Manama: Both the GCC member states and the UK have emphasised the need to resolve the Yemen conflict peacefully through political dialogue and negotiations facilitated by the UN — based on the GCC initiative, the outcomes of the National Dialogue Conference, UN Security Council Resolution 2216 and other relevant UNSC resolutions.
The joint communiqué issued at the end of the GCC-UK Summit in Bahrain on Wednesday said, “We pledge continued support for the UN Special Envoy and the UN-led peace process, and endorse the road map presented by the UN Special Envoy to the Yemeni parties, which sets out clearly the path to a comprehensive agreement including sequencing of security and political steps that must be taken.
“We urge the Yemeni parties to engage with the UN in good faith and to adhere to the UN-proposed Cessation of Hostilities under the same terms and conditions entered into on April 10, 2016. We reject the unilateral actions by the parties in Sana’a around the formulation of a political council and a government, which undermine the UN-facilitated peace efforts.”
Given the dire humanitarian and economic situation, the GCC member states and UK stressed the utmost importance of the parties to the conflict ensuring the security and safety of humanitarian workers, taking all feasible steps to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, and allowing for unhindered commercial and humanitarian access, and committing significant funding to the UN Humanitarian Response Plan for Yemen for 2017.
“The GCC member states and the UK look forward to working together on Yemen’s reconstruction — including rehabilitating the economy, seaports, and public services — once the peace process is concluded. We support humanitarian assistance being delivered to all parts of Yemen by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Centre, other GCC states and UK aid organisations (including Department for International Development) and are committed to scale up those efforts,” the communique said.
“We reaffirm our commitment, in partnership with other members of the international community, to seek to prevent the supply of weapons to Al Houthi forces and their allies in contravention of UN Security Council Resolution 2216 including shipping of ballistic missiles which have the potential to inflict massive civilian casualties.”
Finally, the communique underscored the imperative of collective efforts to counter Al Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula.
