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.
**Noon Briefing Guests
In a short while, I will be joined by John Ging, OCHA (Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) Operations Director, and Hao Liang Xu, Assistant Administrator and Director for the Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific at the UN Development Programme (UNDP). They will be here to brief on their recent trip to Myanmar.
**Mali
As you will have seen today, there was a deadly attack committed against our UN peacekeepers for the UN Mission in Mali (MINUSMA). A MINUSMA convoy travelling from Ménaka to Ansongo (Gao region) was ambushed this morning and 9 peacekeepers from Niger were killed. This attack brings the total number of casualties from hostile acts since the beginning of the mission on 1 July 2013 to 30 peacekeepers killed and 90 peacekeepers wounded.
The Deputy Chief of the UN Mission in Mali, Arnauld Akodjènou, said he was outraged by this terrorist act and that these crimes should not go unpunished.
We do expect a more formal statement from the Secretary-General in a few minutes, I hope.
**Ebola
On Ebola, the Head of the UN Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER), Anthony Banbury, is in Sierra Leone today on the second leg of his visit to the most affected countries to set up a regional office of the Mission and meet with the Government and partners to assess the needs. Next week, he will travel on to Guinea.
Regarding the funding of the response, which I know many of you have asked, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says today that nearly 26 per cent of the total $988 million needed has been received: that's $256 million. An additional $163 million has been pledged to activities in the plan that covers immediate humanitarian support to the region, particularly Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone.
The UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) has so far committed $13.4 million to support food and health operations, as well as the regional humanitarian air service.
**Ukraine
In a statement we issued last night, the Secretary-General said that he is saddened and disturbed to learn of yesterday’s death of an international humanitarian worker as a result of a shell landing near the headquarters of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in eastern Ukraine.
The Secretary-General is seriously concerned over the dangerous recent surge in fighting and mounting civilian casualties. He added that these tragic incidents underscore the fragility of the current ceasefire and the need for a secure environment for aid workers.
The Secretary-General also says he expects all concerned to strictly adhere to their commitments under the Minsk Memorandum to ensure a sustainable ceasefire, adding that political and diplomatic efforts must be urgently redoubled. He cautions that a return to full-scale fighting could be catastrophic for Ukraine, the region and beyond. The full statement is in my office.
**Mali
[receives paper] This is what I was waiting for. Let us go back to Mali for a second:
The Secretary-General is shocked and outraged by today’s attack in Mali that killed nine Nigerien peacekeepers.
In the deadliest attack committed against the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) to date, a MINUSMA convoy travelling from Ménaka to Ansongo (Gao region) was ambushed this morning. This attack brings the total number of casualties from hostile acts since the beginning of the mission on 1 July 2013 to 30 peacekeepers killed and 90 peacekeepers wounded.
The Secretary-General underscores that attacks on UN peacekeepers constitute a serious violation of international law. He reminds the armed groups operating in Northern Mali of their commitment to cooperate with the United Nations to prevent attacks against peacekeepers in line with their declaration of 16 September in Algiers. At a time when peace negotiations are under way, he insists that all parties must demonstrate good faith and commitment to a political solution and that the perpetrators of these appalling actions are brought to justice.
The Secretary-General expresses his deepest condolences to the families of the peacekeepers who were killed as well as to the Government and people of Niger. He assures the people of Mali of the United Nations steadfast support to their search for peace.
**International Criminal Court
In a statement issued earlier today, the Secretary-General and the President of the International Criminal Court ICC) welcomed the tenth anniversary of the entry into force of the Relationship Agreement between the UN and the ICC. The Relationship Agreement, which was a significant milestone in the collective efforts of the international community, was founded on a shared belief that peace can only be served if those responsible for atrocities are brought to justice.
**Libya
Turning to Libya, the UN Support Mission (UNSMIL) in the country strongly condemns the latest escalation of violence in Benghazi and other parts of the country, which is causing more bloodshed and destruction.
The Mission calls on all sides involved in the fighting to listen to calls made by the elected Libyan parliamentarians to bring an immediate stop to the violence. The UN Mission urges all sides to exercise restraint and work together to address their differences through peaceful means.
More information on this is available on the Mission’s website.
**South Sudan
The Secretary-General’s Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Zainab Hawa Bangura, will make her first visit to South Sudan starting this Sunday.
While there, she will discuss what concrete measures can be taken to prevent and respond to violations taking place, including providing critical support to survivors.
Since fighting broke out in South Sudan last December, incidents of rape, forced abortion and sexual harassment by all sides has been reported. There are also grave concerns regarding the ethnic dimensions of the conflict, with reports of collective punishment, including sexual violence, fuelling reprisals and a cycle of revenge.
**Central African Republic
From the Central African Republic, the Humanitarian Coordinator in that country, Claire Bourgeois, condemned today the renewed violence against civilians following clashes in Bambari.
