S/PV.7119 Security Council

In accordance with rule 37 of the Council’s provisional rules of procedure, I invite the representative of Yemen to participate in this meeting. The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item of the agenda. Members of the Council have before them document S/2014/125, which contains the text of a draft resolution submitted by Australia, France, Jordan, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America. It is my understanding that the Council is ready to proceed to the vote on the draft resolution before it. I shall put the draft resolution to the vote now.

The draft resolution received 15 votes in favour. The draft resolution has been adopted unanimously as resolution 2140 (2014). I shall now give the floor to those members of the Council who wish to make statements following the voting. Sir Mark Lyall Grant (United Kingdom): The United Kingdom welcomes the adoption of resolution 2140 (2014), on Yemen. By its unanimous adoption of the resolution, the Security Council has delivered four clear messages. First, the international community continues to focus on Yemen and wants to support the Yemeni people towards a more stable and prosperous future. More support is needed to help the Yemeni Government to improve security and provide humanitarian assistance. Secondly, the next steps in the transition are clear. Those are constitutional electoral reform, followed by elections. All constituencies must work together to implement the recommendations of the National Dialogue Conference. That includes the recommendation of the report of the good governance working group on who can hold future high office. Thirdly, those wishing to derail the political transition will face swift and firm consequences through the new Sanctions Committee. The resolution is clear: “the transition process requires turning the page from the presidency of Ali Abdullah Saleh” (resolution 2140 (2014), fourteenth preambular paragraph). Fourthly, when the Council works together and delivers tough messages, it can create the catalyst for change. I would like to end by taking this opportunity to commend the continued efforts of Special Adviser of the Secretary-General Jamal Benomar and of the Gulf Cooperation Council to assist Yemen through that transition process.

Three years ago, peaceful protesters thronged the streets of Sana’a, seeking to fulfil their aspirations for a more open and democratic Government. On Yemen, the Security Council has been able to consistently speak with a strong and clear voice. Together, we have welcomed the efforts by President Hadi Mansour and the people of Yemen to implement meaningful reform, and we stand firmly committed to supporting Yemen throughout the transition process. We underscore our continuing support for the leadership of President Hadi Mansour and reform- minded leaders within the Government and civil society. We recognize their significant contributions in forging consensus during a challenging period, and we encourage the Yemeni Government and all Yemeni stakeholders to continue moving ahead with the political transition in accordance with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) initiative and implementation mechanism. The Council has been assertive in supporting Yemen throughout its transition. With resolution 2014 (2011), we sent a clear signal of international support for an orderly political transition on the basis of the GCC initiative, which led to a peaceful change of leadership. In resolution 2051 (2012), we supported the full and timely implementation of that initiative, and also called for a fully inclusive, participatory and transparent National Dialogue Conference. In a presidential statement last year (S/PRST/2013/20), the Council warned potential spoilers not to stand in the way of the progress, helping to enable the necessary conditions for the launching of a successful conference. And today we welcome the unanimous adoption of resolution 2140 (2014) on Yemen, which welcomes and celebrates the conclusion of Yemen’s historic National Dialogue Conference. The resolution underscores the importance of turning the page on Saleh’s presidency to meet the aspirations of the Yemeni people, including guarantees for the representation of women in Government. The Council has made clear that we remain firmly committed to supporting Yemen as it implements subsequent steps in the transition process, including constitutional reform and national elections. With today’s resolution, the Council has taken the forward- leaning step of setting up a committee that is prepared to sanction individuals for impeding the ongoing transition in Yemen. With the establishment of that mechanism, the Council is better equipped to respond in a timely manner to those who seek to derail progress for the Yemeni people.

We welcome the Council’s unanimity, which allowed for the adoption of resolution 2140 (2014). It shows that, when the Council speaks with one voice in crisis situations, the establishment of an orderly peaceful democratic transition is possible. The resolution we have just adopted sends three clear messages. First, the Council and the international community remain fully committed to Yemen and support a democratic transition that responds to the aspirations of the Yemeni people. Secondly, the next stages in the transition are clear  — the drafting of a new constitution, electoral reform and the swift holding of general elections. The resolution underscores that it is important to turn the page on the presidency of Ali Abdullah Saleh in order to move forward in the transition. Thirdly, the actors that want to derail the political transition must pay the consequences, and that is reason for the establishment by the Security Council of a Sanctions Committee and a Panel of Experts. With this resolution, the United Nations confirms its support for Yemen’s legitimate and democratic aspirations at present in the region, and we hope that it will be able to show the same determination on other crises under way.

I now give the floor to the representative of Yemen.

