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 Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General.
Nobel Peace Prize
The Secretary-General congratulated Malala Yousafzai and Kailash Satyarthi — two of the world’s greatest champions for children — on being awarded the 2014 Nobel Prize for Peace. The true winners today are the world’s children, he said.
He said that Malala is a brave and gentle advocate of peace who through the simple act of going to school became a global teacher. She said one pen can change the world — and proved how one young woman can lead the way. With her courage and determination, Malala has shown what terrorists fear most: a girl with a book.
The Secretary-General said that Kailash Satyarthi has been at the forefront of a worldwide movement for justice, global education and a better life for millions of children trapped in exploitative child labour. He has been a regular presence at the United Nations, and his leadership, commitment and personal sacrifice over many decades have helped raise public awareness, mobilize opinion leaders, and galvanize society.
And we have other statements available from the High Commissioner for Human Rights, UNICEF, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and others.
Secretary-General’s Travels
The Secretary-General arrived in Tunis early this morning from his visit to Washington. He began his day with a meeting with President Moncef Marzouki. Following their discussions, the Secretary-General spoke to the media and said the forthcoming elections would mark an important milestone on Tunisia’s road to democracy. He also underscored that Tunisia had stayed true to the ideals of the Arab Spring. “Here,” the Secretary-General added, “we can see that with integrity, leadership, civic engagements and commitment, peaceful revolution leads to promising stability.”
That meeting was followed by a discussion with Mustapha Ben Jaafar, President of the National Constitutional Assembly, as well as the Presidents of a number of Parliamentary Groups. He told the President and other officials that the Constitution had laid the groundwork for a strong and democratic Tunisia.
The Secretary-General then met with the Prime Minister Mehdi Jomaa, who also hosted a lunch for the Secretary-General and the delegation.
The Secretary-General is scheduled to be having a brief meeting with Foreign Minister Mongi Hamdi right now, and both will speak to journalists at the Foreign Ministry soon. The Secretary-General will conclude the evening with an official dinner hosted by President Marzouki.
Syria
The UN Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, spoke to reporters in Geneva today to warn about the threat being faced by civilians in and around the Syrian town of Kobane, also known as Ayn al-Arab. The city has been under constant attack by ISIL [Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant] forces for three weeks, and there are currently some 500 to 700 mainly elderly people still in the centre of the city, with another 10,000 to 13,000 people in the Syria-Turkey border area nearby.
If the city falls to ISIL, Mr. de Mistura warned, thousands of civilians will most likely be massacred. He said that the world cannot allow another massacre similar to what happened in Srebrenica to take place.
The Special Envoy noted that, under the Human Rights Up Front initiative, when there is an imminent threat to civilians, we cannot be silent; and he recalled that the Secretary-General has called on all parties that can act to protect civilians in Kobane to do so. Mr. de Mistura appealed to Turkey to take specific additional actions to stop the advance of ISIL. And we have his full remarks in our office and online.
And since Mr. de Mistura made his remarks in Geneva, I have been asked whether the Secretary-General shared the Special Envoy’s views on Kobane.
What I can say is that the Secretary-General absolutely stands by his Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura and his comments today. He strongly believes that it is incumbent on every Member State of the United Nations, as well as non-State actors, to do everything in their power, whatever it takes, to avoid a repeat of a Srebrenica-type situation, the fall of a city followed by a brutal massacre of the inhabitants. This was a disaster first and foremost for the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and secondly for the United Nations and the international community as a whole, which let it happen.
For more than three years now, throughout this crisis, we have seen appalling instances of brutality. Too often, the Syrian Government has not only failed to protect its own citizens but perpetrated atrocities against them. Kobane's citizens, as the Special Envoy pointed out, face a threat from ISIL.
Also on that, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) reported today from Geneva that more than 172,000 Syrian Kurds have fled into Turkey from fighting around Kobane, and growing numbers are either proceeding onward to the Kurdistan Region of Iraq or else crossing back into Syria several hundred kilometres to the east.
In Iraq's Kurdistan Region more than 1,600 people have sought refuge at the remote Gawilan refugee camp, some 145 km from Dohuk, over the past fortnight. Between 150 and 200 Syrians have been arriving daily this week, and the trend is expected to continue in the coming days.
Ebola
A few minutes ago, the Deputy Secretary-General, Jan Eliasson, the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Ebola, Dr. David Nabarro, and the Head of the UN Mission for Ebola Emergency Response, Anthony Banbury, briefed the General Assembly on the public health crisis emanating from the Ebola virus outbreak.
