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 Friday to all of you. I have one, two… I have four statements for you.
**Syria
One is a statement on the just adopted Security Council resolution 2235. The Secretary-General welcomes the adoption of today’s resolution by the Security Council. Continuing allegations of the use of toxic chemicals as weapons in Syria have led to increased concerns from the international community.
The Secretary-General has repeatedly stressed the unacceptability of the use of toxic chemicals as weapons, and called for those responsible to be held accountable. He is pleased that the Security Council has decided to act and take the necessary action not just to halt the continued use of toxic chemicals as weapons by any party to the conflict, but also to send a strong collective message that any such use will not be tolerated.
The Secretary-General stands ready to fully support and implement the mandate provided by the resolution. He intends to provide his recommendations for the implementation of the current resolution to the Security Council in due course.
It will be an extremely challenging mission. The dangerous security situation inside the country will certainly impact the mission’s activities. Full cooperation from all parties, including the Government of the Syrian Arab Republic, will be essential. The process will once again require the active engagement of the international community.
Holding the perpetrators of the toxic chemical attacks accountable may hopefully alleviate the prolonged suffering of the Syrian people. That statement should now be online.
**Saudi Arabia
Also a statement on the bombing of a mosque in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The Secretary-General condemns the suicide attack on 6 August — yesterday — at a mosque in Abha, in the Asir province of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The bombing reportedly killed 13 people and injured nine others.
The Secretary-General reiterates that there is no justification whatsoever for terrorist attacks or attacks on places of worship. He hopes that the perpetrators will be swiftly brought to justice.
The Secretary-General extends his sincere condolences to the families of the victims and to the Government and people of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. He wishes a speedy recovery to those injured in the attack.
**Middle East
And a statement on the violence in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory: the Secretary-General condemns the numerous rockets launched from Gaza towards Israel over the last few days. The Secretary-General is also very concerned over recent violence in the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza.
The violence includes yesterday’s car ramming near the settlement of Shiloh which resulted in serious injuries to two Israeli soldiers; the firebomb attack that seriously injured an Israeli woman on the 3 August, in East Jerusalem; and the violent clashes in the aftermath of the Duma terrorist attack — and that attack, as you will recall was met with global condemnation, including in Israel. Also today, the Secretary-General received worrisome reports of provocations by settlers in Hebron.
The Secretary-General condemns these acts and expects all parties to speak out against and prevent such incidents. He calls upon Israeli and Palestinian political and community leaders not to allow extremists to escalate the situation and take control of the political agenda. The Secretary-General reiterates that only the realization of a two-State solution can sustainably put an end to that violence. That statement should already be online.
**Haiti
And lastly, a statement on Haiti. The Secretary-General welcomes the upcoming presidential, legislative and local elections in Haiti, which will begin on 9 August — over this weekend — with the first round of legislative polls. These long-awaited elections constitute a major milestone for democracy in Haiti.
The Secretary-General, in particular, welcomes the increased ownership of the process by the Haitian people. Credible, inclusive and transparent elections are a key to long-term stability and promotion of a vibrant democracy.
The Secretary-General urges the political parties, candidates and their supporters to campaign peacefully and to resolve any disputes that may arise through dialogue and established legal procedures. He invites all the Haitians to participate and exercise their democratic right to vote for the renewal of their institutions of governance.
The United Nations stands side by side with the Haitian people and will continue to extend its full support to this important process.
**Afghanistan
And a couple of updates from the field: the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has condemned today’s indiscriminate attack in Kabul which has killed at least eight civilians and injured more than 200 others.
The Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Nicholas Haysom, reiterated the mission’s repeated calls for the immediate ban of weapons which kill and maim indiscriminately, and to cease attacks in civilian-populated areas.
As you know, earlier this week, the Mission released its latest report on civilian casualties in Afghanistan, documenting nearly 5,000 casualties, including more than 1,500 deaths in the first half of 2015.
That statement is available on the Mission’s website.
**Yemen
And an update from our colleagues at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) — the Emergency Relief Coordinator, Stephen O’Brien, is scheduled to visit Yemen and Djibouti from August 9th to the 13th to see for himself the catastrophic humanitarian impact of the conflict in Yemen, and assess measures needed to ensure aid agencies can scale up and meet people’s growing needs. Mr. O’Brien is expected to meet with key officials in Sana’a and Aden to discuss ways of strengthening the aid operation to save lives and protect civilians.
The Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen, Johannes Van Der Klaauw, returned last night from a two-day mission to Sa’ada, where he witnessed the severe destruction of civilian infrastructure in the city, including [of] markets, banks, schools. He also met with displaced communities, as well as local authorities.
The Humanitarian Coordinator emphasized the importance of all parties in protecting civilian lives and livelihoods. He said that civilian infrastructure must be spared from airstrikes and shelling, and at the same time must not be used for military purposes.
