Community safety partnerships

Amidst the backdrop of nearly a decade of conflict in Yemen, the country has witnessed the fragmentation of the state, leading to a complex landscape where multiple actors vie for control over territory and institutions. This fragmentation has resulted in the partial collapse of formal institutions, deterioration of the rule of law, and rampant human rights violations with impunity. Infrastructure damage and the inability to maintain basic services further exacerbate the plight of Yemeni citizens, leaving them vulnerable to instability and lacking access to essential services across all regions. A previous truce provided only temporary relief without delivering lasting security. Amid ongoing negotiations for a ceasefire, the future remains uncertain, prompting the need for mechanisms to support peace efforts regardless of the outcome. In response, our project focuses on strengthening community safety and inclusive peace infrastructures to contribute to sustainable peace. Through engaging key stakeholders such armed groups, civilian security institutions, civil society, and the Office of the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, we aim to foster adherence to humanitarian norms, build trust in formal institutions, empower civil society actors, and enhance dialogue between stakeholders to address community safety concerns. Our approach is underpinned by a commitment to human rights, good governance, gender equality, and environmental sustainability, reflecting the multifaceted challenges facing Yemen. By addressing immediate needs and laying the groundwork for long-term peace, our project aligns with ongoing peace efforts and contributes to building a more secure future for Yemeni citizens.

Our consortium partners are the Political Development Forum Yemen (PDF), Yemen Polling Center (YPC Yemen), Yemen Policy Center (YPC Germany), Association for Inclusive Peace, and Geneva Call.

The project's first phase (2018-2022) was funded by the European Union, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway. The current phase (2023-2025) is funded by the European Union and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway.

The project works along the following three tracks:

1) Enhancing armed groups’ capacities, accountability, and compliance with international humanitarian law

Engagement with armed groups and de facto authorities (AGDAs) is crucial in our action because their conduct significantly impacts the lives of civilians who are either caught in the fire lines or living under AGDAs' control. Previous assessments conducted by Geneva Call have shown variations in AGDAs' knowledge of and adherence to humanitarian norms, underscoring the need for increased engagement, training, and accountability mechanisms. Effective communication channels with influential actors, civil society, and local authorities are essential to bring about behavioural change in AGDAs. Therefore, the project will collaborate with various AGDAs, aiming to mitigate the risk that they become spoilers for the action and to operationalise their compliance efforts to reduce civilian harm in project areas.

Activities include:

• Provide capacity building for AGDAs on compliance with humanitarian norms
• Conduct advocacy and awareness-raising media campaigns on humanitarian norms
• Establish communication channels between communities, civil society organisations and armed groups through dialogue workshops

2) Increasing trust of local communities in civilian local security institutions

Community Safety Committees (CSCs), consisting of police and community members, were established in the project's first phase to design and implement initiatives to enhance community safety. These committees will be modified in this second project phase to expand their scope and representation. In addition to police and community members, new stakeholders, such as civil defense, will be included. This expansion will enable the CSCs to operate at the city level rather than the district level. The Berghof Foundation and PDF will continue to engage with security institutions through regular dialogues and joint initiatives in order to make security services more responsive to the community's needs. This, in turn, will lead to improved safety for the local population and foster greater trust in formal institutions.

Activities include:

• Organise regular dialogue meetings for the CSCs in five cities
• Support the implementation of community safety initiatives that respond to urgent safety issues at the local level
• Support the development of training modules based on the needs of relevant stakeholders

3) Increasing the capacity of civil society actors to systematically identify strategic entry points and risks for peacebuilding and de-escalation

Civil society organisations (CSOs) in Yemen, particularly those of women's groups, face challenges in increasing their impact on community safety and the broader peace process. This is mainly due to the absence of sustainable networks among CSOs, a lack of expertise in peace processes, and limited coordination and resources. Despite established communication channels, a more structured engagement is needed and CSOs need to be systematically included in the peace process and ongoing de-escalation efforts. Therefore, the project will collaborate with ten CSOs from five governorates to enhance their capacity in sharing information on local insecurity and supporting opportunities for peacebuilding. This will contribute to more effective local and regional peace efforts.

Activities include:

• Draft report template and methodological guidelines
• Organise exchanges to help CSOs better identify risks and opportunities for peacebuilding on the local level
• Provide ongoing advice to CSOs to better take advantage of strategic entry points