YouSaid · the spoken record

Griffiths

lines on the record: 722
first: 2018-04-17
most recent: 2023-10-18
sittings or episodes: 57
sources: un-security-council

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“At a minimum, this kind of action carries the risk ofdragging Yemen into a regional conflagration because of one thing we can be certain - that is, that this extremely serious incident makes the chances of a regional conflict that much higher and of a rapprochement that much lower. With Yemen in some way or other linked to that possibility, none of it is good for Yemen. That is, frankly, terrifying and an eventuality that runs completely counter to the many detailed conversations I have had in recent weeks with people in Yemen, the region and elsewhere in favour ofa series of steps to be taken by the parties towards de-escalation. It is not entirely clear who was behind the attack, but the fact that Ansar Allah has claimed responsibility is bad enough.”
2019-09-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8619 (2019) · source
“Mr. Griffiths: I thank you, Sir, for giving me the opportunity today to brief the Council once again on the situation in Yemen. Today I will argue, based on the facts in front ofus, that we have no time to waste before moving forward with purpose and resolve towards a political solution to end the conflict in Yemen. In my most recent briefing to the Council (see S/PV.8598), I made just such a call. If anything, the facts before us now make that even more compelling. What are the reasons behind this appeal? The first reason is the worrying military escalation. The attack on ARAMCO facilities in Saudi Arabia on the morning of Saturday, 14 September, which has caused significant disruption to the Kingdom's crude oil production, has consequences well beyond the region. I echo the Secretary-General's statement condemning this attack.”
2019-09-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8619 (2019) · source
“I hope that all Yemeni stakeholders from all parts of the country take the events in Aden as a clear sign that the current conflict must be brought to an end swiftly and peacefully and in a manner that addresses the needs of Yemenis across the country. The implementation of the Stockholm Agreement is politically significant and has had tangible benefit on the ground, but surely that cannot be a precondition for achieving peace in all of Yemen. Every additional day of this conflict adds to the tragedy and the misery; no country can tolerate these stresses and the stresses of internal conflict indefinitely. And, finally, Yemen cannot wait.”
2019-08-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8598 (2019) · source
“As recent events remind us, long-term questions about Yemen's future remain unresolved. I believe that these can be resolved only through peaceful political means. That is why I have always talked with numerous groups from southern governorates as well as elsewhere in Yemen and have long advocated for their inclusion in the peace process. There is a range of views to be taken into account in any dialogue on the future of Yemen, and we need all of its citizens to assist us in making sure that future is stable and secure. This is of vital importance to the efforts to end the conflict and to ensure the resumption of the political transition that has been interrupted in recent years.”
2019-08-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8598 (2019) · source
“The further fragmentation of the security situation in Aden and other areas almost certainly will allow those activities to expand and gather momentum once again, as we have seen before, with a terrible impact on the civilian population and on prospects for future stability in this key strategic location. The situation on the ground is changing with great speed. We need to seize any opportunities for progress, and the United Nations remains committed to inclusive dialogue to resolve differences and to address the legitimate concerns of all Yemenis, including southern groups, in accordance with the relevant Security Council resolutions, the Gulf Cooperation Council Initiative and its Implementation Mechanism, and the outcomes of the National Dialogue Conference.”
2019-08-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8598 (2019) · source
“I believe it essential that that meeting take place in the very near future so as to prevent a further deterioration of the security and safety of Yemen's citizens in the south and to ensure the continuity of governance, security and basic service provision in Aden and other relevant areas, under the exclusive authority of the State. In this context, and with these events in mind, we must also be alive to the danger of the resurgence of the activities of violent extremist groups. The Council will recall that Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula has taken control of the capitals of Abyan and Hadramaut for significant periods of time in recent years. During the past month alone, we have seen attacks by Al-Qaida and by the so-called Islamic State in Aden, Abyan and Al-Baydah governorates.”
