Yemen National Dialogue Conference (NDC)

Yemen’s National Dialogue Conference (NDC) occurred in the wake of the “Arab Spring” protests in Yemen that took place between 2011-2012.^[1] The conference aimed to lay groundwork for political reform in the country after the events of the “Arab Spring.” The NDC was initiated in 2013 and adopted in 2014. The NDC document outlines the key issues and reforms related to critical political and social issues in the country, the main themes of which were the following:

1- South of Yemen: Details pivotal points in relation to the southern cause, which persisted as a pending autonomy issue since the unification of the north and south in 1990. The main issue revolved around equal distribution of wealth/resources, and equal employment/centralization.

2- The Sa’ada issue: Focuses on the conflict in Sa’ada and proposed solutions for peace in the area.[2]

3- Transitional justice: Addresses overarching issues in the country, such as human rights violations and corruption. Discusses transitional justice and handover protocols to resolve past issues of injustice.

4- Country restructuring/re-building: Outlines proposals for a reformed structuring process in the country. Federalism and decentralization were at the core of the proposed resolutions.

5- Governance: Focuses on addressing previous governance issues, such as corruption and politicization of certain entities (e.g., the military), and paints a road map towards accountability and transparency as key components of good governance.^[3] Also includes components of the modified articles in the Yemeni constitution.

The NDC corroborated pre-existing laws and provisions that aim to protect children and added greater specificity to certain provisions, including:

1- Recruitment and use of children: The NDC explicitly criminalized recruitment and use of children.

2- Child protection: In its overarching principles, the NDC emphasizes human rights, including child’s rights, particularly in conflict settings.

3- Legal age of marriage: The NDC explicitly identified 18 as the minimum age of marriage, and dialog followed to enforce this rule across the country to prohibit child marriage, hence protecting children from abuse and exploitation.^[4]

Regarding implementation, the major challenge facing the NDC outputs’ implementation has been the growing political instability in the country, especially since armed conflict escalated in Yemen since 2015, exactly a year after the dialogue concluded.^[5] The implementation of the NDC outputs have been hindered by the ongoing conflict and instability in the country.

^[1] For information about the NDC, see Charles Schmitz, “Yemen’s National Dialogue,” Middle East Institute, February 2014, https://www.mei.edu/sites/default/files/publications/Charles%20Schmitz%20Policy%20Paper.pdf.

[2] See “Christopher Boucek, “War in Saada: From Local Insurrection to National Challenge,” Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, April 2010, https://carnegie-production-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/static/files/war_in_saada.pdf.

^[3] See Abdul-Raqib Fatih, “Local Governance in Yemen: Challenges and Opportunities,” Berghof Foundation, May 2018, https://berghof-foundation.org/files/publications/Berghof_Foundation_Yemen_localgov_Paper04ImportanceofLocalGovernance_WEB.pdf.

^[4] See “Yemen: End Child Marriage,” Human Rights Watch, April 27, 2014, https://www.hrw.org/news/2014/04/27/yemen-end-child-marriage.

^[5] Ibrahim Jalal, “Yemen’s Incomplete National Dialogue: Insights on the Design and Negotiations Dynamics,” Yemen Policy Center, June 2022, https://www.yemenpolicy.org/yemens-incomplete-national-dialogue/.