A U.N.-sponsored peace conference on Yemen will be held in Geneva Thursday May 28, according to Talal Al-Haj, Al Arabiya News Channel's New York Bureau Chief, citing sources from the U.N. General Secretariat. The U.N. is yet to announce the date of the conference or its agenda of work. The talks, which are expected to bring together representatives from different Yemeni political factions to re-launch peace talks. Yemeni Prime Minister and Vice President Khaled Bahah is likely to represent the government in the conference, even though the Yemeni government does not consider itself party to the negotiations, reported Al Arabiya. Yemeni President Abdrabbu Mansour Hadi will not attend the conference, but U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon will be giving the opening speech at 3:PM local time. Al-Arabiya NY Bureau Chief emphasized in his reporting that the convening of the YemenGeneva conference is not a given certainty, since PM Bahah has announced today that for the conference to take place, Houthi militia must first implement SC resolution 2216. Also today, a spectrum of Yemeni political parties attending a three-day Yemeni dialogue conference in the Saudi capital, inked what has been termed as the "Riyadh Document." The document included articles that urged the establishment of a national army, demanding from international organizations to withhold any dealings with "coup leaders" – a reference to Houthi militia. In addition, the national army would incorporate the Popular Resistance within it. The document also discusses humanitarian issues, job opportunities and ways to build a substantial Yemeni economy and create an infrastructure for investments in Yemen. The conciliatory conference, which Houthi militia boycotted, was held by exiled Yemeni president Abdrabbu Mansour Hadi in conjunction with the Gulf Cooperation Council.