The Deputy Secretary-General stressed that defeating Ebola is going to demand the best efforts of all working together — Governments, multilateral development banks, international and non-governmental organizations and many others.
He also noted that of the $1 billion sought by UN agencies, only one quarter has been funded, and highlighted the need for a surge in trained health care personnel.
Dr. Nabarro said that the current crisis was an unprecedented challenge due to its impact on the whole world. The outbreak is advancing ahead of the control efforts, he warned.
Finally, the Head of UNMEER, Anthony Banbury, spoke from Accra, Ghana, following his weeklong visit to Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone to set up the regional offices of the Mission. He said that the virus has a serious impact on economies and health systems in affected countries.
The meeting will be followed by a media stakeout, between the ECOSOC (Economic and Social Council) Chamber and the Trusteeship Council. Mr. Nabarro will participate in that stakeout.
Central African Republic
And you will have seen that, last night, the Secretary-General condemned the attack on a UN convoy in Bangui, in the Central African Republic. One peacekeeper from the UN Mission in the country, MINUSCA, was killed and eight others were injured.
The Secretary-General said that such acts against those who are working towards peace and security in the Central African Republic are entirely unacceptable. And he called for the perpetrators to be brought to justice.
The full statement is online.
South Sudan
The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) reports shelling in the vicinity of Dolieb Hill, about 20 km south of Malakal, early this morning. The Mission says this has been occurring in that part of Upper Nile State with some frequency recently. It continues to call on both sides to cease military operations and demonstrate the political will to find a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
Also in Upper Nile State, the Mission reports small arms fire on Wednesday in Abu Khadra in Renk County. And in Jonglei State, the Mission says that the relocation of displaced persons from the existing UNMISS protection-of-civilians site in Bor to a new location nearby began yesterday. Current plans call for the relocation of all internally displaced persons — around 2,700 of them — to this new site over the coming weeks. In all, the Mission is protecting some 97,000 displaced persons in its camps across the country.
Libya
From Geneva, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has warned that funding constraints and insecurity is posing challenges in reaching people in need in Libya.
So far, an estimated 287,000 people in 29 cities and towns have been displaced by the violence. And the need for health care, food, and other basic aid as well as shelter ahead of the winter months has become critical. UNHCR says that the fighting is also affecting refugees, asylum-seekers, and migrants in Libya.
More information on this is available on UNHCR’s website.
Yemen
And while the humanitarian impact of the recent conflict in Sana'a, Yemen, appears to be limited, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that it has raised serious concerns about systematic violations of human rights and international humanitarian law.
The presence of armed children manning checkpoints indicates the prevalence of recruitment of children by armed groups. As of 1 October, five schools in Sana'a remained occupied by combatants. There are also reports that parties to the conflict commandeered civilian residences for military purposes, including the storage of weapons and munitions.
Day of the Girl Child
Ahead of tomorrow’s commemoration of the International Day of the Girl Child, UNICEF has issued new data revealing the magnitude of violence against adolescent girls and the alarming attitudes that perpetuate such abuse.
Key findings show that almost one quarter of girls aged 15 to 19 worldwide have reported being victims of some form of physical violence since age of 15. Around 120 million girls under the age of 20 have experienced forced intercourse or other sexual acts. And one in three married adolescent girls has suffered emotional, physical or sexual violence committed by their husbands or partners. More information is available on UNICEF’s website.
Schizophrenia
Today is World Mental Health Day, with a focus this year on schizophrenia.
In a message, the Secretary-General stressed that around the world, some 21 million people suffer from schizophrenia and that people with severe mental illness such as schizophrenia die on average between 10 and 25 years earlier than the general population.
More details on this are available in an in-depth article entitled "Living with Schizophrenia" published on the World Health Organization’s website.
Death Penalty
Today is also the World Day against the Death Penalty. In his message, the Secretary-General strongly stresses that the death penalty is unjust and incompatible with fundamental human rights, and has no place in the twenty-first century. A video message is available online.
Noon Briefing Guest
On Monday, the guest at the noon briefing will be the President of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Kanayo Nwanze.
And I would also like to welcome the group at the back, who are from the Professional Development Programme for Serbian Public Affairs Officers. Welcome to the briefing — nice to see you. Are there any questions for me? Yes?
