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.
Good afternoon. I am sorry to be on time because nobody is here.
First off, I’d like to welcome two guests we have today Milan Bihlmann and Muammer Yilmaz who are otherwise known as the “optimistic travellers”. They are taking part in the 80 days challenge — travel around the world in 80 days with no money, based on generosity. And they are also raising money for Haiti. This is their seventy-fourth day on the road and six days before they get home to the Eiffel Tower on 28 November. I don’t know how they will go across the Atlantic on generosity, but we wish them well.
**Secretary-General Travels
Speaking of travelling, the Secretary-General and the other top officials as you know are in Washington, holding a meeting of the Chief Executives Board of the UN system. They are meeting as we speak on Ebola, to discuss how to coordinate efforts in the fight against the spread of the virus.
The Secretary-General will be speaking to the press after the meeting at the World Bank. That is scheduled to take place at about 12:40 to 1 p.m.
The remarks will be webcast on the World Bank webcast site and then will be later in the day archived on our own system, and you are of course welcome to follow the press encounter.
**Ebola
Back here in New York and still on Ebola, the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy on Ebola, Dr. David Nabarro, and the Head of the UN Mission for Ebola Emergency Response, Tony Banbury, will be briefing the Security Council at 3 p.m. And Dr Nabarro will be here in person and speak at the stakeout afterwards, and Mr. Banbury will be briefing by video conference.
Regarding the separate outbreak that affected the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the World Health Organization announced today that 42 days had passed since the last case tested negative twice and was discharged from the hospital. Therefore, according to protocol, the Organization officially declared the end of that Ebola outbreak, commending the DRC’s strong leadership and effective coordination of the response.
**Burkina Faso
Turning to Burkina Faso, the Secretary-General continues to follow the situation very closely. He looks forward to the installation of the Transitional Government and the Transitional National Council in Burkina Faso. The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for West Africa, Mohamed Ibn Chambas, is in Ouagadougou today to attend the ceremony, which will officially mark the transfer of power to the Transitional President, Michel Kafando.
The Secretary-General reiterates the importance for the transitional leaders and institutions to uphold the aspirations of the people of Burkina Faso and ensure a smooth transitional period leading up to elections in November 2015. He reiterates his encouragement to all parties to continue to use dialogue during the transitional period and resolve all outstanding issues. The United Nations will continue to work closely with the African Union, the Economic Community of West African States and other international stakeholders to support the people of Burkina during this transition period.
**South Sudan
From South Sudan, the Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Kyung-wha Kang, concluded her three-day visit to that country. During that time, she visited communities affected by the crisis in Juba and Jonglei State and also met with Government representatives as well as humanitarian partners. She called on all parties to the conflict to respect their ceasefire commitments and urged the international community to continue providing life-saving assistance. She said the scale of needs was great and that however much humanitarians scale up their operations, they will not be able to do enough if the conflict continues to destroy lives and livelihoods.
OCHA [Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs] says that despite the extremely difficult situation for aid workers, UN agencies and partners have reached more than 3.5 million people with assistance this year. Aid agencies are planning for next year and urgently calling for $600 million by February to kick-start next year’s operations.
**Iraq
Also on the humanitarian front, our colleagues at the UN refugee agency started a new airlift, which arrived in northern Iraq’s Kurdistan region yesterday. The airlift carried winter aid supplies, including thousands of tent insulations kits for displaced Iraqis. Six more flights are scheduled to arrive before 12 December, bringing the total number of insulation kits to 25,000. Those are coming in from Lahore, Pakistan.
Latest figures from UNHCR show that an estimated 2 million Iraqis have been displaced by the conflict since January. More than 60,000 people are now living in eight tented camps. New camps are being constructed to house more than 300,000 others. And some 700,000 people are still living in unfinished or abandoned buildings, schools, religious centres, and even public parks. More information is available on UNHCR’s website.
**Ukraine
Our friends at the World Food Programme (WFP) have distributed food vouchers to 10,000 internally displaced people in northern Donetsk, in Ukraine, as part of an emergency operation to feed 120,000 people over the next six months. These families have mainly been displaced due to the ongoing fighting in the region and can redeem the vouchers that are worth up to $45 from local shops. This initial distribution of vouchers has injected nearly half a million dollars into the economy of host communities. WFP says access to food continues to be a priority concern. With high unemployment, lack of available hard currency, growing inflation and increased food prices, it is becoming increasingly difficult for families to keep sufficient, nutritious food on the table. With the winter period approaching, the situation is expected to worsen.
