Yemen International Forum II The YIF is the largest international annual conference bringing together Yemeni civil and political actors to engage in constructive dialogue on Yemen’s future. The conference offers a neutral space for Yemeni actors of all stripes to come together and collectively craft solutions for sustainable peace. The YIF conference is part of a larger initiative that includes consultations with Yemeni stakeholders and experts, the production of research based on the conference outcomes, and extensive regional and international shuttle diplomacy that takes place throughout the year. These Yemeni-Yemeni dialogues are intended to complement the formal UN-led peace process, ensuring the creation and maintenance of an inclusive multi-stakeholder platform to engage in envisioning and building a post-war Yemen.


The second Yemen International Forum was convened in the Hague, Netherlands, from June 12-15, 2023. More than 200 participants attended, traveling from Yemen and other parts of the world to collectively work toward more just, inclusive, and sustainable visions for peace

The conference is part of the YIF, a locally designed process providing an inclusive platform for Yemeni actors to engage in problem-solving discussions on the future of Yemen. The YIF looks towards the future, with the aim of contributing to a Yemeni vision for a just and inclusive peace, by bringing together political actors, mediators, experts, civil society, activists and journalists from across the  social, political, and economic spectrum to jointly create a Yemeni vision for the future of  the country.

Building on the work of the first YIF, the 2023 Forum focused on a just, inclusive, and sustainable peace, which served as the three guiding principles that informed the different sessions and plenaries that took place over the four-day event. YIF 2023 focused on three main thematic files: Political Pathways to Peace, Economic Recovery, and Justice and Reconciliation. Other themes – Gender equality and women’s participation, security reform, and the environment and water – were incorporated throughout the Forum’s agenda in different plenaries and side sessions. YIF II overall outcome: Develop Yemeni vision for an inclusive, just and sustainable peace. The conversation on peace in Yemen is enhanced, grounded in local knowledge and realities and reflective of the voices of the different groups in Yemen.

The aim is to contribute to Yemeni-Yemeni dialogue and broaden perspectives through participatory mid- to long-term vision-building. This allows a constructive exchange to take place despite the current political stalemate. Political actors will be encouraged to take a step back and consider how they envision Yemen post-settlement and their role therein, including actions they could commit to now that will contribute to realization of that vision. 

Sub-outcome 1: Political Pathways to Peace: Building an inclusive peace through a Yemeni-Yemeni dialogue across political divides while guaranteeing the meaningful participation of women, youth and civil actors.

Political Pathways to Peace merged topics that were dealt with as stand-alone files in YIF I, namely, security sector reform, political life, the southern issue, and political settlement. Driven by the principle of inclusive peace, YIF II aimed to bring closer diverse perspectives on these interlinked aspects to peace. Integrating them was conducive to a dynamic engagement between the parties involved in the conflict, on the one hand, and civil society – women, youth, and (unarmed) political parties – on the other. It also broke with the tendency to work in silos (political, security, economy). 
 
The post-settlement vision aimed at identifying the building blocks for a post-war Yemen in terms of the form of the state, security sector reforms, governance and communal peace-building practices. Practical initiatives needed along the way include reforming the local security sector through community oversight, reactivating political pluralism and revitalizing the role of political parties through youth engagement, identifying avenues for (early) economic recovery, identifying long-standing conflict drivers that can also serve as entry points to conflict resolution such as water governance, and ensuring that peace talks – be they international or regional – do not settle for a partial deal that sidelines the aspirations of the broader Yemeni public.

The YIF aimed to support the creation and continuation of such practical initiatives throughout its 12-month process and through creating synergies with other initiatives, such as the 4-year long Peace Incubator and the Yemen Peace Forum. Online consultations and shuttle diplomacy prior to the YIF conference helped identify aspects of post-settlement Yemen where there’s an adequate level of common understanding. The online consultations helped develop a scenario-building framework. Beyond general involvement, women peace activists was provided with a platform to advance ideas based on previous work done by Track II women’s initiatives. Forum participants also endorsed practical initiatives that actors would be willing to commit to and implement following the forum.

To this end, Political Pathways to Peace focused on the following sub-objectives: 

Output 1.1: Guarantees are in place to ensure that peace talks – whether UN-led or regional – do not settle for a partial peace deal that sidelines the aspirations of the broader Yemeni public.

This output takes into consideration two main peace negotiation tracks, a) the UN-mandated formal peace process, and b) the unannounced peace talks led by some of the regional powers. 

