اقرأ المحتوى باللغة العربية
Amman, Jordan – Over 300 political representatives, policymakers, peace mediators, civil society members, and key figures from the international community gathered in Amman on Sunday to launch the third Yemen International Forum (YIF). Amidst major political shifts and geopolitical fragmentation affecting Yemen and the region in the aftermath of October 7, YIF III brings together invested parties to engage in constructive dialogue for a stable and secure Yemen.
“The security of the region is contingent on the security of Yemen,” said Yemen’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Shayea Al-Zindani, in his opening remarks, urging more regional cooperation and engagement to end the war and achieve peace in Yemen. Making the stakes clear, Al-Zindani noted that “such efforts are consistently undermined by Houthi intransigence” and called on the international community to exert more pressure on the group. The ongoing crackdown on civil society in Houthi-controlled areas and the imprisonment of many civil society actors, including those working for international organizations, hung heavily in the opening keynote of the YIF. UN Resident Coordinator Julien Harneis, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Yemen Jeannette Seppen, and Chairperson of the Sana’a Center Maged al-Madhagi spoke in one voice in expressing their deep concern for the plight of the detainees. “We need to remember those who are detained in areas controlled by the Houthis,” remarked Al-Madhagi, while requesting a moment of silence to honor the detainees, “I have been involved in Yemeni civil society for over 20 years, but I have never witnessed pressure of this magnitude.”
We Cannot Give Up When the Going Gets Tough
The Forum’s first plenary took stock of how shifting global priorities have influenced the international community’s stance on Yemen. “The situation is more complex,” said Ambassador Seppen. “We’ve seen a shifting landscape, but what has not changed is that we need to keep moving toward peace and stability in Yemen and the Red Sea.” UN Resident Coordinator Harneis remarked that peace should not be considered a prize at the end of the road. “We can start building elements of it today, and if we build that now, we create a model that other Yemenis can stand behind.” Yasmeen al-Eryani, the Executive Director for Knowledge Production at the Sana’a Center, was candid in her critique of the international approach thus far. “The international community’s approach to the Red Sea conflict and Yemen’s faltering peace process is the same approach we have seen since the beginning of the war. It is characterized by its short-sighted responses and limited strategies, and a focus on crisis management over long-term strategy.” Quick fixes are not a solution, she concluded. “Yemen needs a comprehensive solution that is an inclusive and holistic approach.”
Over the coming days, a host of plenaries, parallel sessions, and workshops will take place at the YIF, addressing key themes including political cohesion, geopolitical interdependencies, regional engagement, inclusion and civic space, transitional justice, the environment, and the economy in Yemen. A mixture of public and closed-door discussions under the Chatham House Rule will allow participants to speak openly and frankly and put forward ideas for lasting solutions to the conflict in Yemen.
The first day of the Forum featured a series of insightful discussions. A plenary session brought together leading figures from Yemen’s political parties for a candid discussion on reassessing Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council. Various concurrent roundtables addressed a range of topics, such as the role of non-state actors in Yemen, the judiciary’s role in achieving transitional justice, the Southern File, Yemen’s public revenues, and efforts to reduce Red Sea militarization. A workshop was also held to present a joint strategy aimed at promoting women’s participation in Yemen’s public sphere.
The third Yemen International Forum is organized by the Sana’a Center for Strategic Studies, an independent think tank focused on Yemen. Its goal is to unite Yemeni and international civil and political actors to create a pathway toward a peaceful, prosperous, and just Yemen and overcome the country’s ongoing crisis. Since its launch in 2022, the YIF has convened over 500 political representatives, policymakers, peace mediators, experts, and civil society representatives, contributing to multi-thematic peace initiatives, ranging from political and civic engagement to transitional justice, economic de-escalation and addressing environment-conflict nexus. The YIF is the largest international annual conference bringing together Yemeni actors to engage in constructive dialogue on Yemen’s future.