**Lebanon
And our colleague, Sigrid Kaag, the Special Coordinator for Lebanon, met today with the Prime Minister of Lebanon, Tamam Salam, to express the UN’s support for his leadership and efforts to maintain the unity and effectiveness of the Government as it seeks to resolve key issues of interest to all the people of Lebanon.
Ms. Kaag expressed the hope that the extension of senior national security positions will contribute to maintaining Lebanon’s stability at this critical time. And she called once again on the parties to show urgency and flexibility in the election of a new president.
**Myanmar
And an update from our efforts in Myanmar to help those in need following the floods — the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that the UN and international aid organizations are stepping up their support to the response which is being led by the Myanmar authorities, civil society groups and the Myanmar Red Cross. Authorities say that more than 330,000 people have been affected and nearly 90 people killed by the floods and landslides.
As of yesterday, 400 metric tons of food for 103,000 people and 620,000 water treatment tablets were distributed, as well as food and other items.
Eamonn Murphy, who is the interim UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator, said that now that humanitarian staff are able to reach the most critical areas, we are doing everything in our power to assist the authorities in bringing people the aid they desperately need.
[UN Emergency Relief Coordinator] Stephen O’Brien is releasing $9 million from the Central Emergency [Response] Fund (CERF) to allow aid organizations to quickly scale up rapid response operations and provide 160,000 people in Rakhine, Chin State, Sagaing Region and Magway Region lifesaving assistance.
However, OCHA warns that these funds will not be enough to meet the urgent needs of all the communities touched by the floods, with nearly $50 million required.
**Central America
And our friends at the World Food Programme (WFP) say that they remain concerned about the impact of extended drought on vulnerable communities in Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Nicaragua.
So far, WFP has provided critical food assistance to nearly a quarter of a million drought-affected people and plans to reach more than 600,000 through September of this year. However, WFP needs $10 million to carry out lifesaving… this operation.
**Greece
And our colleagues at UNHCR have visited Greece to assess the refugee crisis in the country, where some 124,000 refugees and migrants have arrived by sea this year, mainly on the islands of Lesvos, Chios, Kos, Samos and Leros.
This represents a staggering increase of 750 per cent compared to the same period last year. In July alone, 50,000 arrivals have been reported, 20,000 more than the previous month — an increase of over 70 per cent in just one month.
UNHCR says that this humanitarian emergency requires an urgent Greek and European response. The vast majority of those coming to Greece are from countries experiencing conflict or human rights violations, mainly Syria, Afghanistan, and Iraq.
And UNHCR is contributing to the efforts to address the urgent situation by providing interpretation services, legal information, and basic emergency assistance, as well as supplies of water, and sleeping bags and hygiene kits.
**Calais
And they are also flagging the situation in Calais, northern France, which UNHCR says is neither new nor unmanageable, and is once again calling for a comprehensive response — first and foremost from the French authorities — to the worsening conditions for refugees and migrants in Calais. The Agency says that security measures alone, though understandable, are unlikely to be effective by themselves.
The number of refugees and migrants in Calais stands around 3,000, virtually the same number as last November. What is worrying is the rising death toll among those people attempting to cross the Channel.
Many of them are in need of international protection, being refugees who have fled conflict. And UNHCR continues to be concerned about the dire living and reception conditions in the makeshift sites around Calais and also says it is essential to address the current significant delays for those who want to apply for asylum in France.
**Honour Roll
Lastly, our honour roll: our gratitude today goes to Belize for paying its dues in full, becoming the…? C’mon. Whoever gets it gets the first question. How many people have paid?
Correspondent: 101.
Spokesman: You get the last question. 109th. Alright, thank you to Belize. Please pay attention. Mr. Lee?
**Questions and Answers
Question: Sure, thanks a lot. Some other ones but I was kind of expecting you to have readout on this attack in Mali on the hotel in Sevare. Are… are UN peacekeepers involved in the hotel, what is the status?
Spokesman: The information we received from our Mission is that obviously they are aware of these reports of an attack by unknown armed men near the hotel in Sevare, Mopti. The Mission is closely monitoring the events and following up with its office in Mopti, as well as with the Malian authorities. So the situation is ongoing. As soon as they report back to us we be will able to share information with you.
Question: Actually because the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has said that one of its nationals is involved and held hostage. Are there Ukrainians serving with MINUSMA in Sevare?
Spokesman: I’m not able to answer that from this podium at this time. Oleg.
Question: As a follow-up, there were reports from Western media that some Russian pilots working under contract with the UN were captured?
Spokesman: It’s a very fluid and ongoing situation and as soon as we are able to report some hard facts we will.
