More than 150 civil society organizations call on Human Rights Council to support National Committee to Investigate Allegations of Human Rights Violations in Yemen

More than 150 civil society organizations called on the Human Rights Council to support the National Committee to Investigate Allegations of Human Rights Violations in Yemen by listening to all victims, with the aim of achieving justice and fairness.

The joint statement by 151 organizations, of which Jusoor Post obtained a copy, indicated that the nine-year war in Yemen has claimed thousands of casualties, in addition to the continuation of human rights violations and the increase in the intensity of violence in all forms, especially directed against women, children, minorities, the marginalized, journalists, and human rights activists.

The organizations also called for the need to reduce violations and for pressure and advocacy to support national human rights protection mechanisms concerned with monitoring, documentation, and early, immediate and comprehensive investigation into all violations in order to ensure that victims obtain their rights and access to justice and reparation.

The statement explained that the violations affected various types of rights, most notably the right to life, dignity, well-being, and equality, as well as and freedom of opinion, expression, and movement, in addition to the prohibition of torture, which increases the concern of civil society organizations working in Yemen.

The statement noted that despite the undeclared truce that many concerned with the human rights file in Yemen are talking about, the bombing and indiscriminate targeting of residential neighborhoods continues in more than nine governorates, claiming the lives of innocent people, causing terror and dismay among them, and obstructing aid delivery to the population, in addition to the planting of individual mines, which is prohibited in many of the protected environments in which women live in the countryside of more than 13 governorates, causing thousands of mortalities and the mutilation among civilians, as well as incidents of gender-based violence, child recruitment, arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances, restrictions on the work of civil society organizations, and torture of opponents, activists, and journalists.

The civil society organizations indicated in their statement that the National Committee to Investigate Allegations of Human Rights Violations, since its establishment in September 2012, began its field work to reach victims and preserve evidence at the beginning of 2016. Through the committee’s legal field teams, it was able to document and investigate more than 25,511 violation cases that claimed the lives of more than 46,000 victims throughout Yemen, committed by all parties, despite the great challenges it faces, such as a lack of resources, delays in providing technical assistance, and other obstacles.

The organizations called on the members of the Human Rights Council to continue providing technical support to the National Committee effectively and without delay, raising the allocated budget for the Committee to ensure that it performs its mandate in monitoring and investigating human rights violations professionally, and providing it with specialized expertise in IEDs, gender, satellite image analysis, and other technical specializations that the Committee needs, as well as to put pressure and call on the parties to the conflict in Yemen to facilitate its work and its access to all areas and places witnessing violations.

The statement stressed the need to support national justice and redress mechanisms and strengthening their roles in enforcing the law, represented by the judiciary and its independence, to ensure access to justice for all, especially women, children, and marginalized groups, in addition to supporting the recommendation of the National Committee to establish special courts and prosecutions for human rights violations, as well as recommendations for improving referral systems.

It also urged mechanisms for reparation and compensation, including establishing a special fund for the survivors of sexual and gender-based violence, as well as victims of war in all Yemeni regions.

Names of the organizations signatory to the statement:

1. Yemeni Coalition for Monitoring Human Rights Violations (Rasd

Coalition)

2. National Union of the Poorest Groups

3. Sah Foundation for Human Rights

4. Southern Feminist Bloc

5. International Alliance for Defending Rights and Freedoms

6. Human Rights League

7. Civil Network for the World, Development and Human Rights (25

organizations and institutions)

