Security Council Issues Presidential Statement Calling on Parties in Yemen to Engage Constructively in Good-Faith Effort for Conflict Resolution

Members Strongly Condemn Attack of Special Envoy’s Convoy during Recent Visit

Expressing grave concern about the humanitarian situation in Yemen, the Security Council today adopted a presidential statement calling on all parties to engage constructively and in good faith to find a peaceful solution to the conflict in that country.

In the statement read out by Sacha Sergio Llorentty Solíz (Bolivia), Security Council President for June, the Council expressed its continuing support for the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Yemen in his efforts to bring the parties to negotiations with a view to swiftly reaching a final and comprehensive agreement to end the conflict.

Strongly condemning an attack on the Special Envoy’s convoy during his recent visit to Sana’a, the Council called on all parties to comply with international humanitarian law, to ensure the security of humanitarian and United Nations personnel, and to allow safe and unhindered access for humanitarian supplies.

Sharing the Secretary-General’s grave concern about the threat of famine in Yemen, as well as deep concern over a recent cholera outbreak, it called on all parties to engage with the Special Envoy’s proposals for increasing commercial and humanitarian shipments through Hodeida and other Red Sea ports — proposals which, it said, would help build confidence with a view to a durable cessation of hostilities as a first step towards a resumption of peace talks under United Nations leadership.

The Council went on to call for immediate mobilization of funds pledged to Yemen at a conference in Geneva on 25 April and for all Member States to fully implement an arms embargo as required by relevant Council resolutions.  It also called on the Houthis and forces allied to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh to cease all attacks at Saudi Arabia.

In addition, the 15-nation Council reaffirmed its resolve to address all aspects of the threat posed by Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da’esh) and all other associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities.  In that regard, it called upon all Yemenis to combine their efforts in countering the threat posed by terrorism.

The meeting began at 5:32 p.m. and ended at 5:44 p.m.

Presidential Statement

The full text of presidential statement S/PRST/2017/7 reads as follows:

“The Security Council recalls its resolutions 2014 (2011), 2051 (2012), 2140 (2014), 2201 (2015), 2204 (2015), 2216 (2015), 2266 (2016), 2342 (2017), and presidential statements of 15 February 2013, 29 August 2014, 22 March 2015 and 25 April 2016.

“The Security Council expresses grave concern about the devastating humanitarian impact of the conflict on civilians and emphasises that the humanitarian situation will deteriorate in the absence of a political solution.

“The Security Council expresses deep concern about the recent outbreak of cholera, which is the latest indicator of the gravity of the humanitarian crisis.

“The Security Council recalls that the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Initiative and Implementation Mechanism, the outcomes of the comprehensive National Dialogue conference, and relevant Security Council resolutions provide the basis for inclusive negotiations for a political settlement of the crisis in Yemen and expresses concern at the continued non-implementation of these resolutions.

“The Security Council expresses its continued support for the tireless efforts of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, to bring the parties to negotiations with a view towards swiftly reaching a final and comprehensive agreement to end the conflict in Yemen.  The Security Council calls on the parties to immediately agree on the modalities for a durable Cessation of Hostilities.  Furthermore, the Security Council reiterates its call to all parties to engage in peace talks in a flexible and constructive manner without preconditions, and in good faith.

“The Security Council strongly condemns the attack on the UN Special Envoy’s convoy during his recent visit to Sana’a, and calls upon the Houthis and supporters of former President Saleh to undertake a full investigation to identify those responsible and hold them to account.  The Security Council calls upon all parties to the conflict to engage constructively with the Special Envoy’s proposals for peace and ensure the unhindered access of the Special Envoy to all parts of Yemen.  The Security Council notes the statement by the Government of Yemen contained in document S/2017/476.

