S/PV.9957 Security Council

The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on its agenda. Members of the Council have before them document S/2025/459, which contains the text of a draft resolution submitted by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. I wish to draw the attention of Council members to document S/2025/371, which contains a letter dated 10 June 2025 from the Secretary-General addressed to the President of the Security Council. 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 2786 (2025). I shall now give the floor to those members of the Council who wish to make statements after the voting. Dame Barbara Woodward (United Kingdom): We welcome the Council’s extension of the mandate of the United Nations Mission to Support the Hodeidah Agreement (UNMHA) until January 2026. We thank Council colleagues for their engagement in the negotiation. We will closely engage with the United Nations on their review to identify opportunities for further efficiencies, coherence and coordination across United Nations missions in Yemen. As the expiry of that mandate approaches early next year, we look forward to leading further discussions with the Council on the full range of options for United Nations operations in Al-Hudaydah, including assessing the future viability and sunsetting of UNMHA. We remain committed to ensuring that the United Nations is able to operate across its missions in Yemen, with a view to supporting humanitarian needs, promoting long- term stability and preserving space for a future United Nations-led peace process. We will continue to work closely with the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen and regional and Yemeni stakeholders to achieve that.

As the United States conveyed during the Council’s 9 July briefing on Yemen, the United States believes that it is time to sunset the United Nations Mission to Support the Hodeidah Agreement (UNMHA). The Mission is mandated to lead a committee that has not functioned since 2020, and its movements and patrols are subject to the whim of the Houthis, as the resolution (resolution 2786 (2025)) recognizes. We note that, through the resolution, the Council asserts its intention We expect that future United Nations briefings to the Council and the Secretary- General’s review of UNMHA will feed into actionable recommendations for that assessment, including for the sunsetting option. I iterate the United States’ view that the Secretariat should use the next six months as an opportunity to consider how to reconfigure its operations on the ground, including the support needed by the Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen to continue its important work. That should be done with an eye towards the imperative of the United Nations to streamline operations and optimize resource allocation. Last week, the Houthis launched unprovoked terror attacks on two civilian cargo vessels, the MV Magic Seas and the MV Eternity C, in the Red Sea. The latter attack resulted in the tragic loss of at least four mariners, the injury of many others and the complete loss of both ships. The Houthis then kidnapped many of the crew of the MV Eternity C, adding to the numbers that the Houthis have unjustifiably detained. We call for the immediate and unconditional release of the kidnapped crew members, just as we continue to call for the release of staff of the United Nations, non-governmental organizations and diplomatic missions. The United States strongly condemns those attacks, which demonstrates the ongoing threat that Iran-backed Houthis pose to freedom of navigation and regional security. The Council should give its full support to United Nations mechanisms that actually do make a difference in countering the Houthi threat recognized by resolution 2216 (2015). One is the Panel of Experts on Yemen. One member of the Council speaks about the importance of UNMHA. Yet, at the same time, it impedes the work of the Panel and frustrates the will of the Council by blocking the appointment of the Panel’s arms expert. Another important United Nations tool for the enforcement of resolution 2216 (2015) is the United Nations Verification and Inspection Mechanism (UNVIM). If Council members want to support United Nations efforts that truly contribute to peace and security in Yemen, then, once again, we urge them to provide financial support for UNVIM.

China voted in favour of resolution 2786 (2025) which was just voted on. I would like to provide an explanation of China’s position. First, over the past six-plus years since its founding, the United Nations Mission to Support the Hodeidah Agreement has been playing a positive role in monitoring the ceasefire across Al-Hudaydah governorate and assisting the parties implementing the Agreement. Under the current circumstances, ensuring the continuity of the Mission’s work is very important for maintaining stability in the Al-Hudaydah area. Secondly, for some time now, the Al-Hudaydah area has been subject to frequent air strikes, which seriously jeopardize the Mission’s safety and security. The sovereignty, security and territorial integrity of Yemen should be respected, and the safety and security of the Mission must be guaranteed. The relevant parties should truly respect the Mission’s mandate, actively cooperate with the Mission and lift restrictions on its freedom of movement. China supports the Mission in strengthening communication and coordination with all parties, improving its working methods and enhancing the effectiveness of its mandate implementation. We look forward to the Secretary-General submitting a report to the Council in that regard, along with actionable recommendations. Thirdly, the Yemeni issue must be ultimately resolved by political means. We call on all Yemeni parties to resume dialogue and negotiation at an early date and with the assistance of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen to drive forward a comprehensive political process that is Yemeni-led and Yemeni-owned. The Mission can also play a greater role in facilitating engagement between the Yemeni parties to enhance their mutual trust and avoid misjudgements.