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.
Happy Human Rights Day to all of you.
**Secretary-General’s Travels
The Secretary-General spoke this morning at the Heads of State segment of the UN Climate Change Conference, which is as you know ongoing currently in Lima, Peru. In his remarks, he said that only by acting together will we transform the climate challenge into an opportunity to fundamentally rethink how we grow our economies and create a safer, healthier, more liveable world.
Right now, he is currently meeting with Manuel Pulgar-Vidal, Peru's Environment Minister and the current President of the current twentieth session of the Conference of the Parties, otherwise known as COP. We have been putting out readouts of his meetings as fast and furiously as we get them from Lima.
**Human Rights Day
As I mentioned at the start, today is Human Rights Day. And in his message, the Secretary-General has called on everyone to respond to the cries of the exploited, and uphold the right to human dignity. He reiterated that human rights are for all, whoever we are and wherever we are, no matter our class, opinions or sexual orientation.
This morning, the Deputy Secretary-General, Jan Eliasson, spoke at the LGBT [Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender] Core Group annual human rights event, called “Love is a Family Value”. He joined the Secretary-General in stressing that families come in all shapes and sizes. He added that love and care in families naturally must extend to those who are lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or intersex.
In Geneva, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, celebrated the Day by focusing on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was adopted 66 years ago today. He said the power of Declaration is the power of ideas to change the world. He added that it tells us that human rights are essential and indivisible, 365 days a year. And don’t forget to check out OHCHR’s [Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights] Vine campaign, called #Rights365, which encourages everyone to post short video messages and become part of the global human rights community.
**Middle East
Note from the Middle East: the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Robert Serry, is deeply saddened by the death of Minister Ziad Abu Ein, who died today during protest activity in the village of Turmus Ayya, near Ramallah. That protest resulted in clashes with Israeli security forces. Mr. Serry expresses his condolences to Minister Abu Ein’s family, the Palestinian people and its leadership. The Special Coordinator urges the Israeli authorities to conduct a prompt, thorough and transparent investigation into the circumstances of his death and appeals for calm. I do expect a statement from the Secretary-General to come down any moment on this very same issue.
**Syria
The Deputy Secretary-General, Jan Eliasson, today met with His Beatitude John X, Patriarch of the Greek-Orthodox Patriarchate of Antioch and All the East. The Deputy Secretary-General expressed his compassion for the suffering of all of the Syrian people and for the predicament faced by the Christian community. The Deputy Secretary-General highlighted the need to bring down the level of violence in the country so as to lay the ground for a political solution and the need to work for tolerance. He welcomed His Beatitude's message of peace and inclusion, and he urged him to spread the message of peace, together with Syria's Muslim religious leaders. He underlined the vital role and responsibility of religious leaders to move the country in the direction of reconciliation and healing.
His Beatitude John X will be giving you a press briefing at 12:45 today. He will be accompanied by Archbishop Joseph of New York and Metropolitan of All North America. That briefing is sponsored by the Permanent Mission of Syria.
And I should have mentioned that that photo here is a peg to Human Rights Day and the theme of inclusive families and has been tweeted out. I thought we would bring a few photos and videos to this briefing on a regular basis.
**Palestine
And I have as promised the statement by the Secretary-General on the death of Palestinian Minister Ziad Abu Ein. The Secretary-General is deeply saddened by the death of Palestinian Minister Ziad Abu Ein, after a demonstration in the village of Turmus Ayya that resulted in a confrontation with Israeli security forces. He expresses his condolences to the family of Minister Abu Ein, the Palestinian people and the Government of National Consensus. The Secretary-General calls on the Israeli authorities to conduct a swift and transparent investigation into the circumstances of the brutal death of Minister Abu Ein. He also calls on all sides to exercise maximum restraint and avoid further escalation.