[The Spokesman later shared the following press release from the UN Mission in Mali, MINUSMA: “Early this morning, unidentified armed men launched an attack on a Malian military site in the town of Sevaré, in the Mopti region. The attackers, who were pushed back by the Malian Armed Forces, then took refuge in a hotel in town (Byblos). Confrontations between the attackers and the Malian Armed and Security Forces continued throughout the morning and shots continue to be fired sporadically at the hotel and in its vicinity.
“Available reports indicate that a member of the international personnel associated with MINUSMA was killed in the attack.
“MINUSMA condemns this despicable attack in the strongest terms.
“MINUSMA continues to very closely monitor developments and to coordinate its efforts with the Malian authorities and the representatives of the international community and Barkhane.
“At the request of the Malian authorities, MINUSMA has taken measures to ensure the transport of a Malian rapid intervention team from Bamako to Sevaré as reinforcements for the national armed and security forces who are on location. This team is accompanied by MINUSMA Police experts who will provide technical support, if necessary.
“MINUSMA has also reinforced security at the Sevaré-Mopti airport and deployed a medical team that is already stationed at the airport to provide any necessary assistance.”]
Question: Thank you. Two questions about today’s resolution. The first one is: there is going to be a joint investigation by the OPCW and the United Nations and the Secretary-General? Can you elaborate more of that like specific role the UN Secretary-General will have in this joint investigation?
Spokesman: Well, I think the role of the Secretary‑General is to work with the OPCW in putting together this mission. He has 20 days to do so, so the clock starts ticking now. We are obviously going to take a look at it and start working on it right away. We will then report back to the Council once that has been approved, the mission will get under way, and then we will have to report back, we will have to report back to the Security Council.
Question: Does this mean that the report has the final approval of the Secretary-General, then it goes to that Security Council or how does that work?
Spokesman: No. The joint OPCW-UN mission that is envisioned will obviously report back to the Secretary-General and the head of the OPCW and that report will then be submitted to the Security Council.
Question: The last thing about that, does the Secretary-General think that this resolution will in any way help Mr. de Mistura’s mission to bring the parties together?
Spokesman: You know, I think any time we see unanimity on the Security Council on the issue of Syria it’s a step forward. It shows that there is a possibility for Security Council members to speak with one voice. The issue of chemical weapons is one that has been discussed quite a bit. It is the use of chemical weapons in any instance is to be condemned in the strongest possible terms and the use in civilian areas is unspeakable. This resolution is important because it will — the mission will now have the mandate to identify those who are responsible for these attacks. Masood, since you lost, you get the last question of the first round.
Question: I know.
Spokesman: It’s not that you lost; you didn’t win.
Question: Sad by your decision. Yeah, no, just a follow-up on this question: Will the Secretary-General and OPCW be seeking help from outside experts to determine the plan of action?
Spokesman: You know, I think, I’m just reading the paragraph 5 of the resolution which requests the Secretary-General in coordination with the OPCW to submit to the Security Council for authorization, recommendations, including elements of the terms of reference regarding the establishment and operations of a joint mission. Obviously, experts will be recruited — people who have the necessary knowledge on the use of chemical weapons, forensics, all sorts of issues that come up. These people will have to be found and recruited and maybe the OPCW has them on its payroll; but obviously we have seen this kind of mission put together in the past and we will do so again. I think, again, the important thing about this resolution is that it really brings us forward on the issue of accountability.
Question: So in the interest of transparency will you be announcing the extras being recruited to help the Secretary-General?
Spokesman: I think we will obviously name the person who heads the mission and the terms of reference. There is no reason for us to hide those who will be working for the mission.
Question: Well, I guess a point on this, I just wanted to ask you about the Libyan refugees. Do you remember about four or five days ago some 600 Libyan refugees were rescued but so many of them died in that escape operation and what have you. Do you have any update on that?
Spokesman: No. I know our colleagues at UNHCR and the IOM are working closely with the authorities and following this issue closely. I think this latest tragic incident that we saw again underscores the need for a comprehensive approach towards the issue of migration in Europe. We’ve seen the European Union increase its military presence, which helped with the rescue of this particular boat. And it also underscores the criminal nature of what we are seeing in the Mediterranean where smugglers are packing people onto boats that are unsafe, too many people, on difficult conditions. These are people who are criminal elements, who also need to be held accountable. The whole issue of migration in the European… in the Mediterranean needs to be dealt with at many different levels; but we obviously remain very concerned about the continued loss of life on the water. I’ll come back to you. Olga.
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. And it’s also on the adopted resolution. The Secretary-General is supposed to work closely with OPCW…
Spokesman: Is supposed to what?
Question: Supposed to work closely…
Spokesman: Yes, yes.
Question: …with OPCW for creation of this mechanism, so has he sent that resolution to OPCW, will he contact the Secretary-General?
Spokesman: The operational department from the UN side is the Office for Disarmament Affairs. They are already in touch with the OPCW. Obviously the resolution will be formally transmitted to the OPCW, but discussions between the OPCW and the UN and contacts are held on a regular basis. We now have the mandate, the instructions from the Security Council. The Secretary-General will move forward on them as quickly as possible. Majeed then Matthew.
