# Council Decision (CFSP) 2019/1672 of 4 October 2019 on a European Union action in support of the United Nations Verification and Inspection Mechanism in Yemen, Division 2: UNVIM inspection and verification process

Extent: E+W+S+N.I.

At present, UNVIM’s Standard Operating Procedures apply to: (i) all vessels above 100 metric tons destined for Yemeni ports not under the control of the Government of Yemen and to all vessels transporting commercial goods purchased by Yemen‐based commercial or government entities intended for sale in Yemen; and (ii) bilateral assistance from UN Member States not channelled through a UN Agency, Fund or Programme or a recognised international humanitarian organisation.
The verification process starts when a shipping company submits an online clearance request at www.vimye.org, uploads the necessary documents and submits all requested documentation to UNVIM. Within 48 hours, UNVIM reviews the documentation and sends a notification to external partners such as the Evacuation and Humanitarian Operations Cell of the Coalition Forces (EHOC). UNVIM then decides whether or not to inspect the vessel based on its own process including discrepancies in the documentation received, undeclared port calls, suspicious vessel movement, switching‐off the Automatic Identification System (AIS) for more than four hours and feedback received from external partners. Vessel inspections are either conducted at port in territorial waters or at sea in international waters.
A clearance certificate is then either granted or denied (meaning cancelled, declined or revoked). For a cleared vessel, UNVIM keeps monitoring its movements through the AIS, including: transit to the Coalition holding area; movement from the holding area to the anchorage area; and movement from the anchorage to the berth for discharge. UNVIM tracking ends once the cleared vessel departs from Yemen’s Red Sea ports after discharging its cargo and sails out from the port. Throughout the entire process, UNVIM maintains strong contact with the shipping companies and the vessel’s Master (Captain) and plays a critical role in addressing any issues the vessel encounters at sea, including advocating with EHOC and the Coalition. UNVIM’s facilitation of the entire clearance process and consistent communication with the shipping companies is crucial in maintaining the trust of international shipping lines and, therefore, in ensuring commercial imports to the majority of the Yemeni population continue despite the ongoing conflict.
UNVIM has also sought to reassure the international shipping community through quarterly meetings with their representatives, ensuring that their difficulties and challenges are correctly understood and addressed.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eudn/2019/1672/annex/division/2 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/eu-decision-2019-1672/annex/division-2
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.