This past week, the NDC’s Development, Rights and Freedoms, Army and Security, National Issues and Transitional Justice, State-Building and Southern Issue Working Groups presented final reports on their first conference session activities.
Throughout, NDC members discussed and took notes on the reports. Foreign diplomatic missions also visited the NDC’s main site, the Movenpick Hotel in Sana’a, and were in the audience for portions of the NDC’s second plenary session.
The working group reports, with the exception of the report submitted by the Southern Issue Working Group, included consensus decisions and proposed constitutional articles which had met with approval by the groups’ members. The reports also featured items on the outcomes of group committee field visits.
The report on the Southern Issue’s ‘roots’ and key components was referred to the NDC Consensus Committee after representatives of the General People’s Congress Party objected to certain of its points.
The committee will look into the report and the GPC’s objections in order to reach a unified conception of the Southern Issue’s roots and key components.
Secretariat General and Consensus Committee activity:
Also this past week, the Secretariat General organized a community participation-themed photo exhibition that provided information on NDC community participation efforts to media outlets and publications. The exhibition was opened by NDC Vice President Abdulkarim Al-Eryani; EU Ambassador to Yemen Bettina Muscheidt and representatives of international and local organizations were also in attendance.
NDC Secretary General Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak met with former German Minister and current Parliamentarian Günter Gloser and Ariela Gross, Resident Director of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation in Yemen (FES). bin Mubarak briefed them on progress in the NDC and expressed his gratitude for German assistance to the NDC.
The NDC Secretary General also met with Dag Juhlin-Dannfelt, the Swedish Ambassador to Yemen and Saudi Arabia. The meeting dealt with the progress of, as well as challenges facing, the NDC. Donor Support for the conference was also discussed.
A delegation from the UK’s International Development Department visited the NDC’s Media Center. Media Director Mohammad Al-Asaadi briefed the delegation on the services which the center provides, as well as on the center’s different sections.
bin Mubarak, First Deputy Secretary General Afrah Al-Zouba and International Cooperation Unit Director Suad Al-Marrani also met with a delegation from the UK’s International Development Department and with the Swedish Ambassador to Yemen and Saudi Arabia. The meeting focused on assistance provided to the NDC.
Meanwhile, the NDC Consensus Committee selected Hossam Al-Sharjabi as its rapporteur.
Dr. Ehtisham Ahmed, an expert in federalism and administrative and financial relations, delivered a lecture to NDC members entitled ‘Yemen’s Options: Political Economy for Sharing Income from Natural Resources’.
Ahmed placed a spotlight on particular international efforts to provide political support to countries such as Indonesia, efforts made by way of the improvement of local services in efforts to tackle separatist tendencies and develop the implementation of good governance principles.
Al-Zouba was present at an NDC tent in Sana’a to launch the capital city’s consultative meeting with NDC Youth Ambassadors. At the same time, similar meetings were held in 18 Yemeni governorates.
“This is the first important event for the ambassadors who are based in 18 governorates. The Secretariat General cares about enhancing the community participation with the NDC as it is part of the decision-making process,” she said.
Later in the week, a meeting was held at the NDC Media Center between the Secretariat General and the general managers of local broadcasting stations from a variety of Yemeni governorates. Bin Mubarak gave a speech and pointed toward the important role local broadcasting stations can play in supporting the NDC and enhancing community participation within it.
Second Deputy Secretary General Yassir Al-Roaini also briefed station general managers on logistical and technical services which are provided by the Secretariat General. Media Director Muhammad Al-Asaadi also spoke at the meeting and stressed the importance of communication between the Secretariat General and local broadcasting stations.
The overall attendance rate for NDC member over the past week was 88%.
