Tawakkol Karman (Yemeni human rights defender) on the situation in the country - Security Council Media Stakeout

Hello, we are delighted to present Ms. Tawakkol Karman, who's a Yemeni human rights defender and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. We attach great importance to hearing independent civil society voices in this council, including voices that may offer challenging perspectives. Today we had planned to have a briefing by Ms. Karman, speaking about the importance of Yemeni-owned and Yemeni-led peace process, that is inclusive of all aspects of Yemeni society. We deeply regret to have faced a strong opposition to this briefing and therefore the Council was not able to hear from her today, but we are happy to give her the opportunity to speak to the press. So without further ado, I give the floor to Ms. Carmen.

Thank you so much. Thank you so much. Peace be upon all of you. I would say some few words in Arabic then I will return to English. Can I have a minute? I would say some few words in Arabic then I will return to English. I would say some few words in Arabic then I will return to English. should be a place where the voices of women and civil society are heard, the voices of every free and independent person. That is why I will now speak before the press and the public opinion, what I could not say inside the Council. My main message to the Security Council is that the root of the crisis in Yemen is the collapse of the State, and that sustainable peace begins with its restoration. It's a very important point, and I think it's very important to note that the Houthis bear the main responsibility for the collapse of the Yemeni state since their coup against the transitional process and their occupation of the capital Sana'a in فيما اسهم الدعم الايراني لمليشيا الحوثي وضعف الحكومه المعترف بها دوليا وانقساماتها وتدخلات السعوديه والاماراتيه ومصادر القرار اليمني ودعم جماعات مسلحه خارج الدوله في اطاله الحرب والانقلاب وتعميقه الحل يكمن في استعادة دولة يمنية، جمهورية موحدة، ديمقراطية ذات سيادة بجيش وطني موحد يحتكر السلاح ويقوم على سيادة القانون والعدالة ومشاركة النساء استعادة الدولة اليمنية ضرورة Now I'm going to speak in English. Good afternoon, and thank you for coming. I was invited by the Danish Embassy, the head of the Security Council, thank you, today, before, you know, to speak. today before the Security Council and bring to its members the voices of Yemenis, their suffering and their aspirations for peace, freedom, democracy and the restoration of their state. Unfortunately, I was prevented from delivering my briefing after some countries objected to my participation. But I believe that the Security Council should be a place where the voices of women, civil society, are heard, not silenced, because some governments do not want to hear independent and free voices. That is why I'm standing here today before you to tell you what I was not able to say inside the Security Council chamber. I will say here that you will not be able to silence me. I will tell you, and before you know, the press and the public, that my full statement will be published on both the Tabukul Kerman Foundation and Women Journalists Without Chains website, and also in Nobel Women Initiative website in English and Arabic. My central message is that the root cause of Yemen's crisis is the collapse of the state. After more than a decade of war, millions of Yemenis continue to face hunger, poverty, displacement, and grave human rights violations, with women and children bearing the heaviest burden of this tragedy. The Houthis bear primarily responsibility for the collapse of the state following their seizure of Sana'a and their overthrow of the transitional process in 2014. Since then, they have dismantled state institutions, imposed their authority by force of arms, committed widespread human rights violations, restricted women's rights, arbitrarily detained and forcibly disappeared activists, journalists, and UN personnel, and recruited children. Iranian military, financial, and logistical support for the Houthis has also prolonged the war and undermined prospects for peace. At the same time, the poor performance, lack governance, and divisions of the international recognized government have