**Saudi Arabia
The Secretary-General, in a statement we issued very early this morning, expressed his profound gratitude to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, for his personal compassion and commitment to help those in need — irrespective of their faith, sect or ethnicity — through his generous contribution of $104 million to the World Food Programme (WFP). This aid will help the United Nations provide millions of refugees from Syria, South Sudan and Somalia with life-saving food and nutrition assistance at a crucial time when food operations in those areas are under threat of suspension due to lack of financial support.
In a separate press release today, our colleagues at the World Food Programme also welcomed the generous contribution and said that the contribution includes $52 million to assist about 1.7 million Syrian refugees we have been talking about for the last few days, and $42 million for refugees sheltering in Ethiopia, many from South Sudan; and $10 million to provide nutrition to refugees in Kenya.
**Torture
From Geneva, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, today urged States to act unequivocally in their effort to stamp out torture as we mark the thirtieth anniversary of the adoption of the Convention against Torture. The High Commissioner said that, as yesterday’s US [United States] Senate Select Committee on Intelligence report shows, torture is still taking place in quite a few of the 156 countries that have ratified the Convention against Torture and have domestic legislation making it illegal. Zeid warmly welcomed the publication of the Senate Select Committee’s summary report on the CIA's [Central Intelligence Agency] detention and interrogation program, as well as the report of Brazil’s National Truth Commission, which documents the extensive use of torture and other gross and systematic human rights violations committed over a 42-year period, from 1964 to 1985, military dictatorship. He commended the Governments of Brazil and the United States for enabling the reports’ release. High Commissioner Zeid stressed that both reports should be seen as the beginning, not the end, of a vital process. There’s more from a press release online.
**Central African Republic
From the Central African Republic (CAR), the UN Mission in that country, MINUSCA, announced today the arrest on December 8 by the Mission's forces of Chadian rebel leader and former CAR official, Mahamat Abdul Kadre, otherwise known as "Baba Ladde". The rebel was on the CAR authorities' arrest list since May 2014. This is the latest in a series of actions that the Mission is taking, using its urgent temporary measures mandate to perform basic police functions in support of CAR authorities’ fight against impunity. Recent major arrests include anti-Balaka leaders called “Chocolat” and John “Americain”. Following the arrest of the latter in Bambari, 88 of his fighters have also surrendered.
**Security Council
Back here, as you probably saw, the Security Council held an open meeting with briefings from senior officials of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, as well as the former Yugoslavia, who discussed the completion strategies for their respective tribunals.
**Migrants
UN agencies, including the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the International Maritime Organization and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime have expressed concern over the loss of life and serious human rights violations affecting migrants, asylum-seekers and refugees traveling by sea. The agencies warn that the time-honoured tradition of rescue at sea enshrined in international law is in jeopardy. They stress that obligations to important conventions that call for assistance to and safe delivery of people in distress at sea must continue to be honoured. According to estimates from coastal authorities and other sources, at least 348,000 people have risked such journeys at sea worldwide since the beginning of the year.
**Press Conferences
Tomorrow we will have Dr. David Nabarro, not as our guest, but he will be here at 2 p.m. to brief you on the Ebola situation, of course. And I hope you come. Sir?
**Questions and Answers
Question: Yes, following the release of this Senate report of the United States on torture, the United Nations has been calling on and on that it should be released. Does the Secretary‑General or the United Nations believe that they should not… after this report is released, they should be… it should be followed up by action against those who committed these crimes? And whether it's desirable? Will the United Nations call upon the United States to take such action or it’s just satisfied with the report?
Spokesperson: The Secretary‑General shares the sentiments that are expressed… were expressed today by the High Commissioner for Human Rights. The issue of accountability is a critical issue. And I think, as the High Commissioner would say, this is not the end of a process. This is the start of a process. And there needs to be accountability, and we would encourage the national authorities to ensure that there is accountability.
Question: Follow-up on that? I guess I just wanted to… I mean, the Secretary‑General himself, in his own name or through you, comments on matters all over the world. It seems like this is a pretty big global story. Not only because it's a report about the United States engaging in torture, but because it implies and seems to make out many countries that hosted such torture, many of whom are signatories to the Convention. So I just wonder: can you say, at least to me, it’s surprising, and I think to some others that this the Secretary‑General himself in the 24 hours since the report came out has had no direct comment. Why is that?
