Asked by: Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick (Labour - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with international partners about securing a permanent ceasefire in Yemen.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK continues to support the efforts of the UN Special Envoy Martin Griffiths to secure the parties' agreement to proposals for a nationwide ceasefire and resumption of the UN-led political process. We engage regularly with international partners on Yemen, including through our role as penholder in the UN Security Council. On 1 July, the Foreign Secretary wrote a joint op-ed with his Swedish and German counterparts calling for the international community to back peace efforts. On 18 June, the Minister for the Middle East and North Africa spoke with senior Yemeni leaders and the Special Envoy during a "virtual visit" and called for urgent action to secure peace and avoid a humanitarian catastrophe.
Asked by: Lord Hylton (Crossbench - Excepted Hereditary)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of any progress towards a truce from Yemen, Libya and North and South Sudan; and what steps they are taking to promote a renunciation of the use of force by all states and other militant entities
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
We continue to work closely with international partners towards peace in Yemen, Libya, Sudan and South Sudan, amongst other countries in conflict.
We fully support the efforts of the UN Secretary-General and the UN Special Envoy's call for all parties to engage in urgent political talks and de-escalate the conflict in Yemen. Now that Saudi Arabia have extended their unilateral ceasefire it is more important than ever that all parties seize this opportunity for progress in Yemen. A permanent ceasefire and co-operation with the UN-led political process is the best defence we have against a potentially devastating outbreak of COVID-19.
We are also deeply concerned by the continuing fighting in Libya. All the signs are that, despite calls for a humanitarian truce, hostilities are continuing on all sides. UK leadership helped secure UN Security Council Resolution 2510, which demands full compliance with the UN arms embargo and an end to foreign military interference in Libya. We continue to urge all parties to agree a ceasefire and return to UN-led political talks, which is the only means of achieving the peace and stability that most Libyans crave.
We welcome recent progress made in both Sudan and South Sudan towards resolving their long-running conflicts. Through our membership of the Troika, we have engaged their governments and international partners to support their respective peace processes. At the UN Security Council on 28 April, the UK urged both governments to continue to focus on building sustainable peace. In South Sudan, conflict between the parties to the September 2018 Peace Agreement has reduced. In February this year, the formation of the Transitional Government of National Unity marked a significant step forward in implementing the deal, bringing opposition leaders into the government. Although implementation of the Peace Agreement has slowed since the COVID-19 outbreak, we continue to urge all sides to ensure momentum is maintained. The Minister for Africa reiterated this point with 1st Vice President Machar on 29 April.
On Sudan, the UK supports Prime Minister Hamdok's commitment to secure a sustainable peace agreement to end conflicts in the county. We welcome initial progress in peace negotiations and agreement of a cessation of hostilities. We continued to urge all sides to engage constructively and swiftly to reach a comprehensive and inclusive peace agreement; at the UN Security Council on 24 April we urged all Sudanese stakeholders to remain fully committed in the efforts to achieve lasting peace.
Asked by: Marquess of Lothian (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made in concluding a comprehensive and inclusive peace agreement in Yemen.
Answered by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon - Minister of State (Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office)
The UK welcomes the unilateral ceasefire announced by Saudi Arabia on 8 April following the call on 25 March by UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres for a cease to hostilities in Yemen. To ensure the success of this ceasefire, it must be underpinned by a political deal between the conflict parties. We fully support the efforts of the Secretary-General and the UN Special Envoy Martin Griffiths's call for all parties to engage in urgent political talks and de-escalate the conflict. Now that the Saudi unilateral ceasefire has been extended it is more important than ever that both the Houthis and the Government of Yemen seize this opportunity for progress in Yemen. A permanent ceasefire and co-operation with the UN-led political process is the best defence we have against a potentially devastating outbreak of COVID-19.
