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, 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. 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. Background As part of the Gulf Cooperation Council Initiative that saw deposed president Ali Abdullah Saleh step down, a National Dialogue Conference was to be held. As part of the United Nations Security Council Resolution 2051, which stipulated the structure of the dialogue, the GCC Agreement was signed on November 23, 2011. Conference format The NDC was divided into separate working groups, each with their own members. Groups were: The Southern Issue Working Group The Sa'ada Issue Working Group, the National Issues Working Group The National Reconciliation and Transitional Justice Working Group, the State-Building Working Group The Good Governance Working Group The Foundations for Building and the Role of the Armed and Security Forces Working Group The Independence of Special Entities Working Group The Rights and Freedoms Working Group The Development Working Group The Special Social and Environmental Issues Working