Questions and Answers
Question: I wanted to ask you, there's been a — this actually has to do with Haiti and cholera. France 24 has spent a lot of time doing a long piece about it, and they report that Edmond Mulet said to them… one, denied that UN peacekeepers were the source of cholera in Haiti, but more than that, he stated that they had been tested for cholera prior to deployment, which is something that's never been said before, and I know that the DFS (Department of Field Support) has said the UN does not test peacekeepers. So I wanted to, I guess, get to the bottom of this. Is it your understanding that the Nepalese peacekeepers that were deployed to MINUSTAH (United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti) were in fact tested? And I also want, because I still don't understand the answer: Is the UN in any capacity going to attend the 23 October court hearing at 40 Foley Square?
Deputy Spokesman: I don't actually have anything new to say about our position on cholera in Haiti. You know that the Secretary-General had an advisory report a few years ago about this, and the information in that report is the information that we've got. I don't have anything to add from that and I don't have any comment on any further report…
Question: In the same way the Secretary-General stood behind what Mr. de Mistura said, does he stand behind the statement of his number two peacekeeper?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, this is your description of a report by someone. I don't have Mr. Mulet's exact comments. What we do have, what we did put out, is the report of the advisory panel, and that has the details as we understand them. Yes?
Question: Regarding the situation until Ayn al-Arab, there are allegations that the Turkish authorities are preventing the Kurds from fleeing, also arresting many of those seeking refuge. Also, they're allowing the rebels to have hospitalization — not the — the ISIS group, fighters to have hospitalization in Turkey itself. How does the United Nations view that?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, we don't have firsthand reports on the situations you described. We do have the reports from the UN refugee agency, who have been talking about the people who have been fleeing deeper into Turkey and into Iraq and into other parts of Syria, and they have interviewed different people. Regarding Turkey's role, I would like to point out that the Secretary‑General has always made it clear that he's deeply grateful to the Government and people of Turkey for their tremendous hospitality in hosting and supporting what are now 1.6 million refugees from Syria. This is a huge burden on the country, and the generosity of Turkey and deeply appreciated. At the same time, he counts on the Government of Turkey to use its great influence on the situation at its own border to prevent the capture of Kobane to ISIL and the almost certain massacre that would ensue.
Question: But did they spot or hear from the refugees that there were some who were arrested, including women and children and fighters and all kinds of people?
Deputy Spokesman: I would just refer you to the information received by UNHCR, which has been present at the border area and has taking testimony from people fleeing across the border. They don't have that in their accounts but they have very detailed accounts, including, as I just pointed out, people who have witnessed beheadings as they were fleeing.
Question: The Turks are being demanding that they want some help with toppling the regime in Syria. How does the United Nations view such a demand? Is — are the groups who are fighting in Syria more representative of the people of Syria, more than the Government itself?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, I would just refer to you the very lengthy transcript that was put out of Staffan de Mistura's remarks to the press in Geneva. He did talk about what needs to be done in Syria. And, of course, for him as the special envoy, his objective is to get a diplomatic negotiated solution to the crisis in Syria and that is what he continues to work for and that what we continue to encourage. Yes, Pham?
Question: I have two questions. First one is that after the UN released its budget report yesterday, which pointed out that Member States are owing $3.5 billion in budget, have you received any response from any of the Member States regarding the plan to make — to pay up the debt that they are owing? And the second question is regarding the incident at the Korea border, where the two sides exchanged fire. Does the United Nations have any comment on that?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, on your second question first, of course we're concerned about any reports of violence at the border, and we would encourage the parties to resolve any of their differences through dialogue. As you know, over the weekend, there was somewhat better sign of cooperation amongst the two countries and we hope that that would move forward.
Regarding your first question on the budget, we're in regular dialogues with States to make sure that dues will be paid. Different States — different countries have different fiscal years, different budgetary cycles, and so sometimes money comes in different times of the year. And, of course, we continue to try and press to make sure all the money that is owed us will be paid. Yes, Abdel Aziz?
Question: Hello, how are you?
Deputy Spokesman: I'm fine.
Question: Fine. I want to come back to the speech of our — of Mr. Ban in Tunisia. He said he discussed it with Tunisian President how we can better cooperate to advance the dialogue progress in Libya. So how is going to be this cooperation between the United Nations and Tunisia? And the second question: he spoke about technical assistance for our election, which will take in a few days. Thank you. Could you give us more information about this technical assistance? Thank you.
