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.
Good afternoon, everyone.
**Ebola
The Secretary-General hosted a global town hall meeting this morning to brief UN staff members on measures being taken to protect them from Ebola.
He stressed that the United Nations has an obligation to the affected countries to end the epidemic and, at the same time, an obligation to protect its personnel.
He said that with Ebola stories flooding the media, it is important that our messages are based on facts and evidence, and that we must convey a sense of urgency without inciting panic.
Strict protocols are in place in the affected countries to protect UN personnel and prevent further transmission, while UN clinics in the three affected countries are being upgraded.
The Secretary-General also stressed that the United Nations has mandatory pre-deployment travel and medical screening requirements.
Here at Headquarters, all procedures are in line with United States guidance, and the Medical Services Division is working in close coordination with the New York Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
You will have seen that Mali announced its first case of Ebola yesterday. The World Health Organization (WHO) will send additional experts to strengthen the team in clinical management, epidemiology and contact tracing, and social mobilization.
In Geneva, the World Health Organization also concluded a meeting on how to fast-track testing and deployment of vaccines.
Results from phase 1 clinical trials of most advanced vaccines are expected to be available in December 2014 and efficacy trials in accepted countries also will begin in this timeframe.
Pharmaceutical companies developing the vaccines have committed to ramp up production capacity for millions of doses to be available in 2015, with 100,000 ready in the first half of the year.
Regulatory authorities in countries where the vaccines are manufactured and in Africa have committed to supporting this goal by working under extremely short deadlines to have vaccines approved.
Marie-Paule Kieny, the World Health Organization’s Assistant Director General of Health Systems and Innovation, said that as a group, they were accelerating in a matter of weeks a process that typically takes years.
And finally, on the funding front, we would like to welcome new contributions to the UN Ebola Trust Fund over the past few days from Canada, Estonia, New Zealand and Romania. These bring the cumulative commitments to $18.7 million.
Denmark, Finland, Germany, Sweden and the United Kingdom have also pledged significant contributions.
The total commitments and pledges to the Fund now stand at $118 million.
**Secretary-General’s Travels
The Secretary-General will be travelling to the Horn of Africa next week. He will be joined on this visit by the President of the World Bank Group, Jim Yong Kim, as well as with officials from the African Union, the European Union, the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the African Development Bank and the Islamic Development Bank.
This is the third joint trip that the Secretary-General is undertaking with the World Bank and other regional organizations, following the ones to the Sahel and the Great Lakes region last year.
The delegation will first visit Ethiopia for meetings with the Foreign Minister and the Prime Minister, as well as with IGAD’s Foreign Minister and the Chairperson of the African Union Commission and its Commissioners.
In Djibouti, the delegation will meet with the President, the Prime Minister and the President of the National Assembly.
Members of the delegation will then travel to Kenya, where they will meet with the President. While in Nairobi, the Secretary-General will also launch the Global Media Campaign to End Female Genital Mutilation.
We will update his activities in each country as the joint visit unfolds.
**Climate Change
In a statement we issued last night, the Secretary-General strongly commended the decision of the European Commission to set a new target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 40 per cent from 1990 levels by 2030. The decision demonstrates the continued global leadership of the European Union on taking bold action to address climate change. He said that EU leaders have once again placed Europe in a leading position with an ambitious emissions reduction target.
In adopting this target, the EU has shown that addressing global climate needs is in its own long-term interest. The decision will lead to tangible and significant contributions towards our collective effort to keep temperature rise to less than two degrees Celsius this century. The decision will also set a new standard for climate ambition for all countries in support of the upcoming global negotiations.
The Secretary-General urges all countries to act swiftly and boldly on climate change and to make every effort to reach an ambitious climate agreement by the end of 2015.
**Security Council
This morning, the Security Council adopted a resolution on Somalia-Eritrea sanctions and renewed the African Union Mission’s authorization until the end of November 2015.
