A/HRC/19/51 I. Introduction 1. In its resolution 18/19, the Human Rights Council called upon the Government of Yemen and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to develop a framework for continued dialogue and strengthened cooperation in the field of human rights, and the international community to support this cooperation, and requested the Office of the High Commissioner (OHCHR) to present a progress report on the human rights situation in Yemen to the Council at its nineteenth session. The Council also invited OHCHR to coordinate with donors on ways to assist the Government of Yemen and nongovernmental organizations with capacity-building for the establishment of a national human rights institution. 2. On 24 November 2011, the High Commissioner requested authorization from the Government of Yemen to send a delegation from OHCHR on a mission to that country, to prepare the progress report for the Human Rights Council. The Government responded favourably on 15 December 2011 and the delegation conducted the mission from 20 to 27 December. The mandate of the mission, as agreed by the Government, was: (a) To conduct an assessment of the human rights situation; (b) To obtain information from a wide range of actors, including the Government of Yemen, non-governmental and civil society organizations, victims and witnesses, and the United Nations country team. II. Modalities of work 3. The mission was conducted in close coordination with the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Yemen, whose support throughout the mission was highly appreciated. The Government of Yemen facilitated the mission, thus allowing the delegation to meet with officials, including the Minister for Foreign Affairs, the Minister for Human Rights, the Minister for the Interior, the Minister for Defence, the Minister for Legal Affairs and the Military Committee for Achieving Security and Stability. Delegation members also met with the Governor of Ta’izz, members of Parliament, representatives of non-governmental organizations, journalists, lawyers, doctors, human rights defenders, victims and their relatives, diplomats and the United Nations country team. The delegation commends the Government for its assistance and coordination and was appreciative of the support received from all interlocutors throughout the mission. 4. The present report follows up on the report of the assessment mission of OHCHR (A/HRC/18/21),, which provided information pertaining to the human rights situation from the start of the unrest in early 2011 to July of that year. The present report provides an updated assessment of the overall human rights situation in Yemen, particularly with regard to the recommendations made by OHCHR in its mission report and by the Human Rights Council in its resolution 18/19. 5. The mission delegation visited Sanaa and Ta’izz. The sites visited included the location of demonstrations, places where violence had occurred, and hospitals. Owing to time and security restrictions, the delegation was unable to visit other parts of the country; it did, however, receive scores of reports and documents, and met with a large number of people who provided first-hand information about numerous other locations. 6. 4 The documentation received has been archived for appropriate future use.