On Monday at Sana’a’s Movenpick Hotel, United Nations Special Adviser on Yemen Jamal Benomar led a discussion entitled ‘Towards Equal Citizenship in Yemen’.

Among the participants present for the discussion were academicians, researchers, civil society organization representatives and members of Yemen’s National Dialogue Conference (NDC).

During the meeting, Benomar listened as participants gave their views on the concept of equal citizenship, and what challenges and obstacles stand in the way of its realization in Yemen.

The participants expressed their aspirations to construct a modern state based on concepts of justice, equal citizenship, and respect for human rights, with rule of law applied to all segments of society.

Among the issues cited as obstacles to equal citizenship by NDC members in attendance were widespread poverty and illiteracy among citizens and a state of affairs in which government officials and tribal sheikhs are effectively above the law.

Some participants stressed the need to introduce constitutional articles which provide safeguards for citizen rights.