She asked all stakeholders to respect humanitarian operations, as agreed in the cessation of hostilities accord signed in Brazzaville.
She said that attacks and vandalism against NGO [non-governmental organization] staff and facilities, as well as looting of food assistance humanitarian convoys in Bambari, are unacceptable. Her full statement is available in my office.
**Syria
A humanitarian update from Syria: Since the adoption of Security Council resolution 2165 (2014), the United Nations and its partners have sent 20 convoys of humanitarian aid through the border crossings with Turkey and Jordan at Bab al‑Hawa, Bab al‑Salam and Al Ramtha.
These convoys have brought in food for 160,000 people, basic household items for almost 210,000 people, health and medical supplies for almost 470,000 people and clean water and sanitation supplies for almost 67,000 people.
Emergency Relief Coordinator Valerie Amos said that it is positive that the humanitarian community can use these border crossings to reach communities in desperate need. But she added that the question is how consistently can aid agencies reach people, while security and funding remain constraints.
**Gaza
Joe [Klein] isn’t here today. I was asked by Joe concerning the payment of salaries in Gaza: Following the recent statement by Palestinian Prime Minister Rami Hamdallah, I can confirm that, in consultation with the Government of Palestine, the United Nations intends to facilitate a humanitarian payment before the end of the month in Gaza for a number of civil service employees who have not received salaries for some time.
We are grateful to the Government of Qatar and the Emir, His Highness Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, for their generous contribution. We count on the support of all concerned in facilitating this payment, which we hope will contribute to stability in Gaza and the Government of Palestine’s efforts to reintegrate government institutions and the civil service.
**Bahrain
And I was asked yesterday by Nizar [Abboud], who also is not here, but I will still answer his question about the detention of human rights defender Nabeel Rajab in Bahrain.
I can tell you that the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has expressed its alarm at Mr. Rajab’s arrest after his return from an overseas trip during which he discussed the human rights situation in Bahrain with various interlocutors, including the UN Human Rights Office in Geneva. Mr. Rajab has been accused of publicly insulting a Government institution on social media and detained until next Thursday.
The detention of high-profile human rights activists like Nabeel Rajab and Maryam Al-Khawaja, who was arrested last month, sends a chilling message to other activists of the consequences they may face for any criticism of the authorities.
The Human Rights Office urges Bahraini authorities to immediately release Nabeel Rajab and all other individuals detained for peaceful exercise of their rights. Human rights defenders in Bahrain must be able to carry out their work without fear of reprisals.
**Press Conferences
A reminder that, Monday, this building will be closed in observance of Eid al‑Adha.
On Tuesday, Kevin Kennedy, the Deputy Humanitarian Coordinator in Iraq, will be my guest by either video or phone link from Erbil, Iraq.
Go ahead, and then Sylviane?
**Questions and Answers
Question: Thank you. I will ask you, on Ukraine, the Moscow branch of the Russian Red Cross has asked, sent a letter to Secretary‑General and asks him to discuss the situation of the death of the officer of the ICRC in Ukraine and to ask the International Criminal Court to investigate. Do you have anything to say about that? Can you confirm receiving the letter?
Spokesman: I cannot confirm the receipt of the letter but I can add and reiterate what the Secretary‑General has already said: which is that attacks on aid workers are unacceptable and it is incumbent on all involved to create the sort of environment where aid workers can work freely and do the life-saving work they need to do. Miss Zehil?
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. Staffan de Mistura is visiting Lebanon. Can you give a readout of his trip? And when do you expect him to come and speak to the Secretary‑General and the Council?
Spokesman: I can't confirm that he — I cannot confirm that he is in Lebanon. You may know more than I do. But I think he was just here recently, so I do know that he had planned another regional series of stops. We'll try to get you the latest information. But I've — there's no schedule for his return to New York as of yet. Mr. Lee, then Mr. Carpenter?
Question: Sure. I want to ask two questions on Ebola. One is, I obviously saw the clarification from the mission, UNMEER. But read in the Telegraph where Tony Banbury was quoted about this possibility of Ebola going airborne. I want to understand. Did he not say it? Did he say it but UNMEER wants to clarify that could never happen? And also I wanted to ask: just now, the Fifth Committee was considering a briefing, I believe, by Mr. [Yukio] Takasu on the UNMEER mission, and they said that there will be a briefing by Mr. Takasu and then it will go to consultations, but in fact the Takasu briefing was closed, as well. I want to know is that, was that a mistake? Is there some way we can get the papers that are being presented to the Fifth Committee on this?
Spokesman: I think the Fifth Committee, like other UN Committees, are masters of their work, so either they — the chair of the Fifth decided to close it, in which case you should address themselves to him. If it was — if it was an error on part of our coverage, we will check, and I will see what documents are being officially circulated.
I think Mr. Banbury said what he said. I think it's important — I think the clarification was important in order to stress that we have absolutely no evidence and do not anticipate that the Ebola virus is mutating to become airborne. I think — obviously, there are lots of hypotheticals out there, but it's important that we focus on the facts at this time. Mr. Carpenter?
