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.
**Secretary-General’s Travels
The Secretary-General continued his visit today to Vienna, where he spoke at a forum on Inclusive and Sustainable Industrial Development at the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). In his remarks, the Secretary‑General said that the overarching imperative for our planet’s future is sustainable development, and that inclusive and sustainable industrial development can drive success.
He also met with Lamberto Zannier, Secretary-General of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) before addressing the body’s Permanent Council. The Secretary‑General told the Permanent Council that we are a world in transition, where the global security landscape is shifting dramatically. He said that we must do more to combat discrimination and marginalization, including of minority groups, which is indispensable to the pluralistic, tolerant and progressive societies we want.
The Secretary‑General’s last engagement before departing Vienna for New York was a meeting of the high-level Business and Investment Forum on the margins of the UNIDO conference. His various remarks and readouts of his meetings are available online and in our office. He will be arriving in New York later this evening.
**Ebola
The Head of the UN Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER), Anthony Banbury, was in Liberia today, the last leg of his visit to the three most affected countries. He met with President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf and visited a logistics hub ran by the World Food Programme (WFP). As you know, besides food assistance to 1.3 million people since April, the World Food Programme is also providing crucial transport and logistics support, particularly to medical partners, in capital cities and in remote areas. And yesterday, the Chairs of the Peacebuilding Commission Configurations of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone met to discuss the potential impact of the Ebola crisis on state institutions and political stability. They agreed to focus on challenges related to state functioning, as well as on anticipating the long-term impact of the crisis on social cohesion, security and political institutions, to complement national, regional and international efforts.
**Burkina Faso
The Secretary-General continues to be greatly concerned about the current crisis in Burkina Faso and its impact on national and regional stability. The Secretary‑General reiterates his call for an inclusive, civilian-led transition leading to full restoration of constitutional order through democratic elections. As part of its consultations, the joint UN-African Union-Economic Community of West African States (UN-AU-ECOWAS) mission met yesterday with the President of Ghana, John Dramani Mahama, in his capacity as the Chairman of ECOWAS Authority of Heads of States and Governments. Mohammed ibn Chambas also briefed Togolese President Faure Gnassingbe in Lome on the progress of the ongoing consultations. All interlocutors concurred that the transitional process in Burkina Faso should be in line with constitutional provisions. The joint mission has returned to Ouagadougou to continue its engagements with all the parties with the objective to reach an agreement which restores the constitutional order and enables a democratic and civilian-led transition. The joint mission is encouraged by the commitment of the parties to resolving the crisis peacefully and in accordance with the national constitution.
**Nigeria
On Nigeria, the United Nations humanitarian chief, Valerie Amos, has allocated $3.5 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) for humanitarian operations in Nigeria’s northeast. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that the funds will go towards protection, health and water, sanitation and hygiene needs. The interventions will be implemented in Yobe and Borno States, which are currently bearing the brunt of conflict in the region.
**Democratic Republic of the Congo
Our humanitarian colleagues are calling today for the protection of civilians and for aid workers to be able to carry out their work without hindrance in North Kivu, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Attacks by armed groups in Beni and the surrounding areas have killed up to 100 people since early October and displaced an estimated 20,000 people. North Kivu is the country's most volatile province, with a wide-spread presence of armed groups. Some 861,000 people are internally displaced, representing nearly a third of the 2.7 million displaced people in the DRC. Following the recent attacks, the UN Mission in the country is reinforcing its presence, alongside the Congolese Armed Forces.
**Kenya
The UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, says it is concerned about the security situation at the refugee camps at Kakuma in northwest Kenya. Sporadic disturbances that began a week ago have claimed the lives of eight refugees from Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan. Kenyan law enforcement agencies have beefed up security, particularly at Kakuma 4, where most of the trouble has occurred. The Department of Refugee Affairs and UNHCR are engaging refugee leaders, and conflict resolution measures have also been instituted. UNHCR appeals for calm and peaceful coexistence among all communities in the camp. Kakuma camp hosts close to 180,000 refugees from more than 20 countries — the majority from South Sudan, Somalia, Sudan and the DRC.
