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.
After I am done with you and you are done with me, you will hear from the Permanent Representative of Chad, President of the Security Council for December, who will brief you on the Council’s programme of work for the month.
**Secretary-General in Cambridge
The Secretary‑General is in Cambridge, Massachusetts, today, where he will be honoured by the Harvard Foundation with the 2014 Humanitarian of the Year award for his initiatives to address major global issues.
At the award ceremony, which is expected to take place today at 5 p.m. at the Harvard Memorial Church, the Secretary‑General will call for more determined global action on climate change, nuclear disarmament, the Ebola outbreak and human rights. He will stress the need for a new climate agreement and new goals to build a sustainable future for all.
Prior to the award ceremony, he is expected to meet with members of the Harvard faculty as well as hold a round table with student leaders. He will also meet with the President of Harvard and the Dean of the Kennedy School later today. And we have put out his remarks under embargo in my office.
**Ebola
On Ebola, a new report issued today by the World Bank Group shows that the epidemic continues to cripple the economies of Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone, and is projected to result in negative growth or contraction in these countries next year.
All three countries had been growing rapidly in recent years and into the first half of 2014, but the World Bank Group is now projecting negative growth for 2015, of -0.2 per cent in Guinea and -2.0 per cent in Sierra Leone, while in Liberia, the growth estimate is expected to be less than half the pre-crisis one.
These latest projections imply forgone income across the three countries in 2014–2015 totalling more than $2 billion.
Governments have also been forced to cut public investments — such as Liberia’s Mount Coffee hydroelectric plant, which now remains on hold in the absence of foreign contractors, hurting future growth prospects. More information is available on the World Bank’s website.
**Iraq
From Iraq, Nickolay Mladenov, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for that country, welcomed the agreement reached between the Federal Government of Iraq and the Government of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq to resolve a number of outstanding issues. He said that he looks forward for the implementation of the agreement as swiftly as possible.
Mr. Mladenov urged all Iraqi leaders to continue with the same spirit of unity and compromise regarding urgent priorities, including the adoption of the federal budget for 2015, as well as other crucial legislation, and to work towards national reconciliation and the restoration of confidence among Iraq’s communities.
**Sudan/South Sudan
Our humanitarian colleagues tell us that the World Food Programme (WFP) plans to send an additional 453 tons of food assistance by barge from Sudan's White Nile State to South Sudan's Upper Nile State in the next few days. This follows an earlier consignment of food sent overland in November.
And in Sudan itself, the UN’s Children Fund (UNICEF) says it has managed to vaccinate over 4,500 children against polio in South Kordofan and West Kordofan states — in areas where the fighting and control of the area continues to shift. This was the first time since June 2011 that children in these areas have been vaccinated.
**UN Relief and Works Agency
The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) will mark the climax of the UN’s International Year of Solidarity with the Palestinian People by displaying an image of its newly digitized archive on buildings in nine cities across the world: Bangkok, Beirut, Dubai, Jakarta, Marrakesh, New York, Seville, Tokyo and Vienna. Here in New York, the image of a student at an UNRWA school will be displayed by the Delegates Entrance to the General Assembly at 6 p.m. this evening.
The Relief and Works Agency has digitized over 300,000 images from its archive, some of which date back to 1948. The Agency is making these images available online to journalists, writers, scholars and members of the public, and the archive can be found at: archive.unrwa.org
**Slavery
In his message marking the International Day for the Abolition of Slavery, the Secretary‑General says that there are more than 18 million people kept as slave labourers, according to UN estimates.
He says that the international community came together in the nineteenth century to declare slavery an affront to our common humanity. Today, Governments, civil society and the private sector must unite to eradicate all forms of contemporary slavery.
**Sustainable Development
Just to flag an event on Thursday, the Secretary‑General will present an advance version of his report on the new sustainable development agenda to the General Assembly.
Following that event, around 11 a.m., the Secretary‑General and the President of the General Assembly plan to speak to you reporters on the East Neck, just outside the GA.
