Following a series of meetings with the parties in Riyadh and Muscat, including with the President of the Presidential Leadership Council, Rashad al Alimi, and Ansar Allah chief negotiator, Mohammed Abdul Salam, the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, welcomes the parties’ commitment to a set of measures to implement a nation-wide ceasefire, improve living conditions in Yemen, and engage in preparations for the resumption of an inclusive political process under UN auspices. The Special Envoy will now engage with the parties to establish a roadmap under UN auspices that includes these commitments and supports their implementation.

The UN roadmap will include, among other elements, the parties’ commitment to implement a nationwide ceasefire, pay all public sector salaries, resume oil exports, open roads in Taiz and other parts of Yemen, and further ease restrictions on Sana’a Airport and the Hudaydah port. The roadmap will also establish implementation mechanisms and prepare for a Yemeni-owned political process under UN auspices. 

Grundberg expressed his deep appreciation for the key roles played by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Sultanate of Oman in supporting the parties to reach this point. He urged all parties to exercise maximum restraint at this critical time to allow for a conducive environment for dialogue and the successful conclusion of agreement on the roadmap.

“Thirty million Yemenis are watching and waiting for this new opportunity to provide for tangible results and progress towards lasting peace. The parties have taken a significant step. Their commitments are, first and foremost, an obligation to the Yemeni people to progress towards a future that meets the legitimate aspirations of all Yemenis,” Grundberg said, “We are ready to accompany them on every step of the way.”