Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General

The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today’s noon briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

Good afternoon.

** Syria

I will start off with a statement on Syria.

The Secretary-General condemns the mortar attack on an electoral rally in southern Syria that reportedly killed at least 21 people today.  He reiterates his opposition to the indiscriminate use of any weapons by any party against civilians in contravention of obligations under international humanitarian and human rights law.

The Secretary-General deeply regrets the inability of the international community to unite in stopping this conflict, and in finding ways to hold accountable perpetrators of atrocities such as today's attack.  The Syrian people desperately need an end to violence and a clean break from the past to move towards a new Syria, one in which their legitimate aspirations are met and all communities are protected.

Also on Syria, according to information received by the High Commissioner for Human Rights, units of the Syrian armed forces yesterday broke through the siege imposed for more than a year on Aleppo Central Prison by some armed groups and succeeded in entering the prison’s compound.

The safety and physical integrity of a number of prisoners and detainees, in particular 53 political detainees whose identity is known to the High Commissioner’s Office, are at imminent risk.

The Office has also received information that a number of prisoners have completed their sentences.  Those prisoners, as well as those arbitrarily detained, should be immediately released, and all detainees and prisoners should receive medical care.  The High Commissioner reminds the Government of Syria of its obligations to safeguard the safety and security of all detainees and prisoners.

** Ukraine

In a statement we issued yesterday on Ukraine in advance of Ukraine’s presidential elections, the Secretary-General appealed to all parties to redouble their efforts and help create the necessary conditions so that all eligible voters throughout the country may cast their ballots in a free and fair environment and without fear for their safety.  Voters across Ukraine should see the elections as an opportunity to help move the country on to a more inclusive and stable trajectory while also determining the country’s leadership at a pivotal moment.

Yesterday, we were asked about the two Russian correspondents of TV LifeNews who were reportedly arrested in Ukraine on 18 May.  The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) informs us that its monitoring team present in Ukraine has no confirmation of the whereabouts of the journalists.  The monitoring team is closely following up with Ukrainian authorities on this issue, and the team is in contact with the lawyers of the two that are detained.  In the past few days, in a series of meetings with Ukrainian officials, the head of the UN human rights monitoring team has been calling for the lawyers to be granted access to these journalists.

** Mali

And an update we just received from Mali:  The Secretary-General’s Special Representative to that country, Albert Koenders, is in Kidal today with the President of Mauritania and current chairman of the African Union, Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz, as well as Pierre Buyoya, the Special Representative of the African Union for Mali and the Sahel.

They are there to hold discussions with armed groups and urge them to agree to an immediate ceasefire.  They are also meeting with traditional authorities in Kidal.  Mr. Koenders continues to use his good offices to bring about the resumption of the political process and ensure evacuation of wounded citizens and Malian soldiers.

The UN [Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization] Mission [in Mali] (MINUSMA) reports that 59 injured Malian soldiers, four of them seriously wounded, are being treated at its camp, the UN camp, in Kidal.  The UN Mission also retrieved wounded Malians, MNLA (National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad) and civilians from the Kidal hospital and evacuated them by air from Kidal to Bamako yesterday for more urgent medical treatment.

And on the humanitarian front, our humanitarian colleagues say that population movements have been recorded in all regions of the North, as well as in the Mopti region, in connection with rumours of attacks by armed groups and fears of intercommunal reprisals.  Some 3,400 people have fled from Kidal.

Humanitarian agencies aided by the UN Mission are pre-positioning contingency stocks in Gao, such as food, water, wash kits, shelter, household items and health kits.  They are consolidating stocks in Gao for onward shipment to Kidal.  And today, the UN Mission is planning to airlift the equivalent of 14 days of supplies, including water, food, tents and other items, to Kidal, and to repatriate the wounded on the return flight.

** Thailand

Regarding Thailand, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, urged Thailand today to ensure respect for human rights and a prompt restoration of the rule of law in the country.  Ms. Pillay said that she is deeply concerned about the forcible replacement of an elected Government, the imposition of martial law, the suspension of the Constitution and the emergency measures that are restricting the enjoyment of human rights.  Her full statement is available on the High Commissioner’s website.

