Press Conference on Yemen 20 March 2023

19:58

MP4

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20-03-2023

Edited News , Press Conferences | UNITED NATIONS

Press Conference on Yemen 20 March 2023

ENG

Shotlist Story

STORY: Yemen Detainees’ Exchange Agreement – UN, ICRC

TRT: 4 min 07s

SOURCE: UNTV CH

RESTRICTIONS: NONE

LANGUAGE: ENGLISH/NATS

ASPECT RATIO: 16:9

DATELINE: 20 March 2023 GENEVA, SWITZERLAND

SHOTLIST

Exterior wide shot: UN flag alley UN Geneva.
Cutaway: medium shot, speakers behind podium
SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Hans Grundberg, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen: “The parties have agreed on implementation plans to release 887 conflict-related detainees from all sides. They also agreed to reconvene in mid-May to discuss more releases. They further committed to exchange joint visits to each other's detention facilities and to enable access to all detainees during these visits.”
Cutaway: medium lateral shot, speakers behind podium, journalists and photographers at the press conference, UN Geneva.
SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Hans Grundberg, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen: “Today, hundreds of Yemeni families can look forward to reuniting with their loved ones. But it is important to remember that when the parties committed to the detainee’s exchange agreement, they made a promise not just to each other, but to the thousands of Yemeni families who have been living with the pain of separation from these dearest to them for far too long.”
Cutaway: close lateral shot, speakers behind podium at press conference room, UN Geneva.
SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Hans Grundberg, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen: “I also would like to remind all of us that much remains to be done. A comprehensive and sustainable end to the conflict is necessary if Yemen is to recover from the devastating toll the eight-year conflict has had on its men and women. To this end, I will continue my work with the parties, regional members and the international community, to make progress towards an inclusive, Yemeni-led political process that sets the foundation for a better future for Yemen.”
Cutaway: medium lateral shot, speakers behind podium, journalists at the press conference, UN Geneva.
SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Fabrizio Carboni, ICRC Regional Director, Near and Middle East: “I saw first-hand the joy of families who are reunited with their loved ones, detainees. In 2020, we had already more than a thousand detainees released, again in partnership with the UN. In 2022, we also accompanied 177 detainees unilaterally released. And today, again, we are ready to play our role as a neutral intermediary in transporting detainees, making sure that they are aware of what will happen to them and make sure that they are in conditions to return.”
Cutaway: medium shot of journalists in the press room.
SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Fabrizio Carboni, ICRC Regional Director, Near and Middle East: “And we hope that soon negotiations can resume for the release of the remaining detainees. I also have thoughts for the many families who have no news of their loved ones because they are detained, dead, or just wounded and without news.”
Cutaway: medium shot with speakers at podium.
SOUNDBITE (ENGLISH) Fabrizio Carboni, ICRC Regional Director, Near and Middle East: “We need to be very prepared for the day the simultaneous release takes place and then improvise, because we all know that such a complicated and difficult exercise requires a lot of adjustments, improvisation, and luckily we have a level of trust with all the parties involved in this release. We have this unique partnership with the UN in Yemen, and I have no reason to believe that it won't be a success. And a success which needs to happen as soon as possible, because we all know Ramadan is coming and I think we can't lose a single day to have those detainees reunited with their families.”
Various cutaways of journalists and speakers in the press conference room; speakers setting up for handshake and group photo.

The parties to the conflict in Yemen have agreed at talks in Switzerland to swap more than 880 prisoners after they concluded a 10-day meeting facilitated by the Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

“The parties have agreed on implementation plans to release 887 conflict-related detainees from all sides”, said Hans Grundberg, UN Special Envoy for Yemen, when speaking to media today at the United Nations in Geneva. “They also agreed to reconvene in mid-May to discuss more releases. They further committed to exchange joint visits to each other's detention facilities and to enable access to all detainees during these visits.”

These latest closed-door negotiations marked the seventh meeting of the Supervisory Committee which was established under on the Stockholm Agreement, a UN mediated accord from December 2018, to support the parties in meeting their commitments to release all conflict-related detainees.

“Today, hundreds of Yemeni families can look forward to reuniting with their loved ones”, said Mr. Grundberg. “But it is important to remember that when the parties committed to the detainee’s exchange agreement, they made a promise not just to each other, but to the thousands of Yemeni families who have been living with the pain of separation from these dearest to them for far too long”, he said.

The exchange of conflict-related detainees has been under discussion as a key confidence-building measure under the Stockholm Agreement between the parties to the conflict.

