The Yemen Initiative

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Country/entity: Palestine
Region: Middle East and North Africa
Agreement name: The Yemen Initiative
Date: 1 Feb 2008
Agreement status: Multiparty signed/agreed
Interim arrangement: Yes
Agreement/conflict level: Intrastate/intrastate conflict
Hamas-Fatah Conflict (2006 - )
In 2006, Palestine held its first round of local legislative elections wherein the long-standing incumbent, Fatah, was defeated by the Muslim Brotherhood affiliated Hamas. As the largest faction of the Palestinian Liberation Organisation (PLO), Fatah’s leadership was put under pressure by the international community, who perceived Hamas as a possible threat to the Arab-Israeli peace process. As such, Fatah refused to join in the grand coalition with Hamas, and President Mahmoud Abbas began to increase his power through presidential decrees. Inside the Hamas strong-hold of Gaza, politicians on both sides were assassinated and within both Gaza and the West Bank, both sides were increasing the size and capabilities of their respective armed wings. The Presidential Guard of Mahmoud Abbas received funding, arms and training from the U.S and Israel during this time. Tensions rose further, as President Abbas called for new elections to be held in late-2006. These did not occur, and the date was shifted to mid-2007. Skirmishes broke out occasionally. On July 10, 2007, sustained clashes continued and escalated and by the end of July 15, Hamas had consolidated its military control over the Gaza Strip.

Since then several agreements have been signed between the two sides pledging two form a unity government including the 2007 Mecca Agreements; 2008 Yemeni Initiative; 2010 Cairo Agreement; April 2011 Cairo Agreement; 2012 Doha Agreement; May 2012 Cairo Accord and the 2014 Gaza Agreement.
Stage: Pre-negotiation/process
Conflict nature: Inter-group
Peace process: Palestine, Intra-Palestian agreements
Parties: Fatah and Hamas
Third parties: President Ali Abdullah Salih of Yemen
Description: Short agreement renewing the commitments made in the Cairo Accord 2005 and the Mecca Agreement 2007, includes a provision for creating an Arab commission to ensure the agreement is implemented.

Agreement document: PS_080200_Yemen_Initiative.pdf (opens in new tab) | Download PDF

Groups

Children/youth: No specific mention.
Disabled persons: No specific mention.
Elderly/age: No specific mention.
Migrant workers: No specific mention.
Racial/ethnic/national group: No specific mention.
Religious groups: No specific mention.
Indigenous people: No specific mention.
Other groups: No specific mention.
Refugees/displaced persons: No specific mention.
Social class: No specific mention.

Gender

Women, girls and gender: No specific mention.
Men and boys: No specific mention.
LGBTI: No specific mention.
Family: No specific mention.

State definition

Nature of state (general): No specific mention.
State configuration: Page 1, Second: To resume national dialogue on the basis of Cairo accord 2005, and Mecca agreement 2007, and on the stand that the Palestinian people is indivisible. And the Palestinian Authority is constituted of the elected presidential authority, the elected parliament and the executive authority represented by a national unity government; as well as commitment to the Palestinian legitimacy with all its components.
Self determination: No specific mention.
Referendum: No specific mention.
State symbols: No specific mention.
Independence/secession: No specific mention.
Accession/unification: No specific mention.
Border delimitation: No specific mention.
Cross-border provision: No specific mention.

Governance

Political institutions (new or reformed): Governance→Political institutions (new or reformed)→General references
Page 1, Sixth: The various Palestinian institutions and all of their components will be included without political discrimination , and will comply with the supreme authority as well as the national unity government.
Elections: Page 1, First: To return to the status quo in Gaza ante June 13, 2007, and fulfill the commitments signed by the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) and to hold early legislative and presidential elections.
Electoral commission: No specific mention.
Political parties reform: No specific mention.
Civil society: No specific mention.
Traditional/religious leaders: No specific mention.
Public administration: No specific mention.
Constitution: Governance→Constitution→Constitution affirmation/renewal
Page 1, Third: To affirm respect for the Palestinian constitution & law and their abidement by all.