**Iraq
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs is calling for $173.1 million to address the immediate needs of 1.26 million people across Iraq in need of assistance over winter. Since this January, 1.9 million people have been displaced across Iraq, many fleeing with little more than the clothes on their backs. Close to 50 per cent of the displaced have found refuge in the high altitude areas of the Kurdistan region of Iraq, where temperatures in the winter can often drop below zero. An estimated 516,000 Iraqis are in need of immediate shelter support this winter, including weather-appropriate tents, as well as warm clothing, food, heating and cooking fuel, and health services. An estimated 1.1 million children will require additional care during the winter months due to acute respiratory infections and chronic diseases, and up to 50 per cent of those displaced will need some form of medical attention. Lifesaving assistance over the winter is a key component of the revised Strategic Response Plan, a $2.2 billion appeal aimed to address the humanitarian and protection needs of some 5.2 million Iraqis through December 2015.
**Deputy Secretary-General’s Travels
The Deputy Secretary-General will leave New York this evening for London, where he will hold bilateral meetings with UK Government officials tomorrow. On Thursday, he will deliver the opening keynote speech at the Economist World Water Summit in London. Later that day, the Deputy Secretary-General will depart for Stockholm. On Friday, he will hold bilateral meetings with the Swedish Prime Minister, Foreign Minister and Minister for International Development and Cooperation. He will also have a meeting with Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Victoria and deliver a speech at the United Nations Association of Sweden. Early next week, the Deputy Secretary-General will travel to Berlin for bilateral meetings with Government officials of the Federal Republic of Germany. On 11 November, he will deliver the 2014 Willy Brandt Lecture at the Humboldt University in Berlin. On 12 November, the Deputy Secretary-General will travel to Bonn for meetings with the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and other UN funds, agencies and programmes. The Deputy Secretary-General will return to New York by the middle of next week.
**Statelessness
The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) launched a 10-year global campaign aimed at ending statelessness today. UN High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres, UNHCR Special Envoy Angelina Jolie and more than 30 celebrities and world opinion leaders published an Open Letter, saying that 60 years after the United Nations first agreed to protect stateless people, it's time to end statelessness itself. At least 10 million people worldwide are currently stateless and a baby is born stateless every 10 minutes. Not allowed a nationality, they are often denied the rights and services that countries normally offer their citizens. Most situations of statelessness are a direct consequence of discrimination based on ethnicity, religion or gender, and new risks of statelessness have emerged with the growing number of major conflicts in places such as the Central African Republic and Syria, among others. The UN Agency also stresses that 27 countries at present deny women the right to pass their nationality on to their children on an equal basis with men, a situation that can create chains of statelessness that span generations. More is available on UNHCR’s website.
**Press Conferences
Immediately following this briefing at 12:30 p.m., the President of the Security Council for November, Ambassador Gary Quinlan of Australia, will be here to brief on the Council’s programme of work for the month. And that’s it for me. Any questions before that?
**Questions and Answers
Question: Farhan, surely you heard what happened in eastern province of Saudi Arabia. What is the message of the United Nations regarding those who incite for such killings, those who have issued edicts labelling Shia as infidels and eventually then they can be killed?
Deputy Spokesman: As you know, the United Nations stands for religious tolerance and it calls for all religious communities and, indeed, all communities to work together and live together peacefully. We have implored for groups to respect the views especially of minorities who may feel vulnerable, and we continue to do that. And, of course, we deplore any violence against anyone on account of their religious beliefs.
Question: Would you ask the Saudi authorities to rescind those edicts, specifically [inaudible] edict, which labelled such groups as infidels?
Deputy Spokesman: I have nothing specific to say on the edicts themselves, beyond what I've just said. Of course, the point is not to discriminate against minority communities and to respect the beliefs of others. Yes?
Question: Sure, thanks. I wanted you to both confirm and if you can comment on or clarify: There's a story in The Guardian, saying that Secretary‑General speaking to Danish television said that he's going to… that there will be an investigation of charges that the UK spied on climate change negotiations in Copenhagen and Cancún. And the direct quote from Mr. Ban is, “All diplomatic information is inviolable. If there's been any breach, that should be investigated. UN information must be protected in its entire confidentiality.” Did he say that and who's going to do the investigation?