Spokesman: I think he’s directly commenting through me, and what I'm telling you, which is he shares the sentiments expressed by the High Commissioner. I think we obviously welcome… he welcomes the release of the report. As I said, this is the start. This should be the start of a process. The issue of accountability is a critical one. And obviously, all countries, I think 156 countries that have signed up to the Convention against Torture need to ensure that these practices stop.
Question: Does he share the sentiments of Ben Emmerson, the Special Rapporteur on counter-terrorism, who said there should be prosecutions?
Spokesman: If you look at what the High Commissioner said, and again, I talked about the start of a process. I think the fact that this report was released to the public is an important step. As you said, we hope this is a start of a process. Edie?
Question: Just a small follow-up on that. On the issue of torture itself, especially on today, which is International Human Rights Day, could you tell us what the Secretary‑General's views are on torture, specifically related to this report?
Spokesman: I think the prohibition against torture is absolute. The Secretary‑General has said it. He said it a few months ago in his message on the International Day of, I think, Victims of Torture. It's absolute. And it's non-negotiable. What is laid out in the Convention is very clear. And those States that have signed up to the Convention need to follow up on what is in the Convention. Yes. Go ahead, sorry, Abdul Hamid?
Question: Thank you. I want go back to the statement by the Secretary-General of the killing of Ziad Abu Ein. It used the word "saddened." It avoided using the word "deplore" and it of course avoided using the word "condemn." It was a midday killing of an innocent man. He was planting an olive tree in the land that [was] marked for confiscation by Israel. It wasn't clashes as was said. The Army came and attacked and they killed. So does not that worthy to use the word "deplore" — only "saddened?"
Spokesman: I think… look at the statement. He describes… the Secretary‑General described the brutal death of the Minister. I think it is important that we see a full and transparent investigation into what happened. And I think the Secretary‑General's words speak for themselves. Mr. Abbadi? And then Mr. Klein and then Ms. Carla. Sorry. Go ahead.
Question: Today, as you know, is Human Rights Day, a very important subject for millions of people. And as you indicated, the Secretary‑General issued a message on the occasion. This message covers less than one page. How can one explain this light treatment of the subject? I know that Mr. Eliasson made more extended speech and others, too. But I'm speaking about the words of the Secretary‑General.
Spokesman: You know, we can have a lot of interesting discussions here counting words, analysing words. And words do matter very much. I use them a lot. The issue of human rights is universal. The message in itself about human rights can be clear and can be simple. I think whether you have a page or page and a half or one very strong sentence, I think the sentiments expressed by the Secretary‑General and the Deputy Secretary-General are the same. Mr. Lauria?
Question: This might be torturous for you, Stéphane, but back to torture. Does the Secretary‑General intend to communicate his feelings directly to the American representative here?
Spokesman: I do not believe there was any direct communication between the Secretary‑General and anyone from the US Mission on this specific issue. His sentiments are being expressed publicly via my words.
Question: He doesn't plan to do that either?
Spokesman: That's what I have to tell you. Mr. Klein? Then followed by Stefano and then we'll go the second round.
Question: Yes. Back to torture again and the Senate report: does the Secretary‑General acknowledge or is aware of the fact that there are critics of the Senate report as being partisan, one‑sided, not having interviewed key CIA personnel? And of course disagreements with members of the former Bush Administration who were involved in the decision-making, as well as in the intelligence community itself, who claim that very valuable information that saved potentially thousands of lives were elicited. I'm trying to understand kind of the perspective here, whether the Secretary‑General and the UN is taking the Senate report as Gospel?