Power sharing

Political power sharing: Power sharing→Political power sharing→Executive coalition
State level
Page 1, Second: To resume national dialogue on the basis of Cairo accord 2005, and Mecca agreement 2007, and on the stand that the Palestinian people is indivisible. And the Palestinian Authority is constituted of the elected presidential authority, the elected parliament and the executive authority represented by a national unity government; as well as commitment to the Palestinian legitimacy with all its components.
Power sharing→Political power sharing→Proportionality in legislature
State level
Page 1, Fourth: The formation of a coalition government of national unity, in which all groups are represented according to their weight in the Legislative Council, and beable to exercise fully their responsibilities.
Territorial power sharing: No specific mention.
Economic power sharing: No specific mention.
Military power sharing: No specific mention.

Human rights and equality

Human rights/RoL general: No specific mention.
Bill of rights/similar: No specific mention.
Treaty incorporation: No specific mention.
Civil and political rights: No specific mention.
Socio-economic rights: No specific mention.

Rights related issues

Citizenship: No specific mention.
Democracy: No specific mention.
Detention procedures: No specific mention.
Media and communication: No specific mention.
Mobility/access: No specific mention.
Protection measures: No specific mention.
Other: No specific mention.

Rights institutions

NHRI: No specific mention.
Regional or international human rights institutions: No specific mention.

Justice sector reform

Criminal justice and emergency law: No specific mention.
State of emergency provisions: No specific mention.
Judiciary and courts: No specific mention.
Prisons and detention: No specific mention.
Traditional Laws: No specific mention.

Socio-economic reconstruction

Development or socio-economic reconstruction: No specific mention.
National economic plan: No specific mention.
Natural resources: No specific mention.
International funds: No specific mention.
Business: No specific mention.
Taxation: No specific mention.
Banks: No specific mention.

Land, property and environment

Land reform/rights: No specific mention.
Pastoralist/nomadism rights: No specific mention.
Cultural heritage: No specific mention.
Environment: No specific mention.
Water or riparian rights or access: No specific mention.

Security sector

Security Guarantees: No specific mention.
Ceasefire: No specific mention.
Police: No specific mention.
Armed forces: No specific mention.
DDR: No specific mention.
Intelligence services: No specific mention.
Parastatal/rebel and opposition group forces: No specific mention.
Withdrawal of foreign forces: No specific mention.
Corruption: No specific mention.
Crime/organised crime: No specific mention.
Drugs: No specific mention.
Terrorism: No specific mention.

Transitional justice

Transitional justice general: No specific mention.
Amnesty/pardon: No specific mention.
Courts: No specific mention.
Mechanism: No specific mention.
Prisoner release: No specific mention.
Vetting: No specific mention.
Victims: No specific mention.
Missing persons: No specific mention.
Reparations: No specific mention.
Reconciliation: No specific mention.

Implementation

UN signatory: No specific mention.
Other international signatory: No specific mention.
Referendum for agreement: No specific mention.
International mission/force/similar: No specific mention.
Enforcement mechanism: Page 1, Fifth: The creation, through the Arab League, of a commission made up of the relevant countries, such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Jordan. Yemen has expressed its willingness to participate if requested. Such a commission will have the responsibility of implementing all of the above-mentioned actions.
Related cases: No specific mention.
Source: Al Akhbar English Archive
http://english.al-akhbar.com/sites/default/files/Yemen%20Initiative%20%28Feb.%202008%29.pdf

Yemen Initiative (Feb. 2008)

First:

To return to the status quo in Gaza ante June 13, 2007, and fulfill the commitments signed by the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) and to hold early legislative and presidential elections.

Second:

To resume national dialogue on the basis of Cairo accord 2005, and Mecca agreement 2007, and on the stand that the Palestinian people is indivisible.

And the Palestinian Authority is constituted of the elected presidential authority, the elected parliament and the executive authority represented by a national unity government;

well as commitment to the Palestinian legitimacy with all its components.

Third:

To affirm respect for the Palestinian constitution & law and their abidement by all.

Fourth:

The formation of a coalition government of national unity, in which all groups are represented according to their weight in the Legislative Council, and beable to exercise fully their responsibilities.

Fifth:

The creation, through the Arab League, of a commission made up of the relevant countries, such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Syria and Jordan.

Yemen has expressed its willingness to participate if requested.

Such a commission will have the responsibility of implementing all of the above-mentioned actions.

Sixth:

The various Palestinian institutions and all of their components will be included without political discrimination , and will comply with the supreme authority as well as the national unity government.