July 6, 2026: The Studies and Research Team at the National Peace Movement (NPM) organized a high-level academic symposium titled “Decentralization and Resource Allocation in the Republic of Yemen: Challenges, Opportunities, and Prospects for Reform.” The event featured the participation of the Minister of Local Administration, Eng. Badr Basalma, along with a distinguished group of academics, former officials, and researchers specialized in local governance, development, and peacebuilding in Yemen. The discussion was moderated by Dr. Ali Ali Alassad, the rapporteur of the Executive Council at the NPM.
Opening the symposium, Dr. Ali Ali Alassad emphasized that decentralization is no longer just a minor administrative matter, but has instead become a foundational pillar for building a more efficient and equitable state. He noted that academic discussion rooted in practical expertise provides an essential gateway for drafting national policies capable of addressing the challenges facing the country during its recovery and institutional rebuilding phase.
For her part, the former Undersecretary of the Ministry of Local Administration and former Ambassador, Khadija Radman, reviewed the historical trajectory and legislative shifts of decentralization in Yemen from 1990 to the present day. She explained that various structural imbalances have hindered the practical implementation of the project—most notably financial centralization and weak local authorities—concluding that the real challenge has never been a lack of texts and legislation, but rather the limited institutional will and capacity to enforce them on the ground.
In a pivotal address focusing on resource allocation gaps and developmental justice, Minister of Local Administration Eng. Badr Basalma stressed that reforming the local governance system requires reactivating the Local Authority Law and strengthening financial and administrative decentralization. He outlined the government’s vision for gradual reform, which centers on rebuilding and rehabilitating local governance institutions to play an effective role in service delivery and development management, while striking a delicate balance between maintaining the state’s unified financial system and granting local authorities the necessary powers and resources to fulfill their responsibilities.
In the same context, decentralization expert Amin Al-Maqtari presented a practical vision that bypasses legislative delays. He proposed a package of executive and administrative remedies that can be implemented immediately to enhance the performance of local authorities and elevate accountability and transparency in financial resource management, without the need to wait for comprehensive and immediate legislative amendments.
The symposium concluded with interactive discussions in which participants affirmed that addressing imbalances in the distribution of power and wealth, alongside reducing disparities between governorates, represents the primary entry point for supporting stability efforts. At the same time, the research team at the National Peace Movement (NPM) announced its intention to issue a comprehensive analytical paper and recommendations summarizing the symposium’s discussions, to be published across the NPM’s platforms to support reform efforts and public policy-making in Yemen.