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.
**Syria
The senior officials of the UN’s humanitarian system today issued a statement expressing their horror, outrage and frustration as the crisis in Syria enters its fifth year. And they restated their commitment as humanitarian leaders to continue to do their best to help all those caught in the middle of this war.
The senior humanitarian officials urged world leaders to put aside their differences and use their influence to bring about meaningful change in Syria. That includes pressing the parties to end indiscriminate attacks on civilians; securing the lifting of sieges where more than 212,000 people have been trapped without food for months; enabling delivery of vital surgical and other medical supplies; ending the collective punishment of civilians by cutting off of water and power supplies; and avoiding the complete collapse of the education system. The officials warned that the credibility of the international community is at stake.
Those who signed the statement are the heads of the UN Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the World Health Organization, the World Food Programme, the UN High-Commissioner for Refugees, the Head of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, UNICEF and the Special Representatives of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, and Sexual Violence in Conflict. That statement has been distributed and is online.
**Japan
The Secretary-General arrived a few hours ago in Sendai, in the north of Japan. Tomorrow, he will take part in the opening of the Third World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction. Over the weekend, he will meet world leaders attending the Conference, including Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, and he will also attend several side events. We will be issuing readouts and other information on the trip and the various remarks over the weekend. On Sunday, he will also visit areas and meet with people affected by the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami.
**Security Council
The Security Council members are in Bujumbura today. They are expected to meet with the President, as well as other members of the Government, officials of the National Electoral Commission (CENI), representatives of political parties and politically affiliated youth groups, as well as diplomats, representatives of the UN Electoral Observation Mission in Burundi (MENUB) and the UN country team as well. Yesterday they were in Addis Ababa, in Ethiopia, where they met with the Peace and Security Council of the African Union.
**Haiti
The UN Mission in Haiti welcomes the formal proposal of a calendar for elections in 2015 by the Electoral Council, and is looking forward to the prompt publication of a calendar, so that the Electoral Council and the relevant Government entities can focus on operationalization.
The Mission commends the Electoral Council for its extensive and all-inclusive consultations with political actors and its transparent approach. These elections are of fundamental importance for Haiti and include all local and municipal seats that have been delayed since 2011. The United Nations and Haiti’s international partners are assisting Haiti’s Electoral Council to organize fair, inclusive and transparent elections that will bring the installation of the country’s fiftieth Legislature in January 2016 and a handover of power to a newly elected President in February of next year.
Also on Haiti, Peter de Clercq, the UN Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Haiti and the Humanitarian Coordinator in the country, presented today in Geneva the Haiti Transitional Appeal for 2015-2016 to international donors, calling for $401 million in funding. Mr. De Clercq highlighted the specific transitional character of the two-year appeal, which aims to bridge humanitarian response with development programming and building resilience in vulnerable communities. More information is online.
**Myanmar
A few notes regarding Myanmar. For the first time since 2014, a cross-line international aid convoy reached areas beyond Government control in Myanmar’s Kachin State yesterday.
This first convoy to Myitkina is expected to be followed by another seven missions to the area, bringing much needed humanitarian supplies to conflict-displaced communities, including shelter and household items, and providing aid agencies with an opportunity to assess shelter, protection and early recovery needs. Approximately 100,000 people have been displaced by conflict in Kachin and northern Shan state, close to 50 per cent of whom are in areas beyond the control of the authorities. Cross-line convoys have been delayed for the past six months, pending Government approval for travel authorizations for international staff. The latest permissions have been granted for a period from 1 March to 30 April of this year.
Also on Myanmar, the UN Development Programme (UNDP) Administrator Helen Clark and the World Food Programme (WFP) Executive Director Ertharin Cousin met with Government officials in Nay Pyi Taw, and visited Sittwe in Rakhine State, on a two-day visit to the country this week. They emphasized the importance of ensuring that humanitarian assistance is provided to all those who are in need, and that there is also strong support for inclusive and sustainable growth and improved living standards for all. They commended all partners who are providing assistance.
And from Geneva, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights expressed its concern about the arrest of more than 100 students and other protestors in Myanmar, around 60 of whom have been charged under various laws, following their participation on Tuesday in demonstrations in Latpadan, in the southern Bago Region. The High Commissioner’s Office calls on the Government of Myanmar to investigate the handling of the protests on Tuesday, after reports that the police used excessive force and disproportionate force against the students.
It urges the Government to unconditionally release all those detained for the exercise of their right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression, and to amend laws that place unnecessary and disproportionate restrictions on people’s rights. More information from the High Commissioner’s website.
