Legislation Approved by Somalia’s Council of Ministers with Emphasis on Environmental Governance

Briefing

At its meeting of 4 December 2025, the Council of Ministers of the Federal Republic of Somalia adopted a series of legislative measures and international instruments that carry substantial legal and institutional significance. Taken together, these approvals reflect a deliberate effort to consolidate the domestic legal framework, ensure conformity with the Provisional Constitution and harmonizing the national legislation with Somalia’s international obligations.

Enactment of the Law Establishing the National Environmental Management Authority
Of particular legal importance is the approval of the bill establishing the National Environmental Management Authority. This statute introduces, for the first time, a specialized national body vested with statutory powers to regulate, supervise, and enforce environmental protection measures across the country. The legal mandate of the Authority extends to the prevention and control of environmental degradation, regulation of natural resource use, and coordination of state responses to climate change impacts. In doctrinal terms, the law remedies a long-standing normative and institutional lacuna in Somalia’s public law system by providing a coherent legal foundation for environmental governance.

Normative Interaction with Natural Resource Regulation

The environmental legislation operates in direct legal conjunction with other measures approved by the Council, including the Memorandum of Understanding between the Governments of Somalia and Algeria on cooperation in the petroleum, gas, and minerals sectors. From a regulatory perspective, the establishment of a national environmental authority functions as a safeguard mechanism, ensuring that extractive activities are subject to environmental oversight, compliance standards, and sustainability obligations. This integration reflects the principle that economic development and resource exploitation must be carried out within a legally enforceable environmental framework.

Alignment with International Legal Commitments

In parallel, the Council’s approval of the revised Somali Criminal Code, the International Convention on Maritime Search and Rescue (SAR, 1979), and the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949 together with their Additional Protocols, underscores a broader legislative policy of harmonization with international law. These instruments enhance the domestic incorporation of international humanitarian, maritime, and human rights norms, thereby strengthening legal certainty and state accountability.

In sum, the legislative measures adopted by the Council of Ministers, particularly the law establishing the National Environmental Management Authority, represent a substantive advance toward rule-based governance and sustainable development. By institutionalizing environmental protection through statutory authority, the Federal Republic of Somalia reinforces the legal nexus between environmental stewardship, socio-economic development, and intergenerational equity.