furthermore undermined state institutions and the rule of law. The intervention of the Saudi-led coalition alongside with the UAE intervention has also weakened the internationally recognized government, deepened fragmentation, contributed to the proliferation of armed groups outside state authority, and undermined Yemen's sovereignty. The failure of the international community to protect civilians, ensure accountability, and implement Security Council resolution has further compounded the crisis. Today, with renewed clashes, Houthi missile attacks on Yemen and Saudi Arabia, and attacks on shipping in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab, the risk of another full-scale war has become very real. And this is no longer a Yemeni crisis alone. The continued collapse of the state in Yemen threatens international navigation and trade, energy security, and global supply chains, and undermines regional and international peace and security. I call on the Security Council to pressure all parties to immediately de-escalate and attacks on civilians and civilian infrastructure and prevent another full-scale war. But de-escalation alone is not enough. The Security Council must support an inclusive Yemeni-led political process that restore Yemen's sovereignty in all its territory and independent national decision-making, rebuild state institutions, unifies military and security institutions under state authority, disarms armed groups, and ensure justice, accountability, and redress for victims. I also call on the Security Council to continue to demand the immediate and unconditional release of all those arbitrarily detained or abducted people. Humanitarian access must be unhindered and there must be independent investigation into crimes committed by all parties and accountability for those responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity. The Council should also consider establishing a special international court mechanism for Yemen to prosecute war crimes and crimes against humanity. Peace in Yemen cannot be sustainable without women. Women must be full partners in peace negotiations, state building, and decision making with representation of no less than 30% in accordance with the resolution 1325 and the outcomes of the national dialogue conference. The outcomes of the UN-supported national dialogue conference endorsed by Security Council remains the most realistic foundation for rebuilding Yemen's future. The Security Council Council must press for the protection of national economic institution the regular payment of public sector salaries the dismantling of war economy the fight against corruption and an end to the flow of weapons financing and military support to the houthis and all other armed groups operating outside the state Authority further the council must enforce sanction regime and hold accountable all those who fuel human rights violations and demand peace or threaten Yemen's sovereignty, unity, or territorial integrity. My final message is that peace in Yemen cannot be reduced to a ceasefire or to a fragile truce. nor to the division of power and influence among armed groups and their external backers. Sustainable peace means restoring the Yemeni state, one united, sovereign, and democratic state that is governed by the rule of law and is accountable to its people. Yemenis are not asking the international community to build their future for them. They are asking to stand with them, with Yemenis, as they reclaim their country and build their own future. Fifteen years ago, I was honored to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for standing alongside my country and its brave people in their peaceful struggle for freedom, dignity, democracy, and human rights. Today, I invite the Security Council to stand with the Yemeni people, not only because they deserve peace, democracy, freedom, and rule of law, but also because a united, sovereign, democratic, and stable Yemen is essential to protecting international navigation and trade, energy security, and global supply chains, and ultimately, regional and international peace and security. The Yemeni people are ready to be active partners with the international community in building that future. Thank you so much.

