In light of the fourth cycle of the United Nations Universal Periodic Review (UPR) process of Yemen, Non c’è Pace Senza Giustizia (No Peace Without Justice) has submitted two written contribution outlining urgent concerns on issues related to the Yemen’s current Human Rights condition and offers recommendations that should be implemented in the country to ensure their protection.
The first document underlines how the persisting conflict situation disproportionally affects the more vulnerable parts of the population, with particular attention to children’s ever restricting safe access to schooling, their involvement in the conflict as child soldiers and the issue of child and forced marriages. It also focuses on the overall degradation of women’s rights, tackling the issues of domestic sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV), and also access to health and freedom of movement. Among its recommendations, the document highlights the potential role of Transitional Justice as an important unifying tool to mend the fracture created by the ongoing conflict and offer recommendations to ensure accountability, justice and reconciliation for the people of Yemen
The second document, jointly submitted with the NGO Human Rights Sentinel, underline how the fragile human rights context, compounded with massive human rights violations perpetrated by all warring parties and their external sponsors, needs to be become the centre of any political solution to the current conflict by putting the victims at the forefront of any international and national initiative supporting the peaceful resolution of the war. Its recommendations highlights how only the implementation of a holistic Transitional Justice process, with a strong human rights-centred approach, can halt and reverse the risk of fragmentation and balkanisation of the country.
The recommendations, directed towards the authorities of the Yemen, will be considered at the 46th Session of the UPR Working Group to be held in May 2024.
- Download the NPWJ submission on “Protecting women’s and children’s human rights to enable transitional justice in Yemen”
- Download the NPWJ/Human Rights Sentinel joint submission on “Transitional Justice as a means to unify Yemen”
For further information, please contact Gianluca Eramo (Director of Operations and Secretary of NPWJ International Committee) on geramo@npwj.org or Nicola Giovannini (Press & Public Affairs Coordinator) on ngiovannini@npwj.org.
