Saudi Arabia: Not the time for independent commission of inquiry in Yemen

Saudi Ambassador in Geneva Abdulaziz Al-Wasil said that time was not right to form an independent commission of inquiry into human rights violations in Yemen.

Commenting on a call by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Raad Al-Hussein for an international commission to be setup to investigate violations committed in Yemen.

Al-Wassil said his country was seeking a compromise on the Human Rights Council’s decision on Yemen, adding that it would be better to form an inquiry committee.

The Netherlands and Canada have announced their support for a UN Human Rights Council resolution calling for an international investigation in Yemen.

On Tuesday, the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor called on the UN Human Rights Council to conduct an independent international investigation into abuses against Yemenis.

The European human rights organisation confirmed in a speech before the UN Council that airstrikes carried out by the Arab coalition in the past two months have killed 39 civilians, including 26 children.

The organisations quoted international reports saying that 60 per cent of the child victims murdered in 2015 in Yemen were killed by coalition operations, and slammed what they called “the absence of any serious investigation so far”. They demanded the matter be brought before the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Read: Saudi-led coalition kills 42 civilians in Yemen

It added that the Houthis and forces loyal to ousted President Ali Abdullah Saleh were also committing war crimes.

In August, Human Rights Watch and 56 non-governmental organisations called for an independent international investigation into abuses by all parties to the conflict in Yemen.

They called for the establishment of an independent international fact-finding inquiry and clarification of responsibility for alleged violations.