2019-08-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8598 (2019) · source
“There is indeed a grave and present risk of further damage to Yemen's social fabric and of the spread of violence to other southern governorates. At this time, it is frankly difficult to know where these events will lead us. I am grateful to all those Member States, including members of the Council, that have called for restraint and dialogue. In particular, I welcome the efforts of the coalition to restore calm and the efforts exerted by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, in particular to convene a dialogue in Jeddah to discuss the situation and resolve its difficulties.”
2019-08-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8598 (2019) · source
“I am alarmed by that violence, as, I am sure, will be the members of the Security Council. I condemn the unacceptable efforts by the Southern Transitional Council to take control of State institutions by force. I also deplore the harassment of Yemenis of northern origin in Aden that preceded these recent events, such as through physical Violence, forced displacement and denial of freedom of movement, including the targeting of Government officials and their supporters. Simply stated, a continuation of this current situation is simply untenable. The functioning of State institutions will almost certainly break down further, and daily life for the people will become even more difficult than is already the case.”
2019-08-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8598 (2019) · source
“These events show us the complexity and volatility of the challenge that we face in achieving peace and the dangers should we not succeed. We certainly cannot underestimate the risks that these events pose for the future of Yemen. On 7 August, following attacks in Aden a few days before, clashes broke out between presidential protection brigades and forces affiliated with the Southern Transitional Council. Subsequently, the Southern Transitional Council took control of military camps and surrounded key State institutions in Aden by force. Last night forces affiliated with the Southern Transitional Council also took further steps to increase their military control in the neighbouring governorate of Abyan. That violence has led to the deaths of dozens of civilians and injury to hundreds more.”
2019-08-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8598 (2019) · source
“The continued impact of the military operation on civilians, as I am sure we will hear from my colleague, is horrifying, including the attack on a market in Sa'dah, in late July, and I also, of course, condemn the continued attacks by Ansar Allah targeting civilian infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, including the recent extension of that targeting to civilian facilities in the eastern part of the country. Further threats to civilian life, further events of this kind and acts of military provocation only inevitably deepen the divide between the parties, increase the impact of the conflict beyond Yemen's borders and postpone the attention that we all believe is required to the efforts to bring a resolution to the conflict. I turn now to events in Aden and Abyan.”
2019-08-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8598 (2019) · source
“Like everyone, I am frustrated that progress on Al-Hudaydah has not been quicker, that I am not able to announce more dramatic developments on the Agreement and that there has been no tangible implementation of the agreements on Taiz or on the exchanges of prisoners and detainees to which I have just referred. The Stockholm Agreement is a key milestone in Yemen's peace process, and it would be of considerable benefit to the parties and the Yemeni people were it to be fully implemented. But it is also clear that we must not allow the implementation of it to override our broader imperative to bring the conflict to an end; indeed, again, Yemen cannot wait. Military operations have continued in several governorates, including Sana'a, Sa'dah, Taiz, Al-Jawf, Al-Baydah, Hajjah and Al-Dhale'e, as well as on Yemen's border with Saudi Arabia.”
2019-08-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8598 (2019) · source
“It is a fundamentally humanitarian gesture, which numerous civil society groups, particularly women's groups, have vocally advocated, publicly and privately. The parties sat for several days in Stockholm, and in subsequent months held detailed technical discussions here in Amman. The slow pace of those negotiations is prolonging the suffering of the prisoners and their families. I believe that we should be able to address the concerns of both parties to the proposal that I have put on the table in front of them, to which I referred before. I hope that it receives a positive response.”
2019-08-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8598 (2019) · source
“I am very encouraged that we now have an agreement - to which I think my colleague Ursula Mueller will also refer, and I hope there is no overlap on this point in our briefings - on facilitating access for a United Nations assessment mission scheduled to be deployed, I think, on 27 August, to assess the FSO SAFER oil tanker, the dilapidated vessel near the port of Ras Isa, with its cargo of oil. The assessment mission, under the auspices of the United Nations Office for Project Services, is critical to mitigating the risk of severe environmental consequences along the Yemeni shore of the Red Sea, as we have discussed here in the Chamber. Negotiations on the implementation of the exchanges of prisoners and detainees are ongoing.”
