Delivered by: His Excellency Ambassador Mohamed Abushahab, Deputy Permanent Representative

UNOFFICIAL TRANSLATION

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Mr. president,

I thank Mr. Hans Grundberg and Ms. Ghada Mudawi for their informative briefings on the latest developments in Yemen, and we affirm our support for the UN’s efforts in this regard. I also welcome Yemen’s Ambassador His Excellency Abdullah Al-Saadii to today’s meeting.

We would like to start by expressing our deep appreciation and full support for the continuous mediation efforts made by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to end the war in Yemen, including their efforts to renew the truce, maintain the ceasefire, and implement measures to improve the humanitarian and economic situation in order to start an inclusive political process between the Yemeni Parties.

We also appreciate the sincere efforts made by the Sultanate of Oman to achieve reconciliation in Yemen, and we underscore the importance of making concerted efforts to end the crisis in Yemen.  Doing so will enable the start of a new phase to end the suffering of the Yemenis and to restore security, stability, and prosperity in the country.

Mr. President,

The recent release of hundreds of prisoners and abductees gives new hope for the possibility of achieving progress on the humanitarian, economic, and political tracks. We hope this step will strengthen the prospects for releasing all prisoners and abductees based on the “all for all” principle, agreed upon in the Stockholm Agreement. We commend the efforts made by the Office of the Special Envoy and the International Committee of the Red Cross to accomplish this important humanitarian achievement. In another step to support the peace process, we also welcome today’s generous humanitarian gesture made by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which led to the unilateral release of 104 Houthi prisoners.

In light of these positive developments in Yemen and the region, we stress the need to develop a road map that paves the way for launching a national dialogue, led by the Yemenis, under the auspices of the United Nations. To achieve this goal, we must prioritize the interests of the Yemeni people and their collective future above all other considerations and abandon the threat or use of arms. It is also critical to commit to dialogue as the only means to resolve differences until a peaceful solution is reached that is based on the outcomes of the national dialogue, the GCC initiative, and relevant Security Council resolutions.

Mr. President,

As a year of relative calm in Yemen passes, my country reaffirms its commitment to support regional and international efforts aimed at finding a political solution for the crisis in Yemen. We also reaffirm our continued support for the Yemeni people to achieve stability and development in Yemen.

In the humanitarian and economic contexts, we call for a greater focus on reviving the Yemeni economy, which will in turn contribute to alleviating the humanitarian crisis and improving the living conditions of Yemenis. In this regard, we call on the Houthis to lift all restrictions imposed on humanitarian organizations, including its restrictions targeting women. We further stress the importance of supporting efforts aimed at empowering Yemeni women and supporting their participation in the political, economic, and social areas.

In conclusion, we emphasize the need for wisdom and reason in the incoming period. We must follow an approach that embraces calm, dialogue, and peace while focusing efforts on reconstruction and achieving development and prosperity – both in Yemen and across the entire region.

Thank you, Mr. President.