The current study sheds light on the UN and the crisis in Yemen (2011- 2021). It mainly focuses on the roles of the UN special envoys for Yemen, starting with, Jamal Benomar (2011-2015), Ismaïl Ould Cheikh Ahmed, (2015-2018), and Martin Griffiths, (2018-2021). This study illustrates the mechanisms used by the UN for mediation and its management of the conflict in Yemen. It focuses on the most important international resolutions issued by the UN Security Council, the initiatives launched by the UN envoys, and the political agreements concluded between the internationally recognized Yemeni government and the Houthi movement under the auspices of the UN. In addition to this, this study deals with the reasons for the failure of these initiatives and agreements, and identifies the difficulties faced by the UN Special envoys for Yemen.                The research revolves around the factors that led to the inability of the UN to find a comprehensive political settlement to the crisis in Yemen since its mediation began in 2011, the obstacles it faced, and what could result from its inability to achieve any substantial progress regarding the crisis in Yemen during the next phase. 

     The study is intended to describe the role of the UN in Yemen since 2011 until today, revealing the factors that led to its inability to achieve sustainable peace, and to briefly shed light on the role of each envoy. To achieve these goals, the study used historical, analytical, and descriptive methods to analyze the content of some political agreements sponsored by the UN. The study raises the following questions: What role did the United Nations envoys play in Yemen? And why their attempts during the past decade did not succeed in building a durable peace? Why did the process of democratic transition in Yemen fail during UN’s presence as a mediator and supervisor? What are the reasons that led to the disapplication of the initiatives and agreements signed under the auspices of the UN envoys for Yemen? Herein lies the critical importance of the study in revealing the reasons that led to the inability of the UN to achieve a comprehensive peace.

        The topics of the study are as following: the first subsection discusses the period of the UN envoy, Jamal Benomar (2011-2015), and the events, dialogues and agreements that took place during his period. The second subsection addresses the consultations, sponsored by the UN, as well as the initiatives launched by the second envoy, Ismaïl Ould Cheikh Ahmed, (2015-2018). The third topic concentrates on the period of the UN special envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths,(2018-2021), and touched on the reasons and factors that led to the nonimplementation of the agreements during his period, and the difficulties he faced. Additionally, the study examines the difficulties facing the current UN special envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg.