Coalitions as a Transformative Force for Protecting Human Rights in Yemen

Coalitions as a Transformative Force for Protecting Human Rights in Yemen

By: Justice for Yemen Pact*

This September, the Justice for Yemen Pact, a coalition of 10 Yemeni human rights organizations, will participate in the 57th session of the Human Rights Council. This intervention is crucial for promoting human rights, and advancing accountability and transitional justice in a country that has been torn apart by war for ten years. Let’s explain.

Introduction

Since Yemen’s war began in 2014, civilians have endured dire living conditions. Despite a decade of devastation, the situation remains unstable as all parties to the conflict continue to commit unlawful attacks and killings with significant levels of impunity. Dialogues between the De Facto Authority (Houthis) and Saudi Arabia have sparked hope, but progress has been minimal. Human rights violations continue, and millions remain in need of aid with recent violence complicating peace efforts.

Local and international organizations are forced to operate under serious restrictions, enforced contrary to international law and human rights standards, to document violations, while staff face ongoing threats from warring factions. Accordingly, many individual actions have proven to be unsustainable and insufficient. Human rights coalitions, by combining diverse resources, are therefore crucial in addressing Yemen’s complex issues and increasing international efforts to protect civilians from violations.

The Justice for Yemen Pact (J4YP), an initiative supported by the DT Institute, was launched with these complex challenges in mind. The positive impact of human rights coalitions working in Yemen is evident through the J4YP, a coalition of 10 Yemeni human rights organizations, to the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) played a crucial role in addressing human rights violations. Additionally, the Studies and Economic Media Center (SEMC), which led an international advocacy campaign, in cooperation with other international and local CSOs, that resulted in the release of four Yemeni journalists who had been sentenced to death. As well as significant achievement by CSOs is the successful release of four Yemeni Baha’is, arbitrarily detained by the De Facto Authority (Houthis), demonstrating how collective efforts can protect human rights even in challenging environments.

The following summary of work of the J4YP highlights its key findings, challenges, and feedback from its participants.

Human Rights Coalition: The Optimal Solution

When human rights organizations face widespread and complex challenges, as in Yemen, individual efforts are often insufficient. Feras Hamdouni, Senior Program Manager at DT Institute, emphasizes the crucial role civil society organizations (CSOs) play in protecting human rights, particularly in conflict-affected regions like Yemen and Syria. Despite their essential work, CSOs encounter numerous challenges, including resource competition, unmet survivor expectations, and issues with transparency and representation.

Hamdouni stresses that effective collaboration, realistic goal setting, inclusive representation, and maintaining transparency are critical strategies for overcoming these obstacles, as required by all effective human rights coalitions and demonstrated by successful initiatives like the Justice for Yemen Pact.

This is where the importance of coalitions becomes evident. These coalitions can pool the diverse resources and expertise of the involved partners. Jason Erb, Senior Director of Program Operations at DT Institute, emphasizes this point by noting that “uniting the efforts of local initiatives supports stronger links and cohesion across Yemeni civil society, not only between coalition members, but also through building stronger ties between various institutions and strata of society.” Erb further stresses that “this increase in cohesion strengthens the sector and better supports the objectives of all those who support better human rights protections in Yemen.” By uniting their efforts, coalitions can have a greater impact on the international community and increase the effectiveness of their work in confronting oppressive regimes and ongoing human rights violations.

The Justice for Yemen Pact is a prominent example of how coalitions can be built to enhance human rights in Yemen. Supported by the DT Institute, the Justice for Yemen Pact was launched to facilitate coordination and the exchange of knowledge among Yemeni human rights organizations. Through the joint efforts of local partners on the ground, the coalition has increased its influence both locally and internationally.

One of the achievements of the Justice for Yemen Pact coalition was its partners’ participation in the Universal Periodic Review of Yemen in Geneva in February 2024. The Coalition presented a joint report offering extensive data and firsthand accounts of human rights violations in Yemen. This contribution demonstrated the power of collective action and the importance of collaboration among organizations to bring about real change.