The nearly decade-long conflict in Yemen began in 2014 when Houthi insurgent militias first took control of the country’s capital and largest city, Sana’a.

“I also would like to remind all of us that much remains to be done”, said Mr. Grundberg. ”A comprehensive and sustainable end to the conflict is necessary if Yemen is to recover from the devastating toll the eight-year conflict has had on its men and women. To this end, I will continue my work with the parties, regional members and the international community, to make progress towards an inclusive, Yemeni-led political process that sets the foundation for a better future for Yemen.”

In previous meetings of the Supervisory Committee, the parties have agreed to adopt a phased approach to fulfill their obligation to release all for all.

“I saw first-hand the joy of families who are reunited with their loved ones, detainees. In 2020, we had already more than a thousand detainees released, again in partnership with the UN”, reminded Fabrizio Carboni, ICRC’s Regional Director for the Near and Middle East. ”In 2022, we also accompanied 177 detainees unilaterally released. And today, again, we are ready to play our role as a neutral intermediary in transporting detainees, making sure that they are aware of what will happen to them and make sure that they are in conditions to return.”

A UN-brokered ceasefire that took effect in April 2022 brought a sharp reduction in hostilities. The truce expired in October, though fighting largely remains on hold.

“We hope that soon negotiations can resume for the release of the remaining detainees”, said Mr. Carboni. “I also have thoughts for the many families who have no news of their loved ones because they are detained, dead, or just wounded and without news.”

ICRC emphasized that the prisoner’s exchange must be carefully planned, and that the detention releases are to be completed before the beginning of Ramadan in two days.

“We need to be very prepared for the day the simultaneous release takes place and then improvise, because we all know that such a complicated and difficult exercise requires a lot of adjustments, improvisation, and luckily we have a level of trust with all the parties involved in this release”, Mr. Carboni said. “We have this unique partnership with the UN in Yemen, and I have no reason to believe that it won't be a success. And a success which needs to happen as soon as possible, because we all know Ramadan is coming and I think we can't lose a single day to have those detainees reunited with their families.”

The conflict in Yemen has created one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters. According to the UN, more than 21 million people – two thirds of the population - are in need of humanitarian assistance, five million are at risk of famine, and a cholera outbreak which began in October 2016 has affected over one million people. An estimated 4.5 million people – or 14 per cent of the population - are currently displaced, most of whom have been displaced multiple times.

-ends-

Teleprompter

[Other language spoken]

Welcome everyone to the United Nations in Geneva today we have the great pleasure and honour to have here with us to brief the Geneva Press Corps, the delegates to the conclusion, sorry, the delegates, to the 7th meeting of the Supervisory Committee on the implementation of the Detainees Exchange Agreements.

We have with us Hans Grunberg, the Special Envoy of the Secretary General of Yemen, Fabrizio Carboni, the Regional Director for Near and Middle East of ICRC, and the heads of delegations from Yemen.

We will now start with a few introductory remarks from Mr Grundberg and from Mr Carboni, and then we will open the floor for a few questions.

And I will start immediately by giving the floor to Mr Hans Grundberg.

[Other language spoken]

Thank you very much.

Good afternoon everyone and thank you very much for for being here today.

I am pleased to announce that the 10 day meeting of the Supervisory Committee on the implementation of the Detainees Exchange agreement concluded today with a positive outcome.

The parties have agreed on implementation plans to release 887 conflict related detainees from all sides.

They also agreed to reconvene in mid-May to discuss more releases.

They further committed to exchange joint visits to each other's detention facilities and to enable access to all detainees during these visits.

I would like to thank the parties who are with us here today for engaging in constructive dialogue and negotiating in good faith to make the needed compromises to reach this conclusion.

I urge them to facilitate the speed implementation of the releases and to build further on today's outcome and agree on more releases.

I also encourage the parties to release additional detainees on a unilateral and ongoing basis.

Today's outcome is a welcome development and positive progress towards the parties fulfilment of their obligation under the Stockholm Agreement to release conflict related detainees on an all for all basis.

Today, hundreds of Yemeni families can look forward to to reuniting with their loved ones.

But it is important to remember that when the parties committed to the Detainees Exchange Agreement, they made a promise not just to each other, but to the thousands of Yemeni families who have been living with the pain of separation from these dearest to them for far too long.

I would like to thank take this opportunity to thank our colleagues from the ICRC for the great partnership as Co chairs since the establishment of the Supervisory Committee.

I highly appreciate the support and logistical facilitation that the ICRC is providing for the implementation of this agreement.

I would also like to thank the Swiss government for its hospitality and generosity and unwavering support to this important file.

