Delivered By: Her Excellency Lana Nusseibeh, Ambassador and Permanent Representative

UNOFFICIAL TRANSLATION

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Madam President,

I thank Mr. Hans Grundberg and Ms. Edem Wosornu for their briefings. I also welcome the Permanent Representative of Yemen in today’s meeting. We take note of Ms. Yasmeen al-Eryani’s briefing.

Madam President,

In recent weeks, there have been concerted efforts to create suitable conditions for the relaunch of an inclusive Yemeni-owned and led political process under the auspices of the United Nations. We welcome all the steps taken thus far, such as prisoner exchanges and the maintenance of relative calm for more than a year. However, we look forward to additional confidence building measures along with a permanent ceasefire agreement which remains essential to ensure the success of the political process.

We commend the central role of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to resolve the conflict in Yemen, through its initiatives and diplomatic efforts, as well as its engagement with all Yemeni parties to reach a comprehensive political solution that meets the aspirations of the Yemeni people. We also welcome the recent visit made by the delegations of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Oman to Yemen, which the Security Council recognized as valuable steps towards enabling Yemeni-Yemeni political talks.

We appreciate the flexibility and constructive engagement of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council in the political process. We also commend the endeavors of the Special Envoy to build on the current momentum, as well as the UN efforts over the past year, which witnessed a significant decrease in hostilities.

We call on the Houthis to seize the present opportunity and engage constructively to lay the groundwork for enduring peace. Any further delay will only serve to prolong the suffering of the Yemeni people. It has become evident that dialogue remains the sole path to achieving a political settlement. A belligerent stance and reliance on armed coercion are not only unacceptable but also detrimental to the welfare of the Yemeni people.

While discussions and mediation efforts continue, we must not overlook Yemen’s severe humanitarian and economic crises, which requires an unimpeded aid delivery to all those in need, economic support, and reopening of major roads. However, we note that improving these conditions in tangible and sustainable manner cannot be done without ending the conflict.

We stress the importance of lifting the Houthi-imposed restrictions on humanitarian agencies, particularly on female aid workers, which limit women’s public life participation and hinder women and girls’ aid access.

The children of Yemen must also be afforded the opportunity to lead a safe and normal life. They should have access to quality education that prepares them to build Yemen, rather than being coerced into joining Houthi summer camps and centers. The Houthi’s exploitation of these programs, coupled with their manipulation of the formal school curricula, seeks to indoctrinate the children with an extremist ideology.

In closing, Madam President, we have a unique opportunity to make real progress towards resolving the crisis in Yemen. As the current developments remain fragile, we must send a united message prioritizing the interests of the Yemeni people and asserting that a political solution is the only assurance of a brighter future for all Yemenis.

Thank you, Madam President.