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.
**Secretary-General’s Travels
The Secretary-General arrived this morning in Davos, Switzerland, where he will take part in the World Economic Forum. Today, he held meetings with the President of the World Bank, the President of the European Parliament, and Vice‑Chancellor of Austria. Just about now, he is attending the World Food Programme (WFP) Hunger Award Ceremony.
**Anti-Semitism
The General Assembly, as you know, held an informal meeting this morning to discuss concerns about the rise in anti-Semitism around the world. Speaking to the Member States by video message, the Secretary-General said that anti‑Semitism is one of the oldest forms of prejudice known to humankind and that a United Nations that wants to be true to its founding aims and ideals has a duty to speak out against anti-Semitism.
The Secretary-General warned that the poison of hatred is loose in too many places. Jews remain targets, as do Muslims and so many others. Our responses must avoid perpetuating the cycles of demonization and playing into the hands of those who seek to divide. He added that we must also avoid another trap involving the Middle East conflict. Grievances about Israeli actions must never be used as an excuse to attack Jews. In the same vein, he said criticisms of Israeli actions should not be summarily dismissed as anti-Semitism. This only suppresses dialogue and hinders the search for peace. His full remarks are upstairs.
**Security Council
And as you may have seen this morning, Hervé Ladsous, the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, briefed the Security Council on the Democratic Republic of the Congo and our strategic review of the UN Mission (MONUSCO) there. I think you just heard Mr. Ladsous and the Security Council is now in closed consultations. We are told that both Mr. Ladsous and Martin Kobler, the Head of the UN Mission in the Congo, will be speaking to you at the stakeout. We will let you know when that happens.
**Ukraine
And yesterday, Jeff Feltman, the Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, briefed the Security Council on Ukraine, which he said was confronting the worst hostilities in eastern Ukraine since the ceasefire and Minsk Protocol were agreed on 5 September. Encouraging signs of progress, such as the exchange of hundreds of prisoners, are quickly being overshadowed by renewed fighting and a deepening political stalemate.
**Ebola
And the Head of the UN Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER), Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, congratulated Mali for the end of active transmission of Ebola in that country. This was during a trip to Mali today and he also called on the country to remain vigilant on Ebola. As you will recall, on the 18th, the UN and Mali officials officially declared the end of the active transmission of the Ebola epidemic, 42 days after the last new case was registered. Eight people had been infected with the virus, six of those people perished.
**Libya
And from Libya, the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) condemned the reported armed attack against the country’s Central Bank branch in Benghazi. The Mission calls for the establishment of an independent commission of inquiry to investigate the situation. UNSMIL says that the incident and the latest ceasefire breaches stress the importance of moving ahead urgently with the dialogue process, which remains the best solution to Libya’s deteriorating political and security situation. It calls on all parties to do more to make sure that the truce, which the parties unilaterally agreed to last week, is fully respected in order to create a conducive environment for the dialogue.
**Somalia
And just to flag that the new Deputy Special Representative for Somalia, Mr. Raisedon Zenenga, arrived in Mogadishu today to support the peace- and state-building process in the country.
**Disasters
Marking 10 years after the adoption of the Hyogo Framework for Action, the Secretary-General says that early warning systems, improved weather forecasting and greater understanding of the dangers posed by natural disasters have helped to save thousands of lives.
The Framework, which focuses on building the resilience of disaster-affected communities and countries, was adopted just weeks after the Indian Ocean Tsunami which, as you would recall, claimed some 227,000 lives. Since its adoption, there have been more than 3,400 internationally reported disasters triggered by earthquakes, floods, storms, drought, heatwaves and other natural hazards. And obviously a lot of this will be discussed at the meetings on disaster risk reduction in Japan in March. More information is available on the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) [website].
