The Secretary-General congratulates the broad spectrum of Somali stakeholders who reached a crucial political agreement on 17 February 2012 at the Garowe II Constitutional Conference held in Garowe, “Puntland”.  This agreement sets out clear steps for ending the transition and putting in place a constitutional order in a new federal Somalia.

The Secretary-General applauds the spirit of unity and commitment demonstrated by the Roadmap signatories as well as representatives from the areas recently recovered from Al-Shabaab who participated in the Garowe II Conference.  He particularly welcomes the inclusion of a minimum of 30 percent women in the Independent Electoral Commission, the Constituent Assembly and the new Federal Parliament. The Secretary-General also commends his Special Representative for Somalia and his staff for working closely with the Somali stakeholders to ensure the successful outcome of this conference.

The Secretary-General looks forward to full and timely implementation of the commitments made. The United Nations stands ready to provide comprehensive support for their implementation.

The Secretary-General looks forward to discussing how the international community can support these agreements at the London Conference on Somalia next week.