Security Council renews Yemen sanctions panel for 13 months to promote political transition

Under the terms of a resolution unanimously adopted by the United Nations Security Council today, members decided to extend the mandate of the group of four experts on Yemen, which was established to oversee sanctions measures employed against individuals and entities designated as threatening peace, security or stability in the country.

The Panel of Experts established pursuant to Council resolution 2140 (2014), will continue to work until 25 March 2016 under paragraph 21 of that text, assisting the Committee that was established by the same resolution with information on individuals and entities involved in undermining the political transition in Yemen, and on incidents that destabilise the transition.

The text urged all parties – Member States, international, regional and sub-regional organizations – to cooperate with the Panel, and urged all interested Member States to ensure the safety of the Panel, as well as their unhindered access to people, documents and sites that would allow it to fulfil its mandate.

It also urged the increased cooperation of Member States from the region on ensuring the effective implementation of the sanctions regime imposed by resolution 2140.

In today’s resolution, Council members expressed concern about ongoing violence in Yemen and the political, security, economic and humanitarian challenges facing the country, as they reiterated their call for all parties to adhere to resolving differences and achieving political goals through dialogue, rather than through violence and provocation.

The text also reaffirmed the need for the full and timely implementation of the political transition following the comprehensive National Dialogue Conference, in line with the Gulf Cooperation Council initiative and Implementation Mechanism, the Peace and National Partnership Agreement, and in accordance with previous resolutions and the expectations of the Yemeni people.

As members determined that the situation in the country constitutes a threat to international peace and security, the resolution was passed under Chapter VII of the UN Charter.

The follows a resolution adopted just last week in which the Council demanded that secessionist Houthi militias in Yemen "immediately and unconditionally" withdraw from Government and security institutions, and called on all Yemeni parties to engage in good faith in the UN-brokered political talks being led by Special Adviser Jamal Benomar.

Unanimously adopting a new resolution in a rare Sunday evening session, the Security Council on 15 February expressed alarm at the acts of violence committed by the Houthis and their supporters, which have undermined the political transition process in Yemen, and jeopardized the country's stability and unity, demanding that all Yemeni “parties cease all armed hostilities against the people and the legitimate authorities of Yemen.”

The Council's action came just days after Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon warned in a special briefing to the 15-member body that: “Yemen is collapsing before our eyes. We cannot stand by and watch.” Mr. Ban reminded the international community of its “solemn obligation” under the UN Charter to “do everything possible to help Yemen step back from the brink and get the political process back on track.”