**Syria
A couple of answers to questions we have been asked in the last couple of days. The first on the Secretary-General’s response to the incident reported near the Golan area on Sunday. I can say that the Secretary-General is concerned about the violation of the 1974 Agreement on Disengagement between Israel and Syria and the potential consequences of the reported incident of 18 January. The Secretary-General calls on all concerned to exercise maximum calm and restraint, to refrain from any action that could undermine the stability of the area, and to act responsibly to prevent any escalation in an already tense regional environment. The Secretary-General urges respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all countries in the region, and adherence to all relevant Security Council resolutions.
**Israel
We were also asked about the attack by a Palestinian man on a bus in Tel Aviv yesterday, which injured several Israelis, and I can tell you that we condemn that attack. There can be no justification whatsoever for deliberate attacks on civilians. The Secretary-General continues to call on all sides to refrain from further exacerbating an already tense environment.
**Honour Roll
And I also wanted to, [as of] beginning of January, with the new budget year, to reinstate a practice that we had employed in this office some time ago, and that is to publically acknowledge thanks to those Governments who pay their dues in full and on time.
As of today, 10 Member States are on the honour roll: Armenia, Bhutan, Denmark, the Dominican Republic, Iceland, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Norway, Senegal and Singapore. And a special tip of the hat to the Dominican Republic and Senegal who were the first countries to pay their dues in full on 1 January. For details about those payments, you can check anytime on the Committee on Contributions website, which is updated regularly. Olga?
**Questions and Answers
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. My question will be about Ukraine, a bus stop in Donetsk came under artillery fire this morning and at least 30 people were killed. First, I’d like to ask if the Secretary‑General is aware of it and, second, after the shelling, leaders of self‑proclaimed Donetsk Republic asked UN and OSCE [Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe] to investigate the case. Is it possible from UN part?
Spokesman: Sure. Obviously, the Secretary‑General is very much aware of the violence we’ve been seeing in Ukraine and the attack on the tram. He’s deeply alarmed by this unrelenting resurgence of violence. The lack of adherence to the ceasefire has resulted in the loss of dozens of lives, as we saw today, most of which were civilians, obviously, in the trolley bus attack in Donetsk, which appeared… that trolley bus attack clearly appears to us as being a targeted attack and also many other civilians were killed in the city of Horlivka. Targeted attacks against civilians constitute egregious violations of international humanitarian law and must be investigated. The Secretary‑General welcomes the meeting of the Normandy Format of foreign ministers which took place in Berlin yesterday, which aimed at finding a way to halt the devastating violence that we’ve seen. We note that some progress has been made in those discussions regarding a demarcation line and withdrawal of heavy weapons was made on this occasion and appeals… the Secretary‑General appeals to all concerned to urgently translate this positive political development into tangible results on the ground. And he reiterates that the enforcement of a sustainable ceasefire, which presently exists in name only, is urgent. Other elements of the broader Minsk Protocol agreements must also be implemented without delay to ensure peaceful, independent and unified Ukraine. Sir?
Question: Stéphane, in the statement regarding the violation of 1974 agreement in the Golan, still the Secretary‑General does not specify who is violating here and how come there’s no condemnation here, although this can trigger a war in the region if retaliation is committed?
Spokesman: Well, obviously, I think our call is for all parties to avoid any provocative acts and for all those who are party to agreement to uphold the Disengagement Agreement. What we observed, we reported, which was the flyover of aerial vehicles in one direction, and what we observed, we reported. And obviously, it’s important that everything is done to avoid any destabilization, any further destabilization of the situation.
Question: Certainly, these vehicles are not UFOs. They don’t come from Mars.
Spokesman: They’re not what?
Question: Not UFOs. I mean these two vehicles, they must have…
Spokesman: I think you know, we draw… we observe what we see. We see what we observe, and we report it. Others may draw whatever conclusions — you’re free to draw whatever conclusions you have.
Question: The Israelis themselves admitted that they’ve done this by mistake. Why is the United Nations exonerating them?
Spokesman: As always, I appreciate your commentary and opinion, but I will… and I will return to you. Mr. Lee?