At the outset, allow me to express our congratulations to the delegation of the Republic of Lithuania on its accession of the presidency of the Security Council for this month and wish it every success. Let me also thank the delegation of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan for an excellent presidency of the Council last month. Allow me to take this opportunity to express our sincere congratulations to the delegations of Chad, Chile and Nigeria on their accession to non-permanent membership in the Security Council for the period 2014- 2015. They will surely make important contributions to the Council’s work. I am honoured to convey to the Council the greetings of His Excellency Mr. Hadi Mansour, President of the Republic of Yemen. Despite the difficulties facing my country in the past three years, which was initially at risk of falling into a civil war, all elements and political parties made concessions and put the interests of the nation and the Yemeni people above all to avoid such threats to the country. Furthermore, international and regional support also had a major role in avoiding a slide into chaos in Yemen. Allow me to reaffirm the appreciation of President Hadi Mansour and the Yemeni people and Government for the role undertaken by the States members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), the United Nations and the Security Council in bolstering the transitional political process in Yemen, and in particular for the holding of the comprehensive National Dialogue Conference. As expressed by the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Yemen in this very Chamber on 27 September 2013 (see S/PV.7037), that was a historic step on the path to a new Yemen — a Yemen based on democracy, good governance and equal citizenship for all its sons. That path has been chosen by the Yemeni people of their own feel will to bring about change. The Yemeni people decided to initiate dialogue among all parties, as reflected in the signing of the Gulf initiative and its implementation mechanism. Despite the serious challenges facing my country in the political, security, economic and humanitarian fields, the governance and wisdom of President Hadi Mansour and the major efforts that he has made and continues to make have prevented those threats from overcoming the country. He has been determined to achieve success during the transitional period, in accordance with the GCC initiative and Security Council resolutions in that regard. No effort has been spared in overcoming all obstacles to its implementation, including the implementation of the outcomes of the National Dialogue Conference in a way that meets the aspirations of the Yemeni people. Yemen would like to be a unique and successful model, not only in the region but indeed in the entire world. We do not wish to return to square one  — to confrontations, violence and a slide towards civil war, God forbid. The scope and threat of international terrorism and instability is not unique to Yemen; rather, it is spread throughout the region and the world. It is therefore very important for the Council to stand with Yemen and support President Hadi Mansour’s efforts to move forward at this sensitive stage. Allow me to quote from the statement that President Hadi Mansour made on the second anniversary of the signing of the Gulf initiative. “We all remember our brothers’ response in the Gulf in helping Yemen to find its way out of the crisis in the framework of the Gulf initiative. That initiative was a clear road map for a transfer of power and we remain committed to its full implementation.” Furthermore, at the end of the National Dialogue Conference, he stated “With your support, we shall continue sincerely to implement the outcomes of the National Dialogue Conference in a way that will allow us to build a new Yemen that our people can be proud of and that will contribute to the international community’s security and the world’s stability.” Today, with the end of the National Dialogue Conference, Yemen has come a long way towards realizing the aspirations of the Yemeni people for change. The Conference was an outstanding model wherby all parties sat at the table for dialogue in a civilized manner. All opinions were expressed, even though they conflicted from time to time. They were accepted and the views of others were heard. The nation’s interests were placed above those of any individual party or tribe in reaching a consensus. I would like to underscore that the outcome of the National Dialogue Conference, which is a consensus of outputs and recommendations, is the result of a dialogue between all Yemeni parties and elements on the political scene under the direct leadership of the President of the Republic of Yemen. The international community had a major role in closing gaps between points of view in Yemen and in providing the expertise necessary for progress in the Dialogue. The Yemeni dialogue was a clear example of constructive cooperation between the United Nations and a regional organization, namely, the GCC, in which the Security Council approved the GCC initiative and its time-bound implementation mechanism and adopted resolutions 2014 (2011) and 2051 (2012). I am duty-bound to express my sincere thanks to His Excellency Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and his Special Adviser Jamal Benomar. They made major efforts to provide expertise and recommendations to bridge differences between the various parties in the Dialogue. I would also like to thank His Excellency Mr. Abdul Latif bin Rashid Al Zayani, Secretary- General of the GCC, as well as the Ambassadors of the 10 States that coordinated the GCC initiative, the permanent members of the Security Council and the States members of the GCC and the European Union, and all those who worked with us. The Government of Yemen has worked hard to overcome the injustice and failings of the past by addressing the root causes of the conflict within Yemeni society, which are associated with decision-making mechanisms and the fair distribution of resources under the rule of law and good governance. Many decisions were recently taken at the national level with regard to employees separated from their positions in the civilian, military and security sectors. That included the adoption of decree No.63/2013, concerning the issue of land in the southern provinces, a strategy for the implementation of the 20-point solution for the south and decision No.191/2013, concerning compensation for victims of human rights violations. The Government of Yemen attaches great importance to economic issues and sustainable development. In spite of the fact that the outcomes and recommendations from the National Conference gave sufficient attention to the economic situation, regrettably Yemeni citizens continue to experience a difficult economic reality. Many international meetings and conferences have been held in that regard. I urge our friends who have made pledges to honour them, so as to lessen the economic burden on our citizens and ensure the success of the Government’s efforts in that regard. Allow me now to highlight some of the major challenges currently facing Yemen. First, there is the issue of the worsening humanitarian situation. This is a potential impending calamity, given the growing number of internally displaced persons, immigrants and returning refugees from the Horn of Africa. It also places an additional burden on the State budget owing to rising levels of poverty and unemployment among young people. That requires additional support for the emergency humanitarian appeal made by the Yemeni Government and the United Nations. Secondly, we face ongoing attempts by Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula to move further into several provinces. That group has exploited the exceptional circumstances in the country and the dire economic situation in order to carry out terrorist acts intended to undermine the State by targeting various military and security installations and foreign and Government facilities. I would like to stress that Yemen needs a stronger stance on the part of the international community as well as support to the Government and the Yemeni people in order to confront terrorism, including the provision of moral, material and logistical support to build up our capacity to combat terrorism. The Security Council has emphasized that both Yemen and the international community have called for a united Yemen. That is necessary in order to preserve the country’s security and stability, as well as international peace and security. We are confident that the Council will continue to support Yemen as it always has. We are also certain that, in addition to its concern for the political track, the Council will now also focus on economic, security and humanitarian issues, which offer a genuine guarantee for the implementation of the outcomes and recommendations of the National Dialogue Conference. That will contribute to achieving the aspirations of the Yemeni people, especially its young people, for a democratic society. I thank the Security Council for all its contributions and support to Yemen.

The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on its agenda.