Yemen International Forum 2025 Report Dialogue for a Stable Yemen and a Secure Region

Executive Summary

“There is no alternative to peace, and there is no alternative to peace that is not fully supported and constructed by the people of Yemen.” ^[1]

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The third Yemen International Forum (YIF III) took place in Amman from February 16 – 18, 2025, gathering more than 300 participants to discuss peace prospects and stability in Yemen. Since the outbreak of the war on Gaza in October 2023, Yemen has been tested in myriad ways. Attacks on the Red Sea and the rising prominence of the Houthis within the “Axis of Resistance” have thrust Yemen into regional conflict, undermining hope for an end to its decade-long war. Since the last YIF held in the Hague in June 2023, where discussions centered on cautious optimism for a potential peace settlement, Yemen has undertaken a dramatic U-turn. Peace efforts have taken a backseat while international attention has increasingly turned toward containing the threat posed by the Houthis. Today, Yemen is grappling with renewed military escalations, worsening humanitarian conditions, and a deepening economic crisis that is putting immense pressure on an already overburdened population.

Amid a stagnating peace process and faltering political dialogue in Yemen, YIF III served as a timely platform to reinvigorate constructive dialogue, while underscoring the fact that peace and stability in Yemen are not only vital for the prosperity of Yemenis but also for the security of the region overall. Over three days, Yemen’s leading political and civil leaders, including politicians, tribal figures, women, minorities, youth, and civil society activists, convened alongside regional and international actors and UN representatives to explore ways to steer the country back toward peace. A rich agenda totalling 29 sessions focused on six key priorities that form the foundational pillars for lasting peace and stability in Yemen: political cohesion, regional engagement, economic recovery, transitional justice, inclusive civic space, and environmental sustainability.

The outcomes of the discussions outlined below, explored in greater detail in the full report, take on even more significance as this report is being published. With regional military tensions at an all-time high, the threat of the Houthis dragging Yemen further into conflict, and widespread protests against living conditions in government-controlled areas, the firsthand perspective of Yemen’s civil and political class on the trajectory of their country offers timely, invaluable insight.

1. Political cohesion was identified as the top priority in steering Yemen toward stability, with the role of the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) coming under scrutiny. Three years since its formation, the PLC is widely regarded as having failed to meet the expectations of the Yemeni people, and struggles with a lack of unified political will, competing agendas, and the absence of a cohesive national project. Civil and political actors attending YIF III expressed an urgent need for serious PLC reform to improve governance, prioritize merit-based technocratic appointments in key public service posts, and combat widespread corruption that has severely undermined public and donor confidence in the government. While many agreed that restoring the state must come to the forefront of any separate political project, the centrality of the ‘Southern Question’ within any government reforms was emphasized again by the southern parties attending this year. YIF sessions also brought together local authorities from different governorates in Yemen to exchange good practices in local governance.
2. Geopolitical interdependencies and regional engagement discussions expanded the YIF’s scope this year to address Yemen’s internationalized crisis in the wake of the Houthis’ Red Sea attacks. Broader participation from the region (including Oman, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt, Jordan, Sudan, Somalia, and Ethiopia), as well as from Europe, the United States, and the UK facilitated more constructive dialogue on the current trajectory of peace and stability in Yemen, the militarization of the Red Sea, the rise of non-state armed actors, and the increase in cross-border security threats. Yemeni experts cautioned that the current security-focused approach to Yemen, devoid of a more comprehensive strategy addressing the root causes of instability, is misguided. They emphasized that securing stability in Yemen— and in turn the region — requires uniting international efforts to support economic stability and good governance in Yemen, expanding diplomatic and regional coordination, protecting the country’s civil society, addressing Yemenis’ demands for justice, and ensuring they are driving decision-making about their future.
3. Economic recovery again commanded urgent attention as the effects of a nearly decade-long struggle over Yemen’s economy continue to test the population’s resilience. The decline in foreign aid, the depletion of government resources, and the repercussions of the US Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) redesignation of the Houthis have raised concerns about a potential worsening of Yemen’s humanitarian crisis. Representatives from the finance and private sector, oil and gas experts, economists, diplomats, and representatives of leading development organizations convened at the YIF to discuss the current economic trajectory and strategize measures to alleviate ongoing economic shocks. Among the most pressing priorities addressed was the need to maintain donor engagement in the face of detrimental cuts and reductions in aid for Yemen, mitigate the financial fallout from US sanctions, resume oil and gas exports— the Yemeni government’s primary source of income, and reform public revenue mechanisms to improve the delivery of public services to the people.
4. Transitional Justice lies at the heart of the Yemen International Forum and is its flagship initiative. Launched in 2022 at the first YIF in Stockholm, what began as an effort to raise awareness on the urgent need to bring justice to the victims of Yemen’s war is now evolving into an ambitious roadmap for transitional justice in Yemen. Significant breakthroughs were achieved this year. War victims, political actors, tribal leaders, civil society, and local and international human rights bodies were convened to strategize on a path forward collectively. Discussions examined foundational pillars for a roadmap, including mechanisms for including Yemen’s victims, drawing examples from cases like Colombia, securing the buy-in of political actors to seriously address transitional justice, initiating judicial reforms as a first step to facilitate the process, and exploring the integration of customary laws for a more localized approach.
5. Inclusion and civic space were particularly emotive discussions at the YIF this year, with the stakes never being so high for Yemen’s civil society. The Forum took place against the backdrop of a brutal crackdown on civil society actors in Houthi-controlled areas, the echoes of which reverberated throughout the event. Many participants attending the YIF hadcolleagues who have died in the Houthis’ prisons, been detained themselves, or declared “enemies of the state,” or knew loved ones who had been arrested. Civic space in Yemen is rapidly eroding, not only in Houthi-controlled areas but across the country. Today, civil society organizations (CSOs) nationwide face difficulties in obtaining licenses, require multiple layers of approval, and encounter inconsistent regulations across different authorities—difficulties that are even more pronounced for women-led organizations or those focused on women’s issues. Reviving Yemen’s civil society demands bold political will from the Yemeni government and meaningful, sustained support from the international community.
6. Strategies for addressing Yemen’s water and environmental crises were discussed at the YIF, as communities across Yemen have increasingly felt the impact of environmental degradation while grappling with the ramifications of war. Water scarcity was given consistent and focused attention this year, reflecting the urgency of addressing the threats to one of the most water-scarce countries in the world. Two topics were introduced at YIF III: a just energy transition focused on renewables and green transitional justice. Their inclusion reflects the growing recognition that of environmental sustainability must be anchored in principles of social justice, accountability and human rights. By exploring these interlinked challenges, the Forum underscored the potential for a sustainable green future in Yemen, where the shift to renewable energy is grounded in principles of equity and environmental protection, and where it is acknowledged that environmental harms and lack of access to water are also human rights violations inseparable from broader struggles for justice and dignity.

