On Wednesday, September 25, 2024, Rashad Alimi, President of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, attended a high-level international meeting in New York to discuss the path of economic, service, and institutional reforms led by the council and the government. The meeting focused on ways to support these initiatives as a means to enhance peace prospects in Yemen.

According to the official Yemen News Agency Saba, the meeting included U.S. Special Envoy to Yemen Tim Lenderking, along with senior officials from the UK, France, Australia, the European Union, Germany, the Netherlands, and Japan. Yemeni attendees included Council members Aidarus al-Zubaidi and Othman Majali, Foreign Minister Shaaib Al-Zandani, Yemen's permanent representative to the United Nations Abdullah Al-Saadi, and Ambassador to Washington Mohammed Al-Hadhrami.

The discussions, held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly, addressed the current situation in Yemen and the necessary international pressure on the Houthis to engage seriously with regional and UN-led mediation efforts aimed at de-escalation and launching a comprehensive political process.

In addition, Rashad Alimi reiterated Yemen’s commitment to partnering with the international community and global cultural institutions to protect human heritage and recover Yemeni artifacts that have been looted amid the harsh conditions imposed by the Houthi coup.

This statement came during a ceremony organized by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, where new Yemeni artifacts were returned, according to Saba.

Alimi expressed gratitude for the recovery of 14 valuable Yemeni artifacts from New Zealand, calling it a “historic moment” as he acknowledged the return of items that had been smuggled across thousands of kilometers.

He thanked the Higgs family from New Zealand for their initiative to facilitate the return of the artifacts to the Yemeni people, as well as the governments of the United States and New Zealand for their efforts in this recovery.

“These precious artifacts have journeyed thousands of kilometers through smuggling, yet they have returned today as witnesses to the civilizations that flourished in Yemen thousands of years ago,” he stated, adding that they “now tell the world stories from our ancestors and document the ingenuity of the Yemeni people in art, crafts, and culture.”

Alimi lamented the looting and destruction of Yemeni heritage caused by the Houthi group, classified internationally as a terrorist organization and backed by the Iranian regime.

“Despite this, we are hopeful that the partnership and cooperation between our country and global cultural institutions, including this esteemed museum, will continue to thrive in the future to protect and promote Yemeni heritage,” he urged, calling on everyone to be guardians of heritage, asserting that “appreciating the past is the guarantee for the future.”

During the ceremony, remarks were also made by U.S. Envoy Tim Lenderking, Metropolitan Museum Director Max Hollein, and Dr. Kim Benzel, head of the museum’s Near Eastern section, emphasizing the importance of U.S.-Yemeni partnerships in safeguarding Yemen’s cultural heritage as a significant part of global civilization.

They also highlighted the historical value of the artifacts loaned to the Metropolitan Museum, believed to date back to the Qatabanian state, which thrived in the province of Shabwa.