2019-08-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8598 (2019) · source
“It is clear from my discussions with the parties that they are considering the proposal very carefully. I would like to add that the Al-Hudaydah Agreement was only ever intended to be a temporary measure to avert further conflict. It was intended to be a humanitarian stop-gap. It was not designed, as some might think, to set a precedent for addressing the underlying issues of the conflict, the most central of which, of course, is the issue of sovereignty. Following many months of negotiations, both parties are fully aware of what the other is able to accept, and I hope, based on that knowledge, their responses to me by the beginning of next week will be constructive and practical on the way forward.”
2019-08-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8598 (2019) · source
“I am encouraged by the ongoing communication with both parties and their commitment to an enhanced ceasefire mechanism under the leadership of the United Nations Mission to Support the Hodeidah Agreement (UNMHA), which has recently been discussed in the Redeployment Coordination Committee under auspices of UNMHA. Together with my colleagues in the Mission, we are continuing our efforts to drive the process for the redeployment of forces and the establishment and operation of a tripartite monitoring mechanism. Since the previous briefing, we have presented a proposal to the parties to make further progress on implementing the first phase of the Al-Hudaydah Agreement. I expect a final official response from both by 25 August; I am confident that it will be forthcoming.”
2019-08-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8598 (2019) · source
“To this day, eight months later, there have been no major military operations in the city of Al-Hudaydah or in the surrounding area, and there has been a sustained reduction in Violence, as we have so often observed in the Security Council. Aid continues to move through the ports, which is, by itself, a major achievement, that continues to benefit the civilian population in Al-Hudaydah, first, but also elsewhere in Yemen, who rely on that humanitarian pipeline. Implementing the remaining parts of the Al-Hudaydah Agreement will be an important step on the way towards resuming the political process to which I have just referred.”
2019-08-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8598 (2019) · source
“We are still waiting. Even the mercy flights, painfully negotiated over many months by my colleague Lise Grande and the World Health Organization, have yet to begin. And the Stockholm Agreement, a confidence-building measure with a simple humanitarian purpose, has demonstrated how vulnerable such agreements are when commitment to a peaceful solution wavers. The list of frustrations is long, and it must not grow longer. Before I turn to the situation on the front lines and in Aden, I would like to provide a few updates on the implementation of the Stockholm Agreement and other developments in Yemen. The core of the Al-Hudaydah Agreement is the governorate-wide ceasefire and the humanitarian imperative of maintaining the flow of life-saving assistance through its three ports.”
2019-08-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8598 (2019) · source
“Since the previous briefing, I had an opportunity to meet with representatives of the Yemeni parties and the international community, and the parties continue to assure me of their strong desire for a political solution. I believe that they and the international community also share my sense of urgency to move forward with the discussions on a solution to end the conflict and resume the political transition. This sense of urgency is in painful contrast to our efforts so far to resolve the conflict. Every single step that we have discussed in the Security Council Chamber these many months has been fought over, negotiated, stressed and delayed. Nothing comes easily in Yemen. For example, when I started this assignment, in the early months of 2018, I was given clear assurances that the opening of Sana'a airport was imminent.”
2019-08-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8598 (2019) · source
“I remember vividly one senior Yemeni leader saying to me some months ago: "What we want - all that we want - is the return of civility in our lives, to return Yemen to the social fabric that has nurtured its people for centuries". He was right. The immediate tragedy of death, injury, disease and hunger happens within a context of the destruction of the State and of society. A civil war is a curse upon a country's people. The conflict is fought out in the streets and in the countryside where live the civilians, and their lives are changed, damaged and destroyed. This is sometimes the case for a generation, as the time needed for that rekindling of community so central to a living country is no small thing. Yemen cannot wait.”