The UN-mandated formal peace process works with a level of transparency and aims in principle to engage broad sections of Yemeni society through various mechanisms, including women and youth advisory groups and consultations with political parties and other actors. However, it lacks a mechanism for regular feedback loops between the UN special envoy and local civil actors working on mediation and peace-building. The YIF II aims to establish this mechanism, which will allow for communal peace-building practices to be scaled up and to inform and be informed by international mediation.

Stakeholders: UN OSESGY and select local mediators.

The unannounced peace talks led by regional powers are taking place without a clear framework. While this could aid de-escalation en route to a comprehensive political settlement, it also risks achieving a partial settlement that undermines the aspirations of the wider Yemeni public. As such, it would ultimately result in an unsustainable and unjust peace. Given the lack of a formal framework for these regionally led peace talks, it is difficult to establish mechanisms for inclusion at this stage. The YIF II aims to bring these peace talks out of the shadows through transparent discussions between Yemenis and representatives of regional powers on the opportunities and risks of regionally led peace talks.

Stakeholders: Official representatives and/or experts close to the governments of Saudi Arabia, UAE and Oman, representatives from the OSESGY, and Yemeni and other international experts from research and public policy organizations.

Output 1.2: Revitalization of political pluralism: Youth engaged as political actors. 

Building on the work of the first YIF, where it became apparent that political parties suffer from serious internal crises, YIF II will focus on addressing the ability of political parties to renew their relationships with their bases and reclaim their collective role as a cornerstone of political pluralism. In particular, YIF II will focus on the engagement of young women and men in political parties, their expectations from their leadership, and the roles they could play in revitalizing political parties and expanding their bases. There are long-standing existing initiatives that work with youth in political parties, and YIF II will collaborate with relevant organizations to build and complement this work. The Sana’a Center will also ensure this output is incorporated into our long-term initiative with political parties by establishing a youth in political parties.

Stakeholders: Young women and men from political parties who will be engaged in consultations prior to the Hague forum along with individual consultations with party leaders. In The Hague, these stakeholders will drive broader discussion toward agreement on practical steps to be implemented post-forum by political parties.

Output 1.3: Local mediation is assessed as an entry point to dialogue and peace-building: water mediation practices as an example.

Historically, Yemenis turn to mediation practices to solve tribal violence and conflicts. In this context, mediation has been more successful than arbitration and is rooted in an in-depth understanding of socioeconomic conditions and political contexts. Local abilities to deal with conflicts have deteriorated as the war has exacerbated community-level tensions and established war-driven patronage networks that make it risky for local mediators to serve their communities. This output aims to review successful community-based water mediations and consider how to build on them in ways that mitigate the risk of water conflicts escalating to the point of impeding broader peace-building efforts. Because water mediation procedures vary regionally, YIF II will connect a geographically diverse set of local-level mediators with Yemeni and international experts to strengthen and better support local-level water mediation. 
Local mediation has a longstanding history in Yemen as an effective tool for resolving conflicts, particularly at the community level. However, the ongoing conflict has strained local mediation capacities, as war-driven patronage networks and heightened tensions have made it difficult for mediators to operate effectively. Against this backdrop, community-based water mediation has emerged as a potential entry point for dialogue and peace-building, providing a pathway for local actors to engage in broader conflict resolution and trust-building. Strengthening and supporting these local-level water mediation processes can serve as a means of mitigating the risk of conflicts escalating and impeding broader peace-building efforts in Yemen. As such, connecting geographically diverse local-level mediators with Yemeni and international experts can provide a valuable opportunity to enhance existing mediation and contribute to sustainable peace in Yemen.

Output 1.4: As an entry point to building trust, a joint road-map for water governance is developed by the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Fisheries (MoAIF), the Ministry of Water and Environment (MoWE), and the National Water Resources Authority (NWRA).

Shared governance over natural resources has been highly politicized, especially in relation to sectors that generate public revenues such as oil. However, in contrast water governance has the potential to be advanced through building on technical coordination initiatives. 

Yemen’s water crisis is a common cause of conflict, and water and environment governance structures are under extreme stress due to war and the institutional divisions between Aden and Sana’a. At the same time, however, better coordination around water and environment governance can serve as an entry point to building trust. Empowered public water management bodies are further crucial for environmental resilience and can play an important role in managing water on a holistic and sustainable basis. While Yemen has a good regulatory framework for water and the environment, including national strategies, water laws, bylaws, and a decentralized approach to domestic water governance, there are flaws in the institutional framework – such as an overlap of mandates – that create bottlenecks when it comes to implementation. YIF II will aim to bring representatives from the various water and environment public institutions to think collectively about ways to overcome these structural impediments. Along with representatives of the MoAIF, the MoWE, and the NWRA, international independent experts will be engaged to provide input on the overlapping tasks of regulating agencies and their impacts.

