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 morning.
**UNRWA
The Secretary-General this morning made a video call to Gaza to talk to several Palestinian students and their teacher, to express his solidarity and support for their education, at a time when the funding crisis confronting the UN Relief and Works Agency [for Palestine Refugees in the Near East], UNRWA, could potentially delay the start of their school year for Palestinian students in UNRWA schools.
As the Secretary-General made clear in the call, for 65 years, donors, through UNRWA, have invested in teachers and schools, building an outstanding education system for half a million Palestinian young people. And he drew attention to the ways in which UNRWA promotes respect for universal values and the inherent worth of all human beings.
The Secretary-General asserted that we must not deprive children in Gaza and elsewhere from education – especially when extremists are in full recruitment mode. The cost of education is low. The price of inaction is too high, he said. The Secretary-General told the students that he will take their message to world leaders as he mobilizes funds for UNRWA.
**Turkey
And I have a statement on the violence in Turkey. The Secretary-General condemns today’s series of terrorist attacks including on the security forces, both in Istanbul and in the south-east provinces, as well as on the US [United States] Consulate in Istanbul. He is greatly concerned by the violence. The Secretary-General expresses his deepest sympathies with the victims of today’s acts, as well as with the Government and people of Turkey. He hopes that the perpetrators of the attacks will be swiftly brought to justice. And that statement should be online.
**Dominican Republic
And I’ve a readout that we should have issued on Friday, following the meeting of the Secretary-General with His Excellency Mr. Andrés Navarro García, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Dominican Republic. The Secretary-General and Mr. Navarro discussed issues related to citizenship rights, migration and the protection of human rights. The Secretary-General also congratulated the Dominican Government on its leadership in the field of education and commended the active role of the Dominican Republic in the field of South-South cooperation.
**Yemen
And yesterday, on the first day of his mission to Yemen and Djibouti, Emergency Relief Coordinator Stephen O'Brien met with the UN Resident Coordinator, Valerie Cliff, and other UN agency representatives in Djibouti. Later the same day, on arrival in Sana'a, he met with the Deputy Foreign Minister, and representatives of the United Nations and national and international NGOs [non-governmental organizations]. Mr. O'Brien also visited Faj Attan, a residential neighbourhood of the capital, which has been heavily affected by airstrikes, and expressed his concern at seeing so many homes flattened. He said that it is truly tragic that innocent civilians are bearing the brunt of this crisis.
Today in Sana'a, Mr. O’Brien held discussions with Mohamed Ali Al Houthi, the President of the Supreme Revolutionary Council, as well as key ministers. He also visited Al Thawra General Hospital and with the acting Minister of Public Health and Population, and he also met with patients in that hospital. Meanwhile, over the weekend, on the political front, the Special Envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, convened a meeting in Muscat, Oman, with senior leaders of the Houthis and General People’s Congress to explore on how to resume the political process. He is heading to Riyadh to meet with President [Abd Rabbuh Mansour] Hadi, and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Secretary General, as well as Saudi officials.
**Mali
And on Mali, over the weekend, as you will have seen, the Secretary-General condemned the attack in Sévaré on 7 and 8 August and offered his condolences on the death of five UN-affiliated personnel who were killed by unidentified armed elements. According to Malian authorities, four Malian Armed Forces (FAMA) soldiers were reportedly killed and eight others were wounded in the incident.
The UN [Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization] Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) says that military operations by the Malian Armed Forces on Saturday at the Byblos Hotel, which was the scene of the attack, resulted in four UN-affiliated personnel being rescued unharmed. The Mission has offered its support to the Malian authorities in their investigation into the attack. MINUSMA, the UN Mission, further reports that on Saturday morning an armoured vehicle belonging to the Mission hit a mine or an Improvised Explosive Device, while conducting a scheduled mine clearing operation of the airstrip in Kidal. No injuries were reported, although the UN vehicle sustained extensive damage.
**Central African Republic
And in the Central African Republic, the Secretary-General said this weekend that he was saddened to learn of the death of five Rwandan peacekeepers serving in the [United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization] Mission in that country, otherwise known as MINUSCA. MINUSCA is investigating the incident, in which eight additional peacekeepers were wounded. Five of the seriously wounded peacekeepers have been evacuated for further medical treatment yesterday to Kampala, in Uganda. And the bodies of the five dead peacekeepers will be repatriated today to Rwanda. The Secretary-General offers his deepest condolences to the bereaved families and to the Government and people of Rwanda. And he wishes the injured a speedy recovery.
**Bangladesh
And on Bangladesh, you would also have seen over the weekend the statement in which the Secretary-General condemned the killing last week of Niloy Neel, the fourth blogger to be murdered in Bangladesh this year. The Secretary-General is deeply concerned over these gruesome crimes and their impact on the exercise of freedom of expression in Bangladesh. He calls on the Government of Bangladesh to bring those responsible for the murder of Mr. Neel and the other bloggers to justice in an expeditious manner and to act to ensure that all Bangladeshis can enjoy freedom of expression and all other human rights without fear.
