"Finally, I also come in recognition of the great work that has been undertaken by the NGOs and UN agencies that have been active for many years here, especially through the local staff and international staff here in Somaliland and in Somalia at large"
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Egeland is doing something more strategic than polite thanks: he is redistributing legitimacy. In a place like Somaliland - politically liminal, diplomatically under-recognized, perpetually compared to the chaos of "Somalia at large" - praise becomes a kind of currency. By foregrounding "NGOs and UN agencies" and, pointedly, the people who have been "active for many years", he signals institutional continuity and competence in an environment outsiders often treat as a crisis snapshot.
The phrase "Finally, I also come in recognition" carries the soft choreography of a high-level visit. It implies there were other purposes on the itinerary - meetings, assessments, maybe warnings - but he closes by validating the day-to-day machinery that actually keeps systems running. That word "undertaken" is telling, too: it frames humanitarian work as deliberate construction, not charity or emergency improvisation.
The real subtext sits in his emphasis on "local staff and international staff". It's an attempt to stitch together two audiences that can easily resent each other: local workers who do the hard, risky, underpaid labor, and international personnel who bring resources and visibility but can look like a revolving-door elite. By naming both, he is preempting the criticism that the UN performs concern while locals do the suffering.
Contextually, this is classic UN rhetoric with teeth: in fragile regions, recognition isn't just gratitude; it's morale management, relationship maintenance, and a quiet reminder that whatever the headlines say, a long-term presence exists - and deserves protection, funding, and political space to operate.
The phrase "Finally, I also come in recognition" carries the soft choreography of a high-level visit. It implies there were other purposes on the itinerary - meetings, assessments, maybe warnings - but he closes by validating the day-to-day machinery that actually keeps systems running. That word "undertaken" is telling, too: it frames humanitarian work as deliberate construction, not charity or emergency improvisation.
The real subtext sits in his emphasis on "local staff and international staff". It's an attempt to stitch together two audiences that can easily resent each other: local workers who do the hard, risky, underpaid labor, and international personnel who bring resources and visibility but can look like a revolving-door elite. By naming both, he is preempting the criticism that the UN performs concern while locals do the suffering.
Contextually, this is classic UN rhetoric with teeth: in fragile regions, recognition isn't just gratitude; it's morale management, relationship maintenance, and a quiet reminder that whatever the headlines say, a long-term presence exists - and deserves protection, funding, and political space to operate.
Quote Details
| Topic | Gratitude |
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