**Egypt
A couple of more announcements. From Egypt, our colleagues from the UN family in Egypt have put out an announcement saying they are deeply concerned by recent developments in the case of Soheir al-Batea, the victim of female genital mutilation who died in June 2013 as a result of the procedure illegally carried out against her will. A misdemeanour court dismissed the case yesterday, following a settlement between the victim’s family and the accused. That settlement prevented the court from deciding on the guilt of the accused. However, under existing legislation, there is no provision to prohibit such a settlement resulting in the charges being dropped.
According to the 2008 Demographic and Health Survey in Egypt, at least 91 per cent of Egyptian women between the ages of 15-49 have undergone female genital mutilation. This was the first trial since the law criminalizing female genital mutilation was issued six years ago. The United Nations encourages the review of current legislation to ensure that it fully protects the rights of women and girls, and that the perpetrators are brought to justice.
**Cookstoves
Meanwhile, the World Food Programme announced today that it will seek to help more than 10 million people safely prepare and consume the food it provides by 2020. The agency made the announcement at the Cookstoves Future Summit in New York.
Many women and girls as you know spend hours travelling long distances to collect firewood, putting themselves at risk of attack and sexual violence. Fuel-efficient stoves ensure they have the means to properly cook food without jeopardizing the environment or personal safety.
Through the SAFE initiative, standing for Safe Access to Fuel and Energy, the World Food Programme says it is supporting women with fuel-efficient stoves and livelihood opportunities. To date, the Programme has reached 2.8 million people in Burundi, Ethiopia, Haiti, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Sudan and Uganda.
**Secretary-General Appointment
An appointment today — the Secretary-General has appointed Major General Birhanu Jula Gelalcha of Ethiopia as the Force Commander of the United Nations Interim Security Force for Abyei, otherwise known as UNISFA. The new Force Commander succeeds a Lieutenant General who completed his assignment on 19 June 2014. We have more bio in my office.
**Questions from Yesterday
Matthew, I think yesterday you asked about the aerial bombings in Darfur and UNAMID’s response. I can tell you that a patrol from the African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur, UNAMID, did visit Abu Leha yesterday in North Darfur to investigate reports of alleged air bombing in the area. UNAMID observed craters in the area of alleged bombings and is investigating further. The Mission has not ascertained reports of civilian casualties or damage. The Mission is also in the process of verifying reports of an alleged aerial bombing in Abu Gamrah village, in Kornoi locality, North Darfur.
Questions and Answers
Question: Okay. I wanted to ask something more on Darfur but first Central African Republic. There were these reports of gunfire exchange between peacekeepers and ex-Seleka in Cantonnier, near the Cameroon border. I wanted to know — are those reports true? Did the peacekeepers actually kill any ex-Seleka and what’s the plan?
Spokesman: Sure. What we were just told as I was coming down here, a MINUSCA [United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic] patrol from the Cameroonian battalion was engaged by about 20 anti‑balaka militiamen near the police station in Cantonnier, which is the border of the Central African Republic and Cameroon. The Mission reports that six casualties were recorded and the Mission remains on high alert in the area and continues to investigate the incident.
Question: [inaudible] I asked you a few days ago about the status of the rebels that are trying to move them out of the capital, and there was definitely one report that the food programme to them was suspended, and you’d said the UN doesn’t starve anybody. But what’s the status with that and what’s going to happen with them?
Spokesman: I’ll try to get something. I still have not received anything on that. Linda?
Question: Thanks, Steph. I would just like to know what the status of UN’s providing humanitarian aid to the Kurds, you know, excuse me, what any of the latest developments are.
Spokesman: Well, as you mean in Iraq or in Syria? Well, in Iraq, as I mentioned, we’re continuing to try to provide winterization of living quarters of aid with the airlift coming in from Pakistan. And I know one of the challenges obviously is the funding, but the big concern is around shelter as the winter approaches. And I think I did have an item to read on Gaza, which I failed to read because I left it on my desk. So I will add to it now if you don’t mind. The UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East, Robert Serry, announced today that an agreement has been reached between Israel, the Palestinian Government of National Consensus and the United Nations that, starting next week, some 25,000 homeowners in Gaza can access materials to repair their damaged homes. The Government of National Consensus will soon make a separate announcement on the process to access the building materials. Mr. Serry said that as part of the understandings reached, materials procured under the mechanism may only be used for their intended purpose and that the UN will undertake spot checks to monitor compliance. He added that the UN will undertake every effort to assist Palestinian Government in reconstructing Gaza, including in providing financial support to home owners, but cautioned that existing resources are insufficient. And I will try to find out more for you on the help in northern Iraq. Mr. Lee?
