Holding such elections would be a historic step in the rebuilding of Somalia and would assist the country's continued democratic development, said the Security Council in a press statement.

In this context, the council members welcomed the commitment by the federal government of Somalia to adopt an electoral law by December 2019 in order to ensure that federal universal suffrage elections are held in late 2020 or early 2021.

The members of the Security Council noted that finalizing the election model would require a compromise, and called on all key actors and institutions in Somalia to set aside their differences and engage constructively in discussions.

The council members emphasized that the election process should be inclusive, allowing for engagement from all clans and regions, and should provide for the full, equal and meaningful participation of women at all stages, and the commitments made by Somalia to including at least 30 percent minimum quota for women parliamentarians.

The members of the Security Council welcomed the role of the National Independent Election Commission in preparing for the elections and reiterated the need for the Electoral Security Task Force to meet and to set out a plan as soon as possible for the creation of a safe and secure environment for elections.

The press statement was released after a Security Council meeting on Somalia on Thursday.

Somalia is making preparations for universal suffrage elections, which will be the first of its kind in more than two decades since the outbreak of the civil war that followed the collapse of the Somali government in 1992.