partners on the need to prioritize implementation of reforms in the justice and security sectors, since they constitute an important component, during the short, medium and long term, for building a sustainable democratic system in Somalia. These sectors are also targeted under the first pillar of the Federal Government’s Six Pillar Policy which concerns ensuring full stability and the supremacy of the law and good governance A. Justice sector reforms 20. The consequence of an ineffective judicial system is the denial of the right to equality before the law, the equal protection of the law, and access to justice by all, under conditions of equality before an independent judiciary, rights which are guaranteed not only in the Provisional Constitution of the Federal Republic of Somalia, but by international human rights law. The National Strategic Plan for Justice Reform for the period 2013 to 2014 recognizes that there is no universally coherent and functioning judicial system in the country, due to the crisis that has spanned two decades. It recognizes the difficulty of rebuilding the system due to multiple, overlapping, and sometimes contradictory legal systems since pre-independence, namely the secular statutory-based laws, Islamic sharia and Xeer all of which currently apply in an uncoordinated manner. 21. The Independent Expert learned that under the National Strategic Plan for Justice Reform, implementation of reforms would cost an estimated US$42,495,000. Under the Plan, the Federal Government of Somalia will establish an integrated justice sector reform process in which all relevant actors in the sector will work to: provide speedy and just criminal trials, better access to criminal justice for vulnerable groups, and reduce the number of detainees. The Plan also seeks to establish: a human rights compliant legislative 6

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