“The Security Council calls upon all parties to comply with international humanitarian law, including to at all times distinguish between the civilian population and combatants, and between civilian objects and military objectives, and by taking all feasible precautions to avoid, and in any event minimize harm to civilians and civilian objects, and to end the recruitment and use of children in violation of applicable international law, in order to prevent further suffering of civilians.  The Security Council further underlines the need to ensure the security of humanitarian and United Nations personnel.  The Security Council calls on all parties to respect and protect medical facilities and personnel.  The Security Council further calls on the parties to allow the safe, rapid and unhindered access for humanitarian supplies and personnel to the populations of all affected governorates, and to facilitate access for essential imports of food, fuel and, medical supplies into the country and their distribution throughout. In this regard, the Security Council stresses the importance of keeping all Yemen’s ports functioning, including Hodeida port, as a critical lifeline for humanitarian support and other essential supplies, in line with the Special Envoy’s latest proposals for Hodeida port and city.

“The Security Council shares the grave concern of the Secretary-General about the threat of famine in Yemen, which he described as the largest food insecurity emergency in the world, and notes with deepest concern the additional humanitarian challenge presented by the alarming cholera outbreak in the country.  The Security Council emphasizes that the spread of cholera and the threat of famine reflect the gravity of Yemen’s humanitarian crisis and the severe strain the conflict has placed on the country’s institutions. 

“In light of this worsening crisis, the Security Council calls on all parties to engage constructively with the Special Envoy’s latest proposals for increasing commercial and humanitarian shipments through Red Sea ports including new arrangements for the management of Hodeida port and city.  These proposals would act as a confidence-building mechanism between the parties, with a view to a durable cessation of hostilities as a step towards the resumption of peace talks under UN leadership.  The Security Council urges the parties to work with the Special Envoy to conclude an agreement for the resumption of government salary payments and the preservation of essential government services in all areas of the country.

“The Security Council, with a view both to addressing the humanitarian emergency, and to building confidence between the sides in a way which will be conducive to political negotiations, encourages rapid agreement on (a) deployment of additional United Nations Verification and Inspection Mechanism monitors; (b) increasing the capacity of all of Yemeni ports, including through the timely installation of cranes at Hodeida to increase the port’s capacity; (c) increased access to Sana’a Airport for lifesaving humanitarian supplies and movement of urgent humanitarian cases.

“The Security Council calls for immediate mobilisation of the funds pledged to Yemen at the Geneva Pledging Conference of 25 April 2017, hosted by the United Nations Secretary-General together with the Governments of Sweden and Switzerland, and full funding of the United Nations 2017 Humanitarian Response Plan for Yemen as part of a coordinated international response to the crisis.  The Security Council also expresses support for the statement made by the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator on 26 May on the urgent need to provide funding to halt the spread of cholera.

“The Security Council calls on all Member States to fully implement the arms embargo as required by the relevant Security Council resolutions.  The Security Council also calls on the Houthis and forces allied to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh to cease all attacks at the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

“The Security Council takes threats to shipping around Bab al-Mandeb, a strategically important shipping passage, extremely seriously and stresses that the continued exercise of navigational rights and freedoms in and around Bab al-Mandeb strait in accordance with relevant international law must be upheld.

“The Security Council expresses grave concern about the presence of Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) in Yemen, and the impact its violent extremist ideology and actions have upon civilians and stability in Yemen and the region.  The Security Council further expresses concern at the presence and future potential growth of affiliates of the Islamic State in Iraq and Levant (ISIL, also known as Da’esh), and reaffirms its resolve to address all aspects of the threat posed by AQAP, ISIL (Da’esh), and all other associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities.  In this regard, the Security Council calls upon all Yemenis to combine their efforts in countering the threat posed by terrorism.

“The Security Council emphasises that the conflict in Yemen will only be resolved through the resumption of an inclusive political process, and calls upon all parties to the conflict to engage constructively and in good faith to overcome obstacles and find a peaceful solution.  The Security Council calls upon the parties to ensure at least 30 percent representation of women in peace negotiations, and calls upon the UN to regularly report on consultations with women leaders and women’s organisations in line with resolution 2122 (2013).

“The Security Council reaffirms its strong commitment to the unity, sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Yemen.”