Question: Sure. I wanted to ask you about Bangladesh. There’s been mounting political conflict and violence, several dozen dead. There’s calls for the arrest of the former Prime Minister and there’s also been some censorship of media. I’m wondering, I know the Secretary‑General has previously spoken about it and even, I believe, tried to have some talks. It’s also a major peacekeeping contributing country. What does DPA [Department of Political Affairs] or the Secretary‑General doing?
Spokesman: I think we share the concerns that were expressed by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, which appealed for calm. And also that the Government should ensure that any arrests and detention of key opposition leaders by law enforcement is not arbitrary and that all measures are taken to restore law and order, and conducted in line with the parameters set by international human rights law. You know, obviously, I think this situation that we’re seeing, we’ve seen, is rather disturbing, indeed.
Question: But given… I guess I want to ask one particular part of it, which is, given that Bangladesh is, I believe, now the number one peacekeeping contributing country and some of the abuses are very much laid at the foot of the security forces, how does this play into the UN’s review of deployments?
Spokesman: I think the standard human rights screening policy continues to apply. Iftikhar and then Linda?
Question: I think the question has already been answered but I’ll ask about Libya. [inaudible] has already been violated. But down the road, please tell us how and where these… this dialogue will be held and who will conduct the talks?
Spokesman: Well, I think we’ve seen… we’ve already seen one round of talks in Geneva. The Secretary‑General’s Special Representative, Mr. Bernardino León, is actively working with Libyan and international partners to facilitate the next round of talks as soon as possible, and I think a critical part of any of these discussions is they be as inclusive as possible. Mr. León is actively engaged right now in discussions with both Libyan partners and international partners.
Question: And these talks will be held in Geneva again?
Spokesman: I don’t have any details on that, and I don’t want to assume. Linda?
Question: Thanks, Stéphane. Regarding the targeted attacks in the Ukraine, does the UN have a sense of who’s responsible? Is it the Government or is it the separatists?
Spokesman: No, we don’t have any military observers on the ground. What we see here again is the fact that the civilian… the civilian population is paying the price for the lack of political agreement between the relevant parties. Ten people died in the attack today. And I think, listening and rereading what Jeff Feltman said yesterday, one thing that struck me is that a year ago Ukraine had no internally displaced people. And within a year, 850,000 Ukrainians are displaced within Ukraine and 600,000 in neighbouring countries. Those are staggering numbers, within one year. And I think all of that reinforces the Secretary‑General’s message of the need for the parties to come to an agreement.
Question: Thank you very much. As a member of United Nations Correspondents Association, if you don’t pay our memberships, you usually have no rights giving votes or we cannot attend the meetings. Can UN do the same thing for their members, so they can come and pay, and not only small countries in the beginning of the year, they pay?
Spokesman: The General Assembly… well, I… without commenting on your comparison between the General Assembly and the UN Correspondents Association, I will answer that the General Assembly has very set rules for suspension of voting rights. There are a number of countries — and I can give you that list, because I don’t have it with me but I have it in my office — of countries whose voting rights have been suspended for lack of payment. There’s a procedure. And countries who are not able to pay can get a… there can be a special General Assembly vote to enable to recover those rights even if they don’t pay. But it is up to… these are General Assembly rules that are fairly set and straightforward.
Question: May I ask one more question?
Spokesman: You may ask one more question. Then we’ll go to Mr. Klein.
Question: Yesterday, I asked in regard of recent terror attacks under the name of Islam from Syria to IS and recently in Paris, I was asked… I asked if there’s any religious leaders from Islamic world has been in contact with Secretary‑General and the answer was constantly are communicating. I was wondering since there are so many of them, how many has called? And condemned the acts? Thanks.
Spokesman: I think it’s not so much focusing on the number who called the Secretary‑General personally but it is… what is important are public condemnations, and I think what we have seen in light of the attacks in Paris and other attacks is a lot of public condemnation by religious leaders of all faiths who have condemned attacks, targeted attacks, that were done in the name of a particular religion. Mr. Klein?