2019-08-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8598 (2019) · source
“Mr. Griffiths: One month ago, I stated to the Security Council that we are facing a crucial moment in the destiny of the conflict in Yemen (see S/PV.8578). Events since then have, if anything, made this moment even more crucial. As we have seen in Aden and Abyan, questions regarding Yemen's future are being posed more forcefully than before. The fragmentation of Yemen is becoming a stronger and more pressing threat, which of course makes our efforts in the Yemeni peace process more urgent than ever. There is no time to lose. The stakes are becoming too high for the future of Yemen, the Yemeni people and, indeed, the wider region.”
2019-08-20 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8598 (2019) · source
“All parties should desist from any actions that take Yemen in that direction. We need to prevent this to reduce regional tensions, to save lives and to give Yemen a prospect for peace rather than an enlarged war. We have to see de-escalation of violence now if those ambitions are to be achieved. Finally, I cannot help but hope that Yemen might be nearing the end of its war. I realize I am often accused of optimism, and I happily stand guilty of that charge. However, it was not me but a very senior and very wise official in the region who recently said that the war can end this year. I take that as an instruction, and I hope that today I have been able to share my views as to how we can begin to meet that aspiration.”
2019-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8578 (2019) · source
“As the war continues, there is a considerable risk that there will be further tensions and that it will become increasingly more difficult to reconcile those tensions and to resolve them the longer this war continues. There are also continuous acts of political and military provocations that can hold back the peace process. Although the Al-Hudaydah ceasefire broadly - and remarkably -continues to hold, military operations, as we have been frequently reminded, have continued on several other front lines, as well as on Yemen's border with Saudi Arabia to the north. I am particularly alarmed by the continued attacks by Ansar Allah on civilian infrastructure in Saudi Arabia. Yemen is near the front lines ofa potential tragedy arising from the tensions in the region. It is not in the interest of Yemen to be dragged into a regional war.”
2019-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8578 (2019) · source
“I hope also that Taiz can benefit from the support of local-led and community initiatives to bridge the divides of war. Women's groups have a very distinguished history in that activity in Taiz, and I hope we will all benefit from their example. There are, of course, remaining challenges. We were all dismayed by last week's announcement in Sana'a of the imposition of death sentences on 30 prisoners. The Secretary-General, as we all know, objects to the death penalty in all circumstances. Their sentences are now on appeal, and I have urged both due process and, ultimately, clemency in the spirit of humanity. I am also concerned that the political and security landscape in Yemen, whether on the front lines or in other areas, is becoming increasingly fragmented.”
2019-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8578 (2019) · source
“My hope is that progress in Al-Hudaydah will finally allow us to focus on the political process, and I hope that we will see this before the end of the summer. Yemen, indeed, as we have observed before, has no time to waste. Thirdly, in Taiz, we have noticed limited progress, but progress nonetheless, in opening up Taiz to civilian and humanitarian access. The first sign of that hope - we have heard some reference to this in recent meetings - will be the prospect of the opening of one humanitarian crossing. We will be exploring with the Taiz Committee, which was established in Sweden, those opportunities in the coming days and how we can benefit from them in order to ensure security, peace and stability for a city that has been yearning for that more than anything else for many years.”
2019-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8578 (2019) · source
“I shall redouble my efforts with the parties in the coming weeks to reach an agreement to satisfy both and I am calling on all the parties to muster the needed political will to make this happen with all speed. IfI may, I would like to take this opportunity to thank Lieutenant General Michael Lollesgaard for his collegiality, perseverance and wisdom. Under his leadership, the United Nations Mission to Support the Hodeidah Agreement has served as a credible, effective and impartial arbiter that has contributed very significantly to the peace process. Progress in Al-Hudaydah would allow the parties to work together, whether on tripartite monitoring, the collection of revenues or on common assessments of possible ceasefire violations.”