**Appointment
Appointment today: the Secretary‑General has appointed Lise Grande of the United States as the Deputy Special Representative of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI). Ms. Grande will also serve as the UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator for Iraq.
She succeeds, as you know, Jacqueline Badcock of the UK, who has served in Iraq since May 2012. The Secretary‑General is grateful for her leadership in addressing the humanitarian and development needs in Iraq.
**Press Conferences
Tomorrow is the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. And at 11:30 a.m., there will be a press briefing here entitled “Disability-Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction: Inclusion Saves Lives — Toward a disability-inclusive post 2015 development framework.”
Then at noon, I will be joined by Leonard Doyle, Spokesperson and Head of Communications of the International Organization for Migration (IOM). He will be here to brief you on new figures on migrant fatalities.
We have time for a few questions before we go to the Security Council President. Matthew, and then Benny?
**Questions and Answers
Question: Sure. I wanted to ask you about Haiti, since there's the Mission there. There have been protests about the failure to hold elections and they've been put down by police. I wanted to know, first, whether there's been any MINUSTAH [United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti] involvement; and also what the Mission's thinking is as the 12 January deadline imposes when the Government will be dissolved and Mr. [Michel] Martelly will rule by decree. Is that the fact? And what’s the UN doing?
Spokesman: I don't believe there's been… I don't believe there's been any involvement of MINUSTAH in the demonstrations. Obviously, it's important that people have the right to demonstrate peacefully and it's up to the authorities to ensure that right is respected. The political situation in Haiti obviously remains a concern. It is one that we're following closely. Mr. Avni?
Question: Yes. Speaking of UNRWA, there's long series of reports about all kinds of teachers, including Naief al‑Hattab, as elementary school director, which is an UNRWA school, who had met actually Ban Ki‑moon; and he posted all kinds of pictures of kids with arms and he has also approved of the latest attack on the Israeli synagogue. What does… is there any issue, as far as the UN is concerned, with all kinds of events like that in which UNRWA teachers express all kinds of opinions that are not necessarily approved by the UN?
Spokesman: I don't have any information on the exact case you're referring to. Obviously, UNRWA has a stance against all forms of terrorism and violence. But I'll see if I can get anything else from them. Pam and then we'll go…
[The Spokesman later added that UNRWA said that it is aware of the allegations and is investigating them. If a violation of staff rules and regulations is proven, UNRWA can take disciplinary action, up to and including dismissal.]
Question: Stéphane, has the Secretary‑General commented on a fairly recent vote by the members of parliament in France to recognize the State of Palestine?
Spokesman: I think, you know, as we've said in cases… in other cases of votes by parliament, the issue of recognition of States is one that is dealt between States and does not involve the UN. But I would also refer you back to what the Secretary‑General said in his statement last week at the event marking the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, where he said, “As the international community, we must assume responsibility for what is a collective failure to advance a political solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.” “Indeed,” he said, “As we see around the world, Governments and parliaments are taking action. That momentum will grow.” Sara?
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. On Israel, the Prime Minister, [Benjamin] Netanyahu, has recently dismissed Tzipi Livni and another member of his parliament in favour of calling for early parliamentary elections. How do you think that this will affect progress towards a two-State solution?
Spokesman: Sorry? You have to speak a little louder.
Question: Sorry. Should I repeat the whole thing?
Spokesman: No, just the second… the actual question.
Question: How do you think Netanyahu is dismissing, sort of, more moderates in his Government will help or hinder the progress towards a solution?
Spokesman: We don't have any specific comment on the moves by the Prime Minister, and the Secretary‑General's opinion of the need to find a political solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict remains the same. Oleg?
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. On Ukraine yesterday, the OSCE [Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe] monitoring mission announced that there is an agreement between the Luhansk People's Republic and the Ukrainian military about a possible truce, starting on 5 December, following on 6 December withdrawal of all the military equipment; and later today, I guess it was today, the Donetsk rebels also announced there will be possible truce later this week. Is there any reaction from the UN?
