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.

Hi, good afternoon, thank you for being here.

**Noon Briefing Guest

We have a couple of announcements, and then we will have Gordon Brown with us, who is the UN Special Envoy for Global Education.  And he will brief you on his Global Education initiative.

**Ebola

According to the latest update from the World Health Organization (WHO), the total number of cases in the current Ebola outbreak is 6,263 cases and 2,917 deaths.  World leaders, as you know, are meeting as we speak at the invitation of the Secretary-General to contain and stop the spread of the virus, treat those who are infected, ensure essential services, preserve stability and prevent outbreaks in other countries.  The Secretary-General said that there is overwhelming international political momentum for the United Nations to play a leading role in coordinating the global response to the outbreak.  He added that we will play this role and meet this challenge.  The Secretary-General said that, within 24 hours of a call for staff to deploy, the United Nations had received 4,000 applications.

The Presidents of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone are participating, either via teleconference or in person.  Other participants include [ United States] President [Barack] Obama, the President of the World Bank, [Jim Kim], representatives of Médecins Sans Frontières, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, among others.  Dr. [Margaret] Chan, Dr. [David] Nabarro and Anthony Banbury, the Head of the UN [Ebola Emergency] response mission (UNMEER), will be at 1 p.m. at the stakeout on the ground floor, between Conference Rooms 1 and 2.  And they will also be joined by British actor Idris Elba, as you may know, whose father is from Sierra Leone before immigrating to the [ United Kingdom].  And Idris Elba will speak of his commitment to supporting the global Ebola response to the outbreak.

**Millennium Development Goals

This morning, the Secretary-General also spoke at event bringing together his Millennium Development Goals (MDG) Advocacy Group.  The Group, co-chaired by the President of Rwanda and the Prime Minister of Norway, comprises eminent personalities who are leaders in promoting the MDGs in areas such as education and women’s empowerment.  The Secretary-General said that we can be proud of what we have achieved in fighting poverty and improving health, education and gender parity.  But, he also said that, with 462 days until the deadline of reaching the MDGs, we must do more to achieve our targets on hunger; child malnutrition; child and maternal mortality; as well as access to sanitation.  And the Secretary-General just spoke at an event on the post-2015 development agenda.

** Libya

On Libya, a high-level meeting on Libya earlier today, the Secretary-General said that the country’s political transition process is facing its biggest challenges since the 2011 revolution.  Speaking to high-level delegates, the Secretary-General noted that the past months have seen unprecedented violence between rival armed factions.  So far, more than 300,000 people have been displaced.  Airports, Government buildings and other vital infrastructure have been destroyed.  And hospitals do not have adequate medical supplies.  The Secretary-General added that although most international missions, including the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), have had to temporarily relocated from the country, his Special Representative, Bernardino León, will continue to shuttle between the parties in Libya to promote dialogue as the only way out of the crisis.

**South Sudan

And from South Sudan, just right about now, the Secretary-General is speaking at the high-level meeting on South Sudan, and we will issue his remarks as soon as possible.  And we also expect Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Hervé Ladsous, to go to the stakeout on the first floor after that meeting to speak to you.

** Iraq

From Geneva, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad al Hussein, condemned the ISIL’s [Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant’s] brutal, cold-blooded slaying of Iraqi human rights defender Sameera Salih Ali al-Nuaimy, who was publicly executed by a masked firing squad in central Mosul earlier this week.  He also condemned the continuing detention, sexual exploitation and sale of hundreds of women and girls in areas captured by the extremist groups.  Human rights officials with the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq (UNAMI) have received numerous other reports of the executions of women in Mosul and in other areas controlled by extremist groups after perfunctory “trials”.  Educated, professional women seem to be particularly at risk.  The High Commissioner also expressed his deep dismay at the situation facing hundreds of captured Yezidi women and girls, as well as some from other ethnic and religious groups, who have reportedly been sold into slavery, forced into marriage and repeatedly raped by fighters since their home areas were overrun in August.