Spokesman: I think, you know, no one is taking anything as Gospel — except maybe the Gospel itself. What is important here is that there is an open debate. There is a public debate. And we see it not only in the United States, where I think the High Commissioner also mentioned the report in Brazil. I think, again, to go back to what I said, it's the start of the process. No one is taking this… it is not up to the Secretary‑General to decide whether it is "the" definite, definitive report. This has sparked a debate here in this country — a discussion. What has been going on in the dark needs to be brought to light. And this is part of this process. I think both… today both the US and Brazil need to be commended for starting this discussion, for putting things out in the open. But no one is taking… the Secretary‑General is not passing judgment in the way that you are implying. Carla?
Question: There's a long history…
Spokesman: Microphone, please.
Question: Is any reference made on the Brazilian report to the fact that the United States School of the Americas in Panama was training the Latin America military in methods of torture? And as recently as 1996, the then-Senator William Cohen…
Spokesman: I will stop you there because I did not read the report. That was published by the Brazilians. I don't know if it was published in English, and I don't speak Portuguese. My sense, from the title of it, that it really covers issues related to Brazil. So I'll leave it at that.
Question: Follow-up question: in 1996, former Senator and then Defense Secretary William Cohen denounced manuals that were provided to the US military on methods of torture. And those manuals…
Spokesman: What is the question mark?
Question: The question is: there is a focus at the United Nations on the DPRK [Democratic People’s Republic of Korea], on Syria, on Iran and so forth, but there's a long history of US involvement in gross human rights abuses. And why are the focus being put on countries which are very often the product of this?
Spokesman: I think I understand your question. What is the on the agenda of the Security Council is up to the Security Council members to decide. If you look to work of the human rights mechanisms in the United Nations, the Human Rights Council, the Universal Periodic Review, it looks at every country. And I think every country is having, at one point or another, having its human rights record reviewed. Mr. Ali? Sorry.
Question: The Secretary-General has called Malala Yousafzai as a daughter of the United Nations. Has he been in touch with her on our big day? She received the Nobel Prize for Peace.
Spokesman: Not on this. I do not believe he's spoken to her today. But obviously the Secretary‑General could not have been more pleased that the Nobel committee chose two outstanding people to receive the Nobel Peace Prize, which is being delivered today. So, Stefano?
Question: Yes, a follow-up on what my colleague said before. Because there is contrast on the reaction here in the United States Congress on this report on torture, I would like to know what the Secretary‑General think in a specific question. If was proven that this torture saved life still stands, what the Secretary‑General feels about torture? And then the second question is: does the Secretary‑General consider death penalty [to be] torture? And my question, I would like to know exactly the date if you know when it's going to be voted at the General Assembly, the moratorium on the death penalty? Thank you.
Spokesman: I'll take it backwards. No, I don't know the exact date is. We should check with Jean-Victor [Nkolo]. Again, the prohibition of torture is absolute. I mean, going back to what… Mr. Abbadi’s gone. You don't need many words to say that. It's a short sentence, and it's fairly clear. The Secretary‑General's position on the death penalty is also clear. He's against it. Again, this is the start of a conversation in this country and in other countries that have published reports, truth and reconciliation reports and other things. And it is up to the national authorities who have the primary responsibility to deal with the issue of accountability.
Question: Hi, Stef. I'm curious about the negotiations in Lima, particularly over the last few days, the parties have been proposing some draft elements that could be at the centre of the 2015 agreement. Among them, decarbonization fully by 2050, which is exciting a lot of activists. At any point, does the Secretary‑General in the next 12 months foresee stepping in and endorsing specific languages or fighting to keep certain text in the agreement? Or is he going to do what he's doing now, which is sort of more broad?
Spokesman: I think the negotiations are going on within, between Member States. And they're clearly in the lead. The Secretary‑General is there to keep providing the political force and the political movement forward, which is what he did with the Climate Summit in September, which was outside of the negotiating track, but clearly there to spark the political push within the negotiations. So we are obviously following these negotiations fully, but it is not up to the Secretary‑General to publicly endorse one or another article, especially as the negotiations continue.
Question: He tends to do that until we get to Paris?
Spokesman: It's a Member State agreement. Round 2, Massoud?