Madam Karmann, on behalf of the United Nations Correspondents Association, thank you for coming to the stakeout. My name is Edith Lederer from the Associated Press. In light of the opposition that you faced in the Security Council, what realistic steps do you think need to be taken to both de-escalate and put Yemen back on a peace process that will lead to the reunification peacefully of the country?

Regardless what happened today in the Security Council, which reflects how Yemeni people voices is neglected, But I would convey a very important message on that thing, that if the world, if the international community want global and regional peace and the peace in the Red Sea and for the international trade and for the supply chains, they have to start with supporting Yemeni people on reclaiming their state, on restoring their state. And that will not be habit if the current authority remain divided. If the current authority couldn't return to Yemen capital to run the country from inside, if there is armed groups supported by outsiders, if Houthi militia continue taking their support from Iran. So this is my message, that we need to rebuild the Yemeni people. And if they want sustainable peace process in Yemen, they have to start with Yemeni people. And by Yemeni people, they are the one who can create sustainable peace.

Madam Karaman, this is with Media Network. I have two questions. Can you name the countries that prevented you from talking today at the Security Council? If not, why? And secondly, what are your thoughts on Turkey joining the Saudi-led coalition to ensure what they call freedom of navigation in the Red Sea? Thank you.

Really, I don't know. What countries is the name of countries that prevent me from talking inside the Security Council? And I don't want to know. I don't know, and I don't want to know. The only thing that I want to do now is to sending them a message that we are Yemenis want a real great partnership with all countries members of this UN. We want to free our country, Yemen. And I'm here not to make any problems, any enemy acts against any countries. I came here to convey the voice of people, the voice of civilians, the voice of Yemen, that Yemen should be again a democratic republic that ruled by by rule of law, by democracy, and by equal citizenship, that the dreams of people in the peaceful revolution in February, peaceful revolution in 2011, should be implemented. I'm telling them also to start work to return to the national dialogue outcomes as a good reference and as a good foundation establishment for sustainable peace. So I'm not going to ask who behind because they block my voice like they block Yemen voices and people but here I'm trying to open gates for Yemen and to open partnership and to call for accountability to those people you know uh committed and countries committed crimes against Yemen and by the way who is is the people who who uh afraid from my voice and who are who committed you know the crimes in Yemen.

The freedom of navigation coalition, please.

Yeah, about Turkey and the coalition between Turkey and Saudi and Pakistan. We welcome this coalition. And we want this coalition to be to extend to many other countries. Because what is happening in the Red Sea and in the region needs all Arab people, all Muslims people, all countries in the region to make this kind of coalition. We need that coalition to face the collapse in the Red Sea and the instability in the navigation. So we welcome that coalition.

Ask in Arabic.

Yes.

Thank you very much. You mentioned that the solution in Yemen is to restore the state. Yemen is now at a crossroads between a non-official ceasefire that is collapsing and escalation that threatens Yemen's collapse in a wider regional conflict, as we heard the warnings in today's words. What is the best way for Yemenis to restore the state? Is there still room for peace or is it Al-Harb, I am a human.

Rights activist and a Nobel Peace Prize winner, and I believe that the political solution is the best solution to stop wars and conflicts, and also to overthrow the oppressive regimes. That is why the peaceful revolution in 2011 was still going on, and I believe that the Yemenis are capable of creating real peace through dialogue and political processes. سيqodha Yemeni on nasam al-mashkila hu an al-majtam'a al-dawli abtad an ahm anjaz anjazhu yemeni ba'd thawrat hadashar february wa fe athna'a al-amliya al-intiqaliya wa hiya al-amliya wa hiya al-amliya al-siyasiya aw al-huwa mukhrjata al-huwar al-watani in istata'a al-majtam'a al-dawli an yadghat min ajr al-'awda ila mukhrjata al-huwar al-watani fa hiya ta'tabar asas muham la'a'da al-amliya al-siyasiya ila masaraha al-sahih wa lmawajahat al-harb yani ayi sinario Al-Harb, we call on the Houthis to really govern the mind and to look at Yemeni before looking at its external ties, not to be a tool for Iran in destabilizing the security of the region and the world and in committing more violations against Yemenis. We call on him to really be brave and to engage with Yemenis in a real dialogue that leads to the independence of Yemen and its sovereignty and the safety of its territory.

Madam Carmel, could you tell us what you just, what the question was in English?

Yeah, I'm afraid about my English language, by the way, but I'm trying. Look, he was asking me about the possibility of peace or war, what is, you know. what Murad said, what is more, peace or war in Yemen. So I told him that as a Nobel Peace Prize laureate, as a human rights defender, as one of the leaders of peaceful revolution, I always believe on nonviolent and on peaceful work, peaceful act for resolving conflict and also for overthrowing the dictators. So yes, there's a very big possibility for Yemeni people together and to solve the problems. And the most important problem that now we are facing that the international community didn't focus on the outcomes of the national dialogue. That is very important outcomes that can be a great foundation for peace process. So I'm calling them to return to them because Houthis was part of this, you know, outcomes. In addition to that, I believe that and I called Abdul Malik Al-Houthi and Houthi militia to rethink, to reconsider. Yeah, I'm calling Abdul Malik Al-Houthi and his militia to think about their affiliation with Iran, more than attacking, you know, the sovereignty and the human rights in Yemen. They have to lead with Yemenis and by Yemenis, and they have to accept to be, and we call them to be a political party. And this is what we said from the beginning of the peaceful revolution. Yeah.

Thank you.

Other questions? Okay. Everything is my statement, and if you want the whole statement, you will find it in the, in the, where? In my website. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.