Question: Back on Darfur. I wanted to ask you this. The full internal memorandum that was put… that was from within UNAMID around the 9 November press release and investigation in Tabit has become available. And it describes UN’s own awareness of the military surrounding of people filming interviews, of people appearing frightened and even that essentially at the military’s behest a committee was established to interact with UNAMID in that investigation. So I wanted to know, given that that same day apparently with that knowledge, UNAMID said that they were told by… that the residents get along fine with the Army, are there any ramifications within DPKO [Department of Peacekeeping Operations] or UNAMID to act on, retract or figure out… now that we know what UNAMID knew, what it said publicly was [inaudible]…
Spokesman: The bottom line is the UN, the Joint Mission is still trying to gain access to the site, to Tabit, to establish what was going on. And we’re continuing to push for that access. But obviously we’re not going to, I’m not going to start commenting on leaked documents.
Question: Right. About… you can, I guess what I… overall… I think one of the reasons Sudan is saying that they won’t let them in a second time, they say, if you cleared us in the first instance, going back in…
Spokesman: I understand. But I think, you know, missions have a duty to report and to get information first hand, and that’s what they’re trying to do. Yes?
Question: [inaudible] of the police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, tensions are running high on the ground. Does the Secretary-General have a message to the community and the larger St. Louis area? Thank you.
Spokesman: No, not particularly. I think we talked about it when the demonstrations were in the street were happening — about the need to protect the right to demonstrate peacefully. But otherwise, I have nothing else to add at this point. Matthew?
Question: Sure. Yesterday we had a briefing by José Ramos‑Horta about the review of UN peace operations. And initially, on the question of the UN bringing cholera to Haiti, as many have claimed, he said that wasn’t in the mandate of the review. Then later he said that in fact he would raise it to panel members. I just wanted to know since the Secretary-General was the one who set up the panel, has he set any limitations on the review? Does he… even just the logistical medical issue raised by that case, i.e. what’s done so it’s not… what’s alleged to have happened does not happen again? Is that with the…
Spokesman: The terms of reference of the review were laid out in what we announced. It’s an independent review. The Secretary-General has full trust in… obviously in President Ramos‑Horta and how he will lead the review. I think we will see what they come up with, but it is not an investigative review. It is really a forward‑leaning review of peace operations, of political missions and of peacekeeping operations.
Question: And has he accepted Mr. Ramos‑Horta’s nomination of Radhika Coomaraswamy to the panel? Is she now formally a member of the panel?
Spokesman: I haven’t seen anything on that, but I’ll check for you. Yes, Linda.
Question: Steph, with the Secretary-General in Washington today, are any meetings scheduled with any representatives of the Obama Administration or Congress?
Spokesman: No, not that I’m aware of. This is really a UN internal meeting writ large of Chief Executives Board, just happens to be hosted by the World Bank, but it’s focused on the UN system. I’m not aware of the Secretary-General having any appointments outside of that.
Question: As a follow-up, can I ask a question?
Spokesman: Yes, you may.
Question: As a follow up, has the Secretary-General raised the issue of the refugees with the World Bank… aid to the Lebanese, the refugees in Lebanon?
Spokesman: Well, obviously, the issue of refugees and the support that the international community needs to provide to those countries who are doing the most, notably, you know, Lebanon, Jordan, Turkey, Iraq, who are bearing the brunt of it, is a very important one, whether that specific issue was raised with the President of the World Bank, I don’t know. But the focus today, I know, is on Ebola. Matthew and that will be it.
Question: Sure. Since the Secretary-General is about to appear with Margaret Chan of the WHO at this press availability, I wanted… I think, you were away when it arose, but WHO put in writing that it was banning a publication, Buzzfeed, because it didn’t like an article on Ebola one of its reporters wrote. I asked Farhan, and he said it’s entirely a WHO matter, but since there is a Chief Executives Board, and he is going to appear with Margaret Chan, I wanted to know is there a system-wide, Secretariat, Chief Executives Board ban on reporting on Ebola if you don’t like the article they write?
Spokesman: In as much as I would like to ban some media, as a matter of policy, we don’t. And I hope none of my colleagues do. Thank you.