The United Nations Security Council on Friday unanimously approved the deployment of a UN advance team to Yemen to monitor the ceasefire agreement that was reached last week in Sweden.
The legitimate government and Iran-backed Houthis agreed to cease fighting in the Red Port city of Hodeidah and withdraw forces.
The deal went into force Tuesday.
According to the new resolution, 2451, the Security Council authorized UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to deploy - for an initial 30 days - an advance monitoring team.
That team, led by retired Dutch General Patrick Cammaert, is due to arrive in Yemen shortly, said a UN spokesman, adding that the personnel will not be uniformed or armed.
The council also asked Guterres to submit proposals by the end of the month on substantive monitoring operations for the ceasefire and redeployment of forces; support for the management of and inspections at the ports of Hodeidah, Salif and Ras Issa; and strengthening of the UN presence in the Hodeidah region.
Guterres is also required to report weekly to the Security Council on implementation of the resolution, which endorses the ceasefire deal agreed in Sweden.
Resolution 2451 calls on the government of Yemen and the Houthis to remove bureaucratic obstacles to the flow of aid and commercial goods, including fuel, and ensure all the country’s ports are functioning.
“It’s vital that the parties follow through on their commitments,” British UN Ambassador Karen Pierce told the council after the vote.
The Security Council has been wrangling over a British-drafted text of the resolution since Monday and in an unusual move the United States, unhappy with Britain’s efforts, came up with its own version on Thursday. Traditionally countries propose amendments to an initial draft rather than coming up with their own text.
When asked about the negotiations with the United States, Pierce told reporters: “This is what diplomacy is meant to be about so I’m glad it worked on this occasion.”
The US draft text, which was seen by Reuters, mirrored the British language focused on the ceasefire deal and authorizing UN support. Washington had also wanted to condemn Iran for breaching an arms embargo on Yemen, but Russia objected, diplomats said.
“We hope that in the days to come Iranian missiles or misdeeds do not shatter the promise of peace and bring us back to where we were before. But if that does happen, this council may come to regret this omission,” US diplomat Rodney Hunter, the political coordinator of the US mission to the United Nations, told the Security Council after the vote.
The legitimate Yemeni government welcomed the adoption of resolution 2451, saying it reflected the international community’s commitment to the unity and sovereignty of Yemeni territory.
It stressed the need to reach a comprehensive political solution based on the three references that are the national dialogue outcomes, Gulf initiative and Security Council resolution 2216.
Yemen’s Permanent Representative to the UN Abdullah al-Saadi hailed the resolution, emphasizing the need for the Security Council to follow up on its implementation. He also voiced the government’s commitment to the three references and the Stockholm agreement.
Moreover, he stressed that the new round of consultations can only be held after the Houthis withdraw from Hodeidah and its ports and after the legitimate forces restore their control over them.
Saudi Arabia welcomed the UN resolution, saying it underscores “Saudi diplomatic efforts and their direct impact on international community decisions.” It cited to that end the efforts of Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir and Saudi Permanent Representative to the UN Abdullah al-Mouallimi.
Saudi Ambassador to Yemen Mohammed al-Jaber said that the resolution was a “new diplomatic success” for the Arab coalition after the military pressure that was exerted on the Houthis to accept political agreements.
Kuwait’s Permanent Representative to the UN Mansour al-Otaibi welcomed the UN resolution, which he said demonstrated the “unity of the Security Council” and reflected its awareness of the importance of the current phase in Yemen where a real opportunity to achieve peace is available.
He voiced Kuwait’s support for the efforts of UN special envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths to hold a new round of peace consultations in January and reaching a political solution based on the three references.
Yemeni Youth and Sports Ministry Undersecretary Dr. Hamza al-Kamali told Asharq Al-Awsat that the Yemenis do not trust the Houthis and the UN team will be tasked with monitoring the militias violations of the Sweden deal.
He deemed resolution 2451 as “good”, saying his country wanted “real” UN supervision.
“The Houthis must be held accountable if they violate the deal,” he stressed.