Hamdouni highlights that as opportunities for peace in Yemen approach, it is crucial that justice and accountability be central to negotiations and peacebuilding efforts. “Unfortunately, these key elements are often overlooked,” Hamdouni points out, adding that Yemeni civil society organizations must have a platform that allows them to draw attention to such matters by collaborating on transitional justice and accountability to ensure sustainable peace.

Hamdouni emphasizes that “the exclusion of justice and accountability from peace talks weakens efforts to build lasting peace and undermines the rights of victims.” He argues that this gap, along with “the lack of coordination, hinders local human rights organizations from sharing information, resources, and best practices, weakening their collective voice and influence.”

The Justice for Yemen Pact, supported by DT Institute, has successfully “unified the voices” of multiple Yemeni human rights organizations, significantly “amplifying them” on international platforms, Hamdouni emphasizes. He further highlights that “with cohesive messaging and strengthened cross-sector cooperation, Yemeni human rights organizations are now better positioned to engage effectively with international human rights mechanisms and actors, such as the UN Human Rights Council, Special Rapporteurs, and treaty bodies.”

As efforts are being made to bring peace to Yemen, Hamdouni explains that “transitional justice literature points to the importance of building coalitions in human rights work to create a conducive environment for structural reform.” He adds, “inclusive coalitions are also essential for enhancing the democratic participation of underrepresented groups in Yemen’s transitional justice processes and provide a much-needed forum for coordination and collaboration.”

Cooperation Over Competition

In complex environments like Yemen, issues can arise when organizations work separately and compete with one another for resources or influence, ultimately reducing their effectiveness. However, by forming entities like the Justice for Yemen Pact, these challenges can be overcome, fostering a cooperative environment where knowledge and resources are shared, leading to better and more impactful outcomes. Through coalitions, partners can benefit from diverse expertise enabling them to address complex issues from different angles and more effectively.

DT Institute is working towards a unified and collaborative approach to promoting human rights and accountability in Yemen. Their strategy emphasizes fostering regular dialogue and coordination between civil society organizations at both national and local levels. By creating platforms for joint action, such as the Justice for Yemen Pact, the Institute enables organizations to share resources, best practices, and critical information. This collective effort strengthens their influence on international platforms ensuring a more coordinated and effective response to human rights challenges in Yemen.

In addition to bolstering local human rights organizations’ influence on instrumental international platforms, coalition-building prevents the redundant duplication of organizational work. Lynn Arbid, Program Officer at DT Institute explains, “local organizations operating separately may run the risk of ‘reinventing the wheel,’ so to speak and risk re-traumatizing local communities and victims of human rights violations by subjecting them to repeated instances of documentation or advocacy efforts, which hinder rather than help these communities.”  Bringing such communities together within coalitions ensures that victims and local communities are obtaining the support they require, while fulfilling human rights organizational goals and avoiding the risk of needless duplication of efforts.

Through transparency, trust, and mutual respect the Justice for Yemen coalition has fostered a sense of shared purpose. It promotes collective ownership of initiatives with clearly defined roles, ensuring that each organization contributes based on its strengths. This cooperative framework has allowed local partners to achieve far more together than they could individually, significantly enhancing their capacity to advocate for human rights and accountability.

The success of the Justice for Yemen Pact has also inspired DT Institute to consider applying this collaborative approach in other conflict-affected countries, such as Sudan. The experience in Yemen has demonstrated that fostering cooperation and aligning organizations around shared goals of justice and accountability can be a powerful tool, not only in Yemen but also in other regions where human rights are under threat and peacebuilding efforts are critical.

The International Impact

The discontinuation of the Group of Eminent Experts on Yemen (GEE) by the United Nations Human Rights Council in October 2021 was a major setback for accountability in Yemen. The GEE was the only impartial international body investigating serious violations of international human rights and humanitarian law committed by all parties in the Yemen conflict. Civil society organizations expressed their deep disappointment at the decision, which was influenced by a lobbying campaign led by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and their allies to avoid accountability for the violations they have been repeatedly accused of, including by the GEE itself.