YIF Recommendations

Political Cohesion

• Implement urgent internal reforms within the PLC to improve governance.
• Take concrete and consensus-based actions on the Southern Question to ensure its central role in peace negotiations.
• Invest in and strengthen local governance to support the delivery of essential services to the Yemeni people.

Regional Engagement

• Move away from short-term thinking to a long-term, holistic strategy for Yemen that addresses the root causes of instability.
• Strengthen regional and international collaboration to de-escalate the militarization of the Red Sea and reduce the influence of non-state armed actors.
• Consider greater economic integration of Yemen within the GCC as a long-term strategy that supports Yemen’s development and recovery, while contributing to regional stability.

Economic Recovery

• Maintain donor presence and engagement in Yemen to avert a worsening humanitarian crisis and align funding with sustainable, locally led strategies for longer-term impact.
• Mitigate the impact of FTO-related sanctions to ensure uninterrupted banking activity, humanitarian access and delivery, as well as the survival of local businesses.
• Establish a track of dialogue and technical support to resume oil and gas production in Yemen.
• Develop a unified, transparent, accountable public revenue management system to reduce fragmentation, curb corruption, and improve resource allocation.

Transitional Justice

• Establish a mechanism to ensure that Yemen’s victims are at the forefront of peace and transitional justice efforts.
• Engage political actors in transitional justice to ensure political buy-in and work toward aligning the approaches of political parties to transitional justice principles.
• Prioritize judicial reform as the basis for initiating credible justice processes to address war crimes and human rights violations.
• Build on Yemeni customary laws that embody reconciliation practices to localize transitional justice mechanisms.

Inclusion and Civic Space

• Strengthen international advocacy efforts for the protection of civil society in Yemen.
• Enhance legal and protection mechanisms for civil society workers and their families.
• Improve the operational environment of civil society organizations by strengthening government-CSO collaboration.
• Advance and support a coordinated strategy to promote and protect women’s rights through unified advocacy.

Sustainable Strategies for Addressing Yemen’s Environmental Crisis

• Adopt an integrated and inclusive water governance framework that combines modern and traditional practices and ensures equitable, transparent access to resources.
• Lay the groundwork for a just and inclusive energy transition in Yemen through decentralized solutions and strong community participation.
• Integrate the concept of green transitional justice into Yemen’s transitional justice frameworks to effectively address environmental harms and support ecological recovery.

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The drafting and editing of this report was led by Sana’a Center editor Lara Uhlenhaut.