Security Council Press Statement on Yemen
The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Román Oyarzun Marchesi (Spain):
The members of the Security Council welcomed the announcement by the United Nations and the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen on the upcoming talks. The members of the Security Council commended the decision by the Government of Yemen to participate in these peace talks along with other parties. The members of the Security Council expressed their appreciation and reiterated their full support for the efforts of the United Nations and the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen.
The members of the Security Council recalled Security Council resolutions 2014 (2011), 2051 (2012), 2140 (2014), 2201 (2015) and 2216 (2015), emphasizing the need for a peaceful, orderly, inclusive and Yemeni-led transition process. The members of the Security Council reiterated their demand for the full implementation of relevant Security Council resolutions, and reiterated their call from resolution 2216 (2015) on all Yemeni parties to resume and accelerate United Nations-brokered inclusive political consultations.
The members of the Security Council reaffirmed their call on Yemeni parties to attend the announced talks and any such future talks and engage without preconditions and in good faith, including by resolving their differences through dialogue and consultations, rejecting acts of violence to achieve political goals, and refraining from provocation and all unilateral actions to undermine the political transition. The members of the Security Council strongly condemned all violence, attempts or threats to use violence to intimidate those participating in United Nations-brokered consultations and emphasized that such action is unacceptable. The members of the Security Council emphasized that the United Nations-brokered inclusive political dialogue must be a Yemeni-led process, with the intention of brokering a consensus-based political solution to Yemen’s crisis in accordance with the Gulf Cooperation Council Initiative and its Implementation Mechanism, the outcomes of the comprehensive National Dialogue Conference and relevant Security Council resolutions.
The members of the Security Council called on all parties to engage in a flexible and constructive manner in the preparation and conduct of the talks to allow Yemen to move towards a sustainable peace.
Recalling Security Council resolution 2216 (2015), the members of the Security Council underlined the importance of the talks leading to the implementation of concrete measures to prevent any further suffering for the Yemeni people, such as a cessation of violence and unhindered humanitarian access and commercial imports into the country and distribution throughout.
The members of the Security Council expressed their support and appreciation for the efforts of the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Yemen, who will continue to engage with all Yemeni stakeholders to take steps towards a durable ceasefire and a mechanism for the withdrawal of forces, release of political prisoners and the resumption of an inclusive political transition process in accordance with Security Council resolution 2216 (2015). The members of the Council recognized the importance of United Nations ceasefire monitoring capacity to support the process.
The members of the Security Council expressed deep concern about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Yemen, including the food insecurity already facing millions of Yemenis across the country and the increasing risk of famine.
They welcomed the United Nations revised humanitarian appeal which requested $1.6 billion, but which was currently only around 47 per cent funded. They encouraged the international community to contribute to the appeal. The members of the Security Council urged all parties to take immediate steps to facilitate the urgent delivery of humanitarian assistance and fuel for civilian purposes to all parts of Yemen, as well as measures to ensure rapid, safe and unhindered access for humanitarian actors to reach people in need of humanitarian assistance, including through all of Yemen’s ports, recalling the need for all sides to comply with the relevant provisions of international humanitarian law and respect the United Nations guiding principles of humanitarian assistance. The members of the Security Council called upon all sides to comply with international humanitarian law, including to take all feasible precautions to minimize harm to civilians and civilian objects, and to end the recruitment and use of children in violation of applicable international law, and to urgently work with the United Nations and humanitarian aid organizations to bring assistance to those in need throughout the country. They also stressed the urgent need for commercially-shipped food, medicine, fuel and other vital supplies to enter Yemen through all of Yemen’s ports without further delays as a humanitarian imperative because of the heavy dependence of Yemen and its people on imported food and fuel.