Ban and Nobel Peace Prize laureate discuss human rights situation in Yemen

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon met today with Tawakkul Karman, the Yemeni journalist and pro-democracy activist who was a joint winner of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize, to discuss human rights and the worsening humanitarian and economic conditions in her country as the political stalemate there continues.

During the meeting, held at United Nations Headquarters in New York, Mr. Ban and Ms. Karman exchanged views about the current situation in Yemen, particularly the escalation of violence, according to information released by his spokesperson.

Mr. Ban reassured Ms. Karman that the UN was doing everything possible to help the Yemeni people resolve the political stand-off and promote an orderly, inclusive and Yemeni-led political transition.

He also emphasized that the UN has a clear stance against impunity for gross violations of human rights.

Top UN officials have expressed mounting concern about the human rights and humanitarian conditions inside Yemen, where hundreds of people have died since mass protests against the Government began early this year.

Earlier this month Ms. Karman, along with Liberian President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and Liberian peace activist Leymah Gbowee, shared the 2011 Nobel Peace Prize.