A/HRC/27/44 6. Five-hundred and sixty-five participants took part in the National Dialogue Conference representing a wide spectrum of constituencies including women, youth, and civil society. Also participating were some factions of the Southern movement, and representatives of the Al Houthi movement. This dialogue process was supported and facilitated by the Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Yemen. The Conference provided a forum for a wide range of political negotiations, social concerns, rule of law and human rights. It divided into nine working groups, each addressing a thematic area such as the Southern question, the Sa’ada question, rights and freedoms, good governance, transitional justice, and State-building among others. Constructive discussions aimed at building consensus around proposed solutions resulted in a series of agreed principles to form the basis of the new Constitution. 7. Transitional justice was one of the most contentious issues, specifically the question of immunity and political isolation of those obstructing change. Through negotiations and a framework to reach consensus, as well the intervention of the President, an agreement was reached to adopt a more forward-looking approach. That included setting forth strict criteria for holding office. 8. The National Dialogue Conference concluded on 25 January 2014 with the adoption of the outcomes of the nine working groups, totalling some 1,800 recommendations. At its conclusion, the Conference also adopted a so-called “guarantee document”, which established that the political transition be linked to the completion of tasks originally outlined in the Transition Agreement, including the drafting and adoption of a new Constitution and general elections. The “guarantee document” also extended the deadlines originally envisioned in the Transition Agreement for at least one more year. Furthermore, the mandate of President Hadi was extended until the election of a new President. 9. On the proposed federal restructuring of the State, the National Dialogue Conference recommended the establishment of a committee tasked with determining the number and geographic delineation of regions. President Hadi established this committee on 3 February 2014, after the Conference had ended. At the end of February, the committee announced that an agreement had been reached on the new federal division of the State: two regions in the south and four in the north. Some key leaders from the south rejected the proposal, while the conflict escalated in the north and the Houthis continued to express their fear that the federalization as proposed would only divide the country between rich and poor regions. 10. On 8 March 2014, Presidential Decrees Nos. 26/2014 and 27/2014 established the Constitutional Drafting Commission and named its 17 members, including four women. According to the Decrees, the drafting of the Constitution would be followed by public consultations and a referendum within one year. 11. On 24 April 2014, Presidential Decrees Nos. 30/2014 and 31/2014 established the National Body for Monitoring the Implementation of the NDC Outcomes, defining its mandate and procedures, and named its 82 members. All constituencies that participated in the National Dialogue Conference are represented in the National Body.1 The National Body is tasked with overseeing the implementation of the Conference outcomes, as well as ensuring that the draft Constitution is in conformity with those outcomes. The National Body has yet to convene, as a new group of leading Hirak representatives, who had not participated in the Conference, are expected to join. However, at the time of writing the present report, it had not yet met. 1 4 The National Body includes, inter alia, 23 women, youth, and representatives of political parties from the Southern movement and the north.