UNITED NATIONS (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 25th February, 2020) The UN Security Council on Tuesday failed to reconcile two dueling resolutions, submitted by the United Kingdom and Russia, that outline the renewal of the sanctions regime on Yemen.
According to the UN program of work for Tuesday, the vote on the two drafts was scheduled to take place at 10:00 a.m. EST (3:00 p.m. GMT). However, shortly after the council's members convened in the chamber to act on the documents, they decided to continue the discussions behind closed doors and reconvene for the vote at 3:00 p.m. local time.
While both documents, obtained by Sputnik, agree to extend freeze of assets and travel ban sanctions until 26 February 2021, as well as the mandate of the Yemen Panel of Experts until 28 March 2021, the two drafts included many differences in their texts.
The UK resolution expressed concern that the Houthi forces continue to violate the arms embargo imposed in 2015 and receive weapons "that have technical characteristics similar to arms manufactured elsewhere and [expressed] particular concern at the provenance of these weapons."
The Russian draft, in turn, recalls the need to comply with the arms embargo, but it omits to name the Houthi rebels in relation to the breach.
The texts also clashed over the provision in the UK document that requests the Panel of Experts to provide a report by July 28, 2020, on "commercially available components" that have been used by Houthis to assemble aerial vehicles and other weapon systems. The Russian draft does not include such a paragraph in the text.
Additionally, the UK draft reaffirms that conflict-related sexual violence or the recruitment of children in conflict violates the provision of international humanitarian law and international human rights law, as outlined in resolution 2140 of 2014. The Russian text does not include this specification but condemns such acts as they breach the rules of armed conflict and the human rights law.
