On Thursday, September 26, 2024, Yemen's Ambassador to UNESCO, Dr. Mohammed Jumeh, signed a document confirming Yemen’s commitment to the UNESCO "UNIDROIT" Convention aimed at preventing the sale and trafficking of cultural property.

In a post on Facebook, Jumeh announced that he had signed the agreement on behalf of the Yemeni Ministry of Foreign Affairs, marking a significant step toward Yemen's full accession to the 1995 convention.

With the implementation of this convention, Jumeh noted that Yemen would gain the necessary legal support to recover cultural artifacts that have been illegally removed from the country.

Just a day prior, Yemen successfully retrieved 14 invaluable artifacts from New Zealand during a ceremony hosted by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, attended by Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council Chairman, Rashad Alimi.

Alimi emphasized the importance of international partnerships and collaboration with global cultural institutions to safeguard Yemen's cultural heritage and reclaim stolen artifacts, which have been vulnerable to looting amid the ongoing conflict exacerbated by the Houthi insurgency.

Expressing gratitude on behalf of Yemen's leadership and people, Alimi hailed the recovery of the 14 artifacts as a historic moment for the nation. “We are witnessing the return of these valuable pieces from New Zealand,” he stated.

He also expressed deep appreciation to the Hig family in New Zealand for their initiative in reaching out to the Yemeni government to facilitate the return of the artifacts, and thanked the governments of the United States and New Zealand for their efforts in this recovery process.