UN General Assembly
2010

Comprehensive Peace Agreement is entering its final phase with the referendum on the self-determination of Southern Sudan and Abyei. After more than two decades of confrontation, the prospects for a settlement are taking shape at last. The road ahead nevertheless remains fraught with difficulties. It is our collective responsibility to help the Sudan steer through this critical period and carry out a process that at last leads to lasting peace for its people. We must ensure that the elections are conducted in a transparent and peaceful manner, regardless, of course, of the outcome. Increased efforts are also needed to support the current initiatives of the African Union and the United Nations towards a political solution involving all parties in Darfur in order to address the root causes of the conflict and ensure the protection and promotion of human rights, justice and reconciliation. The continuing violence in Darfur threatens the stability of the whole of the Sudan and of the larger region. A comprehensive approach is also needed in Somalia, a country that has for too long been