Security Council Renews Ban on Destabilizing Actors in Yemen, Mandate of Sanctions Committee Expert Panel, Adopting Resolution 2564 (2021)

The Security Council, in a videoconference meeting today, decided to renew for 12 months a travel ban and assets freeze previously imposed on specific individuals and entities threatening Yemen’s peace, security and stability, while also extending for 13 months the mandate of its Panel of Experts on Yemen.

Adopting resolution 2564 (2021) under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations, and by a vote of 14 in favour to none against with 1 abstention (Russian Federation), the 15-member organ renewed until 28 February 2022 the measures imposed by paragraphs 11 and 15 of resolution 2140 (2014).  Those paragraphs obligated Member States to freeze the funds, other financial assets and economic resources on their territories controlled by individuals or entities designated by the Council’s sanctions Committee and asked them to take steps to prevent listed individuals’ entry into or transit through their territories.  The Council also reaffirmed related provisions of resolution 2140 (2014) and resolution 2216 (2015).

Deciding that the individual listed in the annex to today’s resolution — who has been deemed by the sanctions Committee to be engaging in or providing support for acts that threaten the peace, security or stability of Yemen — will be subject to the imposed sanctions, the Council affirmed that sexual violence in armed conflict and the recruitment or use of children in armed conflict could constitute such an act.  It further emphasized the importance of facilitating humanitarian assistance and reaffirmed its prior decision to allow the Committee to, on a case-by-case basis, exempt any activity from the imposed measures for humanitarian purposes.

By other terms of the resolution, the Council decided to extend until 28 March 2022 the mandate of the Panel of Experts as set out in paragraph 21 of resolution 2140 (2014), and paragraph 21 of resolution 2216 (2015), and expressed its intention to review the mandate and take action regarding a further extension no later than 28 February 2022.  It requested the Panel to provide a midterm update to the sanctions Committee no later than 28 July 2021, and a final report to the Council no later than 28 January 2022, and to include information on recent trends in the illicit transfer and diversion of conventional weapons and about the commercially available components which have been used by individuals or entities designated by the Committee to assemble unmanned aerial vehicles, waterborne improvised explosive devices and other weapon systems.

Members also reaffirmed the need for the full and timely implementation of a political transition following Yemen’s comprehensive National Dialogue Conference, in line with the Gulf Cooperation Council Initiative and Implementation Mechanism, and in accordance with its previous relevant resolutions.

[Security Council resolutions are currently adopted through a written procedure vote under temporary, extraordinary and provisional measures implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, as first set out in a letter (document  S/2020/253) by its President for March 2020 (China).]