2019-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8578 (2019) · source
“The meeting was held in - as Michael referred to it - open waters in the Red Sea. The parties, meeting in close quarters over two days - the first meeting in joint format since February - agreed together the operational details of all redeployment envisaged in our talks in Stockholm. This is an important breakthrough and an encouraging sign of progress. Nevertheless, a major hurdle remains - agreement on local security forces, in particular, as well as attention to the issue of revenue and governance. Those issues will require hard work, flexibility and a conviction, as in the Stockholm Agreement, that any solution is a temporary one, since a more permanent solution lies in the comprehensive agreements to be negotiated by the parties later.”
2019-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8578 (2019) · source
“We need to think now together of the realities and opportunities that define our chances of making a move towards peace. First, with regard to the redeployment of some coalition forces in parts of Yemen, as senior coalition officials have themselves confirmed, that act is intended to place peace first at the centre of their efforts to restore peace and stability in Yemen. This is a reminder of the view already expressed that peace will come on the back of promises made in Stockholm now becoming promises kept in Yemen. Secondly, Al-Hudaydah is, as I have said, central as the gateway to the political process. It gives me enormous pleasure to congratulate both parties, whose meeting this week on a United Nations vessel, under the leadership of my colleague, Lieutenant General Michael Lollesgaard, was a notable success.”
2019-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8578 (2019) · source
“The second is the frightening prospect of war in our region. In all of the people I met, I found a strong desire to keep Yemen out of any such conflict, should it transpire. This is a desire I share deeply. Last week, I had the privilege to meet President Hadi Mansour, which was an opportunity for me to renew my commitment to the cause we share - returning Yemen to a peace defined by the resolutions of the Council, including resolution 2216 (2015). In addition, just last night, I returned from a visit to Sana'a, where I was able to discuss my concerns with their leadership in order to advance the implementation of the Stockholm Agreement and the political process. We are facing a crucial moment for the destiny of this war.”
2019-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8578 (2019) · source
“All those with whom I spoke were clear that progress in realizing the objectives of the Stockholm Agreement, made in December, is crucial to the chances of political negotiations to end the war. Al-Hudaydah, of course, is at the epicentre of those objectives. Our way forward, then, is clear and supported by international consensus - to implement the Al-Hudaydah agreement and, with that experience and that record, engage the parties swiftly on a settlement, the outlines of which, I think, are well known to all. Before I turn to the facts on the ground, I would like to add two elements of central and contextual importance. The first and certainly the most important is the dire and worsening humanitarian situation, about which we will all hear from my colleagues, Mr. Mark Lowcock and Mr. David Beasley.”
2019-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8578 (2019) · source
“Mr. Griffiths: I would like to thank you very much, Mr. President, for the opportunity to brief the Council on the latest developments in the Yemen peace process. Since my most recent briefing to the Council (see S/PV.8551), I have been privileged to meet with ministers and senior officials engaged on Yemen in many countries and many capitals. I have been reassured in every case by their unanimous desire to see progress towards a political solution, and to see it quickly. The unanimity of the international community mirrors, of course, the same unanimity we see and cherish in the Council. In those visits and meetings, I was equally impressed by a common appreciation of the primacy of a political solution.”
2019-07-18 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8578 (2019) · source
“Finally, I would like to take this opportunity, if I may, to reaffirm my personal commitment and that of the United Nations to pursuing an impartial and inclusive political process based on national ownership and in full respect for Yemen's sovereignty, independence, unity and territorial integrity, as underscored by the Council on numerous occasions. Ending the conflict in Yemen can be achieved only through a comprehensive political solution. Opportunities for compromise are still readily available to the parties and, with the support of the Council, I remain confident that the parties can yet reach a comprehensive and peaceful settlement to the conflict in Yemen.”
