Jordan

It was a very emotional moment for me to enter the classroom of the UNRWA school for Palestine refugees and to see young children learning about and discussing human rights, and then to participate in a student parliament. And to see that in 700 schools, 530,000 Palestine refugee children are learning not only about science and about mathematics or about Arabic, but are learning about human rights, about democracy, about tolerance, making the conditions to be exemplary citizens. And this is something that warms my heart.

[Watch the video on webtv.un.org]

The Special Envoy of the Secretary General for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, concluded his visit to Riyadh, Sanaa and Hudayda.

The Special Envoy of the Secretary General for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, welcomes the recent calls for the immediate resumption of the political process and measures to reach a cessation of hostilities in Yemen. The Special Envoy stresses that there can be no military solution to the conflict. The Special Envoy will continue to work with all parties to agree on tangible steps to spare all Yemenis the disastrous consequences of further conflict and to urgently address the political, security and humanitarian crisis in Yemen.

Since I assumed my role as Special Envoy in March this year, I have consistently affirmed that there will be no peace in Yemen if we do not listen to a broad cross-spectrum of Yemeni voices, including southern groups, and make sure that they are included in the efforts to reach a sustainable political settlement.
 
In the past few months, I have consulted with numerous southern groups to reach a consensus on their meaningful participation in the political process. I have been encouraged by their openness to dialogue and to a peaceful resolution for their concerns.
 

I will continue my consultations with all parties to avoid further military escalation in Hudaydah, which I fear would have severe political and humanitarian consequences.

My priority now is to avoid a military confrontation in Hudaydah and to swiftly return to political negotiations.

I am encouraged by the constructive engagement of the Ansar Allah leadership in Sana’a and I look forward to my upcoming meetings with President Hadi and the Government of Yemen. I am confident that we can reach an agreement to avert any escalation of violence in Hudaydah.

The United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, has informed the United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres that he does not intend to continue in his position beyond the end of his current contract ending in February 2018.

The Special Envoy takes this opportunity to express his sincere thanks to the Secretary General for his strong and determined support to reach a political solution to the conflict that has engulfed the country.

The Secretary-General is shocked to learn that H.E. Mr. Jimmy Morales, President of Guatemala, has issued a statement declaring Commissioner Ivan Velásquez persona non grata. 

He fully expects that Mr. Velásquez will be treated by the Guatemalan authorities with the respect due to his functions as an international civil servant.