YouSaid · the spoken record

Benomar

lines on the record

117

first

2012-05-29

most recent

2017-03-09

sittings or episodes

7

sources

un-security-council

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1. “The fate of those who were detained during the recent conflict by Government security forces and armed opposition groups has not been addressed, despite the best efforts of the Government of National Unity. Those who still hold individuals in custody must account for them, allow access to them and grant their rapid release. We are also mindful of the need to address the many injustices of the past. Those who committed human rights violations should be held to account. I commend those in the Government who have worked hard to generate a credible law on transitional justice, a law that is the outcome of public consultations. Unfortunately, in a cabinet meeting today, ministers from the ex-ruling party, the General Peoples' Congress, have again failed to endorse the draft of that law.”

   2012-05-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6776 (2012) · source

2. “Substantially scaled up support from the international donor community will be needed to meet those increased needs. Members of the Security Council should play a more active role in bringing the humanitarian crisis in Yemen to the world's attention. A good development is that the international community is now committing to scaling up its support. The ministerial meeting of the Group of Friends of Yemen, hosted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in Riyadh on 23 May, was aimed at providing a framework and momentum for supporting Yemen's political, economic and security reform plans in line with specific timelines. Other urgent issues also demand our attention.”

   2012-05-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6776 (2012) · source

3. “Ongoing fighting has displaced more than half a million Yemenis within the country. Yemen is also hosting 219,000 refugees and continues to record a high influx. To address the growing humanitarian needs in Yemen, the humanitarian response from the United Nations has been significantly expanded in 2012, but delivering assistance still poses a number of challenges. Key among them are capacity, security and funding. Both the Yemeni Government and the international community must prioritize this acute humanitarian crisis. The Yemen humanitarian response plan, for $455 million, is currently only 43 per cent funded. Since the original appeal, however, the number of people in acute humanitarian need has increased, and the financial requirements are being revised.”

   2012-05-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6776 (2012) · source

4. “Such attacks and sabotage cost the State an average loss of revenue from the national budget of around $250 million a month, or $3 billion a year. That loss of revenue is a crime against the Yemeni people. It adds more misery to the poor and vulnerable groups. Yemen remains the poorest country in the Arab world, with a fiscal deficit of around $2 billion, or 7 per cent of gross domestic product. The current scale of the humanitarian crisis in Yemen is unprecedented, and the figures are much bleaker than previously reported. Ten million people, almost half of the country's entire population, are food-insecure, with half of those - 5 million people i severely food-insecure and in need of immediate assistance. Almost one million children under the age of five suffer from malnutrition.”

   2012-05-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6776 (2012) · source

5. “That movement was met with repression, and a few years later groups within the Hirak began to advocate the South's independence. Other security issues remain. Incidents of abduction, assassination and hostage-taking have increased in the past few weeks. On the streets of Sana'a and throughout the country, the presence of armed forces and militia remains a reality. Major weapons and other military capabilities can be redeployed in a matter of hours. Furthermore, oil and gas pipelines and electricity lines continue to be attacked frequently. Many of those attacks are politically motivated, while others are criminal acts committed in the context of the lawlessness that prevails in parts of the country.”

   2012-05-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6776 (2012) · source

6. “Last week's terrorist bombing in Sana'a - which targeted a military parade, killing some 96 soldiers and wounding more than 300 others - and the recently foiled airliner bomb plot are reminders that AQAP remains the most lethal Al-Qaida affiliate, intent on striking both Western and regional targets. In areas under its control, Ansar Al-Sharia has established governance structures that provide social services and justice administration in a region that has long complained of discrimination and neglect by the central Government. Separatist sentiments in the South have been on the rise. The Hirak, or Southern Movement, began in late 2006 as a rights-based movement demanding equality, non-discrimination and a change in relations between North and South, all within a unitary State.”

   2012-05-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6776 (2012) · source

7. “In the meantime, the Government's overall security capacity remains limited. In the North, the Houthis continue to assert their control in Sa'ada and parts of the governorates of Hajjah, Amran and Al-Jouf. In the southern province of Abyan, Yemeni security forces have stepped up their campaign against Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and Ansar Al-Sharia with air and navy support, with some recent success. Loder has reportedly been retaken by the Yemeni army, and significant inroads have been made in Jaar and Zinjibar, while Shukra remains under the control of Ansar Al-Sharia. However, AQAP and Ansar Al-Sharia have extended their reach into areas not previously associated with their activities.”

   2012-05-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6776 (2012) · source

8. “To that end, a $2 million project initiative, to be funded from the United Nations Peacebuilding Fund, will cover support needs during the dialogue's preparatory phase. A small team of political advisers, who will work closely with the country team, has also been deployed to Sana'a to assist with the preparatory process. The success or failure of the national dialogue is likely to make or break Yemen's transition. Helping to ensure its success will therefore be the top United Nations priority in Yemen in the coming months, and we look forward to working closely with other international actors who can offer support for that process. Yemen's security situation remains a source of major concern. Military restructuring and steps towards a unified command will take time and sustained effort.”