Question: Thank you, sir. Round 2. Since it is the Human Rights Day, has the Secretary‑General talked to anybody in the Egyptian Government to release these journalists incarcerated just because they… the Al Jazeera journalists incarcerated? And the other people who have been on the death sentences, hundreds and thousands of people — so has the Secretary‑General talked about their human rights?
Spokesman: The Secretary‑General has spoken out publicly on the issues you mentioned repeatedly, and he has raised the specific case of the journalist in Egypt in many of his discussions with Egyptian officials over the past year, if not longer.
Question: When was the last time that he talked? Just now? About a month ago?
Spokesman: You would have to check the last time he had a conversation with an Egyptian official. But this is an issue that has been repeatedly raised. Abdel Hamid and then Matthew?
Question: Staying on Egypt, I have a question about the security level, if the UN has changed the level of security, if it’s one, two or three, since the Canadian and the British embassies, I guess, decided to close their embassies in Cairo. Did the UN reflect on that and change the security?
Spokesman: You know, our colleagues in the Department of Safety and Security analyse the security situation on a day‑by‑day basis. They take whatever precautions need to be taken. But obviously we're not going to go into those publicly. Mr. Lee?
Question: Sure. Thanks a lot. I want to ask about Central African Republic and also Darfur. On Central African Republic yesterday in his statement to the Council, Under-Secretary-General [Hervé] Ladsous described this incident where UN peacekeepers were injured while guarding a prison in Bangui; that’s what he said. He said they were guarding the prison. And I wanted to know: is that something that UN peacekeeping missions routinely do? What's their role in terms of…
Spokesman: No, it's not peacekeeping missions routinely do. But as I mentioned, in the surrender of the rebels, the UN has a specific support, emergency support mandate, we'll have to look at the exact terminology, in order to support the transitional Government in the Central African Republic. I think what we've seen after the years of fighting in the CAR is a Government that has very, very few resources. They may have jails, but they don't have prison guards. They have a very limited police force. So this is about supporting the transitional Government in the Central African Republic.
Question: But if the UN is playing some role in this prison in Bangui, does it vet in any way or does it report on the human rights condition in the prison? If you're providing this prison guard service, what's the relationship to the human rights mandate of the UN?
Spokesman: The human rights mandate of the UN stands, and the Mission behaves accordingly.
Question: Can I ask about Darfur?
Spokesman: You may ask about Darfur.
Question: I wanted to ask, I guess, I'm not sure if this has to do with the alleged rapes in Thabit. But Radio Dabanga reported that there is a new AU [African Union]-UN Mission on the ground led by Margaret Carey of DPKO [Department of Peacekeeping Operations] — that it is in Nyala. And they described its mission as looking into alleged covering up of reports of crimes against civilians in Darfur. I thought that report had already been done and partially released to the Security Council. What is the mandate of this Mission?
Spokesman: My understanding is that this is part of the strategic review that will be delivered to the Security Council.
Question: Will she be going to Thabit?
Spokesman: I do not know. But obviously, we have not received any clearance to go to Thabit, as far as I'm aware, as of this morning. Edie?
Question: Stéphane, I know you said that the Secretary‑General had changed his mind and was going to do a year-end news conference. Has a date been set?
Spokesman: Yes, 17 December, next week, at noon, in this very room. He will be speaking. He heard of your disgruntlement at what I had said, and said, "No, I shall have a press conference.” Despite what I say. Matthew, let's go.
Question: I want to ask a corruption question. It has to do with a contractor known as Supreme Food Service, with offices in Switzerland and the UAE [United Arab Emirates], or based there. They've recently pled guilty to defrauding the US Army in Afghanistan to the tune of $369 million. And the reason that I'm asking you is that they turn up in the procurement database as a major UN supplier of logistics and food to a variety of missions. And I wanted to know: has the UN noticed this guilty plea? Can they certify or do they feel that these practices never were engaged on the UN? What will be the follow-up to the guilty plea by the contractor?
Spokesman: Legitimate questions. I will look into it. Bon appetit.