"The truce in Yemen is a golden opportunity and the parties to the conflict must implement their terms to prepare for a comprehensive and sustainable peace," said British Ambassador to Yemen Richard Oppenheim.

At a discussion session on Thursday, organized by Tamdeen Youth Foundation with the participation of the United Kingdom Embassy in Yemen on (Britain’s Vision for Peace in Yemen, and the Role of Civil Society Organizations in Building Sustainable Peace), and in which representatives of more than 100 Yemeni NGOs, along with civil society activists and a group of journalists, Oppenheim stressed the continued work alongside the United States of America and the United Nations and its Special Envoy to make progress towards peace in Yemen, and pressure on the parties to the conflict to make the truce a success.

"We continue to work with the UN Office to resolve the dispute between the Presidential Council and the Houthis over passports. We are also focusing on opening roads in Taiz and other governorates to alleviate the suffering of civilians and enabling them to have their right to move freely. As access to Taiz takes 10 hours and civilians are in trouble climbing mountain roads and are at risk, after it did not take five minutes to reach those roads, so the blockade of Taiz is unacceptable."

The British Ambassador also praised the role of Yemeni NGOs in humanitarian response, providing basic services and supporting social cohesion in local communities.

"Engaging civil society organizations in peace consultations in Yemen will have positive results. The UN envoy has a strong and good idea to engage CSOs in the upcoming consultations and will begin next month by discussing with them and preparing their vision for peace in Yemen.

He expressed his happiness with Tamdeen Youth Foundation's Initiative for Economic Recovery, and said that restoring services and improving the economic situation is the right way to build peace.

Ambassador Oppenheim praised the role of Yemeni women by saying, "Women are better than men and we are keen on political settlement and peace in Yemen." 

He also stressed the parties to the conflict in Yemen to continue to complete understandings on prisoners exchange, and to abide by human rights principles and international instruments. 

He revealed that the British Government has prepared a new draft resolution instead of UN Resolution 2216, and that the Security Council will be ready to issue it when there will be a political settlement between the parties in Yemen.

Mr. Hussein Al Suhaily, Chairman of Tamdeen Youth Foundation, has welcomed His Excellency British Ambassador Richard Oppenheim. He stressed Yemen's need for a greater role by the British Government at the current phase in maintaining the truce, implementing its provisions, pressuring all parties to turn it into a comprehensive and lasting peace agreement, launching a new phase to end the war and have a new beginning befitting a homeland for all Yemenis.

He stressed the need for engaging civil society organizations in peace consultations and promoting their role in social cohesion, conflict resolution, development and reconstruction.

Al Suhaily also called for the inclusion of the economic file as a priority alongside the political file, the consolidation of Yemen's monetary and financial policies, and the support for civil society organizations' initiative to optimize humanitarian response mechanisms in Yemen and link aid to peace, development and economic recovery.

At the two-hour discussion session, participants agreed that working with civil society organizations, engaging them in track 1 negotiations and enabling them to play a greater role in public life and decision-making will make a shift in the course of the crisis in Yemen, thereby leading to a comprehensive and sustainable peace.