2019-06-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8551 (2019) · source
“Naturally, I call for steps to be taken to de-escalate tensions for the benefit of the Yemeni people and regional security. The Government of Yemen and Ansar Allah have consistently affirmed to me, and continue to do so, that a political solution is the only solution to this conflict. The longer the conflict goes on, the more challenges and the greater difficulties we will face in resolving it and reversing its terrible effects on the people of Yemen. The continued dialogue between the parties to implement the Stockholm Agreement is significant, but it is not enough for the Yemeni people. They want their suffering to end now and not tomorrow.”
2019-06-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8551 (2019) · source
“I call on the parties to prioritize the implementation of the exchange of prisoners in good faith and to demonstrate the flexibility required to make it a reality, for the sake of peace and, perhaps even more importantly, for the sake of thousands of Yemeni families that long to be reunited and are extremely disappointed that this has not yet happened. The Council has recently expressed concern at re-escalating violence across Yemen and at attacks on civilian infrastructure in southern Saudi Arabia. I must echo these concerns, including the recent drone attacks on Abha airport. I have repeatedly warned that war can take peace off the table, and in the context of wider regional tensions, the risks to the political process have never looked more stark.”
2019-06-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8551 (2019) · source
“That is in essence a humanitarian issue that would provide relief for the prisoners and detainees and reunite them with their families and loved ones. As I have informed the Council previously, the parties have held productive sessions on the details on the exchanges in recent months. With greater political flexibility, I believe that they can translate those discussions into actions on the ground. I believe passionately that, more than any other issue, tangible progress on the exchange of prisoners would indicate the seriousness of the parties to build confidence and a significant humanitarian gesture of good faith. That has yet to happen, despite the continued efforts of the International Committee of the Red Cross, with which my Office works very closely.”
2019-06-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8551 (2019) · source
“We all hoped that the statement of understanding on Taiz agreed in Stockholm would open the door for the parties to work together on a way forward for the city and alleviate the suffering of its citizens. The military and political situation in the city is extremely complex and fragile, to the detriment of the population. I continue to work with the parties to convene a meeting of the joint committee agreed in Stockholm to identify a way out of the current situation. The benefits of a de-escalation of tensions and improved access for humanitarian aid would be tangible, immediate and visible. I am also disappointed by the lack of progress on the implementation of the exchanges of prisoners and detainees as agreed before the Stockholm meetings.”
2019-06-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8551 (2019) · source
“I thank the Council for its continued support, which has been instrumental for the implementation of the Stockholm Agreement ever since its inception. Parties should take the necessary next steps to ensure the full implementation of the Stockholm Agreement in its entirety, while ensuring full respect for Yemen's sovereignty. I note the Government of Yemen's flexibility and continued support to the Agreement in its entirety and its continued constructive engagement in that regard. I look forward to continuing my close engagement with President Hadi Mansour, the Government of Yemen and Ansar Allah to advance the implementation of the Agreement. If I may, allow me to brief members on where the parties stand on the remaining aspects of the agreements reached in Stockholm last December.”
2019-06-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8551 (2019) · source
“I commend Lieutenant General Lollesgaard for his relentless efforts to build relationships and confidence between the parties throughout his engagements to ensure the effectiveness of the RCC, amid challenging logistical and political circumstances. The economic aspects of the Hudaydah Agreement regarding the revenues of the ports are also at the forefront of our attention. I hope that achieving consensus on those aspects will enable the payment of public sector salaries in Al-Hudaydah governorate and across all of Yemen. That would be a significant step forward for the benefit of the Yemeni people. We have had very positive exchanges with the Government of Yemen on the matter, and I hope to build on last month's Amman meeting and convene further discussions with both parties in the near future.”
