A/HRC/21/37 III. Background A. International legal framework 6. Yemen is party to eight of the nine core international human rights treaties, as well as to the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child. 2 As a State party to the above-mentioned treaties, Yemen is legally bound to respect, protect and fulfil the human rights of those within its jurisdiction. In reviewing the implementation by Yemen of its treaty obligations, the relevant human rights treaty bodies have noted that violations of civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights persist on a considerable scale. B. Political developments 7. Following the adoption by former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, his party and the opposition coalition of the Joint Meeting of Parties of the Gulf Cooperation Council initiative, which provided for a political settlement in Yemen, a Government of national accord was formed in December 2011 on the basis of a power-sharing (50/50) agreement between the General People’s Congress and the Joint Meeting of Parties. According to the initiative and its implementation mechanism, the formation of the Government launched a two-stage transitional period for Yemen: the first commenced with the formation of a Government until the election of a new President; the second, a two-year stage, started when the new President took office. On 21 February, former Vice-President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi, running as the sole candidate, was elected President in a mostly peaceful election. Power was smoothly transferred to the new President. 8. The Gulf Cooperation Council initiative and its implementation mechanism effectively became the country’s constitutional framework during the transition, and is not subject to any appeal or review by any existing judicial or legislative body. The implementation mechanism also provided that, during the transition, both the Government and Parliament were to make their decisions by consensus, and that failure to reach a consensual decision would entail submitting the matter to the President of the Republic, whose decision would be final. 9. The presidential elections were one of the key elements of the Gulf Cooperation Council initiative, together with a national dialogue process, that were intended to pave the way for the adoption of a new Constitution and the holding of parliamentary and presidential elections early in 2014. In May 2012, President Hadi formed a contact committee comprising seven members to carry out consultations with various political forces as well as with women’s, youth and civil society organizations. The projected outcome of these efforts was the formation of a representative preparatory committee that would prepare the agenda of the national dialogue conference and oversee its organization. The Government also established a ministerial committee, chaired by the Minister for Human Rights, to establish contact with youth groups and to help to select their representatives. 10. With regard to political groups, the al-Houthi movement, which effectively controls parts of Northern Yemen, publicly announced its willingness to participate in the national dialogue. During the period under review, discussions were ongoing with and within the al- 2 Yemen is not party to the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance. 5