**Death Penalty
Also on Human Rights, our Human Rights colleagues today welcomed the recent adoption by the parliaments of Suriname and Côte d’Ivoire of laws to eliminate capital punishment from their countries’ penal codes. They said they hoped that these laws will shortly be signed and promulgated by the Presidents of both countries. Suriname has been on a de facto moratorium on the death penalty in place since 1927, while in Côte d’Ivoire, capital punishment was abolished in the new Constitution adopted in 2000 but has remained in the Penal Code since then.
**Honour Roll
Honour Roll: three new countries to the Honour Roll today: Bolivia, Cambodia and China have now paid their regular budget in full, bringing the number of Member States who have done so to 59.
**Press Conference
After you are done with me, there will be a press conference here for the launch of the UN Evaluation Group (UNEG)’s new publication entitled “Evidence Changes Lives — Realizing Evaluation’s Potential to Inform the Global Sustainable Development Goals”.
I’m happy to take questions. Or at least I will take questions. Yes, Iftikhar.
**Questions and Answers
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. Over the past couple of days, you must have seen reports in various newspapers that IS, ISIL or ISIS is falling apart from within. UN has a very good presence in Baghdad. What is your information about it?
Spokesman: Well, you know, I think we… while we did have very good presence in Baghdad, we obviously have little or no presence in the areas under the control of these various groups. We’re really seeing it from the outside. I think the command and control of these various groups is somewhat cloudy and I think it’s difficult for us, like anyone else, to really get a clear picture of what is going on. What we do know, however, is going on, are the atrocious and barbaric acts that these groups are continuing to conduct unfortunately on an almost daily basis.
Mr.… Olga. And then—
Question: [inaudible] Ukrainian authorities announced that they submitted in February a formal request on UN peacekeeping operation to deploy the UN peacekeepers in the country, can you confirm that? Was there a formal request?
[cell phone ringing]
Spokesman: Bagpipes. I like bagpipes. Not very Ukrainian but I do like bagpipes. There was a letter sent to the Secretary-General on 23 February. You know, our reaction to that letter is what we’ve been saying publicly, is that the deployment of UN operations — peacekeeping operations — requires a resolution and a decision by the Security Council. In the absence of such guidance, our focus remains on encouraging all parties to implement the package of measures from the Minsk Protocol and obviously to support in whatever way anyone can the presence of the OSCE [Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe] observers.
Question: [inaudible]
Spokesman: Sure, sure.
Question: [inaudible]
Spokesman: Right. There was a letter addressed to the Secretary-General. As you know, we obviously answered the letter, but our position remains the same, that the decision to deploy peacekeeping operation is one that is made by the Security Council. It’s not one that is made by the Secretary-General. I think in the absence of a decision by the Security Council, the focus should remain on the package of measures for the implementation of the Minsk accords and support for the OSCE. Mr. Lee and then we’ll go back.
Question: Sure. I want to ask something else but just to follow up on that. On 6 March, Jeffrey Feltman said to the Security Council, “to date, no formal request has been received from Ukraine”. So what does that mean? The letter was not a formal request?
Spokesman: I’ll double-check the dates, but obviously, a formal… it is not up to the Secretary-General to receive… even receive a formal request of… for a peacekeeping operation. It is up to the Security Council to act upon it. So it’s not… you know, we’re… a formal request for peacekeeping operations does not come to the Secretary-General.
Question: Okay.
Spokesman: Then we’ll… if you have a follow-up, then we’ll come back.
Question: Thank you. There was a discussion in Washington yesterday about the possibility that the Obama Administration may bring to the UN Security Council a call for lifting of sanctions on Iran in the event of a nuclear agreement. Do you have any comment on the possibility of such a proposal to the Security Council?
Spokesman: Obviously, that would be up to the Security Council members if that was the case. I think the Secretary-General’s position remains the same, that he is fully supportive of the ongoing talks of the “P5+1” with Iran, and very much hopes that an agreement is reached in the interest of non-proliferation and in the interest of lowering the tensions around the world.
Question: In the event that there were such discussions, would the Secretary-General have raised any reservations or concerns about a possible—
Spokesman: I think we’re getting into hypotheticals here. Obviously, the resolution… if a resolution were presented, it would be voted on by the Security Council. It would not be up to the Secretary-General. Yes. And then we’ll go—
Question: I just wanted to clarify part of the process of selecting a Secretary-General. So my understanding is that all member countries can submit names via letter to the Secretary-General who then forwards these letters to the Security Council? And if so, these letters are then made public? Thanks.
Spokesman: It’s a good question. The selection of the Secretary-General, as you know, rests solely in the hands of the Member States. As to what the administrative procedures are, we can check, but on a regular basis, the Secretary-General in his function as head of the Secretariat is asked— receives letters and then is asked then to circulate them to the General Assembly and the Security Council. This is something that happens regularly. But I think in terms of the selection of the Secretary-General, that is something that is firmly in the hands of the Member States.
