• Country/entity

  Yemen
  

• Region

  Middle East and North Africa
  

• Agreement name

  Agreement Establishing a Union between the State of the Yemen Arab Republic and the State of the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen

• Date

  22 Apr 1990

• Agreement status

  Multiparty signed/agreed

• Interim arrangement

  Yes

• Agreement/conflict level

  Interstate/intrastate conflict(s) ( Yemeni Civil Wars (1994) (2011 - ) )

• Stage

  Framework/substantive - partial

• Conflict nature

  Territory

• Peace process

  Yemen unification process

• Parties

  Colonel Ali Abdallah Saleh, President of the Republic Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Secretary-General of the General People's Congress.
  
  Ali Salem A1-Beidh, Secretary-General of the Central Committee of the Yemeni Socialist Party

• Third parties

  -

• Description

  This is a short agreement providing for unification of the Yemen Arab Republic and the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen, to become "the Republic of Yemen." It establishes an interim Presidential Council to form the government of the Republic of Yemen, and to undertake functions authorized by the Constitution.

• Agreement document

  YE_900422_AgreementEstablishingUnionYemen.pdf | Download PDF

Groups

Gender

State definition

Governance

Power sharing

Human rights and equality

Rights related issues

Rights institutions

Justice sector reform

Socio-economic reconstruction

Land, property and environment

Security sector

Transitional justice

Implementation

Agreement Establishing a Union between the State of the Yemen Arab Republic and the State of the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen

San'a, 22 April 1990

Article 1:

On the 26th of May 1990 (corresponding to the first of Dhi'l-Qa'da of the Hegira year 1410), there shall be established between the State of the Yemen Arab Republic and the State of the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (both parts of the Yemeni Homeland) a full and complete union, based on a merger, in which the international personality of each of them shall be integrated in a single international person called "the Republic of Yemen."

The Republic of Yemen shall have one legislative, executive and judicial power.

Article 2:

After the entry into force of this Agreement, a five-member Presidential Council of the Republic of Yemen shall be established for the interim period.

At their first meeting, the members of the Council shall elect a President and a Vice-President for the duration of the term of the Council.

The members of the Presidential Council shall be elected at a joint session of the Offices of the Presidency of the Supreme People's Council and the Shura Council.

Members of the Presidential Council shall take the constitutional oath at the joint session before assuming their functions.

The Presidential Council shall exercise all the powers authorized by the Constitution.

Article 3:

A thirty-month interim period shall begin on the date of the entry into force of this Agreement.

During this period, the full membership of the Shura Council and of the Supreme People's Council shall constitute the House of Representatives;

in addition, 31 representatives shall be appointed by a decree from the Presidential Council.

The House of Representatives shall exercise all the powers provided for in the Constitution;

however, it shall have no power to elect a Presidential Council or to amend the Constitution.

Any vacancy, for any reason, in the House of Representatives shall be filled by appointment to be made by the Presidential Council.

Article 4:

At its first meeting, the Presidential Council shall issue a decree establishing an Advisory Council of 45 members.

The Council's functions shall be defined in the same decree.

Article 5:

The Presidential Council shall form the Government of the Republic of Yemen which shall undertake all the functions authorized by the Constitution.

Article 6:

At its first meeting, the Presidential Council shall entrust a technical team to prepare a framework for reconsidering the administrative division of the Republic of Yemen so as to reinforce the Yemeni unity and eliminate the effects of partition.

Article 7:

The Presidential Council is empowered to issue, at its first meeting, decrees which shall have the force of law regarding the emblem, flag and national anthem of the Republic.

At the same meeting, the Presidential Council shall issue a decree convening the House of Representatives in order decide upon the following items:

a) approving decrees and laws issued by the Presidential Council;

b) voting confidence in the Government on the basis of the statement (of its program) which it shall submit;

c) calling upon the Presidential Council to submit the Constitution to a general, popular referendum before the thirtieth of November 1990;

d) approving draft basic laws submitted by the Presidential Council.

Article 8:

This Agreement shall enter into force upon its ratification, together with the draft Constitution of the Republic of Yemen, by the Shura Council and the People's Council.

Article 9:

This Agreement shall govern the entire interim period.

Upon ratification, the provisions of the Constitution of the Republic of Yemen shall be deemed in force during the interim period, in accordance with the previous Article and subject to the other provisions of this Agreement.

Article 10:

The Constitutions of both previous Yemeni States shall be deemed abrogated upon ratification of this Agreement and of the Constitution of the Republic of Yemen by the Shura Council and the People's Council.

Signed in San'a on the twenty-seventh of Ramadan of the Hegira year 1410, corresponding to the twenty-second of April 1990 A.D.

Colonel Ali Abdallah Saleh

President of the Republic Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces

Secretary-General of the General People's Congress

Ali Salem A1-Beidh

Secretary-General of the Central Committee of the Yemeni Socialist Party