PSC/PR/2 (CV) Rev.1 Page 10 indicated that they were not in a position to deploy troops or are yet to formally communicate their responses. 36. Consequently, AMISOM has not been able to expand its activities. The Mission continues to provide VIP escort, to conduct confidence-building patrols within its immediate area of operations and to ensure the protection of the airport, seaport, Kilometer 4 and Villa Somalia, which hosts the presidency. AMISOM also contributed to ensuring security during the convening of the NRC. Furthermore, the Mission has continued to receive weapons surrendered by various armed elements for storage and destruction. Finally, and as indicated above, the Mission provides limited humanitarian support to the local population, as well as on-demand escort for humanitarian organizations. 37. I would like, once again, to express my appreciation to the Ugandan troops for their efforts, in spite of the very challenging conditions in which they are working. My appreciation also goes to the Ugandan Government for its continued commitment to the promotion of lasting peace and reconciliation in Somalia. I also wish to commend the Government of Burundi for providing troops to AMISOM. I would like to seize this opportunity to express gratitude to Member States and all AU partners that have made contributions in support of AMISOM. 38. In late September, the Commission organized a five-day working visit for the African Defence Attaché based in Addis Ababa. During the visit, they held discussions with AMISOM Force Commander and TFG officials. This provided them with a better understanding of the needs of AMISOM in terms of strength and equipment. A similar visit is planned for non-African Defense Attaché, with the view to providing them with first hand information on the situation and the needs of AMISOM. 39. As Council is aware, AMISOM is tasked to provide, within capabilities and as appropriate, technical and other support for the disarmament and stabilization efforts. It is in this context that, in early October last year, following a request by the TFG, the Commission, together with the Nairobi-based Regional Centre for Small Arms in the Great Lakes and Horn of Africa (RECSA), convened a meeting to discuss issues of small arms in Somalia. The meeting, which included participants from the SPMU, UNDP Somalia Office and the TFG, recommended that an AU-led mission including relevant international organizations be undertaken to Mogadishu to: assess the extent to which action can be undertaken in the area of DDR in Somalia under current circumstances; discuss how to integrate small arms and DDR activities into the work of AMISOM; look at ways in which the capacity of the relevant Somali institutions could be strengthened; and assess the situation surrounding stockpile management of the weapons collected by AMISOM and identify ways to improve it. The mission will travel to Mogadishu as soon as the required preparations are finalized. 40. As part of the implementation of the Mission’s mandate, the SPMU, thanks to financial support provided by the Italian Government, organized two coordinating and information sharing meetings with major United Nations and other humanitarian agencies in Nairobi and Addis Ababa, respectively from 11 to 16 November and 6 to 9