** Turkey

In a note related to Syria, John Ging, the Operations Director of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs will travel to Turkey for a three-day mission next week.  He is expected to hold consultations with the Turkish authorities in Ankara and with humanitarian actors on the ground in the southern region of Turkey.  We have asked Mr. Ging and he has, so far, agreed to brief you when he comes back on 30 April… May?  I’m just being sure you guys are listening.  [laughter]  Yes, we plan very much ahead here.

** Central African Republic

In Cameroon, the UN refugee agency says that it is battling to help growing numbers of refugees from the Central African Republic.  Many are arriving malnourished and ill after walking and hiding in the bush for weeks before reaching the border.  UNHCR (Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) adds that, since mid-April, the rate of deaths among refugee children has been particularly high — with 29 children dying mostly in therapeutic feeding centres, where they had arrived already gravely ill.

Refugees from the Central African Republic have been arriving in Cameroon through some 30 border points across an area over hundreds of kilometres.  At present, there are 85,000 refugees in some 300 villages, making it extremely challenging for humanitarian agencies to meet their needs.  UNHCR is also working with UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) and the World Food Programme and five medical aid agencies to reduce malnutrition rates and deaths.  More is available on these agencies website.

I’ll get to you Masood, don’t worry.  Don’t worry.  I won’t forget you.

**United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women

And also on the Central African Republic, just to flag that the head of UN-Women (United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women), Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka, will be visiting Bangui starting tomorrow as part of a visit by the African Union, the UN and the Economic Community of Central African States to highlight the situation of women and girls there.  The joint mission will be meeting with transitional authorities, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, religious leaders and a broad range of civil society actors.

** Republic of Korea

Also from World Food Programme, the Executive Director of the World Food Programme, Ertharin Cousin, concluded a two-day mission to the Republic of Korea today with a formal launch of the Zero Hunger Challenge in Seoul.  There’s a press release on their website.

**Sanitation

And looking ahead, the UN and its partners will hold a press briefing and campaign launch right here on 28 May to help end the practice of open defecation and improve access to toilets and latrines for the 2.5 billion people without basic-level sanitation.  The Deputy Secretary-General and Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka of UN-Women will participate in that briefing, at 10 a.m. in the Dag Hammarskjöld Auditorium and you are all invited.

The campaign aims to break the silence on talking about open defecation and the silence on the deaths and diseases, particularly among children, that have occurred as a result of open defecation practices and the lack of decent toilets or latrines.  The campaign will run to the end of the year.

**Economic and Social Council

We have the week ahead for you: just to flag, there will be an ECOSOC (Economic and Social Council) meeting next week and we expect, among other guests, President [Paul] Kagame of Rwanda, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the Mayor of Paris to also attend.  That’s it.  Yes, here in New York in May.  The ECOSOC meeting will be in ECOSOC, but we’re arranging press briefings for most of these people, though I’m not sure about Michael Bloomberg.

Yes, Erol?

**Questions and Answers

Question:  Okay, thanks, Stéphane.  Just to go a little bit back to Bosnia, again on floods.  Anything new and how… what the UN is doing actually?  There was a meeting in Zagreb on the issue of landmines that are moving towards river Danube.  So, what can you say on that?  And also, I will have a follow-up on a different issue.

Spokesman:  Sure.  We are continuing to, on the one hand, run the assessment mission.  We’re also are partners… different partners are delivering aid.  I know UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) has provided up to $300,000 in cash and $200,000 in emergency funding to various programmes and families in Bosnia and Herzegovina, about $100,000 in Serbia.  [The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs] has also granted… allocated an emergency cash grant of $50,000 to Bosnia and Herzegovina, and UNHCR has provided hygiene material worth about $35,000 in Bosnia.  And UNICEF has mobilized 120 psycho-social volunteers and distributed recreational kits for 17 child-friendly spaces and has provided hygiene kits and blankets to over 2,000 families, which are being distributed through the Serbian Red Cross.  I have a lot more facts and figures, which I can share with you.  And I know the Deputy Secretary-General has also been on the phone with the leaders in the region and I’m expecting a read-out of that shortly.

Question:  What about the landmines?

Spokesman:  I’ll check if we were present at that meeting, but obviously, it is the floating of landmines as a result of floods and landslides is something that… is a very big problem, which we flagged from this podium.

