Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government is taking in its role as penholder on Yemen at the UN Security Council to support the creation of an international mechanism to ensure accountability for human rights violations and war crimes.

We are concerned about reports of serious and wide-ranging human rights violations and abuses by parties to the Yemen conflict. In March we co-sponsored a joint statement at the Human Rights Council recognizing the collective effort needed to respond to these allegations. The statement called for all parties to comply with their obligations under international human rights law and international humanitarian law.

We regret that the mandate of the UN Group of Eminent Experts on Yemen was not renewed last October. The UK voted in favour of renewing the mandate.

We are discussing with international partners the potential for a follow-up mechanism to support human rights accountability in Yemen. Justice and accountability are key for inclusive and durable peace.