   2012-05-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6776 (2012) · source

9. “Based on consultations with Yemeni actors, the United Nations will provide support in four key areas: first, with political facilitation to help stakeholders resolve disputes as they arise; secondly, with technical support to the secretariats of the preparatory committee and the national dialogue conference; thirdly, with capacity-building of key constituencies, including young people, women and internally displaced persons, to ensure that they can participate effectively in the Conference; and fourthly, with a public information and awareness campaign to ensure that the public is properly informed and included in the discussions taking place throughout the process. My Office will lead United Nations efforts in support of the national dialogue, in close cooperation with the United Nations country team.”

   2012-05-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6776 (2012) · source

10. “The main task of the preparatory committee will be to develop and agree on a concrete plan for conducting a national dialogue conference, including agreement on the format, membership criteria, participation and rules of procedure. The outcome of that conference will feed into the constitution-making process that is to conclude in late 2013, enabling general elections to take place in February 2014. To be successful, the national dialogue process must be designed and driven by the Yemenis themselves. While that will require strong international support, its footprint should be light.”

    2012-05-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6776 (2012) · source

11. “Secondly, the process must be genuinely participatory, which is to say that all those included in the process must have a say in its design and conduct, and must be assured that their views will be heard. Thirdly, the dialogue process must be transparent, meaning that key decisions on its timeline, membership, agenda and methods of work should be publicly shared. And finally, the dialogue has to generate results, meaning that its outcomes must be fully implemented. On 6 May, President Mansour issued a decree appointing a contact committee for the national dialogue process. The committee is tasked with facilitating the formation of a preparatory committee for the national dialogue by 30 June. That committee's appointment is a welcome first step in launching the process on time.”

    2012-05-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6776 (2012) · source

12. “If it is well prepared and gains legitimacy, in the eyes of all Yemeni constituencies, as a forum for shaping the framework of Yemen's future, it could become an important vehicle for democratic empowerment and for creating a positive political dynamic in the country towards greater stability and security. The main parameters for the national dialogue process are outlined in the transition agreement. On the basis of consultations with all national constituencies, we have identified a number of key principles in relation to the national dialogue that are accepted by all. First, it must be fully inclusive, which means that all relevant segments of Yemeni society must be represented, including political parties, the Southern Movement, the Houthis and civil society representatives, including youth and women's groups.”

    2012-05-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6776 (2012) · source

13. “However, I regret that, after my departure and as of today, open defiance and a stand-off continue to prevent the Colonel appointed by the President from leading the Third Battalion. It should be noted that the Third Battalion is one of the best equipped and resourced military units in Yemen and is located next to the presidential compound in the heart of the capital, Sana'a. Such developments demonstrate that the underlying causes of tensions remain in place. Obstructionist moves to impede President Mansour's reorganization and control of the military and security forces could derail Yemen's fragile transition process and result in serious instability. All efforts must be made to keep the transition on track. The planned national dialogue conference could be an essential step towards that end.”

    2012-05-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6776 (2012) · source

14. “During my eleventh good offices mission to Yemen, from 18 to 30 April, new tensions arose as a result of President Mansour's decisions to replace the Commander of the Air Force, Mohammed Saleh Al-Ahmar, a half-brother of former President Saleh, and the Commander of the Presidential Guard, Tariq Saleh, former President Saleh's nephew. Their refusal to follow the President's instructions to move to other positions created a dangerous situation. During the mission, I worked very closely with President Mansour and met former President Saleh and his son, Ahmed Ali, Commander of the Republican Guard, several times to help defuse the stand-off. Finally, we reached an agreement to allow for the handover to take place, and I personally witnessed the handover ceremony of both the Air Force Command and the Third Battalion.”

    2012-05-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6776 (2012) · source

15. “That said, the transition of Yemen is taking place against a backdrop of serious security concerns, an unprecedented humanitarian crisis and many unresolved conflicts. The timeline for the transition is very tight, and there is no time to lose. One of Yemen's key challenges is to assert the authority of the State in an environment that is dominated by a multitude of armed non-State actors competing for power. Al-Qaida, in particular, continues to pose a major threat. However, President Mansour's efforts to combat its advance in the south and elsewhere are beginning to bear fruit.”

    2012-05-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6776 (2012) · source

16. “Since assuming office, President Abdrabuh Mansour Hadi Mansour has shown strong leadership and determination to lead the country through the transition. The President has continued to take important steps to advance the transition. His efforts have received the overwhelming support and goodwill of the Yemenis. In that context, he began the process of reform of the military and the security services by issuing several decrees announcing the appointment of commanders to new positions. The Military Affairs Committee established under the transition agreement has made considerable progress in demilitarizing urban areas despite many difficulties. Most checkpoints and battle positions in Sana'a and Taiz have been removed.”

    2012-05-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6776 (2012) · source

17. “Mr. Benomar: The political transition in Yemen has recently entered its sixth month since the signing of the transition agreement on 23 November 2011 in Riyadh. The Yemeni sides have made much progress in implementing the agreement and resolution 2014 (2011). The formation of the Government of national unity, the beginning of the restructuring of the armed forces and the holding of presidential elections in February, with overwhelming public support, secured a peaceful transfer of power and marked the successful completion of the first phase of Yemen's transition. Those steps, combined with the recent launch of initial preparations for an all-inclusive national dialogue conference, indicate that Yemen's transition remains largely on track.”

    2012-05-29 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.6776 (2012) · source