International probe into Yemen war crimes sparks Saudi-UAE concern
GENEVA, Sept. 20 (YPA) – A new draft resolution submitted to the 60th session of the Human Rights Council in Geneva is raising alarms in Saudi Arabia and the UAE.
According to informed human rights and diplomatic sources, the resolution, led by a group of Western nations including Belgium, Ireland, Canada, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg, aims to re-authorize the mandate of the UN Group of Eminent International and Regional Experts on Yemen.
The move seeks to enable the experts to resume their investigations into war crimes and human rights violations committed by the Saudi-led coalition.
The resolution, which is expected to be put to a vote on October 6, would extend the experts’ mission for one year, with the possibility of renewal. Its focus would be on conducting comprehensive investigations, particularly in Yemen’s southern provinces, with periodic reports to be submitted to all relevant UN bodies.
Sources noted that the effort to reinstate the expert group, whose mandate was ended in 2021 due to Saudi and Emirati financial and political pressure, is backed by a joint statement from Yemeni and international human rights organizations. Groups like Human Rights Watch and the Cairo Institute for Human Rights are calling for the re-opening of accountability files for crimes committed against the Yemeni people since the war began in March 2015, with the goal of preventing impunity.
In response, the coalition countries, primarily Saudi Arabia and the UAE, are reportedly working with the Arab Group in Geneva to prepare a counter-resolution under Item 10 of the Human Rights Council agenda. This move is an attempt to avoid potential international legal pressure related to the crimes committed in Yemen.
The coalition-backed government is also reportedly proposing to Saudi Arabia and the UAE a plan to “support the mandate of the Yemeni National Committee for another year with limited international technical capabilities.” The aim is to prevent a full investigation into war crimes, which are not subject to a statute of limitations.
Media outlets aligned with the coalition have warned that a vote to bring back the UN expert group would have serious repercussions for Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and the coalition-backed government.
The previous UN expert panel had previously condemned Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and their affiliated factions for committing violations that amount to war crimes in Yemen, including torture and sexual assault in coalition-run prisons.
YPA