Country : United States of America

Topic : Yemen Conflict: Enhancing Conflict Resolution Effort in Yemen

Committee : United Nations Security Council
Delegates : Mohamad Dafiryan, Vischa Aurora Denanti
Background
Since the emergence of the Houthi uprising in 2004 and concurrently with the rise of the Arab Spring
in 2011, Yemen has faced difficulties in maintaining a government which ultimately led to the situation of
humanitarian crisis. On the socio-political stabilization of Yemen, a major political transition was held in
2011 which replaced Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh by his Vice President, Abde Rabbo Mansour Hadi
(Lackner, 2019). During the period of political transition, Saleh divided Yemen into two groups; Ahmar
loyalist and Saleh loyalist (Hill, 2017). The Houthis took advantage of that particular shifting gesture and
began to seize the territory of North Yemen including attacking Marib and Hudaydah. In 2014, the Houthis
succeeded in taking the Yemeni capital, Sana'a, and led to the intervention of Saudi Arabia by the request of
Hadi who fled to Saudi Arabia (Sharp, 2021). Not only the Houthis, the other existence of insurgent groups
such as Al-Qaeda and the Southern Transitional Council (STC) that spread in the South Yemen Region also
exacerbates the humanitarian crisis situation in Yemen (Phillips, 2017). To date, the insurgent groups are still
attacking in the region, including the Houthis attack on 6 June 2021, and the death of 17 civilians in Marib
(Al Jazeera, 2021) as the attack is inconsistent with the rules in jus in bello. Not only that, since May 2020,
the Houthis have blocked 262 containers in Hudaydah port that belongs to the WHO, as well as a large
shipment of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for the Covid-19 response (Human Rights Watch, 2020) as
this insurgent group, as well as a large shipment of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for the Covid-19
response (Human Rights Watch, 2020) as this insurgent group still refused to ceasefire (Arab News, 2021)
and be inconsistent with pacta sunt servanda as the guiding Customary International Law to the Stockholm
Agreement which called the parties to ceasefire.
Country Stances and Past Actions
United States, as the permanent member of the Security Council, believes that to respect the
sovereignty of Yemen, the member states shall be consistent with the principle of non-intervention as
stipulated in Article 2(7) of the UN Charter. Although in 2015 the United States provided military advice and
logistical support to Saudi Arabia's intervention in Yemen (CSIS, 2018), the United States' current president,
Joe Biden, has ended the country's support for Saudi-led offensive in Yemen (ABC News, 2021). In addition,
Saudi Arabia has proposed a new peace plan to end nearly six years’ war in Yemen with the Houthis (BBC,
2021), where United States welcomed the possible plan as discussed in the UNSC meeting on 12 May 2021.
In addition, U.S. is fully committed to ensuring peace via the need of Houthis to engage in peace talk and
ceasefire with the UNSC, as well as upholding the Stockholm Agreement, and opening the access for Yemen
ports and airports (United Nations, 2021). United States believes that due to the action of the Houthis to
repeatedly ignore ceasefire and peace talk agreement. Therefore, on 10 June of 2021, United States has
decided to sanction companies, vessels, and various individuals, who work with the Houthis, including Hani
Abd-al-Majid Muhammad As’ad and Sa’id Muhammad al-Jamal who works with Iran’s Islamic
Revolutionary Guard Corps – Qod Force (U.S. Department of State, 2021). In addition, despite taking the
status of Houthi’s as terrorists from U.S. list as an act of ensuring humanitarian aid, we wholly believe in the
fact that any attacks done in Yemen towards civilians, and thus not accepting ceasefire is highly condemned.
Solution
With that at hand, the United States believes that the best way to ensure peace is by encouraging the
use of United Nations, via various mechanisms:
1. Proposes the NCM( Nationwide-ceasefire mechanism) via the following details:
a. Prioritizes working with the local leader/district ) to ensure that there will be a set ceasefire
 mechanism in mind, to ensure that the ceasefire mechanism would be accepted
i. The districts are, but are not limited to:
1. 'Aden Governorate.
2. 'Amran Governorate.
3. Abyan Governorate.
4. Ad Dali' Governorate.
5. Al Bayda' Governorate.
6. Al Hudaydah Governorate.
7. Al Jawf Governorate.
8. Al Mahrah Governorate
9. Huadellah
b. The ceasefire will be held nationwide under the supervision of the UN Special envoy of
Yemen, with the following detail
i. The ceasefire will be held for a minimum of 30 days, where all parties are not allowed
to open arms
ii. The ceasefire will be monitored by the United Nations Department of Peacebuilding
and Political Affairs to ensure the commitment of both parties
c. As a commitment to ensure freedom and delivery of humanitarian aid, blockade of ports will
not be enacted only for the sake of giving humanitarian aid
2. Enact the Roadmad for Peace(RFP) solution, to ensure that there will be a suitable mechanism to take
actions and ensure peace in Yemen via the following mechanism
a. Information sharing
i. Both parties are allowed to share information regarding but not limited to
1. Arms transfer
2. Intelligence
3. Troops movement
b. Observation and verification measures
i. Under the help of UN Special Envoy on Yemen, parties will be needed to be under the
verification of the United Nations to ensure that all actions that is done are not liable
1. Implementation of arms control
2. Implementation and safeguarding of demilitarized zones
3. Set up a un buffer zone/ safe zone to ensure that there will be protection
c. Cooperation and integration measures
i. Conduct joint operation for taking out landmines, as well as any explosives that
happened
ii. Creation of safe zone and buffer zone that is open for both parties to ensure that trust
will be enacted
iii. Supervision from the United Nations and the United Nations department of Political
Affairs for both parties
iv. Option of consultation for parties in the conflict by the United Nations to be able to
received help
3. Universal Humanitarian Aid(UHA) which will be done to ensure that all parties will be given
humanitarian aid via the following criteria
a. Disclusion of engagement and commitment for peace talks and halting of attack
b. Focuses on children and women as priority for safeguarding
c. Humanitarian aid will be distributed by United Nations as well as the yemen government with
accountability
d. The humanitarian aid consisted of, but not limited to:
i. Food
ii. Water
iii. Clothes
BIBLIOGRAPHY
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