2019-06-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8551 (2019) · source
“The Redeployment Coordination Committee (RCC), set up by the Agreement, and its members from both parties continued over the past months to engage constructively with my colleague Lieutenant General Michael Lollesgaard on the plans for the first and second phases of the redeployments. He remains positive that an agreement on both phases of the redeployments can be achieved in line with what the parties agreed in Stockholm, including in particular with regard to the tripartite monitoring mechanism. Once outstanding issues are resolved, joint implementation can commence. Joint implementation will allow for the parties to fully verify all elements of the redeployments, including those previously executed.”
2019-06-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8551 (2019) · source
“That has continued despite the delays in the implementation of the Agreement due to a number of challenges and the frustrations associated with those challenges, which we have all experienced. During the five months prior to the ceasefire, the fighting resulted in more than 1,300 civilian casualties in the governorate. In the five months following the ceasefire, the number of civilian casualties was reduced by 68 per cent. Nevertheless, of course, I remain deeply concerned by continued violence and civilian casualties. However, it is clear that the overall de-escalation continues to benefit the people of the city and the opportunities for effective humanitarian response.”
2019-06-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8551 (2019) · source
“Mr. Griffiths: I thank you, Sir, for this opportunity to brief the Security Council on the latest developments in the Yemeni peace process. With the Council's steadfast support, I have continued to work with both the Government of Yemen and Ansar Allah on the implementation of the Stockholm Agreement and the way forward to a comprehensive political solution to the conflict based on the Gulf Cooperation Council Initiative and its Implementation Mechanism, the National Dialogue Conference outcomes and all the relevant Security Council resolutions, including resolution 2216 (2015) in particular. In Hudaydah, despite reports earlier today, in general the parties have sustained the reduction in violence across the governorate for the six full months since the Agreement entered into force in the middle of last December.”
2019-06-17 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8551 (2019) · source
“We should also welcome the commitment of both parties to those redeployments, urge them to work quickly with Lieutenant General Lollesgaard to implement the remaining redeployments and, on that basis and through the Council, to work with us urgently on a political solution. These beginnings must be protected from the threat of war. We must not allow war to take peace off the table.”
2019-05-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8525 (2019) · source
“Nothing can or should remove or reduce our welcome of the redeployments made in recent days in Al-Hudaydah and of the prospect of more to come. But there have also been alarming signs in recent days. War has a habit of trumping peace - its impact more corrosive than the positive effect of hard-won gains towards ending war. The ease with which progress can be reduced or removed is indeed frightening. I think that is also a lesson of recent days. Progress can be made; progress can be threatened. Finally, what I would like to ask Members of the Council is first to welcome the redeployments we have seen in Al-Hudaydah in the past few days.”
2019-05-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8525 (2019) · source
“Again, we will depend on that relationship as we move into reviewing the political options to resolve this conflict. I would like to emphasize again, if I may, the importance of enhancing southern participation in the peace process. I have met with several southern groups during the past year. We have an office in Aden now that is led by a very distinguished and experienced political officer of the United Nations. I am grateful for the commitment that these groups show us to ensuring that their concerns about their future should be resolved in dialogue with all Yemeni groups and within the context of Yemeni politics and Yemeni rule. That is the commitment that they give us, but we must maintain a very close relationship with them to make sure that we hear them and that we listen to their aspirations. There are signs of hope.”
2019-05-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8525 (2019) · source
“The contribution of the Yemeni women's technical advisory group, which has been with us in the talks and between the talks, was already valuable during the Stockholm consultations, and it should provide a basis to reach out much more broadly to Yemeni women who remain in their homes, in the front lines, looking after their families. Last month, I met with eight representatives of the technical advisory group in Scotland, where we generated ideas for the comprehensive implementation of the peace agreement and on how to maintain stability in Yemen during the post-peace agreement phase. They came with great difficulty to the United Kingdom. Traveling from Yemen is neither a simple nor a safe matter. I would like to record my gratitude to them for the risks they take and for the advice they give.”