It then held an open meeting on Ukraine, in which it was briefed by Oscar Fernandez-Taranco, Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, and Ivan Šimonovic, Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights.
Mr. Fernandez-Taranco said that the results of efforts to end the conflict remain mixed, and that despite recent important agreements, much more work needs to be done to ensure that lasting and durable peace prevails in Ukraine.
Mr. Šimonovic said that the implementation of the 5 September ceasefire agreement remains fragile, and that human rights violations and violations of international humanitarian law continue to be committed.
He said that there is a clear threat that we may be facing yet another protracted low-intensity conflict.
Nonetheless, Mr. Šimonovic said, the ceasefire agreement still presents the most significant opportunity for a peaceful solution to the situation in the east.
**Democratic Republic of the Congo
From the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Head of the UN Mission in the country, Martin Kobler, the Special Envoy for the Great Lakes, Said Djinnit, and the Special Representative of the African Union for Burundi and the Great Lakes, Boubacar Diarra, visited the town of Beni yesterday, in the North Kivu Province.
The area has recently suffered several attacks believed to have been perpetrated by members of the rebel Allied Democratic Forces, or ADF.
The Envoys stressed that authorities, the leadership of the Congolese Army, the UN Mission in the country, MONUSCO, and the population needed to be united against those engaging in acts of terror.
**Iraq
Rashid Khalikov, Director of the Geneva Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, and Hesham Youssef, Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs for the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), concluded a three-day mission in Iraq today. They called for more resources to urgently address the needs of 5.2 million people across Iraq.
Mr. Khalikov said that winter is just weeks away, and it’s imperative that we step up our efforts. Approximately 800,000 people urgently need emergency shelter assistance and 1.26 million people need some form of assistance to cope with the winter.
**Mexico
From Geneva, the Human Rights Office reiterated today its concern about the continued disappearance of 43 students in the town of Iguala in Mexico. They were last seen on 26 September being taken by the municipal police.
The Human Rights Office regretted that the mechanisms activated by the Mexican authorities to search for them have not yet been successful and urged authorities to step up their efforts.
It also urged them to conduct effective, prompt and impartial investigations so as to identify those who were buried in mass graves and bring those responsible to justice.
**Libya
The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) also expressed from Geneva today concern over reports of threats and intimidation directed against the National Council for Civil Liberties and Human Rights.
A number of worrying incidents had occurred last week, including threatening phone calls and visits. The Human Rights Office has called on all parties to immediately refrain from such intimidation and threats, and to allow the Council to carry out its activities in an independent manner free of harassment or other hostile action.
**Kyrgyzstan
And the Office for the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) today also called on the Parliament and authorities in Kyrgyzstan to refrain from passing draft legislation embedding into law discrimination against people who are lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender. There is more information on this available on the Office’s website.
**United Nations Day
In his message on UN Day, the Secretary-General calls on Governments and individuals to work together in common cause for global common good. He stresses that the UN is needed more than ever at this time of multiple crises. His message, in English and French, is available online.
Also, following my briefing, at 12:30 p.m., UN Messenger of Peace Lang Lang, conductor Manuel López-Gómez and a member of the youth orchestra which will be performing this evening at the UN Day concert will be here to talk to you.
Limited concert tickets are available at the Media Accreditation and Liaison Unit (MALU) if you are interested in covering the event.
**Press Conferences
Then, at 1:15 p.m., there will be a briefing here by François Crépeau, the Special Rapporteur on the human rights of migrants, and Francisco Carrion Mena, the Chair of the Committee on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families.
And then on Monday, at 11:30 a.m., there will be a briefing here by Ahmed Shaheed, the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran.
**Question and Answers
Deputy Spokesman: That's it for me, any questions? Yes, Joe.