I wish to extend my gratitude to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan for having hosted several meetings in the Supervisory Committee in the past.

For hundreds of Yemeni families, today is a good day.

Unfortunately, Yemen doesn't experience as many good days as as it deserves, so I warmly congratulate all involved for this achievement.

But I also would like to remind all of us that much remains to be done.

A comprehensive and sustainable end to the conflict is necessary if Yemen is to recover from the devastating toll the eight-year conflict has had on its men and women.

To this end, I will continue my work with the parties, regional members and the international community to make progress towards an inclusive, Yemeni LED political process that sets the foundation for a better future for Yemen.

Thank you very much.

Thank you very much, Special Envoy, and I would like to now give the floor to Fabrizio Carboni, ICRC Regional Director for Near the Middle East.

[Other language spoken]

I mean in the humanitarian line of work, we don't have often good news to announce.

So today I, I will just, you know, with pleasure, repeat this.

This words is that very soon 887 detainees will be reunited with their families.

For the ones knowing conflict, for the ones knowing Yemen, they know how important it is for the families and for the people of Yemen.

It's an expression of hope.

It's an expression of humanity.

And it indicates the way I had for all parties to the conflict.

I saw first hand the joy of of families who are who are reunited with their loved ones detainees.

In 2020, we had already more than 1000 detainee release, again in partnership with the UN.

In 2022, we also accompany 177 detainees unilaterally release.

And today again, we're ready to to play our role as neutral intermodary in transporting detainees, making sure that they are aware of what will happen to them and make sure that they are in conditions to to return.

Obviously, to do this work, the ICIC teams will need free and unfettered access to the detainees, especially in the coming days and weeks, so that we can conduct individual interviews in private.

This allows us to gather the informed consent to be transfer and identify any special needs that they have.

I just want to acknowledge also that there is still way more to be done.

You still have detainees who haven't made it to the finalists and we hope that soon negotiation can resume for the release of the remaining detainees.

Also have thoughts for the many families who have no news of their loved ones because they're detained that are just wounded and without news.

So really hope that we can move also on the files of the people who went missing during these years of conflict.

Hope that the the positive momentum created over the last 10 days will translate without delay into more talks and negotiations to alleviate the suffering of detainees and civilians because of the conflict.

[Other language spoken]

Thank you very much, Mr Caboni.

I will now open the floor to a few questions, only a few and I will start well.

I will start with a journalist from our host country.

We have Laurence Ciero, who is from the Swiss News agency at this.

Thank you, special envoy.

So it's one additional confidence building measure in the long path towards peace.

How confident are you that there might be thanks to that and other move an improvement in the political dialogue this year?

And briefly Fabricio Carboni, so last time there that was a huge operation in on two different consecutive days.

Can you anticipate how it will be this time?

[Other language spoken]

Thank you very much for that question.

As those of you who have been following me in my work, I try to take one step at a time, but with a long term vision and that I think remains my ambition when it comes to facilitate an end to the conflict in Yemen.

There.

I think that we have seen development lately during the last year that have given hope that things can move in the right direction.

And that I think is something that we ourselves, the United Nations, but also the Yemeni parties, will have to use to the best of our ability in order to come to a sustainable end of the conflict.

And and so without giving any particular direct promises of any future development, I can assure you that we will, We, the United Nations, and together with the parties will do our best in in making sure that we use the opportunity that we have in the upcoming.

[Other language spoken]

I mean on, on the, on, on the, on the implementation of of the release.

First of all, I, I would not focus on the on, on transport and logistic because as you manage our organisation, it's about protecting people.

It's not, we are not UBS, we are you may turn organisation.

So yes, it's, it's massive because we need to do that across frontline, across borders.

So it requires a lot of of work of preparation gives me the opportunity to thank my colleagues who are here in the room who are going to do the heavy lifting.

So we need to be very prepared for the day the the simultaneous, simultaneous release takes place and then improvise because we all know that such a complicated and and difficult exercise requires a lot of adjustment, improvisation.

And luckily we have a level of trust with all the parties involved in this release.

We have this unique partnership with the UN in Yemen.

And I have no reason to believe that it won't be a success and a success which needs to happen as soon as possible, because we all know Ramadan is coming and I think we can't lose a single day to have those detainees reunited with their families.

Thank you very much.

[Other language spoken]

If you could speak in English or I'll translate for you after.

No, the list complete the party aeon Paul Rosso modo the the party.

[Other language spoken]

So the question of our colleague journalist is, first of all, if you have the complete list of the detainees to exchange and how many for each party, for each side, and also if you think that the the improvement in the relationship between Iran and Saudi Arabia can help the process.