Question: Yes, a question about an issue that I want to know the UN position about. Recently the PKK forces, they attacked an oil pipeline, an Iraqi oil pipeline inside Turkey and they blew it up. And this is part of a trend right now in Iraq and Syria. This has been used as a tactic of war by various parties, attacking the oil pipelines which is very important for a country like Iraq. First, the UN position about this and the second is has the UN in any way, like, been in any discussion to adopt a UN resolution or a mechanism to protect those pipelines as it is attacked frequently?
Spokesman: On a practical basis there is no UN role in protecting key infrastructure whether in Turkey or other places. That is the responsibility of the National Government. I haven’t seen the particular report you mentioned, but we obviously condemn any terror attacks on civilian infrastructures that would happen. But I haven’t seen the particular report. Mr. Lee.
Question: Sure, two questions, one I wanted to ask on Burundi. Just now at the stakeout, US Ambassador Samantha Power, when asked by Inner City Press if the UN should name an envoy to replace Mr. Bathily, said “I expect them to.” Are there any moves afoot to do this?
Spokesman: I think we alluded to foots and moves. An announcement will be made in due course when we are ready to make that announcement. Obviously, you know, we have gone through, to speak plainly, I think we have gone through a number of facilitators and envoys in Burundi. I think we just need to make sure that whenever an envoy is named he or she has the support, at least the promise of support from all parties. It’s a critical, critical situation. I mean, we are seeing the situation in Burundi on a tinder box. So when we have something to announce, we shall.
Question: Yes, on the migration issue, do you remember, Stéphane, when Secretary-General and the international community asked Indonesia and Malaysia to accept these immigrants from Rohingya, Bangladesh and so forth and it was… they were told the international community would try and find an alternative, what we call arrangements for them to be [inaudible] somewhere else and that monies were provided to these countries?
Spokesman: I do recall that and let me see if I can get an update from where we are on that from UNHCR.
Question: Okay.
Spokesman: Okay, sorry, in the back, yep.
Question: This is going to take a little bit of a different direction, but I just want to know what you think of Israel denying a few of the Palestinian players from Gaza entry into the West Bank to play the final cup game and do you think it’s an effort to bring morale down for the Palestinian people?
Spokesman: I can’t comment. I had not seen those reports. All I saw were reports that a game was played, so I can’t comment on something I don’t know about, but I will check.
Question: A couple things, one is about UNMAS. David Bax who used to be the Somalia guy for UNMAS and was moved to Gaza for demining, I wanted to ask you straight up, I’ve heard that UNOPS after this investigation has decided to terminate his contract based on a finding of improper purchase of weaponry, which would be an anti‑aircraft gun. Given the imperative of the UN personnel not being perceived as buying anti‑aircraft guns, will you… can you confirm it now or will you today confirm it or not?
Spokesman: I can’t confirm. The gentleman you mentioned worked for, was contracted for by UNOPS. I would encourage you to talk to them.
Question: I’ve heard there is a communication from UNOPS to UNMAS since all the work that he did was for UNMAS?
Spokesman: That I understand, but his contract was with UNOPS.
Question: I never got any response from UNOPS ever.
Spokesman: I can’t speak for them.
Question: If UN agencies like UNMAS, which has a very public face, do their hiring through a kind of, I don’t want to say shadowy but at least from my point of view totally untransparent side entity, I am asking you as the UN-system spokesperson, is it true or not, did they buy anti-aircraft?
Spokesman: As much as I enjoy the promotion, I’m the Spokesman for the Secretary-General and not the UN system. I do amplify the message from the UN system and I’m always happy to get a promotion, but I’m not sure I can shoulder that responsibility. I will find you a press contact in UNOPS in Copenhagen. We can both go there.
Question: I’m thinking you may have something to say on this… this hacking to death, I am sorry for the transition, of a blogger in Bangladesh, it’s the fourth one this year.
Spokesman: I haven’t seen the report. We have obviously strongly condemned attacks on bloggers and the press and we’ve seen in recent times in Bangladesh, but let me check on this.
Question: Much more mundane, possibly at least for me the final one, I just want to say this is looking forward to next week but as you may know in covering the Security Council at the stakeouts there is basically, like, no wires and outlets. And we kind of put one in there. The reality is that they were just tearing it out.
Spokesman: Wires like electrical wires?
Question: Like to plug a computer in, to plug a camera into. Just now, safety and security was physically removing them with no prospect of them being replaced. So I wanted to know if it’s important for the UN to have the Security Council covered, can it be solved, will it be solved?
Spokesman: Though I do not speak for the Security Council, I can assure you that it is important that you cover the Security Council. I will raise the power issue. Happy Friday. See you Monday.