Question: Yes, the Secretary-General on several occasions has criticized and asked for a cessation of provocative acts in the Old Jerusalem and the area of the Temple Mount. And this past weekend, Palestinian President [Mahmoud] Abbas, in referring to that area and the entry of Jews who wanted to pray in that area as cattle, and said that they should be stopped by all means. This past Wednesday, there was an incident where a terrorist allegedly affiliated with Hamas deliberately ran over pedestrians and killed a three-month-old child. And that action was praised by representative of Fatah party and Hamas. So what I'm asking is whether the Secretary-General is preparing to issue a statement regarding this incitement to violence and then the consequences which led to the death of a three-month-old child? Thank you.
Deputy Spokesman: Yes. Well, there have been a number of worrying incidents of late, including increased tensions and violence in Jerusalem and the West Bank. These incidents, combined with continued tension at the holy sites in Jerusalem, are of major concern. We call on all sides to refrain from escalating tensions and to ensure that calm is restored. Yes?
Question: A follow-up on that? The Israeli security in Jerusalem, two days ago, they shot dead at point blank a young lad who was in prison. Are you going to issue a statement on that? The other thing, the terrorist settlers who are attacking Al-Aqsa Mosque regularly and harassing people, intimidating them, and they are posing real threats to another intifada in the region. Do you have a statement on that?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, you heard what I just had to say in response to Joe's question, and that is where we stand on this. Also, you have seen what the Secretary-General said in his briefing earlier this week to the Security Council and his concern about unilateral acts and provocative acts, including at the holy sites, and that is where we stand on that issue.
Question: The direct murder of a young lad?
Deputy Spokesman: This is what I had to say and this applies across the spectrum to the various recent worrying acts. Ozlem?
Question: I have a question about the Special Adviser for Cyprus, when he is going to the region, and also is he going to talk to reporters before he leaves New York? And is there any update on the letter of Turkish Cypriot leader [Derviş] Eroğlu to Secretary-General, please?
Deputy Spokesman: Yes. On the latter, yes, we have received the letter from Derviş Eroğlu, so I can confirm that. We have also received a letter from Nicos Anastasiades. Regarding the activities of Mr. Espen Barth Eide, the Special Adviser, as you know, Mr. Eide met with the Secretary-General yesterday. We have a note that we made available to correspondents about that particular meeting. And, as it points out, they did discuss the latest developments in Cyprus and in the immediate region. And, of course, the note also mentions that the Special Adviser will visit Cyprus, as well as Turkey and Greece. We will provide any further details as that trip proceeds.
Question: There is no stakeout, nothing for him?
Deputy Spokesman: No. There is no stakeout with Mr. Eide today, no. Yes?
Question: Thanks, Farhan. I want to ask about Iraq and chlorine. But first I want to ask this follow-up. Yesterday, I had asked you about the court hearing in the Haiti cholera case and you said, maybe I misunderstood it. I was expecting you would have some statement here. But in court, the US assistant, the Assistant US Attorney, Elaine Blaine, said that the case could set off a huge set of claims against the UN, and I wanted to know, is it… what would be your response; couldn't the Secretary-General waive immunity in this one case while still preserving it against whatever this huge set of claims against the UN would be? And do you have any comment on yesterday's events and the cases, in general?
Deputy Spokesman: The only real comment I have is I can confirm that there was a hearing yesterday in the case filed in the United States District Court for the Southern District. In light of its immunity, the United Nation did not appear in Court. The U.S. Government attended the hearing and asserted the position that the organizations and its officials are immune from the lawsuit. At the end of the hearing the Judge reserved his decision, which we understand will be delivered at a later date.
Question: Has the Secretary-General decided sort of conclusively not to waive, I know that he does waive immunity in some claims against either UN officials or the UN, and what would you say to the fact that that wouldn't set off, that would limit it to this case in itself and not… and sort of contrary to the arguments made in court?
Deputy Spokesman: You have seen statements we have issued on this particular matter in the past years, and I have nothing really to add to any of those. Yes, Mr. Abbadi?
Question: Thank you, Farhan. I heard what you said about Ebola and UN stuff, but what are the specific measures that the UN has taken or is contemplating taking regarding UN staff travelling to and from the affected areas in West Africa?