Question: But then these letters are made public? Because the Secretary-General makes letters public generally.
Spokesman: I think we’re talking hypotheticals here. What does happen… and I’m not talking about the selection process of Secretary-General, but in general terms, when a Secretary-General receives a letter and it is asked, there are… usually at the end of the letter, it says, “I request, Your Excellency, to have this letter circulated as an official document of the Security Council and the General Assembly”, in which case, we do so. But it depends on what obviously it said in the letter. But that is a traditional and regular function that the Secretariat performs.
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. On Cyprus, can you please check if Mr. Eide is going to be here after his meetings on the island next week?
Spokesman: That’s a very good question. I think I promised to do so but I did not.
Question: Also, Stéphane, if it’s not too much, can you please also check if he’s going to issue his report on good mission soon and when?
Spokesman: Sure. We’ll check.
Question: Thank you.
Spokesman: Mr. Lee.
Question: I wanted to ask about South Sudan and something about the Secretary-General’s programme in Japan.
Spokesman: Yep.
Question: On South Sudan, it’s now reported that the Mission, UNMISS, was performing construction work on the State-owned broadcaster South Sudan TV, so some see it as inconsistent with the statement by Mr. Ladsous a year ago that the Mission would no longer be working in support of extending Government—
Spokesman: Well, let’s… let us check on the veracity of the report.
Question: On UNMISS’s website, there are pictures of that. But I also… when do you respond, if you do respond, there’s also a theory under which it’s inconsistent given criticisms of the deterioration of the freedom of expression in South Sudan and this is a State broadcast—
Spokesman: Obviously, and this is an issue that the SRSG has spoken about.
Question: Sure. I want to know if you can confirm now before the weekend that the Secretary-General will be meeting with the, I guess, interim or military leader of Thailand while at this conference in Japan, General Chan-o-cha? And I ask because there are public calls that the Secretary-General use such an opportunity. Apparently they believe that he will be meeting with him to raise the need to return to democratic civilian rule in Thailand. Is he going to meet, and will he be raising that?
Spokesman: This is an issue that the Secretary-General and others have raised in meetings with senior Thai officials. If the meeting is confirmed, and once it has happened, we will issue a readout. Matthew.
Question: At least two more. Maybe three.
Spokesman: We’ll stop at two.
Question: Let’s see. They’re interrelated.
Spokesman: You choose.
Question: One is actually… I’m sorry. I have to ask… well, all right. I’m asking you again about Côte d’Ivoire. I’d asked you a couple days ago to confirm — because I think that is a formal letter since we’re getting into this whole issue of disclosing letters — that there would be a letter from the Ivorian Mission saying that Mr. Ouattara is now the Chargé d’affaires. Were you able to confirm that?
Spokesman: I have not yet.
Question: There’s a report that Mr. Bamba is out.
Spokesman: Okay.
Question: I wanted to ask this. Workers in the cafeteria — change of pace — have complained to Inner City Press that they have been all aware that — the cafeteria will be closed on 2 May due to this concern about the off-ramp and safety. I don’t know if it’s the case or not but I wanted to ask you because they have obviously concerns about their job and income.
Spokesman: Of course.
Question: Whether… are you aware of that?
Spokesman: I’m not but we can check.
Question: Finally, an audiotape has been leaked by disconcerted and concerned staff of a meeting by Mr. Gettu of DGACM [Department for General Assembly and Conference Management] in which he told the staff, “I’m warning you. You must respect me.” So I wanted to… maybe you haven’t heard the audio. You can hear it. But the main thing I wanted to know is, are there some kind of guidelines that come down from on-high from various USGs and officials on how… on staff management relations? What’s a legitimate tenor of a staff meeting, and what does a warning mean? Basically, this is the question.
Spokesman: Listen, I don’t know about the existence of this audio tape, and I think I’m not going to comment on things that may have been taped or may not be taped during internal—
Question: Right.
Spokesman: …internal—
Question: Taping is not—
Spokesman: There are general… I’m not going to get into, into kind of leaked audiotapes of documents. I think if staff — not speaking about the case you mentioned, but in general — there are all sorts of different avenues for staff to have grievances heard; if they feel they’re being… there are grievances to be filed.
Question: That’s exactly the reason, the reason I’m asking is there are some that feel given this stand-off and sort of no formal recognition of either the old union or the new union or any union; that there are not such mechanisms.
Spokesman: I think the mechanisms exist irrelevant of the union, whether it’s the Ombudsman’s Office or all sorts of avenues for staff exist.
Question: All right.
Spokesman: I will see you… I will not see you on Monday because I won’t be here, but Farhan will be back. And have great weekend.