The second Yemen International Forum will take place in The Hague, Netherlands, in June 2023, the Dutch government and the Sana’a Center for Strategic Studies announced on Thursday, October 27, 2022.
H.E. Ambassador of the Kingdom of The Netherlands to Yemen Peter-Derrek Hof made the announcement during a virtual press conference organized by Sana’a Center to discuss the outcomes of the first Yemen International Forum (YIF), which was held June 17-19 in Stockholm, Sweden. Hof said the second YIF would build on those results, and he assured his country’s support to the peace process in Yemen by listening to Yemeni local voices.
Journalists representing Arab, regional and international media, as well as representatives of international organizations and diplomatic missions were present for Thursday’s announcement.
Waleed Alhariri, the Sana’a Center’s director for YIF 2023, said that holding the forum in a different country each year reflects a core notion that the YIF can reshape Yemen’s relationship with the world.
“The YIF in The Hague will once again provide a safe and neutral space for Yemenis to address their issues, seek solutions, and discuss ways forward with the international actors also working to resolve the Yemeni crisis,” Alhariri said.
Swedish Special Envoy to Yemen Peter Semneby said during Thursday’s media call that outcomes of the YIF 2022 in Stockholm advanced UN and international efforts in support of the peace process in Yemen with clear steps to plan for Yemen’s future. Participants in YIF 2022 focused on proposing ways to overcome challenges and exploit opportunities within six thematic files: Political Settlement, Political Life, The Southern File, The Economy, Reconciliation & Justice, and Security.
EU Ambassador to Yemen Gabriel Munuera Viñals told journalists that the European Union was looking forward to the participation of all Yemeni actors in the upcoming forum.
The Yemen International Forum is one of many platforms created by the Sana’a Center to promote dialogue among Yemenis and with the international community to promote peace and benefit all Yemenis. The first YIF was attended by more than 200 local and international actors involved in the Yemeni file, including representatives of Yemeni political parties, minority communities and civil society, experts and international envoys and diplomats.
The Sana’a Center for Strategic Studies is an independent think tank that seeks to foster change through knowledge production with a focus on Yemen and the surrounding region.
Download the YIF 2022 Final report at: https://sanaacenter.org/publications/main-publications/18858
For more details on YIF 2022: https://sanaacenter.org/yif/
For media inquiries, please email: [email protected]