Deputy Spokesman: I have no further things to say beyond what the Secretary‑General himself said in that interview. Yes, I can confirm that this is what he told Danish radio, and you've heard us say many times from this podium that the UN premises and UN facilities are inviolable and that our communications similarly must be protected. We've said that many times over the past years with these latest reports.
Question: No, I'm actually asking specifically about this idea that it should be investigated. Does he mean the UN itself will investigate it?
Deputy Spokesman: I have nothing further to say about his particular wording. We always follow up on any of the reports that the inviolability of UN premises have been breached. Yes, Oleg?
Question: Thank you, Farhan. In the past several days we've been talking about the elections that took place in the east of Ukraine on 2 November. A lot was said about the view that they were breach… they were in breach of the Minsk agreements, but today we hear from Kiev authorities about their plans to withdraw this so-called special status law in the east of Ukraine. What does the Secretary‑General say to that? Because we've already saw this kind of situation when both parties step back from their commitments, for example, latest in the Middle East between the Israeli and Palestinians and what we've seen is a cycle of violence in Gaza afterwards and the break of the negotiations. Maybe this is the time for a new mediation effort from the Secretary‑General or the Secretariat. What does he think about this?
Deputy Spokesman: The Secretary‑General actually did comment on this while he was in Vienna today and was speaking to the Permanent Council of the OSCE. What he said then was that the “elections in the eastern part of the country this past Sunday are an unfortunate and counterproductive development. I urge all concerned to urgently recommit to full implementation of the letter and spirit of the Minsk Protocol and Memorandum designed to bring peace and stability to all of Ukraine.” In addition, of course, he did commend the OSCE for its early and active engagement and its prominent role on the ground and he added, “We have a common responsibility to defuse tensions, and we have been working hand in hand.” Yes, Anna?
Question: Thank you, Farhan. I wanted to ask for an update about Ebola. There have been reports that in the northern province of Koinadugu, which is in Sierra Leone, there has been a new outbreak. Actually, it's been reported to the Red Cross that there were 30 bodies of people who succumbed to the infection and they needed to be removed from there, and the whole area had to be sanitized. I just wanted to ask if you have any updates on this. And also, we have Red Cross. We have WHO [World Health Organization]. We have countless volunteers. Are all these people working in a concerted effort? Is this a united effort, and which part does UN play in it or they all play separate roles in this? Thank you.
Deputy Spokesman: Well, we're trying as best as we can to coordinate the efforts by various parties. It's clear that we need to have many different groups, national groups, NGOs [non-governmental organizations], as well as the United Nations trying to work together to resolve this. But we try through bodies such as the UNMEER mission to coordinate these activities on the ground. Regarding your first, we don't have at this point the sort of revised information on Sierra Leone that you're citing. In fact, we've seen revised World Health Organization figures for Liberia and are pleased there are signs that the strategies are working in certain areas there. So that's a bit of good news. And we do expect as we proceed that you might see some spikes and you might see sometimes the curve bend downwards. What we're trying to do is concentrate our efforts on making sure the right interventions are in place so we can bring the curve in all the affected countries downwards and ultimately eliminate the spread of Ebola entirely. Yes, Joe?
Question: Back to Ukraine, did the Secretary‑General's comments include a reference to the reported presence of Russian troops, 250 to 300 is the estimate, still in Ukraine, providing training and logistics, equipment support? And also, the concern, I think, voiced by some that what we have now is more or less kind of a frozen conflict with new de facto borders. Could you comment on that and whether the Secretary‑General either alluded to it or intends to make a comment specifically on that? Thank you.
Deputy Spokesman: Well, you can actually see for yourself, we have the printout of the transcript available in our office, and we've also posted it up on the website so…
Question: Well, you just referred to certain quotes there. I'm asking a general question.
Deputy Spokesman: I'm not going to read the whole thing for you. Certainly, you can read the whole thing yourself.
Question: I can't let you off that easily. Does the Secretary‑General have any specific comment to make, I mean, can you tell us from either what he has said or at least to find out whether he intends to say anything, about this claim that there are still Russian troops inside Ukraine and also that claims that there are new frozen borders, if you will, and it's a frozen conflict? This is in addition to what he said about the 2 November elections. You commented on that, so I'm asking you to specifically comment on this.