**Afghanistan
And over the weekend again, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and the Security Council both issued statements condemning in the strongest terms the series of terrorist attacks that took place in Kabul. According to the UN, three attacks by anti-Government elements on Friday caused at least 355 civilian casualties, including more than 40 deaths. This has been the highest number of civilians killed and injured in one day since the mission started systematically recording civilian casualties since 2009. The Security Council reiterated that no violent or terrorist acts can reverse the path towards an Afghan-led process — democracy and stability in Afghanistan. Both statements are online.
**Israel
And several UN officials operating in the occupied Palestinian territory issued a joint statement over the weekend, saying that the Israeli law adopted on 30 July allowing the force-feeding of detainees and prisoners on hunger strikes in Israeli prisons is a cause for concern to those who work to protect the right to health of Palestinians in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. The officials say that hunger strikes are a non-violent form of protest used by individuals who have exhausted other forms of protest to highlight the seriousness of their situations. The right to peaceful protest is a fundamental human right, they said. They added that the practice of administrative detention is incompatible with international human rights law and should be ended. All detainees should be promptly charged or released.
**Iraq
And our colleagues at the World Food Programme (WFP) say that a severe shortfall in Iraq has forced to cut down the amount food it provides to close to one million [displaced] people. In April, because of resourcing difficulties, WFP began to prioritize available funds for internally displaced people (IDPs) to focus particularly on those most in need. People receiving food vouchers had the value of the support they receive reduced from $26 to $16. WFP has now cut in half the size of the family food parcels it distributes monthly, so that they cover 40 per cent of a household’s daily needs, instead of 80 per cent. Families within camps who have no access to job opportunities still receive full rations. The operation in Iraq is 61 per cent underfunded and requires $78.1 million to continue assisting people until end of year.
**Myanmar
And from Myanmar, our colleagues at OCHA, [the Office for] the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, tell us that in recent days, mass displacement and evacuations have taken place in Myanmar's Ayeyarwady delta region and in Bago. This has raised the number of affected people to one million, according to the Government. Floods have reportedly damaged some 520,000 acres of farmland, with initial assessments in Rakhine indicating that floods and salt water may have severely damaged the rice harvest. Farmers are at a critical phase and rice must be planted in the next two weeks. Humanitarian partners warn that failing to meet this window could result in extensive crop failure.
**Media Accreditation and Liaison Unit
Lastly, just to let you know our colleagues at MALU [Media Accreditation and Liaison Unit] have asked me to remind you that the accreditation deadline for UNGA (United Nations General Assembly) is 9 September. I know that you are all accredited, but if you could just ensure that any colleagues, editors, visiting journalists all submit their accreditation before 9 September — as you can imagine, because of a number of high level visitors, we expect a huge number of journalists — we want to avoid the phone calls on 10 September, saying, “I didn’t realize the GA was in September, could you please accredit me?” So, please, pass the message. Thank you.
Let Masood… Masood was first out of the… it was probably an illegal start. He was the first out of the gate.
**Questions and Answers
Question: Okay. Thank you, Stéphane. I thought you were going to relegate me to the last position. I just wanted to ask you about this horrible sex scandal unveiled in Pakistan, where… against the children and the sex tapes being distributed online against the children. There are calls in Pakistan that these people be prosecuted. The Pakistani Government has done something on its part, but people of Pakistan do not have faith in this process. Will there be somebody from the United Nations or international body going there to monitor this horrible sex…
Spokesman: I have not heard of anyone involving the UN. Obviously, the reported crimes are horrendous and they defy words. It's important that those responsible for abusing children be brought to justice and be brought to justice swiftly. Beyond that, I don't have anything for you.
Question: Is there… would the Secretary‑General look into sending somebody?
Spokesman: Well, obviously, we would have to hear from the Pakistani Government for any requests for assistance, but I will check with our colleagues in Islamabad, the local office there, see if they've been in contact. While I was speaking, I forgot to read one note on Haiti.
**Haiti
The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Haiti, Sandra Honoré, has welcomed today the long-overdue holding of the first round of legislative elections which as you know took place yesterday in Haiti. She commended all those citizens who peacefully exercised their right to vote across the country. The organization of this first round of the elections is testimony to the work of the Provisional Electoral Council, the Government of Haiti and the Haitian National Police to create a framework conducive to these elections.
According to preliminary information, acts of violence in some areas led to interruptions of the polls and the death of at least three persons. The Special Representative deplored the loss of human life and urged the Haitian authorities to investigate these incidents without delay and to bring the perpetrators to justice. She also reiterated her calls on all parties to await peacefully the results of this first round and to pursue the electoral process in compliance with the law. And she stated once again the continued support of the United Nations to the authorities and to the people of Haiti for the completion of their transparent, inclusive and credible elections, in keeping with the established calendar. Nizar and then Matthew?
Question: Yeah, on the situation in Iraq, the reforms declared by Mr. [Haider al] Abbadi and then the endorsement by the religious cleric, Mr. [Ayotallah Ali al] Sistani, how does United Nations view that? Does it help the system?