Asked by: Gregory Campbell (Democratic Unionist Party - East Londonderry)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the status of the peace process in Yemen.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
We have been at the forefront of international efforts to reach a political settlement to the conflict in Yemen. The UK has used its role as penholder at the UN Security Council to help push the Yemen peace process forward. In September 2019, the UK co-hosted a political event at the UN General Assembly where UN Special Envoy Martin Griffiths briefed his plan to begin political consultations. We welcome the Saudi-brokered Riyadh Agreement and the de-escalation we have seen in the border area in recent months. We are concerned about recent heavy clashes in the Nehm region and fully support the UN Special Envoy’s statement of 22 January calling on the parties to adhere to their commitments and avoid further escalation.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to help bring forward a peace settlement in Yemen.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
We have been at the forefront of international efforts to reach a political settlement to the conflict in Yemen, and there are currently positive steps towards de-escalation. The UK has used its role as penholder at the UN Security Council to help push the Yemen peace process forward. In September 2019, the UK co-hosted a political event at the UN General Assembly to coordinate the international community's support for the UN-led peace process. We are supporting the UN Special Envoy Martin Griffiths to protect progress on de-escalation and the Saudi-brokered Riyadh Agreement in preparation for wider political consultations.
Asked by: Keith Vaz (Labour - Leicester East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, when the next meeting of the Yemen Quad is scheduled to take place.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
A date has not yet been fixed for the next Yemen Quad meeting, but we continue to work closely with our Quad partners (US, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates) on Yemen, and with other international partners. On 26 September, the UK co-hosted a political event at the UN General Assembly to coordinate the international community’s support for the UN-led peace process and endorse the UN Special Envoy’s plan to begin wider political discussion.
Asked by: Dan Jarvis (Labour - Barnsley Central)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what assessment he has made of the status of the Stockholm peace process for Yemen.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The UK is deeply concerned by the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis in Yemen. We fully support the peace process led by the UN Special Envoy, Martin Griffiths, and urge the parties to engage constructively with it. We continue to maintain that a political settlement is the only way to bring long-term stability to Yemen and to address the worsening humanitarian crisis. There can be no military solution to the conflict.
Asked by: Stephen Twigg (Labour (Co-op) - Liverpool, West Derby)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to ensure that local Yemeni organisations are involved in the peace process in that country.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
The UK is supporting Yemen through £6.6 million of funding from the Conflict, Stability and Security Fund (CSSF) this year. This funding will support different programmes, including bolstering the UN’s capacity to facilitate the peace process, working with groups formally outside the formal peace process and establishing long-lasting conflict resolution mechanisms in Yemeni communities.
The UK will also continue to elevate and champion women peacebuilders in Yemen and provide spaces for Yemeni women to engage with the peace process and across the Tracks. We continue to support UN Women through the Yemeni Women’s Pact for Peace and Security (Tawafaq). This Pact is a powerful platform for Yemeni women leaders to forge strategic links, develop effective coalitions, and raise awareness of women organisations.
We are also funding a Gender Advisor and Senior Inclusion Advisor within the UN Special Envoy’s office to ensure the peace process is representative and inclusive. Through CSSF, we support a grassroots Track 3 initiative on women, peace and security to ensure local voices of Yemeni women are amplified in the peace process.
Asked by: Emily Thornberry (Labour - Islington South and Finsbury)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what progress he has made on preparations to table a UN resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire by all parties in the conflict in Yemen throughout that country.
Answered by Dominic Raab
A nationwide ceasefire will only have an effect on the ground if it is underpinned by a political deal between the conflict parties. The UK has played a leading role in diplomatic efforts to find a peaceful solution. On 26 September, the UK co-hosted a political event at the UN General Assembly to coordinate the international community’s support for the UN-led peace process and endorse the UN Special Envoy’s plan to begin wider political discussion.
The UK has used its role as penholder at the UN Security Council to help push the Yemen peace process forward. UK-proposed Resolutions 2451 and 2452 were unanimously adopted by the Security Council in December 2018 and January 2019, respectively. We have issued both P5 and UNSC statements this year, urging the parties to implement the Stockholm agreements and reiterating members’ support for the work of Martin Griffiths. Our work at the Security Council has helped to corral international support for UN Special Envoy and we will continue to use our role as penholder to support the UN-led peace process.
Asked by: Keith Vaz (Labour - Leicester East)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, what steps he is taking to open direct talks with the Houthi leadership in Sana’a to find a solution to the conflict in Yemen; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Andrew Murrison - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Defence)
We consistently urge all parties, including the Houthis, to engage constructively with the UN Special Envoy. A nationwide ceasefire will only have an effect on the ground if it is underpinned by a political deal between the conflict parties. A political solution is the only way to bring long-term stability to Yemen and to address the worsening humanitarian crisis. The Yemeni parties must engage constructively and in good faith with the UN Special Envoy to overcome obstacles to progress and find a political settlement to end the conflict.