Statement of Condemnation and Denunciation.

"Statement of Condemnation and Denunciation"

Coinciding with the holding of the Conference of Parties (COP28), which will be hosted by the UAE from November 30 to December 12, 2023, during which issues related to climate changes will be discussed in terms of their causes and ways to mitigate their effects in an effort to preserve the environment and biodiversity, and given that this conference is an international decision-making authority supervised directly by the UN, and as it is responsible for monitoring and reviewing the implementation of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Yemeni Ministry of Tourism represented by Yemen Tourism Promotion Board (YTPB) renew their condemnation and denunciation of the irresponsible frivolities that the UAE is doing on the Yemeni island of Socotra as it is negatively affects the climate, environment, and the unique biodiversity of this virgin island, which is totally against the goals sought by this global conference.

On the day of this important environmental event, we believe that it is our duty to draw the world’s attention to the unique biodiversity of the archipelago of Socotra islands, which has faced multiple violations by the UAE since the beginning of 2016 constituted in the destruction of its ecosystem, starting by overfishing in an illegal trading operations, construction of concrete buildings on natural reserves shores which increased waste that threatens the biodiversity of the archipelago, spoiling the unique flora of Socotra Island by cutting down rare trees, in addition to bulldozing coral reefs, stealing rare fauna and flora species that have been endemic to Socotra Island since the ancient ages and transporting them to UAE in a repopulating attempt to create their own fake environment and biodiversity. Moreover, the UAE intervene in Socotra Island has led to the collapse of public services and the disruption of the local authority council, which was paralyzed and no longer able to carry out their tasks in protecting this island and preserving it against such tampering with its environmental, natural and cultural aspects by which the UAE seeks to destroy it and steal its unique species that are threatened with extinction, in full view of the international community with no reaction in this regard.

The tampering that the UAE has done, and still doing, with Socotra Island is considered as a blatant challenge to international norms and conventions, and a violation of the virgin nature and biodiversity that is unique to Socotra Island and no other islands in the world, which has qualified it to be one of the most important sites listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List as a Natural Reserve where any interfere in its natural life is prohibited. It is worth to mention that Socotra Island was able to preserve the essence of its formation within the equation of environmental and biological balance throughout long periods of history, despite the hurricanes and storms it faced. However, it survived them, but it did not survive the tampering of the UAE and their tireless efforts to eliminate its unique environmental diversity through the military and construction projects owned by Abu Dhabi, which will not only lead to this island losing its biological importance, but to its removal from the UNESCO list shortly.

The Yemeni Ministry of Tourism and Yemen Tourism Promotion Board are calling on the international community led by those countries participating in the Conference of Parties (COP28), the international environment and biodiversity organizations, in addition to the United Nations entities led by the UNESCO and the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), to condemn the UAE systematic and deliberate assault and tampering with the archipelago of Socotra islands, and to take the necessary decisions and measures to limit that, as it is a tampering with the World Human Heritage in general and the Yemeni Tourism Sector in particular.

Issued by:

The Yemeni Ministry of Tourism

And Yemen Tourism Promotion Board (YTPB)

Sanaa, November 30, 2023