National Dialogue Conference

National Dialogue Conference

Then-President Hadi Addressing the National Dialogue Conference
Native name	مؤتمر الحوار الوطني الشامل
Date	March 18, 2013 – January 24, 2014 (2013-03-18 – 2014-01-24)
Duration	10 months, 7 days
Location	Mövenpick Hotel, Sana’a, Yemen
Coordinates	15°21′43″N 44°13′55″E / 15.36194°N 44.23194°E / 15.36194; 44.23194
Outcome	Federalization of Yemen

The National Dialogue Conference (NDC) was a transitional dialogue process held at the Movenpick Hotel in Sanaa, Yemen from March 18, 2013 to January 24, 2014,^[1] as part of the Yemeni crisis reconciliation efforts.

National Dialogue is a key part of the agreement brokered by the UN and the Gulf Co-operation Council that saw long-time President Ali Abdullah Saleh hand over power to Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi in November 2011 after an uprising. Mr Hadi was subsequently sworn in for a two-year term as president in February 2012 after an election in which he stood unopposed.^[2]

The UN's special envoy for Yemen, Jamal Benomar, described the conclusion of the National Dialogue Conference as a "historic moment". "After being on the brink of civil war, Yemenis negotiated an agreement for peaceful change, the only such in the region," he said. "The National Dialogue established a new social contract and opened a new page in the history of Yemen, breaking from the past and paving the way for democratic governance founded on the rule of law, human rights and equal citizenship," he added.

This negotiation resulted in an agreement that did not address the legitimate grievances of southern separatists or the Houthi coalition. The unpopularity of the transitional government and the general distrust of Hadi, who had profited from corruption as Saleh’s long time Vice President for nearly three decades, ensured its failure. After winning a show election in which he was the only candidate, Hadi stayed in power following the expiration of his 2 year mandate. This triggered Houthi incursions into Sanaa.