Statement by Deputy Permanent Representative Anna Evstigneeva following the UNSC Vote on a Draft Resolutionon Extending the Sanctions Regime against Yemen
Madam President,
The Russian Federation abstained in the vote on the UK-drafted UNSC resolution renewing the UN Security Council sanctions regime against Yemen for another twelve months, and extending the mandate of the Panel of Experts (PoE) supporting the 2140 Yemen Sanctions Committee.
We would like to remind you that sanctions, which is one of the most powerful tools in the Security Council's arsenal, are primarily designed to facilitate political settlement and advance peace and stability “on the ground.” At the same time, it is unacceptable to use sanctions so as to further parochial political agendas nor to punish or exert undue pressure on certain parties.
The Yemeni context is no exception, the highly politicized approach adopted by our Western colleagues there is only pushing us further away from returning the settlement process back to a peaceful diplomatic track.
The resolution adopted today is replete with numerous unbalanced and one-sided passages that openly antagonize one of the parties to the Yemeni conflict. Moreover, the language of the resolution effectively paves the way for future tightening the sanctions regime against Yemen. We cannot support such an approach.
Madam President,
We see no alternative to an inclusive inter-Yemeni dialogue involving all influential political forces “on the ground,” including the Ansar Allah movement. The Special Envoy of the Secretary-General, Mr. Hans Grundberg, has a key mediating role to play in facilitating this process. Given the favorable conditions that have developed in the Middle East, we urge him to immediately intensify his efforts to reconcile the Yemeni stakeholders and establish sustainable mechanisms for interaction between them. We emphasize that it is crucial to ensure active engagement of Yemen's regional partners – Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Iran, and Oman.
Thank you.
