Abdullatif Alzayani stresses GCC's support to UN envoy

Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary-General Abdullatif bin Rashid Alzayani met with the Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General to Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed and discussed the current political, security and humanitarian situation in Yemen.

The two sides reviewed the efforts of the UN Envoy to pursue the peace consultations and push the political process forward in Yemen on the basis of the GCC initiative, the outcome of the national dialogue and the UN Security Council International Resolution 2216.

Alzayani reiterated the GCC support to the efforts of the UN envoy to pursue the peace consultations in Yemen, stressing the keenness of the member states on achieving stability in Yemen and ensuring humanitarian relief aid reaches the Yemeni people so as to alleviate their suffering.

The Security Council has unanimously adopted resolution 2342 (2017) under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, reaffirming its strong commitment to the unity, sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Yemen, and expressing concern at the ongoing political, security, economic and humanitarian challenges in Yemen, including the ongoing violence, and threats arising from the illicit transfer, destabilizing accumulation and misuse of weapons.

The UN council reiterated its call for all parties in Yemen to adhere to resolving their differences through dialogue and consultation, reject acts of violence to achieve political goals, and refrain from provocation, reaffirming the need for all parties to comply with their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law and international human rights law as applicable.

It also expressed its support for and commitment to the work of the Special Envoy for Yemen to the Secretary-General, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, in support of the Yemeni transition process, exoressing its concerns that areas of Yemen are under the control of Al‑Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and about the negative impact of their presence, violent extremist ideology and actions on stability in Yemen and the region, including the devastating humanitarian impact on the civilian populations, expressing concern at the increasing presence and future potential growth of the Islamic State affiliates in Yemen and reaffirming its Keen to address all aspects of the threat posed by AQAP, ISIS, and all other associated individuals, groups, undertakings and entities.