Question: Yes. You read out the Secretary‑General’s statement concerning the stabbings of civilians on the Tel Aviv bus yesterday and the usual general call for restraint on both sides. But in light of the General Assembly session this morning on anti-Semitism and the Secretary‑General’s message, why hasn’t he spoken out specifically against the unrelenting series of postings on Palestinian Authority and Hamas Facebook pages of videos encouraging the killing of Jews in synagogues and praising yesterday’s stabbings? One posting twisted around “Je suis Charlie” and said “Je suis couto” or whatever the French word is for “knife”. Why hasn’t… this has been a pattern. So why hasn’t the Secretary‑General spoken out about it?
Spokesman: I think you should read the… reread the Secretary‑General’s comments that he made today. I think it’s a fairly clear and unwavering condemnation of anti-Semitism wherever it occurs. And so I think his message is pretty clear. This is not the first time that he’s condemned anti-Semitic acts, targeted attacks, and his position is, I think, could not be clearer. I think if you read his… if you read his speech, it’s pretty clear as to what his position is. And it really applies to any one of those situations.
Question: No, I heard his speech this morning on the video and ‑‑ but it was abstract. Here’s a situation of incitements of violence that’s constantly on social media, on Hamas’s and Palestinian Authority’s social media, incitement to hatred, incitement to violence and acts of anti‑Semitism, and it has a bearing on… obviously, on the Israeli‑Palestinian conflict. So why can’t he comment in that specific context?
Spokesman: I think the Secretary‑General is not in a position to comment on every post and every tweet that people… that people post or organizations post. What is clear is his stand against anti-Semitism, against anything that would… that makes the already difficult situation in the Middle East even more difficult; and his stand against extremism, his stand against hate speech. I think that’s been pretty clear. Let me read a statement I was just given on the Democratic Republic of the Congo. And I discover it as I read it:
The Secretary-General is concerned about the deteriorating situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, including in Kinshasa and other cities following the adoption of a draft electoral law by the National Assembly, currently under further review in the Senate.
He deplores the loss of lives and injuries caused so far and calls on the national security forces and demonstrators to refrain from further violence and exercise maximum restraint.
The Secretary-General underscores the Government’s responsibility to provide political space for the peaceful expression of opinions. Demonstrations should be conducted in a peaceful manner. While violence is not acceptable, the response to violent protests must also be proportionate.
The Secretary-General calls on all key stakeholders to resume political dialogue and ensure that elections-related matters are discussed in an inclusive and peaceful fashion in the appropriate fora.
The Secretary-General reaffirms the readiness of his Special Representative to use his good offices to help narrow the gap between the main actors involved. The Secretary-General reiterates the need for a credible, peaceful, and timely electoral process, in accordance with the Constitution.
Carmen?
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. Argentina’s pretty shaken up with the death of a prosecutor who was going to testify the following day. How does the Secretary‑General view the situation in Argentina, given that this prosecutor…?
Spokesman: We very much hope that the death of the prosecutor is investigated fully and completely. Linda and then we’ll go back to you Nizar and then Matthew.
Question: Thank you, Steph. In terms of Staffan de Mistura’s visit to New York, what are the latest developments in terms of when he will brief the Security Council?
Spokesman: I don’t have an update for you on that. But don’t let me leave… as soon as we finish here, we’ll go and check in my office. Matthew, then Nizar.
Question: Sure. I wanted to ask you a press freedom question. In Burundi, which I know was a topic of Mr. Feltman’s briefing yesterday, a journalist, Bob Rugurika, has been jailed out bail for refusing to disclose a source. He’s from Radio Publique Africaine. I’m wondering, among the things that wasn’t in the things Mr. Feltman raised, what is the… the response of the UN to that? And also, on that electoral mission, it was said yesterday that the Government would sign soon. Are there any indications that it’s signing?
