The first week of bilateral consultations with various Yemeni stakeholders concluded yesterday, 10 March. Leaders from the General People’s Congress and representatives from Al-Islah Party, the Yemeni Socialist Party and the Nasserist Unionist People's Organization met with the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, to discuss ideas for his Framework, including a multi-track process, that aims to chart a path towards a sustainable political settlement to the conflict.

The Special Envoy explained that the intent of the consultations was to gather, in an honest and frank way, ideas, views, and suggestions on immediate and long-term priorities for the political, security and economic tracks. He stressed the importance of engaging with multiple Yemeni groups in the consultations, so that the Framework is informed by diverse voices.

All participants welcomed the consultations and expressed support for the Special Envoy’s efforts. A range of issues were raised by the participants regarding the agenda and priorities of the three tracks, the guiding principles for the political process and issues related to process design. Participants highlighted the need for a ceasefire and the urgency of returning to negotiations and resuming the peace process.

Some of the key points raised during the first week of discussions focused also on the need to address the plight and common challenges facing all Yemenis including the humanitarian situation and alarming living conditions of civilians across the country and the need to address a fractured economy.

The Special Envoy will continue his planned bi-lateral consultations with other parties and stakeholders in the coming weeks. Next week, he will meet in Amman with representatives of the Southern Transitional Council, the Inclusive Hadhramout Conference, the General People’s Congress, security and economic experts and civil society.