Deputy Spokesman: I believe that part of his purpose of going to Tunisia was to discuss exactly that, the form of technical assistance; and as I believe I mentioned, he's met with a number officials already today. Some of the details we might get in further readouts today, because he is meeting with the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister, and we'll see whether there's some further details to provide. But regarding Libya, yes, you're absolutely right. He discussed the question of assistance to Libya, support for the people of Libya with President Marzouki. I don't have much more detail to give beyond what is in his press remarks. But we've put the press remarks out, and you can see those. But it's been very clear that the Secretary‑General believes that all of the countries in the region have an important part to play in making sure that the situation in Libya will be stabilized. Do you have a hand up? Okay, then you.
[He later added, on technical assistance to Tunisia, that in early 2011, the Tunisian authorities requested the United Nations to provide technical and financial assistance to the electoral process of the democratic transition. In response, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in coordination with the United Nations Electoral Assistance Division of the United Nations Secretariat’s Department of Political Affairs, set up the project “Support to the Electoral Process in Tunisia” (SEPT). UNDP SEPT consists of three components designed to strengthen the capacity of stakeholders in the electoral process. The first component provides technical assistance, comparative experiences and international good practices to the national authorities responsible for implementing the electoral process, in order to favour professional and impartial management of elections. The second component offers support to civil society organizations in order to assist them to play their roles in the process effectively, especially in the areas of advocacy and public outreach. This includes training activities as well as the creation of outreach tools. The third component encourages the political participation of women through the production of tools and implementation of capacity-building activities for women in politics, women candidates as well as journalists.]
Question: I wanted to ask a follow-up on this budget question. At Under-Secretary-General [Yukio] Takasu's press conference yesterday, on the issue of countries providing gifts, such as the private jet travel by Qatar to the Secretary‑General to travel to the Gaza talks, Mr. Takasu said that such donations show up in the financial statements of trust funds on a two-year delay. And I wanted to know: is that true and where should we look for those?
Deputy Spokesman: If that is what he told you, then, yes, of course.
Question: Is there somewhat —I don't have a line to the Department of Management. Because the last time it was said by Stéphane [Dujarric], in fact, that these things are not recorded. They're not charged against the dues of the country — that they are simply gifts. I'd like to know, I’d like to reiterate my question. Where are they reported?
Deputy Spokesman: No, Stéphane said that they're contributions in kind. It's not money to the organization. It's contributions in kind, which is a different thing.
Question: Okay, if you can point me, not now, but sometime today, where in fact these are listed?
Deputy Spokesman: That will take a little bit of legwork. We'll ask the Department of Management and we'll see when they come up with whatever the latest report was. Yeah?
Question: About the attacks happening from Al-Nusra Front against the Lebanese territories from the Qalamoun Mountain range. How does the United Nations view that? Some Gulf States are categorizing the attackers as revolutionary members, and this is in the media of — major media stations. How does United Nations view that?
Deputy Spokesman: I think our criticisms of Jabhat al‑Nusra and their actions and the killings and acts committed by them are on record and you can see them for yourself. We stand by our criticisms. At the same time, of course, this has been a war where we have criticized all the parties across the spectrum for the sort of violence. What we want is for there to be a peaceful solution to the situation in Syria.
Question: Here we are talking about the Lebanese Army which is facing them and, of course, they are still taking about 30 Lebanese soldiers and they killed three of the hostages so far. Are we talking here about rebels or are we talking about terrorists?
Deputy Spokesman: It's not my job from this podium to decide this sort of question of terminology. Different people will say different things about them. We have been extremely critical about Jabhat al‑Nusra. We've made it very clear they have committed terrorist attacks. Regarding their role in Lebanon, as you're aware, we continue to be concerned about the stability of Lebanon, and we have been urging all parties to play a role in ensuring that Lebanon continues to be stable and we will continue to do so.
Question: When you say all parties, do you specifically mean the Lebanese Army, as well?
Deputy Spokesman: I mean all parties that have a relevant role to play in ensuring the stability of Lebanon.
Question: The Army's duty is to defend the country and so if they are countering these people who are attacking, these people should be terrorists.
Deputy Spokesman: I'm not actually sure what point you're trying to make. Sara?
Question: Thank you, Farhan. Follow-up to Matthew Lee's question regarding peacekeepers being tested for cholera: Are they tested for any other communicable viruses or diseases? And if so, do any of them disqualify them from peacekeeping missions?