Deputy Spokesman: There's a number of things in the speech, and you can, like I said, see for yourself. There's no specific remarks directed at, for example, some of the reports you've seen in the news media today — some of which are things we would need to get further facts on, whether from the Human Rights Monitoring Mission — or other topics. But like I said, look at the whole text. Matthew?
Question: Hi, Farhan, there are reports that thousands of people in Sierra Leone are being forced to violate Ebola quarantines to find food because deliveries are not reaching them. Is the Secretary‑General's office aware of this and are there measures being taken to combat this?
Deputy Spokesman: Yes, we have some information from our colleagues in the World Food Programme, who take these reports very seriously. The World Food Programme is working with its partners and the local authorities to respond to the concerns that have been raised. The situation is extremely fluid and getting reliable and timely information can be challenging, but the World Food Programme is working with the Government and partners to identify the communities in need as quickly as possible. Any reliable information that is shared with the World Food Programme can be useful and help it to respond more quickly. As you know, the WFP organizes food distributions to quarantined areas at the request of the Government, in response to the number of people affected by Ebola. Distributions are planned with the Government and local partners and it's continually communicating with the authorities to ensure that distributions happen safely. The aim of the distributions in quarantined areas is to stabilize families to give them enough to eat so they do not leave their homes to look for food. And so, depending on the information they can get, they can respond quickly and effectively to those concerns. Yes, Oleg?
Question: Thank you, Farhan. I want to get back to the status law in the east of Ukraine. Before the elections on 2 November took place, the Secretary‑General voiced his concern about this possible step. He said that it was a breach. Does he have a specific comment on these plans to withdraw this law at this point? Yes or no?
Deputy Spokesman: I'll… all I have is what he has said just a few hours ago in Vienna. You can read that and interpret that as you will. Yes, Matthew or Oleg? You can decide among yourselves.
Question: On the possible mediation…
Deputy Spokesman: What?
Question: On the possible mediation plans in the Ukraine.
Deputy Spokesman: I have nothing else to add at this point. Yes?
Question: Sure, I wanted to ask more about Ebola. The Philippine peacekeepers that served in Liberia, now it turns out in the Philippines there's talk of putting them on an island off Luzon. The local authorities say they should be put on a ship. I wonder, since the Secretariat has spoken of the rights of the medical workers if they're not showing symptoms to not be quarantined in this way, what's the statement of people who have served the UN in a blue helmet being put on a ship or put on an island when they return to the Philippines?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, you're aware, because you just referred to it, what the Secretary‑General's overall view is on all this. And that remains the case: That people trying to help people affected by Ebola should not be isolated in a manner that has nothing to do with the actual security risks that are entailed. So if they're not showing symptoms, as you can see from what we said last week about health-care workers, we as a point of principle don't encourage a quarantine policy. At the same time, we do respect the rights of different Governments to have their own policies; and we've complied, as you know, with the different policies by different Governments. And similarly, as you're aware, once they've ceased their time as peacekeepers in the mission there, these particular soldiers are under the authority of their Government.
Question: And relatedly, I wanted to ask whether international staff in the three countries as a holiday or for some holiday season approaches, will they be… have either rights or will there be the same rotation to return to their home countries? This is something that staff have raised and I wanted to know, is there any difference from previous years in UN policy of returning to home?
Deputy Spokesman: We are looking carefully at this in line with the provisions of respective Governments. We don't set the policies of government, although we've been making our plea well known and we've made clear what our views are on this. But in line with that, we would try to make sure that staff can go about their activities, including their rotations, as per usual. Yes. Anna and then Erol?
Question: Thank you, Farhan. I just wanted to follow up on the question my colleague Oleg asked about Ukraine. Actually, Under-Secretary-General Jeffrey Feltman was in Ukraine. And after that, everyone was expecting this special report about it. I have no idea it was publicized or not. If you can give us details, that would be wonderful. And also, I wanted to find out is this a single effort that would stop there or there would be chain of events and efforts from UN's part to regulate this whole situation which are going to stem from this report.
