Pakistan supports the UN Security Council’s plan to sanction Yemen

With the support of Pakistan, the UN Security Council is renewing the 2014 sanctions regime against conflict-torn Yemen for another twelve months, until 14 November 2026.

The 15-member Council did so by adopting a draft resolution supported by the United Kingdom by 13 votes to none. Two members — China and Russia — abstained.

The resolution also extends the mandate of the Panel of Experts supporting the 2014 Yemen Sanctions Committee until December 15, 2026.

The 2014 UN sanctions regime on Yemen was aimed at preventing and curtailing activities that threatened the peace, security and stability of the country,

particularly targeting individuals and entities that obstruct the political transition.

The sanctions were a response to a deepening political crisis that culminated in the Houthi movement’s capture of the capital Sanaa, effectively derailing the internationally-backed transition.

In an explanation of vote, Pakistani representative Gul Qaiser Sarwani said he supported the resolution to reaffirm the importance Pakistan attaches to the 2014 Commission.

“Ensuring accountability for individuals and entities that threaten Yemen’s stability and security remains essential to laying the foundations for a lasting and sustainable peace,” Sarwani, adviser/political coordinator at Pakistan’s UN mission, told the Council.

At the same time, he said the Committee of Experts is working under the guidance of the Commission to ensure that the Commission carries out its mandate in accordance with the letter and spirit of the 2014 resolution.

Reaffirming Pakistan’s firm support for the unity, sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity of Yemen, Sarwani stressed that these principles guide any international engagement on the Yemen issue.

“We further encourage all Yemeni parties to engage constructively and in good faith under the auspices of the UN to end the conflict through a comprehensive, negotiated political solution based on the agreed parameters,” he said, calling on all parties to exercise absolute restraint and avoid steps that could exacerbate tensions in the Red Sea region and beyond.