Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and an eight-member delegation arrived at the U.N. yesterday for meetings with the Secretary General, Ban Ki Moon. The Prince and his delegation reportedly discussed Mr. Ban’s decision to cite the Saudi-led military coalition in the Yemen conflict for violating the rights of children.
According to the New York Times, Prince Mohammed and delegation “arrived 45 minutes late, delaying Mr. Ban’s schedule for the rest of the day.”
The New York Times also reported, citing an unnamed diplomat, that the Saudi delegation “questioned the sources the United Nations had relied on in Yemen…It also pressed the United Nations to send representatives to Riyadh to speak to coalition members.”
Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is in New York for business meetings, said: “I’m not angry” with the Secretary General of the U.N.
The Guardian reports that the Deputy Crown Prince, who is also Minister of Defense, downplayed questions about the row with Ban Ki Moon. “When asked on his way into the meeting if he was still upset with Ban, Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is in New York for business meetings after visiting Washington and the US west coast, said: “I’m not angry,” the Guardian reports.
An official U.N. statement said Ban and Prince Mohammed discussed “putting into place concrete measures that could improve the situation on the ground” to better protect children and civilians in Yemen, according to Reuters.
“The Secretary-General expressed the hope that by the time he presents the Children and Armed Conflict report to the Security Council in August, he could point to progress on the protection of children and civilians in Yemen,” it said.