Deputy Spokesman: You're aware that a number of officials, including Jeffrey Feltman, have visited Moscow and Kiev over the course of the past months in order to try and keep lines of communication open, which is something that the Secretary‑General has been very keen to see happen. I don't have anything to share on any particular issues right now. If that changes, we'll let you know. Erol and then after that Dulcie?
Question: Thank you. I just wanted to see this… and sorry if I missed that, whether the Secretary‑General released his report on Bosnia and Herzegovina, and if he did, did he say anything on the just-completed election there?
Deputy Spokesman: There's no current report on Bosnia that I have to highlight for you, no.
Question: It's going to be discussed on Security Council on 11th.
Deputy Spokesman: Yes. And in fact, the President of the Security Council is going to be here in just the next five minutes or so, and you can ask him about that schedule. I'm not aware that the report's gone out, though.
Question: Okay.
Deputy Spokesman: Evelyn? Sorry, Dulcie first and then Evelyn.
Question: Sorry, Evelyn. A question about the peacekeeping panel review that was announced last week: Of the 14 members, only 3 were women. A lot of human rights groups and women's groups are sort of appalled by that low number, so if you could provide some sort of context for that. Also, in that announcement, there were two things regarding MINUSMA [United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali], the Mali peacekeeping mission. If said there was a fusion cell in that mission. If you could explain what that is? And also they said there were drones being used but I thought there was just a procurement out for that. Thanks.
Deputy Spokesman: And I believe it is the case with that; that it's a question of procurement. I don't believe that there are any unmanned aerial vehicles in operation there right now. But we can check on that. Regarding the low number of women, I guess this is one case where we have to just make a very sincere apology. We try as hard as we can to get the right gender balance and the right regional balance for these very large panels, and sometimes it's a question of availability. But when we make a mistake on that, you're absolutely right, that's a low number, and we'll have to do better. Yes, Evelyn?
Question: What panel were you just speaking about?
Deputy Spokesman: The panel on peacekeeping review, led by José Ramos Horta.
Question: Right. I saw that too. Also, how many… when is the SG here? Is he travelling immediately or… I missed… I'm getting very confused of when he's here and when he's not here, and you know why, because of interview plans.
Deputy Spokesman: He'll be here later today. He'll be here later today and he'll be back at work in the wee hours of the morning tomorrow.
Question: When is he going to Berlin? Sorry. And I have another question.
Deputy Spokesman: I don't have a trip to announce on that just yet.
Question: O h. And you just said something, no?
Deputy Spokesman: No, that was… I was talking about the Deputy Secretary‑General.
Question: Oh, all right. On Ukraine again, it seems that things have changed tremendously and all the little agreements and monitoring seem to fall by the wayside. There's no border anymore between Russia and Donetsk, and troops go back and forth as they feel like it.
Deputy Spokesman: Well, I don't know precisely when you came into this briefing but your colleagues have been asking about this at the start of the question time.
Question: I know. I'm following up…
Deputy Spokesman: Obviously, this is something we take very seriously. The Secretary‑General has actually said today that the situation in Ukraine remains a matter of deep concern and has created divisions that stretch beyond the region. And so his plea is for all of the parties to urgently recommit to the full implementation of the letter and spirit of the Minsk Protocol and Memorandum. Benny?
Question: Before the Ambassador of Austria comes in… [laughter] I don't know if you have in the last couple of days referred to this, but there's been systematic razing of homes of Palestinians in… near Gaza by Egypt. Anything about that?
Deputy Spokesman: We would have to look into it. I'll check with our colleagues on the ground at the Special Coordinator's office and see what they're saying. Yes?
Question: Farhan, is the Secretary‑General going to have a press conference this month? And secondly on Ukraine, in his meetings Vienna, is this an issue that he's been discussing? I know he spoke about it, but has he been discussing this with the leaders who were there?
Deputy Spokesman: Yes. We put out a few of the readouts, so you can see online, for example, this is something that was brought up in his meetings with the senior officials of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. And so this is something that's been a matter of concern, and he's talking about it with many of the world leaders he meets. The readouts are posted on the web. So you can see for yourself what we had to say about it.
Question: Will he do a press conference this month?
