The UN Human Rights Council has praised democracy’s spread ahead of elections in August 2008 - in stark contrast to its neighbors.

Below is an excerpt from a report published by the United Nations Human Rights Council:

The situation in “Somaliland” was comparatively peaceful in contrast to south and central Somalia.  Following the first-ever parliamentary elections in 2005, “Somaliland” continued to make incremental progress on public administration and governance.  Authorities continued to undertake modest infrastructure projects and NGOs carried on with their local human rights work, albeit with little or no resources…During past missions to “Somaliland”, the independent expert has been impressed with the activities of the Rule of Law and Security Programme of UNDP and further to his briefing while in Nairobi on this mission, it is his understanding that UNDP will expand further these activities to other parts of Somalia.