OHCHR in Yemen

 
The resignation of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, on 24 November 2011, after months of protests and the initiative of the Gulf Cooperation Council, led to the formation of a two-year transitional Government.  President Hadi’s election, on 21 February 2012, was meant to be followed by a process of army and security restructuring, restoration of security in the capital and the country at large,  the launch of a national dialogue process  to pave the way for a new constitution, and general elections by the end of the two-year transitional period.

 
Based on OHCHR assessments and on more specific sector analysis, the Country Office will concentrate its efforts on two of the office-wide thematic priorities, namely 1) combating impunity and strengthening accountability, the rule of law and democratic society, on the one hand, and 2) protecting human rights in situations of violence and insecurity. In terms of combating impunity and strengthening accountability, the rule of law, and democratic society, the Country Office will focus on supporting the process for transitional justice, accountability and inclusive participation in public affairs.  In terms of the global mandate of the Office in terms of monitoring and reporting, the Country Office will focus on general protection concerns while paying special attention to the most vulnerable groups (women, children, refugees and IDPs as well as elderly and disabled people).

The Yemen Office will have the opportunity to assist the Yemeni Government in building the foundations for protecting and promoting human rights. OHCHR Yemen Office aims at providing its expertise to support relevant institutions towards building an effective national human rights protection system and to assist national counterparts on reforming the legislation in line with international human rights norms and standards. It also aims at promoting cooperation and dialogue among all stakeholders to accompany the transition and institution building; ensuring coordination among international and national actors in key areas and mainstreaming human rights in the context of reform.

 
The Yemen Office seeks to accomplish five main results: 1) Increased compliance with international human rights standards by all States entities in Yemen, including national human rights institutions and the Judiciary, as well as with domestic laws, policies and programmes; 2) Justice and accountability mechanisms established and functioning in accordance with international human rights standards to monitor, investigate and redress civil and political, as well as economic, social and cultural human rights violations; 3) Right-holders, specially discriminated groups and particularly women, increasingly use existing national protection systems and participate in decision-making processes and the development and monitoring of public policies; 4) Increased compliance and engagement by governments with UN Human Rights Mechanisms and Bodies (TBs, SPs, HRC/UPR); and 5) Increased integration of human rights standards and principles into the work of the Humanitarian Country Team, including the Protection Cluster Working.