May 22, 2015
May 22nd marks the 25th anniversary of Yemen’s Unity Day. The Group of Ambassadors to Yemen wishes to take this occasion to honor all Yemenis who have continued the struggle to build a better future for their country and for future generations. Yemenis have survived armed conflict related to political transitions in the past and successfully faced challenges like those occurring in Yemen today. But it is important to recall the significant strides that have been made in advancing the country’s democratic transition. Yemenis from all regions and from all walks of life came together in the National Dialogue Conference to chart a new course for their country, setting an example for those who believe change can come through peaceful dialogue and not through the use of force and threats. Now is the time for the Yemeni political parties to come together again.
The Riyadh Conference has again reminded us all that the only course to preserve Yemen’s unity, sovereignty, independence, and territorial integrity is by maintaining that same commitment to a process founded on negotiation, inclusion, and reconciliation. We offer our steadfast support to those who are demonstrating their commitment to peaceful political change. On the occasion of this National Unity Day, we extend our warmest wishes to the government of President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi and Vice President Khaled al-Bahah and to all Yemeni people who are working to build a unified, stable, democratic, and prosperous Yemen.
The Group of Ambassadors expresses support for active international involvement in the process of finding the solution to the conflict in Yemen on the basis of the GCC Initiative and its Implementation Mechanism, the National Dialogue outcomes, and United Nations Security Council Resolution 2216 and prior resolutions related to Yemen. In this context, the Group welcomes the UN efforts and the activities of Special Envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed. With the announcement by the UN Secretary General of the launch of inclusive consultations in Geneva on May 28, we urge all the Yemeni participants to engage in these UN consultations.
[The Group of Ambassadors to Yemen is the enlarged Group of Ten Ambassadors to include major contributors to Yemen’s peaceful transition. The G16 consists of the Ambassadors of China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, the United States, the European Union, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, the Gulf Cooperation Council, plus Germany, Japan, the Netherlands, and Turkey.]