The ongoing conflict and institutional divisions in Yemen present a challenge, and water governance offers an opportunity for progress towards better coordination and sustainable peace. Yemen’s water crisis is a common cause of conflict, and future conflicts are expected to be over water. Despite having a good regulatory framework for water and the environment, there are flaws in the institutional framework that create bottlenecks in the implementation of laws and policies, such as overlapping mandates and institutional divisions between Aden and Sana’a. YIF II aims to provide a platform for representatives from various public institutions, including MoAIF, the MoWE, and the NWRA, to think collectively about ways to overcome structural impediments to water governance and develop a joint roadmap. With the involvement of relevant independent experts, this initiative will contribute to sustainable peacebuilding efforts in Yemen, reduce the risk of future conflict over scarce natural resources, and promote environmental resilience.

Sub-outcome 2: Toward Economic Recovery: Enhancing resilience and early recovery, focusing on the banking sector and pathways to revitalizing key economic sectors. 

Orienting policy makers toward post-settlement economic recovery included moving toward a shared Yemeni vision on integrating economic policies, reconstruction, and revitalizing critical sectors of the economy. In line with the overall YIF II outcome, this objective brought closer a vision of diverse political and civil actors on aspects relating to economic recovery. To do this, political and civil actors were guided to think beyond immediate contested issues to focus on the future through a constructive Yemeni-Yemeni dialogue that also engaged key regional and international actors whose roles are critical for economic recovery.

At the same time, YIF II built on key achievements of the first YIF with regard to economic mediation led by Yemenis bankers and private sector leaders to de-escalate the economic warfare and encourage integrated monetary and fiscal policies across the political divide.

Output 2.1: Address critical challenges to the banking sector through a mediation initiative with leaders in the Yemeni banking sector.

Yemeni banking-sector leaders started a mediation initiative during YIF I to rein in divisions in the monetary system and ensure a level of technical coordination across the political divide. YIF II will assess where these efforts stand given changes to the political context and adjust the existing mediation initiative accordingly. Throughout YIF II, banking sector leaders operating across the country will maintain dialogue with political actors toward de-escalation, particularly with regard to the dual currency schism. The aim will be to achieve a minimum level of technical coordination over the management of the banking sector and money exchange market and monetary base nationwide, and improve relations with the global financial system through coordination on AML/CTF statutes under an inclusive mechanism that allows the sharing of bank operations data with concerned external bodies. 

Stakeholders: bankers with operations across the country, representatives from the Aden and Sana’a Central Banks (if possible), the Banking Committee, OSESGY, and economic experts working closely on this issue such as DeepRoot.

Output 2.2: Coordination is enhanced on public resource management. 

Continuing the work initiated in YIF I, YIF II will engage public officials , including Yemeni senior public finance officials from the Ministry of Finance and central bankers based in northern and southern Yemen as well as private sector leaders and OSESGY experts, in facilitating solutions that broaden sources of public revenue and prepare the way for a practical plan to share and redistribute resources and ensure a minimum level of coordination and de-escalation of public finance policies. The aim would be to reduce tension around fiscal policies and diminish the risks facing the telecommunication sector which, based on our current assessments, appears to be the next target for escalation of the economic war. 

Stakeholders: representatives from the Ministry of Finance and the CBY and their respective Economic Committees in Sana’a and Aden,, OSESGY, representatives from the telecommunication sector and the private sector leaders, and experts working closely on this issue such as DeepRoot.

Output 2.3: Engagement mechanisms are established among representatives from two key economic sectors (agriculture and fisheries), relevant policy makers, and private sector leaders.

YIF II will focus on moving forward one aspect of the YIF I discussion on local economic growth opportunities by focusing on two key economic sectors: agriculture and fisheries. Throughout YIF II, representatives from Yemeni farming and fishery cooperatives will converse with policy makers and private-sector leaders on how to overcome challenges facing these two sectors and identify needed interventions. Beyond the Yemeni cooperatives, participating parties will include the World Bank, Ministry of Agriculture and Ministry of Fishery representatives based in Sana’a and Aden, the Food and Agriculture Organization, USAID, the UN Development Programme, and Yemen’s Social Fund for Development. 

Yemen is among the most vulnerable countries to climate change; however, awareness on climate change among Yemeni politicians, private sector and civil society actors remains limited. YIF II will shed light on current mechanisms for climate impact assessments and how to access global climate change funds that can help restore livelihoods lost to climate change. How climate change impacts Yemen varies regionally, and YIF II will engage a geographically diverse array of Yemeni stakeholders, including farmers, fishermen, private sector and civil society actors, local officials and experts in natural disaster management and climate change, as well as representatives from the MoWE and MOPIC. International actors will be engaged for input on funding strategies.

