MOGADISHU — Somalia’s Upper House of Parliament has approved a bill establishing a national weather forecasting agency, while advancing legislation on judicial cooperation as the government seeks to strengthen the country’s legal and environmental institutions.
The bill establishing the weather forecasting agency was approved by 27 senators during the 10th meeting of the eighth session of the Upper House, chaired by Speaker Abdi Hashi Abdullahi and Second Deputy Speaker Abdullahi Ali Hirsi, known as Timacadde. No senator voted against the bill or abstained.
Senator Samsam Dahir Mahmoud, secretary of the Upper House National Resources Committee, presented the report on the bill’s third reading and urged lawmakers to approve the legislation.
Somalia’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Bashir Mohamed Jama, known as Bashir Goobe, welcomed the approval and thanked senators for supporting the bill.
He said the legislation would enable Somalia to participate in international forums dealing with weather forecasting, potentially strengthening the country’s engagement in global meteorological cooperation.
The Upper House also conducted the first reading of a bill on judicial cooperation submitted by the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs.
Justice and Constitutional Affairs Minister Hassan Moallin Mahmoud told senators that the proposed legislation would regulate international judicial cooperation, particularly the transfer of convicted prisoners between countries and the extradition of criminal suspects and offenders.
He said the bill would also provide a legal foundation for implementing other legislation important to Somalia, particularly laws governing international judicial cooperation, in accordance with applicable legal procedures.
The meeting also included the first reading of a bill establishing a National Environmental Management Agency, according to the parliamentary proceedings.
The legislative measures come as Somalia seeks to strengthen its institutional capacity in areas including environmental governance, weather forecasting and international legal cooperation.
