Addis Ababa, Ethiopia - In a new model of public-private cooperation, LG, the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Somalia, and Elman Peace Centre officially launched a partnership to support skills development and peacebuilding in Somalia.

The initiative will create sustainable livelihood opportunities for Somali youth through technical and vocational education, while also strengthening resilience, social stability, and long-term economic development in communities affected by conflict.

Building on the success of the LG-KOICA Hope TVET College in Addis Ababa — an internationally recognized centre of excellence that has attracted benchmarking visits from institutions worldwide — the partnership will support the establishment of a new standards-aligned UNDP-KOICA technical training and service facility within the Elman Peace Centre in Mogadishu.

An initial cohort of Elman Peace trainers will undergo benchmarking, Training of Trainers (ToT), and certification through the LG-KOICA Hope TVET College before delivering training for Somali youth in electrical equipment servicing, ICT with a focus on IT hardware and networking, as well as entrepreneurship and life skills. Graduates will then be connected to employment opportunities through job fairs, apprenticeships, enterprise support, and linkages to LG distribution and service networks in Somalia.

Signing the partnership agreement in Addis Ababa, Mr. Lionel Laurens, Resident Representative for UNDP in Somalia said: “UNDP is proud to launch this important partnership, which brings together skills development, private sector engagement, and peacebuilding in an integrated and forward-looking model of collaboration. This initiative represents a strategic investment in Somalia’s future. Somalia’s greatest asset is its youth—their talent, resilience, and creativity. By equipping young women and men with market-relevant technical skills, fostering innovation, and expanding pathways to decent work, we are doing more than creating jobs. We are strengthening young people’s agency and laying the foundations for lasting peace, economic resilience, and inclusive, sustainable development.”

Speaking at the launch, Mr. Seunghwan Yang, LG Ethiopia Branch Leader said: “Building on the successful model of LG-KOICA Hope TVET College in Ethiopia over the past 13 years, we are committed to bringing this experience to Somalia. Through this initiative, we will continue to support vulnerable youth in Africa in achieving self-reliance and developing into skilled professionals who can contribute to national development, while fulfilling our social responsibility as a global company.”

The Elman Peace Centre, at the heart of this programme since its inception, will continue to lead delivery on the ground, expanding technical training and connecting graduates directly with employers.

Ms. Ilwad Elman, Chief Operating Officer of Elman Peace Centre said, “Somalia has always been a nation of builders, entrepreneurs, and innovators, yet too many young people remain disconnected from the opportunities shaping the modern economy. Through this partnership, we are not only expanding access to technical training, but helping build the local systems, standards, and expertise needed for Somali youth to participate meaningfully in the jobs and service economies of the future. We hope this collaboration becomes a foundation for long-term technical capacity and opportunity in Somalia.”

The partnership is expected to contribute not only to employment generation and skills development, but also to addressing root causes of fragility, exclusion, and instability by creating pathways for dignified livelihoods and economic inclusion for Somali youth.

KOICA Country Director Mr. Wankyu Park stated, “This partnership represents a truly win-win opportunity for all stakeholders involved. It is a unique and meaningful example of cross-border collaboration among a UN agency, the private sector, and a local civil society organization. KOICA hopes that this initiative will create meaningful opportunities for Somali youth while also fostering positive engagement for Korean entities.”

As Somalia continues its transition toward greater stability and long-term development, the partnership launched today stands as a regional and global best practice on how development actors, private sector institutions, and civil society organizations can jointly contribute to peace, prosperity, and resilience across Somalia and the wider Horn of Africa.

MEDIA CONTACT

UNDP Somalia: kamal.sigdel@undp.org, ilyas.abukar@undp.org