Deputy Spokesman: Yes. To be specific, upon return to New York, staff members are to self-monitor their temperature twice a day for 21 days, which is the incubation period for the virus; and nurses follow up on their health on day 1, day 7 and day 21 of their return. In case a staff member, delegate or participant to a meeting should require evaluation for possible Ebola, an isolation room is available, and the medical staff is trained and equipped to deal with the situation before referral is coordinated to the appropriate health facility. Security personnel have also been trained to respond to a potential case. Yes, George?
Question: In view of this whole series of briefings by rapporteurs, is there any way that the new rapporteur on Palestinian rights might also be briefing us?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, we try to set up as many of these briefings as we can once the rapporteurs are available. If the rapporteurs are available, we will try to set something up.
Question: Thank you.
Deputy Spokesman: Anna?
Question: Thank you, Farhan. Continuing the topic of Ebola, I wanted to ask, WHO officially proclaimed that there would be a vaccine available in mid-2015, several hundred thousand doses of this vaccine. Do we have any information where it's being, you know, cultivated or what kind of efficiency it has or what kind of hopes people can have about that? And, also, continuing this topic, it has been reported that lots of countries did not make donations into UN fund, official fund in Ebola crisis, and one of the poorest countries, actually Colombia, made a donation of $100,000. Do we have any information, any statistics about other countries making donations or maybe some expectations about that?
Question: I don't know whether you missed the very first part of the briefing, but I've touched on both of those topics. And I don't want to go back over and read all of that again; but in terms of contributions, just over the past few days, we have received contributions to the Trust Fund from Canada, Estonia, New Zealand and Romania. Regarding the vaccines, the World Health Organization said that the results from phase one clinical trials of most advanced vaccines are expected to be available in December 2014 and efficacy trials in accepted countries will also begin in this timeframe. And pharmaceutical companies are ramping up their efforts for millions of doses to be available in 2015, with 100,000 doses ready in the first half of the year.
Question: Trials going on in the U.S.?
Deputy Spokesman: The trials are going on in a variety of places. It wouldn't just… it's not just in any one country. Kevin?
Question: Thanks, Farhan. Do you have any details on this global media campaign to end female genital mutilation that the Secretary-General is going to be announcing, I guess, in Nairobi?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, in terms of that, any announcement would have to wait for when he can do it. We just mentioned earlier today in our note to correspondents that the Secretary-General will be visiting Kenya. And I do expect that he will be able to provide some information once he is there, so we will provide that. But if you will have seen, in recent months, the Secretary-General has participated in a number of events to talk about the need to end female genital mutilation. And this is something that he has taken to heart and he will continue with those efforts. But in terms of details of the campaign, we will wait for the event itself. Yes, Anne?
Question: Yesterday's New York Times published a news brief in which it said, in the latest sign of rising military tension in the Baltic Region, a Russian military surveillance airplane crossed into Estonia's air space and was intercepted by NATO jets. Why doesn't the UN take conflict prevention seriously, whether it involves Ukraine, Georgia, which is still occupied, or threats against the Baltics?
Deputy Spokesman: The UN does take conflict prevention seriously and we deploy a number of tools for that. As you know, Ukraine is not only on the Security Council's agenda but it was discussed by them just this morning; and that meeting is going on, in fact, as we speak. So it is a matter of some seriousness. And any time there are any difficulties in the region, we try to make sure that they can be resolved peacefully by all the participating member countries. Yes?
Question: Sure. Thanks a lot. I want to ask about Iraq and something on the staff union. In Iraq, at least three officials have come forward and said that the Islamic State or Daesh has been using chlorine weapons. And they cite places and times over the last month and cylinders. And I wanted to know: is the UN aware of these claims? Do they have any evidence for or against the claims? And is there any thought of setting up the type of mission or getting the OPCW (Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons) and sort of following up on what was done in Syria?