Yemen is facing severe economic challenges due to ongoing conflicts and the devastating impacts of climate change, with limited awareness among politicians, private sector actors, and civil society on the issue. The YIF II aims to address this by raising awareness of the impact of climate change and the mechanisms that exist for making climate impact assessments, including ways to access global climate change funds to restore lost livelihoods. YIF II will engage a diverse group of stakeholders, including farmers, fishermen, local officials, private sector and civil society actors, and experts in natural disaster management and climate change, as well as seek input from international actors on funding strategies. Climate change funds can contribute to the economic recovery of Yemen by supporting efforts to mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change, such as developing climate-resilient infrastructure, promoting sustainable agriculture and fisheries practices, and supporting the development of renewable energy sources. While climate change funding alone may not be sufficient to drive economic recovery in Yemen, it can play an important role in supporting efforts to build resilience, promote sustainable development, and create new economic opportunities in the face of environmental and other challenges.

Sub-outcome 3: Justice and Reconciliation: Building peace that includes a justice process with redress for victims and respect for human rights, fundamental freedoms.

During the preparation phase of YIF I, reservations about the sequencing of justice and reconciliation issues in relation to the peace process emerged, suggesting a risk of derailing a potential political settlement. It was also apparent that there were disagreements on conceptual definition of “transitional justice” during previous processes, such as the National Dialogue Conference. Thus, at that stage, our aim was to put transitional justice and reconciliation issues on the discussion table and encourage a conversation about concepts and principles of transitional justice. To this end, YIF I explored options for local reconciliation and justice tools, engagement with victims’ families and survivors of violations, and shared successes and failures from other countries with experience in transitional justice and reconciliation.

Since then and over the past six months, engagement and activism on transitional justice, reconciliation and accountability increased with new initiatives coming to the fore and more attention on this issue from donors and the OSESGY. YIF II built on this momentum and focused on practical coordination mechanisms and ways of organizing survivors, as well as furthering common understanding on aspects not previously discussed. The aim of YIF II was to ensure that the principles of justice, accountability and reconciliation are not undermined in any potential post-war agreements. Toward this end, Open Society Foundations (OSF), for instance, continued to support the file on justice and reconciliation. Through their partnership, the Sana’a Center and OSF jointly exerted efforts to ensure that justice and reconciliation are better coordinated and included in the overall peace process. The Sana’a Center also reached out to the Reconciliation and Social Peace Committee in Taiz as a potential local partner on this file and established communication with the donors’ Group of Friends on Transitional Justice.

Output 3.1: A roadmap for transitional justice is developed, laying out ways to establish a platform for coordinating justice and reconciliation efforts in Yemen based on a victim-centered approach.

At the beginning of each peace process there is a clear risk of giving away amnesties and indemnities to the detriment of the larger population and a sustainable and just peace. Concrete ways to include transitional justice in (or after) a peace process must be developed at an early stage, in compliance with international norms and standards. 

In Yemen, a number of local civil society organizations work on the topic of transitional justice with varying degrees of knowledge, expertise and capacity. A platform for coordination is needed to strengthen their collective advocacy work, enhance peer-to-peer knowledge exchange, and promote the documentation of violations. YIF II will engage in intensive preparations with the other organizations prior to the forum in The Hague to explore the best options for establishing this platform, which shall be refined further in a roadmap to be developed during the YIF conference. 

Building on the results of the first YIF, YIF II will ensure that a roadmap for transitional justice will take a victim-centered approach. Together with OSF, the Sana’a Center will consult with existing victims’ unions and organizations working on documentation to explore ways for facilitating organization efforts and connecting these local groups with interested members of the international community.

Output 3.2: Integrating human rights in the security sector.

Collaboration expands on bottom-up security sector reforms involving community oversight. The role of the community in overseeing the work of the security sector at the local level is crucial to limiting local-level violations by members of the security sector. YIF II will collaborate with relevant partners involved in existing initiatives on this topic. Beyond short-term benefits to individual communities, such steps pave the way for broad post-war security sector reforms. Stakeholders engaged will be organizations leading initiatives on local security sector reforms such as CIVIC, as well as local security sector representatives. 


Output 3.3: Exploring avenues for accountability mechanisms.
As a continuation of YIF I’s aim to increase awareness and common understanding of the principles of transitional justice through learning from other contexts, the YIF II will aim at increasing awareness of what options for accountability mechanisms exist in other countries that have emerged from protracted, complex crises and in what ways they can inform the Yemeni context. The aim is to hold a plenary discussion to enhance understanding on this issue where international experts will present case studies from elsewhere.