Madam President,
I would like to thank Hans Grunderberg, Joyce Msuya and David Gressly for their briefings.

As the Special Envoy said, the situation on the ground remains fragile and we must be vigilant. The negotiations that have been underway for several months must move forward and lead to an agreement. We call on the parties, and in particular the Houthis, to make the necessary efforts to achieve a lasting nationwide ceasefire. This is an essential step towards putting an end to the "neither war, nor peace" situation and launching a political process under the aegis of the United Nations. In this respect, France welcomes the renewal of the mandate of the United Nations mission in support of the Hudeidah agreement, which is playing a useful role on the ground.

France calls on the Houthis to cease any action that could damage Yemen’s already fragmented economy, whether by blocking imports of domestic gas from Marib or by putting pressure on the UNVIM mechanism, which is essential to enable the continued import of essential goods. It is vital that Yemen is able to build a stronger economy, providing public services to all Yemenis and an economy that also allows the private sector to operate without interference or intimidation. 

Yemenis must be able to access their salaries, in the North as well as in the South. France and the European Union, aware of the importance of UNVIM for the stability of the country and the region, will continue to support this mechanism.

Madam President,
On the diplomatic front, France reiterates its full support for the work of the Special Envoy, whose mobilization to achieve a peace plan we commend. France salutes the diplomatic efforts of certain regional players, in particular Oman and Saudi Arabia. Only a comprehensive and inclusive political solution that takes into account the concerns and interests of all Yemenis will bring the conflict to an end. Yemeni women politicians must be involved in the discussions.

We also heard in the briefings that the humanitarian situation remains worrying. The Yemeni population suffers from growing food insecurity, at a time when there is a lack of funds to finance the humanitarian response. Working and safety conditions for humanitarian workers continue to deteriorate. We once again call on the Houthis to put an end to the restrictions imposed on these workers, including those intended for female humanitarian workers.

Protecting Yemeni children also remains a priority. We welcome the drop in recruitment in 2022, as mentioned by the Special Envoy. Nevertheless, serious violations continue, and we call on the Houthis to implement the commitments they have made to the United Nations: they must stop recruiting children to send them into combat, and stop indoctrinating them in so-called summer camps.

France calls for the immediate release of the 13 Bahais detained by the Houthis. It reiterates its commitment to freedom of religion or belief on an equal footing with all other fundamental freedoms.
Madam President,

With regards to the Safer tanker, we welcome the encouraging news we heard today from the Resident Coordinator: progress in the rescue operation, arrival of the rescue tanker Nautica. We call on Member States and the private sector, as several French companies have done, to redouble their efforts to make up the missing budget.
Thank you.