Spokesman: Sure. I think we've seen the violence in Ukraine over the last few weeks and the repeated violations of the Minsk accord, which has been a big concern of the Secretary‑General. Obviously, if this… the ceasefire agreement or effective agreement were to come into effect, we would very much welcome it and we would encourage all parties to work towards that end, which would help save lives and restore some order and also allow for humanitarian aid and people's lives to get back on track. Yes?
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. If I understand right, starting today, there will be no more money to help the Syrian refugees in Jordan and so forth. There will be no food for them. I know this is not strictly your territory, but do you know if there is anything moving, or that's it? Those people are left to themselves?
Spokesman: No, the tragic thing is that WFP needs only $64 million. Obviously, $64 million is a lot of money to anyone, but in the grand scheme of the kinds of money we talk about here every day, the kind of money that is needed for humanitarian causes, the kind of money that people spend, you know, let alone probably on Cyber Monday, $64‑million is not very much. And that we appeal to Governments to give to WFP, to get that money, or even individuals through various channels.
Question: Can you tell us which of the countries promised and didn't deliver?
Spokesman: No, I think we can get some more figures from WFP. But obviously, they do… they have a $64 million shortfall, which is the amount of money needed for December to feed about 1.8 million Syrian refugees.
Question: Thanks; a follow-up to that question. On UNHCR [Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees] just set up a Syrian refugee resettlement pledging conference in Geneva on 9 December. Given the World Food Programme cancelling its or halting its aid and given the, you know, several European countries are contravening EU [European Union] laws demanding shared responsibility in refugee cases like this and UNHCR consistently asking for more to be done by European countries, is the SG going to encourage countries to attend this conference?
Spokesman: Yeah, I mean, I think the… my sense is that the conference will be well attended. I know the High Commissioner for Refugees has spoken out in support of WFP and also appealed for monies to be given to WFP so the refugees can be fed. And the issue of a shared burden is a very important one. A small number of countries are carrying a very, very heavy burden when it comes to refugees in general, but particularly when it comes to Syrian refugees. So that's… that burden does need to be shared. Yes, Mr. Lee?
Question: Sure. Thanks a lot. I want to ask about DRC [Democratic Republic of the Congo] and also Libya.
Spokesman: Yeah, go ahead.
Question: On… in the DRC, I sent this in over the holiday but I'm still waiting for an answer, which is that there were these Ukrainian individuals associated with the MONUSCO [United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo] mission who were found and arrested with DRC, Congolese army uniforms and I wanted to know what actions had been taken by the UN? What’s the… Why did they buy the uniform? But more importantly, what are the rules about peacekeepers buying the national army uniforms of the countries they serve in?
Spokesman: I have asked. I have not received any details from the Mission.
[The Spokesman later shared the following information from the Mission: MONUSCO is aware of this incident, and we can confirm the detention of the six Ukrainian crew. MONUSCO is giving, and will give, full cooperation to the authorities to clarify what has really happened. An investigation has begun to assess every detail of this incident and establish the facts and draw conclusion. If anyone is found guilty, in line with UN rules and regulations sanctions, will be taken and applied. MONUSCO is calling for calm and to let the inquiry be finalized. MONUSCO has a zero tolerance for misconduct.]
Question: Okay. All right. On Libya, I wanted to ask, there's been a… a court in Tripoli has sentenced in absentia a newspaper editor for criminal defamation, for investigative reporting about the judicial system there and a number of press freedom organizations like Reporters sans frontières and others have said it's "outrageous". And I wondered: is there any action by Mr. Bernardino León? What's the Mission say about that? And generally, what's the Mission been doing in this time of turmoil?
Spokesman: I have not received anything from the Mission on this particular case. Obviously, as we've said here repeatedly, we stand for the rights of journalists to do their work free of hindrance. What Mr. León has been doing is participating in a number of high-level conferences. I think there was a meeting in Brussels recently which he attended, and I believe he's also travelling to the African Union to meet with African Union partners. I think there is a growing consensus among the international community in a move to strengthen the political process in Libya and to put a halt to the violence. Thank you very much. We will go get the President of Security Council, which will be here with you shortly.