8. Civil Network for Development, Media, and Human Rights Protection

9. Yemeni Network for Rights and Freedoms

10. Supreme Coordination Council for Civil Society Organizations

11. American Center for Justice

12. Humanitarian Center for Human Rights

13. National Center for Development and Liberties

14. Yemeni Center for Transitional Justice

15. Arab Future for Development

16. Yemeni Platform for Studies and Media

17. Social Democratic Forum

18. Popular Organization for Defending Freedoms

19. National Organization for Human Rights

20. National Organization of Yemeni Journalists, Sada

21. Yemeni Organization for Prisoners and Abductees

22. National Foundation for the Protection of Women and Children

23. National Development Corporation

24. National Foundation for Social Development

25. National Foundation for Development and Human Rights / Hajjah

26. Yemeni Foundation for Women’s Policies

27. Yemeni Organization for Combating Human Trafficking

28. Civil Authority for Victims of House Bombings

29. National Authority for the Defense of Rights and Freedoms (HOOD), the team of the Sheba and Shabwa region

30. Popular Organization for Defending Freedoms

31. Women’s Alliance for Peace in Yemen

32. National Accord Movement

33. Women and Children Association for Social Development

34. Popular Neighborhoods Youth Association

35. Kifaya Social Association

36. De Yament for Rights and Development, Sana’a Municipality

37. Association of Mothers of Abductees

38. Development Media Association

39. Association for the Protection of Abused Women and Survivors of Houthi Prisons

40. Media Network for Peace and Security (MFP)

41. SAM Initiative for Peace and Human Rights

42. Layalis Youth Volunteering Initiative

43. Together Initiative for Peace at Home and Abroad

44. Al-Musaimeer Sons Forum for Social Development

45. Sons of Taiz Forum for Rights and Freedoms

46. Media Freedoms Observatory

47. People’s Center for Human Rights

48. Taiz Jurist Center

49. Women and Child Development Center

50. Haqqi Center for Supporting Rights and Freedoms - Geneva

51. Center for the Protection and Rehabilitation of Women and Girls

52. Rasd Center for Rights and Development - Al Bayda Governorate

53. Aden Center for Monitoring, Studies, and Training

54. Yemen Forum for the 21st Century

55. February 11 Organization for Defending Rights and Freedoms

56. Ahrar Organization for Human Rights and Development

57. Al-Bidaya Organization for Thought

58. Al-Jawf Organization for Human Rights and Freedoms

59. Life is Yours Organization for Human Rights

60. Al-Rasid Organization for Human Rights

61. Al-Resala Organization for Community Development - Al-Bayda Governorate

62. Peace Organization - Imran

63. Al-Salam Organization for Social Development and Human Rights

64. Social Peace Organization

65. Justice and Equity Organization

66. Al-Shahed Organization for Promoting and Supporting Democracy and Human Rights

67. Resident Rights Organization

68. Insan Organization for Rights and Development - Saada

69. Awtad Anti-Corruption Organization

70. Irada Organization Against Torture and Enforced Disappearance

71. Elaf Organization for Community Development, Al Bayda Governorate

72. Imprint of Hope Organization for Development and Human Rights

73. Imprint of Hope Organization for Development and Human Rights - Lahj

74. Bena Organization for Development

75. Ta’ayush Organization for Rights and Development

76. Taqsa Organization for Development and Human Rights in Hajjah Governorate

77. Jusoor Organization for Peace and Coexistence

78. Hajour Organization for Human Rights

79. My Freedom Organization - Hodeidah

80. My Freedom Organization for Development and Human Rights

81. Freedom and Justice Organization for Human Rights

82. Freedom and Fair Organization for Justice and Development

83. Yemeni Foundation for Women’s Policies

84. Protection Organization for Civil Orientation - Marib

85. Kholoud Organization for the Families of the Martyrs and the Wounded

86. National Foundation for Development and Human Rights / Hajjah

87. Monitor Organization for Rights and Development - Al Mahwit

88. Rights Organization for Rights, Freedoms and Development

89. Monitoring Organization for Rights and Liberties

90. Monitoring Organization for Human Rights - Al Mahwit

91. National Foundation for Social Development

92. Raqeeb Organization for Human Rights

93. SAM Organization for Rights and Development

94. Socotra Organization for Rights and Freedoms

95. Sawa Organization for Rights and Liberties - Rima

96. Sawasiya Organization for Human Rights

97. Siaj Organization for Child Protection

98. Shahid Organization for Rights and Development

99. Shahid Organization for Development and Human Rights - Marib

100. Shahid Organization for Rights and Liberties - Seiyun

101. Shumoa Organization for Rights and Liberties

102. Witnesses Organization for Human Rights

103. Justice Organization for Development and Human Rights

104. Aoun Organization for Human Rights

105. Ain Organization for Human Rights - Al Bayda Governorate

106. Qawasim Organization for Rights and Development - Hodeidah

107. Karama Organization for Human Rights

108. Karama Organization for Rights and Political Empowerment

109. Karama Organization for Rights and Liberties

110. Kony Watan Organization for Rights and Freedoms

111. Mada Organization for Rights and Liberties

112. Rasd Center for Rights and Development Organization - Al-Bayda

113. Rasd Organization for Rights and Development- Al-Bayda

114. Musawa for Rights and Freedoms

115. Mayon Organization for Human Rights

116. Nidal Organization for Human Rights

117. National Foundation for the Protection of Women and Children

118. Human Free Organization for Rights and Development

119. Wethaq Organization for Civil Orientation

120. Akon Foundation for Rights and Liberties

121. Edarak Foundation for Freedom and Legal Development

122. National Development Foundation

123. Third Alternative Foundation for Community Development

124. Al-Salem Foundation for Humanitarian Relief

125. Al Dhalea Foundation for Media and Monitoring

126. Food for Humanity Foundation

127. Ta’ayush Foundation for Rights and Development

128. Yemeni Women’s Empowerment Foundation

129. Haq Foundation for Human Rights

130. Gulf of Aden Foundation for Human Development and Social Services

131. Defense Foundation for Rights and Liberties

132. Resalati Foundation

133. Rafd Foundation for Rights, Freedoms and Protection

134. Rowad Foundation for Development and Human Rights

135. The Yemeni Platform for Studies and Media

136. Addameer Foundation

137. Marib Girls Foundation

138. For You Foundation for Development and Training

139. Law Foundation for Justice and Development

140. Queen Foundation for Development and Human Rights

141. Kayan Foundation for Peace and Development

142. Peace Path Initiative Foundation

143. Yemen Future Foundation for Cultural and International Development

144. Southern Feminist Bloc

145. International Alliance for Defending Rights and Freedoms

146. Civil Network for Development, Media and Human Rights Protection

147. Yemeni Network for Rights and Freedoms

148. Supreme Coordination Council for Civil Society Organizations

149. Humanitarian Center for Human Rights

150. National Center for Development and Liberties

151. Arab Future for Development