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.

**Secretary-General’s Meetings

The Secretary-General is participating in a series of high-level meetings, and we’ll provide his remarks as they take place.  I’ll mention a few that I want to highlight, so far.

He spoke at a summit on UN peacekeeping this morning, and noted that the global security landscape has shifted dramatically.  He said that we must fortify the spirit of collective responsibility that lies at the heart of UN peacekeeping, and we must ask ourselves what we want from peacekeeping, and what it needs to succeed.  To help find answers, the Secretary-General has decided to appoint a high-level panel to undertake a review of UN peace operations — for peacekeeping and special political missions.  Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Hervé Ladsous, who is attending the meeting, intends to speak to reporters at the stakeout on the ground floor shortly.

Earlier, the Secretary-General spoke to the Group of 77 and China and said that the post-2015 development agenda must finish the work of the Millennium Development Goals.  Their human development imperatives, including the eradication of poverty, must remain at the heart of the post-2015 development agenda.

He also spoke to Pacific Islands Forum leaders and congratulated them for the launch of the Pacific Ocean Alliance.  And he applauded all Pacific countries that raised their strong voices for progress on climate change negotiations.

And at 3:30 p.m., the Secretary-General will be speaking at the Mini-Summit on the Central African Republic, and we will issue his remarks, as usual.

The Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Hervé Ladsous, will address the press at the stakeout on the first floor after that meeting at around 5:30 pm.

**Ebola

On Ebola, we have been asked many questions regarding funding.  We are currently reviewing the figures, including the new pledges announced yesterday at the High-Level Meeting, as well as contributions in medical personnel, air bridges and more.

On the ground, the UN Mission is continuing its deployment in Accra, Ghana, as well as in the three most impacted countries.  The Head of the UN Mission, UNMEER, Anthony Banbury, will be in Ghana on Monday afternoon.

And the World Health Organization (WHO) says today that it is encouraged by the growth of interest in the use of whole blood or plasma from recovered Ebola patients.

However, there is only limited data about the benefits of convalescent therapy, as it is called.  Major questions need to be answered regarding its safety, efficacy and feasibility in countries with shattered health systems and acute shortage of medical staff.

WHO is currently holding discussions with health experts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone.

Early next week, it will issue new interim guidance on the use of this therapy, and more on this issue is available on the WHO website.

**Afghanistan

From Geneva, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) expressed concerned over Afghanistan’s Supreme Court decision to affirm the death sentence given to five people, and the sentencing of an additional person recently.  The Office said that although the crimes, which include armed robbery, kidnapping and gang rape, are horrible, it remains concerned about that lack of due process and the failure to comply with national and international fair trial standards in the proceedings. 

The Human Rights Office added that the decision denies proper justice to both the victims and the accused, and also undermines efforts to strengthen the rule of law and administration of justice in Afghanistan.

**Australia-Cambodia

Also from Geneva, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said that it is deeply concerned by the precedent set by today’s agreement between Australia and Cambodia.

The arrangement involves relocating recognized refugees from Nauru to Cambodia.

These refugees had originally sought Australia’s protection, but instead were forcibly transferred to Nauru for an assessment of their protection needs in conditions that the Agency found to be harmful.

Under this agreement, people recognized as refugees in Nauru will be offered permanent settlement in Cambodia and are barred from settling in Australia.

The High Commissioner for Refugees, António Guterres, said that this development is a worrying departure from international norms.

He said that international responsibility sharing is the basis on which the whole global refugee system works, adding that he hopes that the Australian Government will reconsider this approach. There is more information on the refugee agency’s website.

**UNHCR

Also flagging some new numbers released by UNHCR.  The number of people seeking refugee status in industrialized countries continued to climb in the first half of this year, driven by wars in Syria and Iraq, as well as conflict and instability in places such as Afghanistan.

That’s according to their new report, which warned that, given that the second half of every year historically has shown higher numbers of asylum-seekers, 2014 could produce as many as 700,000 claims — the highest level in 20 years.  We have more on the Agency’s website.

**New Apps

My colleagues of the Department of Public Information (DPI) have asked me to announce the launch of two new apps for mobile phones, both iPhones and Android, which get you breaking news and live audio feeds from UN meetings and events.

Through the UN Audio Channels app, developed by AudioNow, you can listen to UN Radio content in eight languages and live audio feeds from GA [General Assembly], Security Council and the Noon Briefing from anywhere in the world.  The app is available for both Android and iPhone.

The second app, UN News Reader, was developed by the UN Office in Almaty, and it provides access to the stories from UN News Centre in all six official languages.  The app also links you to quick reference resources like the main UN web site, the Events Calendar, the Calendar of Observances, Basic Facts, the Educational Calendar, UN Multimedia, UN Radio, and social media.