Spokesman: Obviously, we've seen those reports. We are following it closely from here, and obviously, from the UN mission in Baghdad. I think from the Secretary‑General's standpoint, he supports the Prime Minister and the Government of Iraq in their efforts to address the many challenges facing the country and push forward much‑needed reforms within the legal and constitutional framework. The United Nations will continue to work closely with the Government of Iraq to ensure that it achieves its goals of implementing a reform programme that promotes good governance and effectively responds to the aspirations and needs of the Iraqi people.
Question: Did Mr. O'Brien carry with him any good news regarding aid, forthcoming aid, and the promise…?
Spokesman: You know, the good news is not the one that… so much that we are carrying. We've been repeating the same message for weeks on end now, which is the critical need for a humanitarian pause. We need a pause. We need space in which to deliver much‑needed humanitarian aid. We can get some aid in, and we have, despite the fighting, but obviously, we need a larger zone of calm in which the UN and its local humanitarian partners can operate. And as I said, on the… you know, on the political end, the Special Envoy, Cheikh Ahmed, is continuing his work and continuing to try to push… move the ball forward.
Question: Did the Saudis pay what they pledged to you?
Spokesman: I do not have an update on the Saudi money. Mr. Lee and then Sherwin.
Question: Sure, I wanted to ask about Burundi. Over the weekend and even as we speak, there's a police crackdown in a neighbourhood called [inaudible] in Bujumbura. People have… I'm looking at a list of 12 people that are said to be, you know, grabbed up by the police, including the… you know, young woman. So, I wanted to know what… people are saying… you know, they're tweeting these things at MENUB [United Nations Electoral Mission in Burundi]. I'm not sure with what effect, but who in the UN system should people be contacting? What's the UN's plan, if any, over the last couple of days? Who will be briefing the Security Council today at 3 p.m.? And what would the Secretary‑General like to see the Council do as things unravel?
Spokesman: Well, I don't have an update as to who exactly will be briefing the Council today. I think the Secretary‑General has expressed his opinion through the phone call with President [Pierre] Nkurunziza last week. It's important that whatever efforts are under way to maintain law and order on the ground be done within full compliance of human rights and international law. I think all the violence that we're seeing and the incidents that we're seeing just underscore the need for resumption of the political process.
Question: What would you say… I mean, again, just on a practical level, if there are, in fact, Office of Human Rights people, who are people supposed to contact in the country? Can you say…?
Spokesman: Well, there's a UN office in Bujumbura which represents the whole UN system, and I think people can contact that office. Sherwin?
Question: My question's on Mali, Steph. Are there protocols in place for UN staff, UN‑affiliated staff, I mean, given the attack on the hotel that killed four or five? Are there protocols in terms of where they can go, what… how… their movements? Are there guidelines given?
Spokesman: You know, I mean, different duty stations have different guidelines. Obviously, as a matter of course, when you… especially when you operate outside of the capital, there are hotels that are considered acceptable and others that are not acceptable. I have no reason to believe and I've not been told that we're… the Byblos Hotel was a place where people should not have been staying. Obviously, as you know, the situation in Mali is highly volatile. We've seen an increase in… over the past months of terrorist attacks. So, I think the security protocols themselves, as far as I know, were followed. But this just underscores the volatility of the situation and the kind of attacks that the UN is being targeted with.
Question: Will the UN posture change now that they've been sort of targeted specifically?
Spokesman: Obviously, security is assessed on a day‑to‑day basis. I'm not going to talk from here about what our security colleagues in Mali are… have decided. They will take the precautions they need to take. The overall peacekeeping posture at this point is not changing. Yes?
Question: I'd like to ask about the [Secretary-General] election process, and I know it's very early, but has the Secretary‑General commented on any of the initiatives that are ongoing to change the process? And will the Secretariat or the Secretary‑General be engaged in terms of making recommendations, sharing best practises…
Spokesman: I think the… you know, I think the… I don't think; I know. The process which a Secretary‑General is elected is firmly in the hands of Member States as it's stated in the UN Charter. So, it's not the Secretary‑General's process. I think, in the past, the Secretary‑General has… you know, has expressed his opinion on a woman being elected Secretary‑General, saying that it was… so, I think you can look back on what he said, you know, kind of position he's taken, but the process itself, how candidates interact with Member States, that's really up for Member States to decide. Olga?
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. During the weekend, a few armoured vehicles of the OSCE [Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe] monitoring mission of Eastern Ukraine were burnt or destroyed. It was like seven of them. And according to the mission representatives, it looks like to restrict the action of the mission. Do you have any information what happened there?
Spokesman: Not particularly. Obviously, the UN fully supports the mission of the OSCE and the ability of the monitors to circulate freely within their zone of competence. Yes, you had a question?
Correspondent: Hi. I wanted to ask about Timor Leste. I'm not sure if you've heard these reports over the weekend that the leader of an armed resistance group, