Overview
In March 2015, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced its participation in a multinational coalition led by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to assist the legitimate Government of Yemen to address a range of urgent security and humanitarian challenges, continue the implementation of the country’s stalled political transition process, and reduce the threat to regional and international security posed by terror groups such as Al Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).
This document articulates the legal and policy framework governing the UAE’s military and humanitarian mission in Yemen. It begins by explaining the background to the conflict and the need for action, articulates the legal and policy framework within which this intervention has taken place, and concludes by identifying the ongoing military, political, social and economic objectives to be pursued by the UAE and its coalition partners in the future.
Ultimately, this policy framework demonstrates that the work of UAE Armed Forces and humanitarian personnel in Yemen is legal, necessary, proportionate, in the national interests of Yemen, the UAE and other GCC member states, and consistent with the broader goals of regional, Arab and international security. It also makes clear that the intervention of the UAE and its coalition partners, including military action, has been conducted at the request of the legitimate Government of Yemen in an appeal made to the Gulf Cooperation Council and the Arab League in March 2015 and communicated to the UN Security Council.