Amman conference addresses Yemen's ability to fight terrorism

By Faisal Darem in Yemen
For Al-Shorfa.com
2010-07-30

[MOHAMED HUWAIS/AFP/Getty Images] Yemeni Justice Minister Ghazi al-Aghbari (R) has received the Yemen Friends' draft of recommendations for judiciary reforms.

Yemen's ability to fight terrorism and al-Qaeda and the methods to support these efforts were the focus of the second meeting of the Justice and Security committee of The Friends of Yemen group, held last week in Amman.

Conference participants also discussed methods to support reform, specifically in the judiciary, developing good governance standards, fighting corruption and establishing accountability.

Dr. Mohammed al-Haweri, undersecretary of the Ministry of Planning and International Co-operation, told Al-Shorfa that participants approved a revised draft report and included recommendations from international participants and Yemeni officials into consideration.

The new draft will be submitted to a New York donors' meeting in September.

The Yemeni delegation included the minister of justice and representatives from the ministries of planning and international co-operation, interior, justice and foreign affairs, the national security agency, and the president's office.

Delegates from the Gulf Co-operation Council, Netherlands, Canada, China, Egypt, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Turkey, Britain, the U.S., the European Commission and the United Nations Development Program attended the meeting.

Attendees discussed Yemen's efforts in fighting terrorism and the effects of al-Qaeda's activities as well as the necessity of developing local communities, which can serve as incubators for terrorist activities.

Yemen has adopted a series of measures aimed at improving the investment environment, expanding political participation, developing democracy and protecting human rights, al-Haweri said, referring to the measures Yemen has taken to fight the activities and financing of terrorism, as well as money laundering.

Al-Haweri also said Yemen's coast is 2,500 km long, and the country needs support to bolster the coast guard's capabilities to stop human, weapons and drugs smuggling via the Horn of Africa.

Earlier this month, Ghazi al-Aghbari, Yemen's Minister of Justice, received the Yemen Friends' Group draft of recommendations regarding judiciary reforms, security and the rule of law from a delegation headed by Dutch Deputy Ambassador to Yemen Alan Rish. Michele Cervone d'Urso, head of the European Union Mission to Yemen, was also in attendance.

The delegation expressed its satisfaction with the Yemeni government's efforts to strengthen the judiciary and fight terrorism, al-Aghbari told Al-Shorfa.

Mustafa Nasr, head of the Economic Media Centre, called on the international community to "take responsibility for supporting Yemen and helping it with its war on terrorism."

He said terrorism has turned into "an international problem that requires collective efforts to be resolved."

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