Thank you very much.

On the on the first question, I think that at this point of time, we we are in a position to mention that there are 887 detainees that will be released and we will not enter into giving further details than that.

The this issue needs to be respected as a sensitive one and with the respect for the families of the detainees.

So this moment that is the, the information that we will provide at this point.

On your second question, you, you will know that I, I just a couple of a short week back made a mission both to Tehran and to Riyadh and had constructive discussions with representatives of both governments there.

And there is a from the discussions, I feel that there is a willingness to, to engage in a positive direction on, on settling the and trying to come to a settlement of the conflict in Yemen.

So I think that that is something that I will bring with me in the work that I carry out.

[Other language spoken]

Thank you very much, Al Jazeera.

[Other language spoken]

If you can introduce yourself.

[Other language spoken]

1 2nd.

The question is, we had at the beginning apparently a list of 2000 plus detainees to be released and we have not made it to that number.

What is the reason?

Thank you very much.

I think that that for those who have knowledge about the complicated negotiations about the Leon when it comes to to release of detainees, understand that the the the difficulties that and the complexities, the absolute complexity that these negotiation represent.

And therefore, obviously we, we and my colleagues and all of us who who engage and also the parties enter into all these meetings with an all for all principle and hope for for thousands of of a result on thousand.

But this at this moment of time and following the 10 days that the parties negotiated, we reach an agreement of 887.

And I think that that from the the on the overall level is is a first step and a good step.

And then the parties have agreed to reunite in mid-May and will will continue.

So the negotiations don't just don't end here.

That will continue.

[Other language spoken]

Can we take one more or is that OK?

[Other language spoken]

No, just let me take I'm, I'm trying to get people from a little bit everywhere.

And I have a question from MFRT from Reuters.

[Other language spoken]

Just to elaborate, if you wouldn't mind on my colleagues question, what were the main sticking points this time?

Why was it not possible to have an all for all?

And could you confirm how many detainees remain?

[Other language spoken]

Don't know who would like to take this.

Again and and Fabrizio, you could probably confirm this is the when you negotiate release of detainees, the identification of the detainees that you negotiate about is what takes time basically.

So it's a matter of a complex process that takes time.

However, we have now in at this moment engaged in a negotiation ahead of Ramadan as exactly as Fabrizio mentioned during his speech, that that there is a a particular element of releasing detainees ahead or during the month of Ramadan in order to reunite detainees with their loved ones during the month.

And that, I think is is what has been achieved here.

[Other language spoken]

No, nothing to nothing to add, but I just would like to stress that negotiating such a sensitive issue as people detained required some level of discretion, trust and and I believe that issue around number of detainees is one of the issue among many others which is better managed in a in a discreet and constructive manner.

I'm I'm looking at the special envoy.

I don't know if we we we had said two or three questions.

[Other language spoken]

Taha has asked for the floor.

[Other language spoken]

Associated Press Television.

Do you have any specific deadline to release the TNS and the other, the second one we have here that they will be a political talks between Saudi Arabia and Houthi group to to reach a solution politic.

Could you elaborate on that?

Mr Hassan is from AP Television, Please.

[Other language spoken]

On on that line.

I wouldn't want to say that there is a deadline, but obviously you can't say that to the families of the detainees.

They want their loved ones to be released as quickly as possible.

Every day that goes is a painful day for every single family.

And therefore I think that it is in all our responsibility for all of us who works and negotiate with these issues to work as speedily as possible.

But as I mentioned earlier, it is a complex process and needs to be allowed also to take some time in order to be carried out in the in the right way.

When it comes to to the, the second question, I believe there is, as I mentioned to the Security Council a couple of days ago, a regional momentum that is ongoing with, with efforts and also a serious degree of diplomatic efforts being done on different levels when it comes to trying to find a settlement of the conflict in Yemen.

There, as I mentioned to, I think it was the first question that was asked from the Swiss media.

I'm, I'm not in a position to, to provide you any promises on how this is going to be carried out or, or deadlines.

But, but I think that just to reiterate what I mentioned earlier, I believe that we have a, we have a Germany has an environment right now where there are possibilities to stay, take serious steps forward and and this is something that needs to be be used.

Thank you very much.

[Other language spoken]

I apologise also with the 20 plus journalists that are online.

They wanted to ask questions, but we really have to stop here.

So thank you very much, Thanks to all our speakers, to the Special Envoy, to the Regional Director and to the delegates from Switzerland and from Yemen.

Thank you very much to everyone.