Question:  And just as a follow-up, next week, the President of Serbia, Mr. Tomislav Nikolić, is going to be here.  Is the Secretary-General having him to meet him, especially in regard to that disaster?

Spokesman:  It, obviously, will be an issue that will come up… we expect it to come up in their discussions.  And he will be here next week to meet the Secretary-General.

Question:  And also, does the Secretary-General, or anybody else, talk to the local diplomats from the region here?  Or anybody called or met him or anybody from the cabinet regarding this?

Spokesman:  Well, we’ve been in touch with authorities on the ground at the highest level.  There are contacts between Permanent Missions and people in the Secretariat on a regular basis.  But, we have been in touch, both locally and at the highest levels.  Matthew?  See, you’re right; you should have raised your hand.

Question:  Sure, I want to ask you two things on Ukraine.  One is that, just before the briefing, the Ambassador of Ukraine, [Yuriy] Sergeyev, he said that, on these UN-painted white helicopters that emerged in video, he claimed that the Mission responded to your office and said that it wasn’t filmed in Ukraine and that was the end of the story.  Meanwhile, yesterday, at the stakeout, Ambassador [Vitaly] Churkin of Russia said Russia is waiting for a response.  So has the UN made any determination of where the footage was?  And if it was in the DRC ( Democratic Republic of the Congo), why the people walking around next to it are in camouflage and not with blue helmets?  What’s the status of the UN’s response to Russia’s request?

Spokesman:  We’ve seen what the Ukrainians have had to say.  We have no more information.  We, obviously, have no way of launching an investigation.  We’ve heard what the Ukrainians have to say.  We’ve reminded them publicly, and I think all parties, that UN-contingent-owned equipment that’s marked with UN markings is to be used only in UN operations; but further than that, I don’t have any information.

Question:  You can’t get, like, the tail number of the helicopter to figure out where it’s served?

Spokesman:  You know, whether or not the video has been taken in eastern Ukraine, in the Dardennes or in DRC, we have no way of knowing.  We’ve seen the video.  We’ve made our concerns known to the Ukrainians.  They’ve responded and we’ve reminded them of their obligations.

Question:  And the other one is just also on Ukraine, on the Odessa investigations.  Yesterday, Mr. [Ivan] Šimonović said that there were four investigations being done in the country and one by the Council of Europe.  Today, Mr. Sergeyev said there’s not a multiplicity of investigations.  These are just versions of events, there’s one investigation.  And also, Ambassador Churkin said there’s been a request to the Secretary-General to do an investigation, including of chemicals and he mentioned the OPCW (Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons) as a precedent.  Has that request been received?  What’s the Secretariat’s thinking of the request?

Spokesman:  Mr. Šimonović said what he had to say.  I have nothing to add to what he said.  There was a Russian request to launch an OPCW investigation and we’ll have to see where that goes.  Masood?

Question:  Yes, Stéphane.  Two questions, one on this Afghanistan attack on the Indian consulate.  Does the UN representative in Afghanistan have anything to say about it, as to what exactly really happened?  We know that three gunmen attacked and so forth.  So, is there any detail that he can give?

Spokesman:  We, obviously, condemn these attacks, whether on civilians or on diplomatic representations.  I haven’t seen a statement from UNAMA (United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan), but we will chase one after this.

Question:  And also, on this Thailand:  The Thai army now formally declaring martial law and arresting, and basically detained, but arresting most of the population, including the former Prime Minister.  Do you have anything to say about that?

Spokesman:  Well, I think I just, we said it yesterday — the Secretary-General issued a fairly clear statement on his reaction to the imposition of the coup and of martial law and he called for a quick return to a democratically elected, constitutional Government.  And Navi Pillay, today, said that the military detention of senior politicians and civilians is very disturbing and she called for their immediate release.  Edie?

Question:  Steph — two questions:  First, the Committee on Torture today came out with a report on the Vatican and sex abuse.  I wonder whether the Secretary-General has any reaction to that report.  And, also, upcoming Egyptian elections this weekend — I think there was a statement a couple of days ago, but is there any update ahead of voting?

Spokesman:  No, there’s no update ahead of voting beyond what we’ve already said.  On the Committee on Torture, no particular comment, except to say that this is part of the human rights mechanism and it’s important that all Member States or Permanent Observers who signed on to these treaties and protocols participate in an open manner.

Question:  Thank you, Stéphane.  Has the United Nations been briefed on the major assault launched by Pakistani armed forces on a main Taliban group, which operates on both sides of Pakistan-Afghanistan border?  I’m asking this question because, obviously, there will be casualties and also, there will be displacement of people.

Spokesman:  No, not that I’m aware.

Question:  Just to follow-up on the Afghanistan question.  The attack comes just days before President [Hamid] Karzai is expected to go to India for the swearing in of the new Prime Minister.  Does the UN or the [Secretary-General] have any comment on this, given the fact about the attack?  And also, will any UN representative be going for the swearing-in or has been invited for the swearing-in of the Prime Minister?

Spokesman:  I will check on the swearing-in.  On the attacks, nothing beyond what I’ve already said.  We’ll see if there’s something more from UNAMA, but obviously, these kinds of attacks against civilians or diplomatic representations are to be condemned.  Matthew and then we’ll go back to Erol.

Question:  I wanted to ask, in the Central African Republic, in Bambari, there’s these reports of the French Sangaris force, at least according to some, firing into the crowd and a number of deaths.  And I wanted to know, is the Mission there aware of it?  And also, what’s the status of the various other instances where it’s been said that the human rights component of the UN Mission in CAR ( Central African Republic) was going to look into things?  Did they ever issue a report on their findings?  What’s happened in those cases?

Spokesman:  I’ll check on both of those.  [He later shared a press release on Bambari, issued jointly by the United Nations, African Union, European Union and France.]

Question:  Stéphane, I noticed that the Secretary-General is going to meet with Ambassador Churkin today at 3:30 p.m.  Is that something of the regular, because Ambassador Churkin is next President of the Security Council?

Spokesman:  It’s the regular, pre-presidency meeting, which the Secretary-General does with each incoming presidency.

I would add on the Balkans, that, on behalf of the Secretary-General, that Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson spoke by telephone yesterday with Aleksandar Vučić, Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia, and on Wednesday with Bakir Izetbegović, Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as Ivo Josipović, President of the Republic of Croatia, regarding the tragic flooding in all three countries.  During the calls, The Deputy Secretary-General expressed the UN’s deepest sympathies and solidarity with the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Serbia, who are suffering from the devastating impact of the unprecedented floods affecting the Balkans region.  He commended the countries' efforts and mutual cooperation to address the consequences of the floods and underscored the United Nations' readiness to provide further assistance as needed.  Yes?

Question:  Stéphane, on this continued incarceration of journalists in Egypt, Al-Jazeera has said that it has several journalists who have been jailed for 146 days or so, their parents are now in Egypt and nothing seems to be happening.  Do you have any update on this?

Spokesman:  I don’t have any update beyond the fact that, to reiterate, that the Secretary-General has raised this issue directly with Egyptian authorities, notably the Foreign Minister in multiple meetings on the issue of mass sentencing and the detention of all journalists.

Question:  I want to ask about Turkey and also about Myanmar.  In Turkey, there were these protests of the coal mine disaster and protesters were killed by police.  And the Prime Minister has said that he thinks the police showed remarkable restraint, although somebody said a bystander was killed.  Is there any… the UN system, are they aware of this?  Do they have any comment on that?

Spokesman:  I don’t have any specific comment on that right now.

Question:  And on Myanmar, I wanted to ask, I know UNICEF has addressed this, but I wanted to ask it here, because there’s a good offices mandate of the Secretariat.  UNICEF has acknowledged that it’s paying $87,000 a month in rent to a former member of the military Government of Myanmar.  And, although they say that they did a sanctions check and found… they acknowledge that the person was a member of the junta, they say that it’s okay.  And I wanted to know, is this sort of, UN-wide, does the UN in terms of looking at its business relationships and the payments of those types of money — is just not being on the sanctions list enough?  Or is there some higher standard?

Spokesman:  Let me look at what UNICEF has said and if I have anything, I’ll get back to you.

Correspondent:  And maybe ask Mr. [Vijay] Nambiar.  That was my thought.

Spokesman:  Would be happy to.

Correspondent:  And about the Sri Lanka report, as well.

Spokesman:  Yes.  Have a great weekend.

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For information media • not an official record