**Press Encounters

Once again quite a number of briefings this afternoon:

In additions to the ones I’ve already mentioned, at 2:45 p.m., the President of Gabon, Ali Bongo Ondimba, and the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Germany, Frank-Walter Steinmeier, will brief at the Conference Building Stakeout.

At 5:00 p.m., French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius will brief you on the Central African Republic, also on the Stakeout on the ground floor.

And that’s it, because I think that’s enough.  I’ll take some questions before we hear from Foreign Minister [Sergey] Lavrov.  Ivan?

**Questions and Answers

Question: Thank you, Stéphane.  Do you have any information on how the monitoring mission in Ukraine will conduct the investigation of the mass graves near the Donetsk?

Spokesman:  We'll try to get an update from the colleagues in the office, of the human rights office, to see if we can get you more details on that.

Question:  Can you confirm the investigation will be done?

Spokesman:  No, I'll talk to them and then I’ll get back to you.  Matthew?  And then Evelyn, I'm sorry.

Question:  I wanted to ask a question about peacekeeping and one about press access.  On peacekeeping, I wonder if you could confirm that Uganda, who was initially going to contribute troops to the Central African Republic mission, has decided not to because they were ordered to go elsewhere in the country other than where the LRA (Lord’s Resistance Army) is said to be.  Also, I wanted to know just briefly, you may have said this, but I wanted to get your answer.  Many people have been complaining that it's very difficult to get to the General Assembly stakeout.  Supposedly there's supposed to be escort, but they don’t arrive.  Many things have been missed.  I want to know, what's the rationale for resident correspondents not being able to get to the stakeouts where we're trying to cover things?

Spokesman:  On the first question, I'll find out.  On the second one, Isabelle [Broyer] and her colleagues are really trying to do the best possible job they can, trying to accommodate not only you but the hundreds and hundreds of other journalists that are here that arrive with national delegations, foreign ministries, presidents, and others.  There is also — we had for the first time the President of the United States here for three days, and that creates its own increased security blanket.  The rationale is that we're trying to accommodate everybody's needs:  diplomats, journalists and others.

Question:  Who decided that, even if you go through a metal detector, you have to have an escort to go 20 yards to the stakeout?

Spokesman:  That's always been the case.  I think you can raise the issues with Isabelle and try to work things out.  Evelyn?

Question:  Right.  And there are not enough escorts.  The UN is short‑staffed for what's happening here.

Spokesman:  Well, you know, we rely on volunteers.  Yes, ma'am?

Question:  Well, they're not enough.  Anyway, my question is, do you have any results from peacekeeping of offers that — new offers that haven't been there before, which was, I think, the purpose of the meeting?  And secondly, who were the Australian refugees?  Are they Cambodians?

Spokesman: No, they were various nationalities.  They were not Cambodians.  If I'm not mistaken, quite a few of them were Afghans, but we can check with UNHCR on that.  On your first question, I think the meeting is still going on.  I think those offers are being tabulated.  And Mr. Ladsous, I am sure, will speak about it at the end of the meeting.  Yes, Erol?

Question:  Yes, follow‑up on Matthew's question.  Are you guys satisfied — is the Secretary‑General satisfied with the level of the renovation improvement, and does anybody consider that the renovation improvements did actually contribute to this mess that was going on these previous two days and complaints of my colleagues?

Spokesman:  I think you're mixing apples and…

Question:  Oh, I'm not.

Spokesman:  Listen, Erol, if you ask me a question, you could maybe afford me the courtesy to express my own opinion, if you're going to express yours.  I think the CMP (Capital Master Plan) renovations were done very well.  I think the GA Hall, everything worked on time.  Everything was open on time.  The delegations, the users, everything, the systems seems to have worked in a very high‑stress environment.  I don't think the renovations have anything to do with the way the press is organized.  Yes, ma'am?

Question:  There are a lot of angry journalists in the room.

Spokesman:  Well, you know, listen —

Question:  I have a question, though.

Spokesman:  Please ask a question.

Question:  The question is about the — what wasn't clear, the French, Mexican decision or request to rewrite the Charter of the United Nations in order to limit the use of the veto on basis of atrocities that are committed; but I think, realistically speaking, atrocities have been committed and will be committed, likely by all kinds of members with plenty of blood on their hands.  So who's to define who are the victims?  And I have to go back in this case.  I wasn't here, but perhaps there is somebody who was.  When [Salvador] Allende was overthrown in Chile, the atrocities were horrific.  What was the way of handling it here?

Spokesman:  I wasn't here then.  What I can tell you is that the meeting on the issue of non-use of the veto in certain circumstances was, as you know, organized by the Mexican Government and the Government of France.  I think if you have any questions on their initiative, I would ask Mr. [Laurent] Fabius, as I mentioned, will be at the stakeout at 5:00, and I'm sure he'd be delighted to answer your questions.  Edie?