Former GEE member Charles Garraway noted that Saudi cooperation ceased after the group’s initial report, highlighting the discomfort the findings brought to those in power. The termination of the GEE’s mandate further entrenched impunity, sending a signal to all conflict parties that they could continue committing war crimes without fear of consequence.

In working to fill the gap left by the discontinuation of the GEE, coalitions in Yemen, such as the Justice for Yemen Pact, have helped local partners connect with international organizations like the United Nations and the European Union. Further, as stated by Sahar Mohammed, Program Assistant at DT Institute, “the coalition has received positive responses from international stakeholders, such as the UN Special Procedures and the Human Rights Commission. These stakeholders were previously difficult to reach, and partners found it challenging to communicate with them.” However, Mohammed stresses that “through the coalition’s efforts in fostering human rights advocacy, several meetings are now ongoing with coalition members, ensuring their voices are heard.” These communication actions and successful achievements only further the opening of new avenues for future dialogue, ensuring that the voices of victims and survivors are heard on the global stage.

Impactful Initiatives

The Justice for Yemen Pact has launched multiple initiatives that have successfully created positive impacts on concerning human rights issues in Yemen. These include producing regular reports on human rights violations, coordinating efforts with local partners within the coalition, and effectively communicating through the coalition with international bodies like the UN Human Rights Council. Moreover, “the coalition has used local partners’ documentation to produce a series of English and Arabic-language reports on patterns of serious human rights violations in Yemen,” as shared by DT Institute’s Researcher. “These reports have been shared widely with international NGOs and UN mechanisms and have been written up in regional and Yemeni newspapers.”

With respect to local partners, the Justice for Yemen Pact has provided a platform for amplifying their voices, accessing resources, and engaging with international mechanisms, which would have been challenging to achieve independently. Tawfiq Al-Humaidi, general manager of SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties (“SAM Organization”), notes that the coalition provided a unified platform that amplified their voice both in the media and on the international stage, helping them coordinate their efforts more effectively. Al-Amal Foundation echoed this sentiment, noting the increased solidarity and shared knowledge that has allowed them to address human rights violations impartially. Naji Ashal, head of the Marib Dam Foundation, has benefited from the collective strength of the coalition, particularly in advocacy campaigns that reach a wider audience and draw attention from key policymakers.

Moreover, the impact experienced by the local organizations as members of the Justice for Yemen Pact is multi-dimensional. Mutahar Albathigi, CEO of the RASD Coalition, highlights the importance of partnerships through the coalition, especially in defending the rights of vulnerable groups such as women, children, and the elderly.

Amat Al-Salam Al-Hajj from the Abductees Mothers Association emphasizes using joint coalition efforts to increase pressure on violators and policymakers. At the same time, Al-Amal Women’s Social and Cultural Foundation (“Al-Amal Foundation”) focuses on strengthening the human rights voice in Yemen through credible reporting and coordinated efforts. Similarly, Wajdi Al-Salmi from Free Media Center for Investigative Journalism (“Free Media”) underscores the coalition’s role in raising awareness on critical issues and supporting justice and accountability.

The success stories detailed by the partners reflect tangible outcomes achieved through the support of the Justice for Yemen Pact. The Abductees Mothers Association successfully produced the report “Memory of Witnesses” after completing coalition training on documenting violations and providing trauma informed care in human rights programming, which enhanced their capacity to independently document violations.

Al-Amal Foundation shared how their joint statements have raised public awareness of human rights violations, while also contributing to significant project proposals for organizations like UN Women. SAM Organization recounted their collaboration with the Abductees Mothers Association in producing a joint report on detained illiterate employees in Sana’a.

The Marib Dam Foundation’s collaboration with the UN led to direct consultations on human rights issues in Yemen and media coverage through a documentary on landmine victims. These stories underscore the coalition’s role in empowering organizations to achieve results that would have been impossible to secure individually.

Challenges and Opportunities

Despite the successes achieved by coalitions in Yemen, there are common challenges they face, such as managing diverse priorities and logistical issues. “But with strong leadership and clear objectives, these challenges can be overcome, leading to greater successes,” Hamdouni stated. He explains that “coalitions can expand into new areas such as peacebuilding, transitional justice, or child protection. These efforts can enhance the impact of local human rights organizations and make them more capable of addressing the evolving challenges in Yemen.”

