Yemen: UN Envoy Hans Grundberg Briefs Security Council on Detained Staff and Peace Process

Concerns Over Detained UN Staff

• ⚠️ 73 UN colleagues and other former UN staff, along with individuals from civil society and diplomatic missions, are currently detained.
• ⚖️ Many have been held incommunicado, raising serious concerns about their well-being and conditions.
• 🚫 Some detainees have been referred to Ansar Allah’s special criminal court, with trials falling far short of basic due process.
• 🗣️ The UN Special Envoy calls for the unconditional and immediate release of detained staff and the rescinding of all court referrals.
• 🌍 Regional and international actors are urged to use their influence to push for these outcomes.

Progress and Fragility in Yemen

• 💡 Early positive signs have emerged in government areas, including improvements in electricity provision and public sector salary payments.
• 📉 However, continued tensions, security incidents, and demonstrations highlight the fragility of the situation.
• ⚡ Improvements in service delivery are vulnerable to reversal if security deteriorates, economic reforms stall, or institutions are pulled in competing directions.
• 📰 The Special Envoy expressed particular concern about recent attacks targeting media institutions and journalists.

Path to a Political Settlement

• 🕊️ Stabilization in any part of Yemen will not be durable without a comprehensive approach to the broader conflict.
• 🤝 Decisive steps are needed towards a wider negotiated political settlement to prevent gains from being reversed.
• 🗺️ The UN is engaging with Yemeni parties, regional actors, and the international community to explore pathways for an inclusive political process.
• 🧩 Yemen's conflict involves interlocking political, economic, and security issues that require tandem engagement across all tracks.
• ⏳ A credible process must deliver both near-term agreements to reduce suffering and space for negotiating long-term issues.

Regional Tensions and National Interest

• 🚨 Rising regional tensions pose a risk, but Yemen must not be pulled back into a broader confrontation.
• ✊ The question of peace and war is fundamentally national, and no single Yemeni actor has the right to unilaterally drag the country into a regional conflict.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 The primary responsibility of Yemeni actors is to the Yemeni people, their security, livelihoods, and future.
• 🤝 Lasting stability depends on building inclusive institutions and channeling contestation through dialogue and peaceful political engagement.

Support for Negotiations

• 🤝 The conflict-related detainee file is an example of what can be achieved through dialogue, with parties currently negotiating face-to-face.
• 🗓️ Parties are encouraged to finalize detainee names without delay, especially with Ramadan approaching.
• 🌍 The Hashimite Kingdom of Jordan is commended for hosting negotiations, and the International Committee of the Red Cross for its role.
• 🇺🇳 The United Nations remains ready to support Yemen in achieving a credible path back to a political process.