Deputy Spokesman: The press conference? I don't know whether there's going to be one this month, but we'll try to bring him to you as soon as we can. And certainly, as you know, next month will be the end of the calendar year, and so as per our normal tradition, he'll have a press conference with you at some point. Yes?
Question: Farhan, looks like the Lebanese parliament is poised to renew itself for another term. How does the United Nations view the democracy in Lebanon in view of that?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, you've heard what the Secretary‑General had to say, and our statements, most recently to the International Support Group for Lebanon that Derek Plumbly met with just about a week ago. We want the democratic process in Lebanon to be respected. We want a president to be selected. And we stand by those efforts, which are crucial for both the country's democracy but also for the stability of the country as it deals with its many problems.
Question: It seems because of the democratic process has been skipped or totally, how do they… would they view electing by an extended parliament a president?
Deputy Spokesman: As you know, the various political parties are working together on a formula for the future. We want them to come together in a spirit that respects the country's democracy and its constitution. Yes?
Question: Thanks, Farhan, I want to ask about Myanmar and also Thailand. In Myanmar, I'm looking at the Secretary‑General's campaign to end statelessness. I wanted to tie this directly to the Rohingya, which is one of the largest stateless groups, because I heard Mr. [Vijay] Nambiar tell the Third Committee, sort of criticizing but sort of accepting the Government's policy of not offering citizenship to anyone that, unless they choose… change their self-identification from Rohingya to Bengali, and does the UN believe the Rohingya should no longer be stateless, consistent with this campaign?
Deputy Spokesman: The statelessness campaign applies to people all over the world. We want statelessness to be resolved everywhere. Regarding Myanmar, we have Mr. Nambiar working on this issue. We also have Antonio Guterres, the head of the Refugee Agency, who's made his own views known. And we’d refer you to those.
Question: Thanks. On Thailand, I just want to know if there's a comment. A court there sentenced a university student to 2 1/2 years in jail for a Facebook posting that they said insulted the king. And I know that there… you're often asked about the rights of journalists. In this case, maybe it's social media. But is this, what does the UN think of imprisonment for quote insulting a leader for imprisonment for 2 1/2 years?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, we'd have to see what the details of the case are and if they are as you describe. Of course, as you know, freedom of speech and freedom of expression are protected in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and they should therefore be protected for all people. But that's the general principle. I don't know what the particulars of that case are. That would have to go through, as you know, the normal legal process, with all rights respected. Yes. Yes, please?
Question: Thank you, Farhan. I wanted to ask about 43 missing student teachers in Mexico. It's been reported that they were gone missing after they were arrested by the police after peaceful demonstrations and everything. And it's been a large investigation going on and the international community was keeping tabs on it, and there were some allegations that the President, Mr. Enrique Peña Nieto, might be involved himself in all of this. Does the UN keep tabs on this? And there were also some mass graves found in Mexico, in different areas in Mexico. But it's been reported that it hasn't been confirmed that these were the same people who were gone missing. Do we have any new information? And if not, how does UN regulate this whole thing?
Deputy Spokesman: As you know, we do have an office in Mexico and our human rights office there has expressed its concerns exactly about the fate of these 43 students and the need for the authorities to be able to determine what's happened to the students. So we're continuing to follow up on this. As you know, we have to wait for the appropriate authorities on the ground to carry about their investigation and we hope that they will proceed and ultimately we'll find out what's happened to these students who have been missing for so long a time. Yes?
Question: Does the Secretary‑General have any comment about the irony regarding certain countries that now sit on a Human Rights Council that have the worst cases of human rights abuses in history, particularly against women and homosexuals?
Deputy Spokesman: We've had to say this many times in the past and we'll probably have to say this many times in the future, but these are elections made by Member States themselves. It's the Member States of the United Nations who choose who sits on the Human Rights Council. We implore them to choose countries that can be relied upon to defend human rights. One of the procedures of the Human Rights Council, which made it distinguishable from its predecessors, is that all the countries who sit on it have to go through the Universal Periodic Review so they themselves will be looked at and hopefully in the process of reviewing their records, those countries, whether they're good performers or much worse performers, will improve their records. And that's as best as we can do. I think I'm going to have to cede the floor now because it is now after 12:30, so Ambassador Quinlan will be up next.