**Arms Trade Treaty

Today the Arms Trade Treaty marked a milestone — it has received the 50 ratifications needed to enter into force, which is now set for December.  In his message today, the Secretary-General said that in adopting the Arms Trade Treaty, Member States have come together to support a robust, legally binding commitment to provide a measure of hope to millions of people around the world.  Adopted in April of last year by the General Assembly, the landmark treaty aims to regulate international trade in conventional arms.

**Secretary-General’s Appointments

Three appointments by the Secretary-General today:

He has appointed Nicholas Haysom of South Africa as his Special Representative and Head of the UN Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).  And Mr. Haysom, as you know, will succeed Jan Kubiš.

The Secretary-General has also appointed Carole Wainaina of Kenya as Assistant Secretary-General for Human Resources Management in the Department of Management.  And she succeeds Catherine Pollard.

Third appointment is a joint appointment by the Secretary-General and the African Union Commission Chairperson.  They have appointed Abdul Kamara of Sierra Leone as Deputy Joint Special Representative for the African Union[-United Nations] Hybrid Operation mission in Darfur (UNAMID).  Mr. Kamara succeeds Joseph Mutaboba of Rwanda.

**Death of Margaret Vogt

One more thing, just a statement on the passing of a dear colleague of ours.  The Secretary-General learned with profound sadness of the passing of Margaret Vogt who served as his Special Representative in the Central African Republic from 2011 to 2013.  The Secretary-General pays tribute to Ms. Vogt’s long and rich career in the United Nations, the African Union and academia.  He recalls that Ms. Vogt was known for her tireless work, unmatched kindness and the incredible courage she displayed in the many dangerous duty stations where she served.  The Secretary-General salutes Ms. Vogt’s leadership, including during very turbulent times in Somalia and the Central African Republic.  She saved lives, inspired others and brought joy to those she met.  Her many friends, colleagues and admirers, in the UN and elsewhere, will always remember her profound decency and humanity.  The Secretary-General conveys his deepest condolences to Ms. Vogt’s family.  Some of you may remember her — she served in the Department of Political Affairs for a long time and was often a guest in this room.  And we are indeed saddened by her passing.

**Press Encounters

Press encounters today.  Busy time, as you know.  At around 12:20 p.m., Kim Simplis Barrow, First Lady of Belize and Special Envoy for Women and Children, will speak at the stakeout on the first floor.  Also, as I had mentioned earlier, at 1 p.m., the Ebola stakeout with Dr. Chan and Dr. Nabarro, Anthony Banbury and Idris Elba.  At 2 p.m., I also mentioned Hervé Ladsous on South Sudan.  At 6 p.m., at the Security Council Stakeout, Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius of France and Foreign Minister José Antonio Kuribreña of Mexico will brief reporters following the meeting “Framing the veto in the event of mass atrocities.”  And tomorrow, we will have another series for press conferences for you.

Any questions before we get Mr. Brown?

**Questions and Answers

Question:  I wanted to ask about two things.  One is about readouts generally, but one that was made yesterday and also about how press conferences are done in this room.  First, it's about… in Ecuador, we had a press conference by the Foreign Minister of Ecuador last night and he issued a readout on the questions he raised, including the Julian Assange, WikiLeaks case; but as I was sitting here, having heard him said that, I got the readout from you, and it talked about climate change and Ebola.  How should we understand these readouts?  Do they list what the interlocutor thinks is important or what the Secretary‑General thinks is important?

Spokesman:  They're readouts by the Secretary‑General's office.  So, as always, the interlocutor may feel a need to put out a different readout.  They are not transcripts of the meetings.  They are not a laundry list of everything that was discussed.  They are a reflection of what the Secretary‑General's Office feels were the main points that were discussed, which in the meeting were Ebola and climate change.  It doesn't mean that other things weren't discussed, so that the interlocutor may have brought up other issues, but they are a reflection of how the meeting went from our side.

Question:  The other one I wanted to ask was, earlier in this week, there was an 11 a.m. press conference by the President of France.  Then it was cancelled.  I happened to be here and then the room filled up with journalists and they said it's been reserved.  And I think you may have been back there.  So, I just want to know what's the… what are the rules for this room?  Can a country throw journalists that are not from their country out of the room?

Spokesman:  There was a mix-up, due in part from our office.  If it's a public press conference, everybody is invited.  Missions sometimes ask to use the room to brief their travelling press.  We accommodate them.  It's a Member State‑run organization.  If they wish to use the room, we ask them if they do a briefing for only their travelling press that we don't publicize it and we don't… there was a mix-up yesterday because things were done last minute.

Question:  Has any other country done that?  In this room?

Spokesman:  Other countries have, but as I said, it's a private use of this room.  Yes.  Yes, Evelyn?

Correspondent:  This is just my opinion as a veteran of this… of the press corps.  I have rarely seen such dreadful scheduling at the high-level event.  This is not your fault.  It's just something I would like to you take upstairs.  You can't have three summits in one day and expect everyone to cover them and have the climate thing all over the place rather than focusing it.

Spokesman: We feel your pain.  It's a lot for to you cover.  It's an enormous amount for to us organize.  It's… the Secretary‑General, I think, if he could be cloned into three people, could probably not cover everything.  He had 27 engagements yesterday; I think 28, something like that, the day before.  Some engagements he sends his deputy or has messages read out.  The problem is we live in a turbulent time.  World leaders gather only once a year here.  We have to take advantage of their presence.

Correspondent:  It was the worst that I could remember and the UN staff is the one I feel sorry, for because they cannot cope with the amount of registration.

Spokesman:  I appreciate…

Correspondent:  And minders and everything else.

Spokesman:  I appreciate it, but South Sudan, Somalia, Ebola, climate change:  these are all issues that need to be dealt with, and our…

Correspondents:  And there was no need to have three summits in one day.

Spokesman:  I think it depends on your point of view.  Yes, Sara?

Correspondent:  Follow‑up to what Evelyn said.  I have to agree on some of those points, because we've had photo ops that were scheduled for the 38^th [floor], and we have to be screened for half an hour in advance, and we get down to the 38^th [floor], and they run us back down to G-100.  The Secretary‑General had to apologize to the Prime Minister of Sudan for running him up and down the stairs.

Spokesman:  I hear your pain.  We have to bear and grin through it.  It's the madness.  I happen to love it.  It's a lot of work for everybody.  But, it… you know, I register your complaint.  Did you have a question?

Question:  Yes.  My question is, how does the [United Nations Department of Public Information] decide who gets to be listed as a wire service and who doesn't?

Spokesman:  You know what?  I think that's a question you can address to my colleague in MALU [Media Accreditation and Liaison Unit].

Correspondent:  [Inaudible]

Spokesman:  Okay.  Okay.  Well, it's a question I'm not capable of answering right now.  Mr. Lee?

Question:  I wanted… two things.  One, yesterday evening, the speech by the President of Sri Lanka, [Mahinda] Rajapaksa, specifically took issue with the Human Rights Council inquiry, which I know has come up in this room before and they've said they're not going to give visas for it and they reject it.  I wonder, in the past, when these statements have been made from Sri Lanka from this podium, you've been willing to say the Secretary‑General stands behind the panel and it should get in.  Will you respond to the speech or is it different…?

Spokesman:  I think that we're not going to respond to the more than 193 speeches that are made, but the Secretary‑General's position on the human rights inquiry is unchanged.  Yes, ma'am, in the back?  And then we'll get Mr. Brown.

Question:  Hi, Stéphane.  I just wanted to ask because the Secretary‑General said yesterday he called for a review of the peace operations.  Can you tell us exactly what would be the extent or the scope of this review and what point will it also be taken up?  Thank you.

Spokesman:  I think the Secretary‑General's feelings that it's been 15 years since the landmark Brahimi review on peacekeeping.  What he plans to do is take a look at, not only the peacekeeping operations, but also special political missions and the challenges that we're facing.  I think the challenges that we faced 15 years ago have changed.  They're multifaceted; the issue of terror groups, the issue of resources for peacekeeping are challenging, and so it will be a wholesale review and look forward in how we do peacekeeping. 

And as I answer my question, I see my guest has sat comfortably.  But, I think, Mr. Brown, if you don't mind coming up here to take some questions and we will get under way.

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For information media • not an official record