Question:  Thank you, Stéphane.  I have a question, but I would also like to echo the comments about press arrangements, and I would ask you, after the GA is over, to arrange a meeting between the correspondents and DPI, yourself, Isabelle, and Captain [Matthew] Sullivan, again, so we can actually try and start very early to rectify what happened this year.

Spokesman:  I've already spoken to my colleagues about organizing such a meeting.

Question:  Thank you.  My question is: you said that the Secretary‑General is going to appoint a high-level panel to review UN peacekeeping and political operations.  Is this panel going to be people who are from outside?  That is, is this going to be sort of an independent expert panel, as opposed to an in‑house UN panel?

Spokesman:  You know, I don't want to get ahead in terms of who will lead the panel, but obviously, it will be people who can give, I think, who can bring to the table both fresh ideas and a historical view of what's happened in the past, but really it is about looking forward on how we can bring this out.  So I would — and I don't want to jump and assume who will be on it, but it will be, no doubt, people from both the inside and the outside.

Question:Something as sort of a follow‑up to the [Lakhdar] Brahimi panel?

Spokesman:  It's exactly that.  I think the Secretary‑General has put in the terms that it's been more than 15 years since we've had a comprehensive review and the situation on the ground and the elements we have to deal with in peacekeeping has clearly changed.  So it's time to take another look.  Yes, Dulcie?

Question:  Yeah, on that note, will there be any women on this panel to address — I mean, there will be some effort made to bring…

Spokesman:  I have no doubt that the issue, the gender perspective in peacekeeping is one that the Secretary‑General has paid a lot of attention to, and I'm sure it will be reflected in the review.  Matthew.

Question:  Is Louise Arbour the new Brahimi?  And what I wanted to know is — maybe you'll answer that.

Spokesman:  Louise Arbour is Louise Arbour.  And Lakhdar Brahimi is Lakhdar Brahimi.

Question:  Is she going to be the chair of the panel?

Spokesman:  I don't know.

Question:  I was watching the conference on peacekeeping operations and it seems like it was a pledging conference, basically, but the issues that have come up, for example, the surrender to the Al Nusra Front in the Golan Heights, the alleged cover‑up the civilian, attacks on civilians in Darfur and going back to Haiti cholera, are these type of issues are going to be reviewed?  Is it the review of the effectiveness of peacekeeping or strengthening of it?

Spokesman:  I think the Secretary‑General — I think the panel has not been constituted.  When it is, its terms of reference will be clear.  This is about making peacekeeping more effective in the twenty-first century, in post‑2014, in dealing with the kind of violent environments that peacekeepers have had to deal with, with increased number of non-State actors and just much more complex situations.  So I don't want to keep speculating, but I think the Secretary‑General has laid out the broad outlines.  Pam?

Question:  Thank you, Stéphane.  I'd like to know if the Secretary‑General will do any kind of wrap‑up after the General Assembly.  And I need to, as President of the UN Correspondents’ Association, just echo what we've all said.  I've written you a memo.  We've all written memos.  And to not be able to get to the stakeout, have these escorts that aren't there, it's really — it's been the least able-to-report UN General Assembly that almost all the correspondents have seen.

Spokesman:  I hear you.  And what was your question?

Question:  The — about the Secretary-General…

Spokesman:  There's nothing on — in the books right now, but obviously we'd love to try to get him to the stakeout as some point, but I have nothing on the schedule now.  Yes, sir?

Question:  Our Vice Minister of the Environment was here on Monday to attend the Tuesday climate summit.  He told me he had to wait in line on the street for six hours to get his pass.  Are you going to be able to do anything about that?

Question:  Our Vice Minister of the Environment was here on Monday to attend the Tuesday climate summit.  He told me he had to wait in line on the street for six hours to get his pass.  Are you going to be able to do anything about that?

Spokesman:  I'm sorry.  I don't know who your Vice-Minister, from what country?

Question:  Viet Nam.

Spokesman:  Oh, Viet Nam.  I'm happy to look into that issue.  Mr. Lee?

Question:  I want to ask you about the High‑Level Meeting on South Sudan that was held yesterday.  After the meeting various, I guess, countries that attended have complained that the President of South Sudan, Salva Kiir, although he was in New York, didn't attend this UN High‑Level Meeting that was on his own country.  So I wanted to know:  Does the UN have a view on that?  Do they think it was helpful in resolving the problems in his country?  And has he explained, in his meeting with the Secretary-General, why he didn't attend?

Spokesman:  We've put out a readout of his meeting with the Secretary‑General.  I think you'd have to ask Salva Kiir why he chose not to attend that meeting.  All right.  I will leave you with the main act, who I'm sure — the Foreign Minister will be here very shortly.

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For information media • not an official record