Question: Hi. There's a report that the Syrian Government sent a letter to the United Nations saying that they consider the Turkish Government, Prime Minister’s decision recently to be a violation of the UN Charter. Can you confirm that?
Spokesman: I can look into whether or not we've received such a letter. [He later confirmed that a letter from the Syrian Prime Minister had been received on 30 September.] Go, please?
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. Once again, do you have any comment on mounting tension in Hong Kong?
Spokesman: No, I would just… no, nothing new to add to what the Secretary-General has already said on the issue, on the peaceful resolution. Yes, and then we'll go…
Question: Yes. So my question is about the Islamic State. I've heard that the European Union ambassador to Iraq said that these are European Member States who are buying the oil from the Islamic State. And I would like to know if you have any information on this.
Spokesman: No, I've not seen those comments, and we have no information that that that may be happening. Obviously, what we do know is that terror groups, extremist groups operating in northern Iraq and Syria have found ways to exploit criminal — found ways to fund their operations through illegal means and notably on exporting of oil, and it's important that anyone who has any ability to shut down those financial pipelines do that.
Question: All right. But will there be any kind of resolution on this?
Spokesman: That's — obviously, I think if there's — if the Council wants to take that up, they will take it up. Señora?
Question: Can you hear me?
Spokesman: Perfect.
Question: I'm sorry. Just a favour. Could you please repeat the data regarding the amount of money available for Ebola and how much more do you expect? And did you also say where this money is being used right now?
Spokesman: I will repeat the information I was given, and if you need more, we can try to get you more. Regarding funding, our colleagues at OCHA told us today that nearly 26 per cent of the total $988 million needed has been received and that's, from our calculations, $256 million. An additional $163 million has been pledged to activities in the plan that covers immediate humanitarian support to the response in the region, particularly in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. I think the money is going to support the Ebola response in the three most impacted countries, but we'll give this to you on a piece of paper so that there's no confusion. Mr. Carpenter and then Mr. Lee?
Question: All right. Couple of days ago, I asked if the UN has a response on the Turkish Parliament vote on increasing the mandate of the military and you said would you have a comment after the decision. Now that the decision has been made, do you have a comment?
Spokesman: I think I said I may have a comment. I would hate to say that I would have a comment. But I don't have anything further for you beyond what the Secretary-General has already said on the need to confront extremist groups. Mr. Lee? And then we’ll move to our guests, because I know they’ve been waiting.
Question: In South Sudan, there's a pending bill about the national security service that's been proposed. And it basically says they can arrest people, but it doesn't say where people would be held, and people held by the National Security Service wouldn't have due process or right to counsel and wouldn’t have the right to judicial oversight. So a number of human rights groups have criticized this law and said, you know, South Sudan deserves better, having fought for independence from Sudan. And given the mandate of the UNMISS (United Nations Mission in South Sudan) mission and its human rights monitoring component and its recent experience with abuses on both sides, do they have any response to this?
Spokesman: I have not seen anything. And my understanding, as you said, it's a bill. It’s not a law.
Question: It's about to be enacted on October…
Spokesman: If I get anything, we'll ask the mission. Sir?
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. Any updates with activities of Staffan de Mistura? Where he is right now? He was supposed to go back into the region.
Spokesman: I answered. That was the second question I answered.
Question: Sorry about that.
Spokesman: That’s okay. Which…the answer was I don't really have an update but I will get you more information. Yes, go ahead?
Question: I just want, on de Mistura — I asked you in writing two questions. And you answered one here; you said he's going to be based in Geneva. And I continue to hear he's going to be based part-time in Brussels. But what I really want to know, does he have another job? His functions for the UN, is it a full-time job or does he maintain another position while he does it?
Spokesman: It's a full-time job. He has an honorary Chairmanship of an organization, which is not remunerated, which has been cleared by the Ethics Office and by all concerned. His family is in Brussels. He is on the road most of the time and his office is in Geneva. Yes, sir? And then we'll really move to the — to our guests.
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. Just an update on Mali. So could you give us a little more details of the — what happened? Were they targeted? Or what was the…
Spokesman: Yes. Our understanding is that they were targeted and they were part — they were targeting a convoy that included a fuel truck, knowing full well that an attack on a fuel track, I think, would cause an even greater number of casualties, which I think adds to the horrendous nature of the crime. Thank you. Don't move. Oh, go ahead.
Question: One more.
Spokesman: I won't have a comment. But go ahead.
Question: Ukraine said that they are not pulling out the heavy weapons from the line of fighting in east Ukraine because there's no —and Ambassador of Ukraine said there's no signs of action from the other side. How can you comment on violation of the…
Spokesman: I didn't hear the Ambassador, but I think the Secretary-General's statement from last night, which I reiterated today, I think, answers those kinds of questions.