Sec. 405. Report on accountability for violations of international law, including war crimes, and other harm to civilians in Yemen
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It is the sense of Congress that— all participants in hostilities in Yemen should refrain from engaging in generally proscribed practices involving arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, torture, and other unlawful treatment; and participants in hostilities in Yemen should fully cooperate with the United Nations Panel of Experts on Yemen. Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State, in coordination with the Secretary of Defense, shall submit a report to the appropriate congressional committees that describes the causes and consequences of civilian harm occurring in the armed conflict in Yemen, including war crimes and gross violations of human rights, as a result of the actions of all parties involved in hostilities in Yemen.
The report required under subsection
(b)shall include the following elements: A description of possible civilian harm occurring in the context of the armed conflict in Yemen, including— mass casualty incidents; and damage to, and destruction of, civilian infrastructure and services, including— hospitals and other medical facilities; electrical grids; water systems; ports and port infrastructure; and other critical infrastructure. A description of possible violations of the law of armed conflict committed during the war in Yemen by— all forces involved in the Saudi-led coalition and all forces fighting on its behalf; members of the Houthi movement and all forces fighting on its behalf; members of violent extremist organizations; and any other combatants in the conflict. As examples of possible violations referred to in paragraph (2), a description of— alleged war crimes; specific instances of failure by the parties to the conflict to exercise distinction, proportionality, and precaution in the use of force in accordance with the law of armed conflict; arbitrary denials of humanitarian access and the resulting impact on the alleviation of human suffering; detention-related abuses; the use of child soldiers; and other acts that may constitute violations of the law of armed conflict. Recommendations for establishing accountability mechanisms for the civilian harm, war crimes, other violations of the law of armed conflict, and gross violations of human rights perpetrated by parties to the conflict in Yemen, including the potential for prosecuting individuals responsible for perpetrating, organizing, directing, or ordering such violations. The report required under subsection
(b)shall be submitted in unclassified form but may contain a classified annex. In this section, the term appropriate congressional committees means— the Committee on Foreign Relations of the Senate; and the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the House of Representatives.