A/HRC/33/38 I. Introduction and mandate 1. In its resolution 30/18, the Human Rights Council requested the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights to provide technical assistance and to work with the Government of Yemen, as required, in the field of capacity-building, and to identify additional areas of assistance to enable Yemen to fulfil its human rights obligations, and specifically requested the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) to assist the national independent commission of inquiry in meeting its work in accordance with international obligations, as mandated in Presidential Decree 140 of 22 September 2012. It requested the High Commissioner to present to the Council, at its thirty-first session, an oral update on the situation of human rights in Yemen, and to present to the Council, at its thirty-third session, a written report on the development and implementation of the resolution. In the resolution, the Council expressed deep concern at the serious abuses and violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law in Yemen. 2. In the present report the High Commissioner provides an overview of the extent and quality of the cooperation between the national commission of inquiry and OHCHR. After initial difficulties, OHCHR provided the national commission with technical assistance. At the time of the drafting of the present report, however, the national commission had not provided information on its methodology or findings. In the absence of adequate documentation by the national commission, the High Commissioner has outlined in the report a number of allegations relating to violations in order to substantiate his recommendations to the Human Rights Council. The allegations include violations and abuses of international human rights law and violations of international humanitarian law; in particular those relating to the impact of attacks on the population in Yemen, the recruitment of children for their use in hostilities, and violations of freedom of expression that allegedly took place between 1 July 2015 and 30 June 2016. II. Methodology 3. In order to fulfil its promotion and protection mandate, OHCHR has deployed 29 human rights officers in Yemen: 22, based in 10 governorates,1 and 7 in Sana’a city. OHCHR has also established a support team in the region in accordance with resolution 30/18. 4. OHCHR provides technical assistance, carries out capacity-building, and monitors violations and abuses of international human rights law and violations of international humanitarian law. During the reporting period, the ongoing armed conflict and security challenges continued to seriously compromise progress on a range of human rights activities that OHCHR has been carrying out in coordination with the Government of Yemen. 5. With regard to monitoring, OHCHR interviews victims and witnesses of alleged violations and abuses, including eyewitnesses, survivors, victims’ family members and activists. OHCHR monitors conduct site visits to document the allegations of violations, and also review reports and meet with the relevant authorities in order to obtain information. In circumstances where monitors are denied access to the site of an alleged 1 Aden, Amran, Dhale’e, Hadramout, Hajjah, Hodeidah, Mareb, Sana’a Governorate, Shabwa and Taizz. 3