UN Security Council votes to expand sanctions against Houthi terrorist militias

The United Nations Security Council will vote today on a proposal by the United Arab Emirates to impose an arms embargo on the Houthis in Yemen, after the terrorist group claimed several attacks with drones and missiles on the UAE this year.

According to Reuters, such a measure would extend the UN arms embargo on a number of Houthi leaders to the entire group, requiring nine votes in favor and none of the permanent members of the Security Council – Russia, the United States, Britain, France and China – to veto.

This measure will be taken on the last day of Russia’s presidency of the Security Council. The presidency will be transferred to the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, in accordance with the alphabetical order traditionally used in the highest and strongest international forums for the “maintenance of international peace and security”.

The text of the draft resolution to be put to vote today, prepared under Chapter 7 of the Charter of the United Nations, states that the Security Council “strongly condemns the cross-border attacks by the Houthi terrorist group”, including attacks on Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates that targeted civilians and civilian infrastructure, calling for “the immediate cessation of such attacks”, and calls for “the full and timely implementation” of the political transition process following the Comprehensive National Dialog Conference, in line with the Gulf Cooperation Council initiative and its implementation mechanism, and in accordance with its previous relevant resolutions, stressing that “there is no military solution to the current conflict”, because “the only viable path is dialog and reconciliation between the various parties”, including but not limited to the Yemeni Government, the Houthis, the main political parties, the regional parties, as well as civil society and youth.

By the 24-paragraph text, the Security Council decides to renew until 28 February 2023 the measures imposed by resolutions 2140 of 2014 and 2216 of 2015.

The Iran-backed Houthi group has been subjected to the measures imposed by paragraph 14 of resolution 2216, expanding these sanctions to include the entire group, not just a number of its leaders.

It stresses the importance of facilitating the provision of humanitarian assistance and facilitating commercial imports, noting that the measures imposed by resolutions 2140 and 2216 are not intended to have adverse humanitarian consequences for the civilian population in Yemen, nor for civilian access to humanitarian assistance, commercial imports or remittances. It encourages Member States to support the capacity-building efforts of the Yemeni Coast Guard to effectively implement the measures imposed by resolution 2216, with full respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Yemen, and also calls on Member States to intensify efforts to combat the smuggling of arms and components by land and sea, to ensure the implementation of the targeted arms embargo.

Recalling the provisions of resolutions 2140 and 2216 on individuals or entities sanctioned by the Sanctions Committee, underlining the criteria set out in those resolutions, and stressing that sexual violence in armed conflict, or violations committed against children in armed conflict, such as the recruitment or use of children in armed conflict in violation of international law, may constitute an act as defined in resolution 2140, and thus is punishable by engaging in or providing support for acts that threaten peace, security or stability in Yemen. It also affirms that the criteria for identification set out in paragraph 17 of resolution 2140 may include cross-border launches from Yemen using ballistic missile technology, and stresses that the criteria set out in paragraph 17 of resolution 141 can be specified Merchant ships in the Red Sea or the Gulf of Aden by parties to the conflict.

Under the draft resolution, the Security Council would decide to extend until 28 March 2023 the mandate of the Panel of Experts in accordance with resolutions 2140 and 2216, expressing its intention to review the mandate and take appropriate action with regard to the additional extension no later than 28 February 2023, and would request the Secretary-General of the United Nations to take the necessary administrative measures as soon as possible to re-establish the Panel of Experts, in consultation with the Committee until 28 March 2023, as appropriate, on the experience of the members of the Panel established pursuant to resolution 2140. The Panel of Experts would be requested to provide updates on recent trends in the illicit transfer and diversion of arms and illicit components, available from individuals or entities, and systems identified by the Commission for the assembly of conventional weapons and unmanned weapons and explosive devices, or entities It calls on all states to respect and implement their obligations to prevent the direct or indirect supply, sale or transfer of arms to Yemen, or to the benefit of designated individuals and entities acting on their behalf or at their direction in Yemen and related materials of all types.