Yemen, UNDP, OHCHR hold workshop on transitional justice

Ministry of Legal Affairs, in cooperation with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and Office of High Commissioner of Human Rights (OHCHR) launched Saturday a workshop on transitional justice and national reconciliation. The two-day workshop aims at understanding the nature, scope and meaning of transitional justice and national reconciliation in the Yemeni context. In his opening speech, Legal Affairs Minister Mohammed al-Mekhlafi thanked the UNDP and OHCHR for supporting transitional justice process in Yemen. He indicated to the importance of transitional justice to achieve better future, social peace and reconciliation in Yemen. "To that end, it is very important to establish Justice and National Reconciliation Commission and Commission of Inquiry into events of 2011, to support functioning of Land and Forced Dismissals commissions to address issues in Southern governorates, as well as to support activities of CSOs and to raise awareness of citizens regarding transitional justice," al-Mekhlafi said. The UNDP Country Director Gustavo Gonzalez underlined that transitional justice is a critical component of any type of post-conflict transition. He particularly stressed that "the success or failure of a post-conflict process heavily relays on the broad national consensus and conformity with international legal standards and obligations which will lead to legitimacy of transitional justice and Yemen is not an exception to this rule." Acting officer of the OHCHR Alaa Kaoud stressed that OHCHR expects participants to focus on their needs relevant to transitional justice and to provide recommendations how to achieve them. "Yemen should have opportunity to learn about comparative experience in order to structure its own way to transitional justice, but this way should be in line with international legal obligations and standards," said Kaoud. This event is the first of five educational workshops to be organized all over the country, in Sana'a, Taiz, Hodeida, Mukalla and Aden. The objective of these events is to help citizens of Yemen to understand concept of transitional justice and to give them opportunity to express their visions and needs regarding transitional justice and to provide recommendations how to achieve them. At the end, the workshops will contribute in generating lasting dialogue about the injustice from the past in order to secure democratic values and human rights and to contribute to conflict prevention and reconciliation.