2019-05-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8525 (2019) · source
“They have laid much ofthe groundwork for those discussions, and the key tenets of that solution are well known, not least because of those three months in Kuwait, three years ago. Those discussions will be guided by the relevant resolutions of the Council, including resolution 2216 (2015). The negotiations, which is the principal focus of my mission, will require patience, good faith and ~ of course - concessions that go beyond what we have seen before. The resolution to this conflict will also be possible only if we include the voices of a broad range of Yemenis. The inclusion of women in particular in the peace process will shape the future of their involvement during the transition. I recommit my Office to be dedicated to that proposition.”
2019-05-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8525 (2019) · source
“We cannot ignore how the war affects the political process and the move towards peace. Finding our way through to a political solution is always a delicate exercise, a fragile vessel. Tangible progress on Al-Hudaydah, however, will and should allow us to look ahead to the negotiations to end the conflict and enable the resumption of the political negotiation and the finding of a political solution to the conflict. As many Yemenis have made clear to me, only a comprehensive solution will be able to provide Yemen with sustainable peace. It has been three years since the parties discussed politics, three years since they had the privilege of meeting in Kuwait in 2016. It is about time we gave them the opportunity to do so again. I hope that the parties can start those negotiations on the political solution as soon as possible.”
2019-05-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8525 (2019) · source
“I must stress the importance of those discussions, as the objective is that they will ensure that the revenues from the ports are used for the benefit of the people of Yemen and the salaries are paid across the front lines. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Government of Jordan for allowing that meeting to take place and for hosting it. Despite the significance of the last few days, Yemen remains at the crossroads between war and peace. While the ceasefire in Al-Hudaydah is generally holding - those being carefully chosen words - the intensification of the conflict in other parts of the country, as I am sure we will hear, continues to be alarming. That intensification in all of its different aspects is a reminder that hard-won achievements of the sort that I have been describing can be easily wiped away.”
2019-05-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8525 (2019) · source
“I hope that the progress we are witnessing and the subsequent steps the parties intend to take will allow additional areas in Al-Hudaydah, such as Ad Durayhimi district, to witness the immediate benefit of increased humanitarian assistance. Of course, we will hear a lot more on such matters from our colleagues, Mr. Lowcock and Ms. Fore. The purpose of the Al-Hudaydah agreement, what we and the parties had in mind all along, was to improve the humanitarian situation both there and in the rest of Yemen. That is its aim. I am encouraged by the steps taken by the parties to address the issues related to the economic aspects of the Al-Hudaydah agreement, specifically looking at the revenue in the ports. Representatives of the two parties came together in Amman yesterday, and today with my Office, to discuss those issues.”
2019-05-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8525 (2019) · source
“If there is no forward movement, the Al-Hudaydah agreement will remain in the precarious situation that we have seen this year. I call on both parties to agree on the operational plan for the second phase, which Lieutenant General Lollesgaard is negotiating, so that we can continue to see movement in Al-Hudaydah. Once an agreement there has been finalized and the implementation of the rest of the first and second phases is under way, the parties will monitor, verify and report to us on all redeployments as agreed through the Redeployment Coordination Committee, in which they are represented. My Office is also pursuing an agreement with the parties on an approach to the issue of local security forces in parallel with negotiations on redeployments.”
2019-05-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8525 (2019) · source
“I know that he is personally committed to the full implementation of the Al-Hudaydah agreement and has often insisted, in particular, on the prime importance of the redeployments. This moment is significant. It is worth cherishing such moments, which are not as frequent as we would hope. But this, of course, is only the beginning. The redeployments must - and I am sure, will - be followed by concrete actions by the parties to deliver on their obligations under the Stockholm Agreement. I know we will hear more on this later. We would like the parties to ensure that the momentum that we are now beginning to see is maintained by implementing subsequent steps of the mutual redeployments, verified and monitored by the parties, and ensuring the support that we need in the United Nations to increase our role in the ports.”
2019-05-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8525 (2019) · source