Deputy Spokesman: There are tests for peacekeepers for different things. As you know, under Security Council resolutions, for example, there are tests for AIDS. There are tests for other sorts of things, but what we do as a rule is follow the guidelines set by the World Health Organization. There's some diseases where it's actually important to screen in advance. There are others where the screening may not actually be deemed as useful by the World Health Organization. We follow their guidelines. Yes?
Question: Farhan, going back about this, does the United Nations call for support of the Lebanese Army in this conflict against the intruders?
Deputy Spokesman: We've repeatedly called, from the Secretary‑General through to Derek Plumbly and onwards, for the support of the Lebanese Government, the Lebanese Army and the Lebanese institutions in their efforts to preserve their country's stability against the face of outside threats.
Question: By all States — by all States or only specific States? Sorry.
Deputy Spokesman: Again, I've said what I've said. I'm not really sure what point you're trying to get.
Question: Thanks a lot. I wanted to ask two questions. One is… and I'm sorry if I missed it. In his trip to Tunisia, has the Secretary‑General met with the staff from UNSMIL, the Libya mission, that are there? And I wanted to know if Bernardino Leon was in Tunisia on this visit and where he's based out of.
Deputy Spokesman: Mr. Leon is sometimes in Libya itself; sometimes, you're right, he is in Tunisia. I believe the Secretary-General is going to meet with UN staff in Tunisia, including potentially UNSMIL staff, tomorrow. That is to say, Saturday.
Question: And one thing, do you know… The U.S. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction has released a series of letters directed to the UN system, mostly to UNDP (United Nations Development Programme), about this Law and Order Trust Fund in Afghanistan, saying that the answers have not been sufficient and he believes that up to $200 million were mispaid. I wanted to know: what is the response of the UN system to these released letters? Are these going to be further disclosures by UNDP, which recently announced itself to be the height of transparency?
Deputy Spokesman: UNDP, I believe, actually has a set of answers exactly on this very question, so I would urge you to get in touch with UNDP. If you need my help, I can help you with that. But they have answers to just those questions. Yes?
Question: Is the help by the Syrian Army to the Lebanese Army welcomed by the United Nations, for example, or by the Turkish Army to the Lebanese Army?
Deputy Spokesman: As you're well aware, there's a series of complex arrangements in the region. I'm not going to comment on all of them. What we're trying to do is make sure that all of the various countries are able to preserve their stability in the face of threats by groups who have been committing mass atrocities. Yes, Anne?
Question: Yes. Following the release of the 16 September report on human rights situation Ukraine, the New York Times reported yesterday that the Lithuanian Honorary Consul in Luhansk had been abducted and killed on 22 August, in a case that monitors were still investigating. With so much disinformation and propaganda on Ukraine in the news, does the UN believe that the perpetrators of this crime will ever be brought to justice?
Deputy Spokesman: Our hope, certainly, is that all the perpetrators of the various crimes committed will be brought to justice. One of the purposes of the UN human rights monitoring mission is precisely to get all of the relevant details so you can eventually have justice and accountability in all these various cases. And as you're aware from what you just cited, this is one of the cases they continue to look into. Yes?
Question: The Syrian Government has called for any State in the region to help with regard to saving Ayn al‑Arab. Iran has offered to help; how does the United Nations view that?
Deputy Spokesman: You heard what Secretary‑General had to say, and what Staffan de Mistura had to say, which I repeated this morning. I really don't have anything further to add to that. Everyone who has a positive role to play needs to do so.
Question: So including Iran, you mean?
Deputy Spokesman: Yes, please, in the back? Yes. It's you.
Question: Thank you. Does the UN have any plans to review its peacekeeping mission in Mali and the Central African Republic, in terms of reviewing this tragedy, because of it appears now the UN peacekeepers are also coming under fire? Will they now be on the offensive, rather than taking up this dilatory role that they are playing in that region?
Deputy Spokesman: The UN regularly reviews the activities of all its peacekeeping missions to make sure that they are in line with the actual conditions on the ground and are able to respond to conditions on the ground adequately. Having said that, any actual change to the mandate would have to be made by the Security Council. So ultimately, if there's a significant change to how the mission operates, aside from changes in the rules of engagement, that would need to be addressed by the members of the Security Council. Thanks. Have a good weekend, everyone.