Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Following on from the meetings held in London on 19 July and in Jeddah on 25 August, the Foreign Ministers of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, the United States of America, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates met in New York on 21 September 2016 to reaffirm their commitment to finding a peaceful resolution to the conflict in Yemen and alleviating the humanitarian suffering of the Yemeni people. The Special Envoy of the Secretary-General of the United Nations for Yemen attended the meeting and briefed on the latest developments and challenges in the peace process.
The Foreign Ministers expressed their full support for the Special Envoy and his proposed roadmap to reach a comprehensive agreement, which is based on the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Initiative and its Implementation Mechanism, UN Security Council resolutions and statements, including resolution 2216 (2015), as well as the outcomes of the National Dialogue Conference. The proposed agreement, with sequenced security and political arrangements, will provide a solid foundation to bring an end to the armed conflict and foster stability for the Yemeni people. The Foreign Ministers stressed the importance of the Yemeni parties working closely with the Special Envoy and coming urgently to an agreement on this basis.
The Foreign Ministers called on the Government of Yemen, the Houthis, and elements of the General Peoples Congress to do everything necessary for a peaceful and orderly political transition. They rejected unilateral steps by the parties in Sanaa, including the announcement of the Supreme Political Council on 28 July, which only serve to undermine the path towards an agreement and must be avoided, and expressed concern about economic conditions in Yemen and recent developments associated with the Central Bank. The Ministers stressed the importance of the Central Bank serving the interests of all Yemenis.
The Foreign Ministers jointly called for an immediate return to a complete Cessation of Hostilities, under the Terms and Conditions which went into effect on 10 April 2016, beginning with a 72 hour ceasefire to allow the UN Special Envoy to engage in consultations with the Yemeni parties. They also called on all sides to resume working through the De-escalation and Coordination Committee to facilitate the strengthening of the Cessation of Hostilities. The Foreign Ministers expressed particular concern about and called for an immediate halt to all cross-border attacks on Saudi Arabian territory, including ballistic missiles.
To avoid further humanitarian suffering and economic deterioration, the Foreign Ministers further called on all parties to allow safe, rapid and unhindered access for humanitarian supplies to all affected governorates, including Taiz, and to facilitate access for essential imports of food, fuel and medical supplies into the country and their distribution throughout.
The Foreign Ministers concluded by stating the need for the Yemeni parties to demonstrate good faith, flexibility and a spirit of compromise in order to bring peace to Yemen.