Deputy Spokesman: At this stage, no. There is no mission or confirmation we have of these charges. We are aware of the allegations. If they are true, that would be a matter of seriousness. And, of course, we have weighed in against the use of chlorine as a weapon in any conflict. As you know, chlorine is not listed as a prohibited chemical weapon, but it is not to be used in conflicts. Yes?
Question: On the Staff union, what I wanted to… there have been a couple times here, Under-Secretary-General [Yukio] Takasu has said it's sort of the, I don't want to mischaracterize it, it's not clear to him which of the competing parties to recognize as the Union. And I see now there is a letter by the Arbitration Committee, every member of it, stating that the election was held in December, that the people elected are the people that were elected and no further disputes remain and they, as the deciding body, make that decision. So I wanted to know, maybe you haven’t seen it, and if not you will be seeing it, if so, is this the guidance that Mr. Takasu is looking for? Or how does the UN decide to recognize or in case not recognize the people elected in December?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, certainly, we have been waiting to see what the results of arbitration would be on this. At this stage, as you know, any time I speak from this podium, it would reflect the views of management; therefore, I will refrain from showing favoritism for any side until the matter is clearly resolved. Therefore, I would have to refrain from comment. Mr. Abbadi?
Question: Thank you, Farhan. You referred earlier to the message of the Secretary-General on UN Day today, 24 October, and you said it's on the web. Given the importance of this day, what is the main message of the Secretary-General to the staff and to the world?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, the main message of his message is the need for Governments and individuals to work together in common cause for the global common good. And that is part of his message. As for what he tries to convey to staff, of course, today is the day that the Secretary-General tries as always to show his appreciation for the people who work for the United Nations; and, of course, there is any number of other people on the front lines who he also tries to show his appreciation for — for example, the people who have been risking their own health and their own safety, trying to provide health care to those who are afflicted with Ebola. And so it's a day to show our appreciation and hopefully he can also convey that this evening at the UN Day concert. And, of course, in just a couple minutes from now I will cede the floor to the people who will be the performers, or some of the performers, for that. Yes, ma'am?
Question: Farhan, has the Secretary-General commented, or can you get a comment, about the DPRK [Democratic People’s Republic of Korea] response to Justice [Michael] Kirby's North Korea report? There was a back and forth at ECOSOC [Economic and Social Council] this week.
Deputy Spokesman: Yes. I'm aware of that. And the Secretary-General took note of the letter and the copy of the report of the Association of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea for Human Rights Studies that was issued on the 13 September 2014. As requested in the letter and per its normal procedure, the letter and its annex were circulated. Yes?
Question: I want to ask about the Democratic Republic of the Congo. And, first, I still want to know if and when the UN is going to come public about the crash of the drone and what it has found out, whether the cause is mechanical or human. And also there are troubling reports now of people around Beni forming militias, self-defence militias with clubs, knives and basically self-defence, saying that the UN hasn't protected them from ADF-Nalu and they will do it themselves. And I want to know: is that something MONUSCO is aware of? Is there an attempt to provide greater security and what will be done with the people who have now collected these weapons and formed these new militias?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, as I just mentioned, Mr. Kobler and Mr. Djinnit have travelled to Beni. And what they are trying to do is to meet and support MONUSCO civilian and military personnel and also meet with local authorities and civil society organizations to sensitize them about MONUSCO’s mandate and the need to support MONUSCO forces in partnership with the Congolese Armed Forces in order to defeat the ADF elements, the ADF fighters who have been causing such a problem.
Question: Is there some sort of using now the Force Intervention Brigade that was used against M-23 nearly a year against ADF-Nalu to neutralize them in the same way?
Deputy Spokesman: I don't have anything to report on that right now. If that changes, of course, we would announce that.
Question: And the drone, is there any finding or any…?
Deputy Spokesman: There is nothing new to say about that. Have a good weekend, everyone. And I will cede the floor and in just a few minutes you will hear from Lang Lang and the other performers for UN Day.