International organizations face significant challenges in accessing the De Facto Authority (Houthi)-controlled areas where they encounter stringent restrictions on entry and operations. Local rights groups work in a perilous environment, facing threats of murder, detention, assault, and restrictions that prevent them from documenting violations.

In Sana’a, international organizations operate with limited capacity due to these imposed restrictions. On the other side, government authorities offer little to no cooperation, making the work of these organizations increasingly risky, especially as local staff members are often detained or kidnapped by factions involved in the conflict.

In July, the UN Special Envoy to Yemen announced that the De Facto Authority (Houthis) had imposed severe restrictions on the movement of the UN and other international organizations such as enforcing the “mahram” requirement for women. These restrictions not only hampered the ability of organizations to carry out their missions but also exacerbated the humanitarian crisis in the blockaded areas.

Human rights experts believe that in such challenging environments, like Yemen, collective efforts of local initiatives are required to achieve the desired impact and bring about change that enhances rights and freedoms. In Yemen, building coalitions plays a crucial role in strengthening the human rights environment. By uniting efforts, organizations can increase their impact and achieve better results in complex challenges.

Human rights organizations in Yemen, including the RASD Coalition, Abductees Mothers Association, SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties, and others, often face significant obstacles such as restricted access to affected areas, threats from powerful actors, and limited resources.

However, the Justice for Yemen Pact coalition has played a pivotal role in helping these groups overcome such barriers. By fostering collaboration among diverse organizations, the coalition has offered a unified platform for collective action, amplifying the voices of smaller organizations like the Marib Dam Foundation and Al-Amal Women’s Cultural and Social Foundation. Coalition members have emphasized that by pooling resources and expertise, they have been able to more comprehensively document human rights abuses across different regions of Yemen. Additionally, organizations such as SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties and Free Media for Investigative Journalism emphasize that the coalition has granted valuable access to international mechanisms and stakeholders, providing a direct line to address human rights violations at a global level.

This coordinated approach has enhanced the credibility of their reports and ensured that their advocacy efforts are heard by the right actors. SAM Organization specifically said that the coalition has provided a powerful unified voice that strengthens its ability to advocate for justice, both in Yemen and internationally. The coalition’s strength has allowed its members to respond more effectively to the challenges posed by Yemen’s complex environment, resulting in a greater overall impact.

Moreover, the coalition has fostered a noticeable increase in engagement from local actors in Yemen. Members, including the SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties, noted that when they approached government bodies, international organizations, or other stakeholders as part of a unified group, the response was markedly more positive and receptive. This unity is particularly important in Yemen, where fragmented political control makes it difficult to address human rights issues consistently.

By presenting a united front, the coalition has enabled its members to apply greater pressure on local authorities and human rights violators, compelling them to take these issues more seriously. Ultimately, the Justice for Yemen Pact has provided its member organizations with the strategic leverage they need to address the complex challenges of Yemen’s ongoing conflict, creating a pathway for more substantial and lasting change.

Yemeni organizations that are partners in the Justice for Yemen Pact stress the importance of international community support for these coalitions and solidarity with their efforts to bring peace, justice, and accountability to Yemen. They emphasize that “supporting these coalitions is not only a moral duty but also an investment in a brighter future for Yemen and its people.”

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* The Justice for Yemen Pact represents a coalition of ten human rights organizations and civil society actors that are united for the promotion and protection of human rights in Yemen.

Members of the Justice4Yemen Pact

• Abductees’ Mothers Association (AMA)
• Al-Amal Women’s and Sociocultural Foundation (AWSF)
• Center for Strategic Studies to Support Women and Children (CSWC)
• Free Media Center for Investigative Journalism
• Marib Dam Foundation for Social Development (MDF)
• Musaala Organization
• SAM Organization for Rights and Liberties
• Studies and Economic Media Center (SEMC)
• Watch for Human Rights
• Yemeni Coalition to Monitor Human Rights Violations (YCMHRV)