Spokesman: I have no update on the second part of your question. On the first part, I haven’t seen those reports, but I think our stance on freedom of the press remains the same and on the need for judicial system to uphold the highest standards in international law also remains the same. Nizar?
Question: Sure. Of course, the United Nations realizes that Arabs and Palestinians are Semitic as well so they can’t be anti-Semitic in any way. Recently Naftali Bennett, the Israeli Economy Minister, he admitted, not only that he is proud of killing many Arabs, but also that he doesn’t give any attention to the accusations that he was culprit of perpetrating the Qana massacre in 1996. Why don’t we hear the same condemnation when there is something like that with anti-Semitism from a senior person like him, from the United Nations?
Spokesman: As to your analysis before your question, I won’t comment on it. On your second part, I haven’t seen those reports, but to go back to how I answered Joe, you know, the Secretary‑General stands against hate speech, from whichever corner it comes. That’s his position. It remains unchanged.
Question: When the settlers attack Al‑Aqsa Mosque and kill Muslims sometimes, the police is protecting them most of the time. So the Israeli… the Israeli State practices anti-Semitism day and night against Arabs.
Spokesman: Nizar, I’m not going to glorify your question with an answer at this point. Ann?
Question: On 20 January, The New York Times published an article, “Ukraine accuses Russia of sending more troops and artillery aid, rebels” and… which was… it was reported that 700 soldiers crossed Russia into Ukraine. And yesterday the… Jeffrey Feltman, Under‑Secretary‑General of Political Affairs, said in the UN Security Council that Ukrainian President [Petro] Poroshenko stated that more than 9,000 Russian troops are in his country. We know the UN’s position on freedom of the press. But does the UN ever say anything about disinformation or the deliberate spread of false information?
Spokesman: Obviously. We don’t support disinformation or the spread of misinformation. The reports of the Security Council are meant to be reports on the situation and an update on what the UN is doing, and that’s exactly what Mr. Feltman did yesterday. Mr. Lee?
Question: Sure. Here’s a report… a report either that you may have seen or can see. It’s a UN report of the commission of inquiry into the Central African Republic. So yesterday, you know, they presented it to the Council, and yesterday one of the panellists, Philip Alston, highlighted that the report proposes the creation of a mechanism by which abuses by peacekeepers can be both addressed legally and in terms of reparations to victims. He’s a highly respected human rights guy. What is the response of DPKO [Department of Peacekeeping Operations] to the proposal? I mean, he was asked how it might relate, for example, to cholera in Haiti, and he’s tried to focus it back to individual peacekeepers…
Spokesman: You know, obviously [inaudible].
Question: Just one last thing. I’m thinking of the case in Haiti where apparently MINUSTAH [United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti] has acknowledged that something, somebody fired into the crowd. How does it relate to that?
Spokesman: Obviously, we’ll take a look at what he had to say. The issue of holding peacekeepers to the highest standards is one that is very important to the United Nations and to the way that peacekeeping mandates are implemented. And obviously, we will… no doubt this will be part of a more holistic look at how peacekeeping operations and peacekeeping is done in… by the report… by the panel led by Mr. [José] Ramos‑Horta.
Question: One last question?
Spokesman: Yes, Nizar.
Question: Two years after we moved to the new offices, EZTV is still experimenting on how to provide the viewing service of the United Nations television. Yesterday, they upgraded the system. In fact it was downgraded. We were able to use it on Macintosh. We no longer can use that. The engineers say they don’t know how to do that. And also, we are stuck with IE, Internet Explorer 8, which is antiquated and which is not… whenever we upgrade, we cannot view the rest. Do you still believe you’ve got good value for your money?
Spokesman: Nizar, my understanding is that they sent an engineer up to your office yesterday. The system is designed to work with Internet Explorer for better or for worse. I know you’re working on a Mac. And I really… I’m happy… I’m happy to deal with this issue. But it may be wasting a bit of the money we pay for broadband to do this on a live webcast. So you and I can talk in my office. Thank you.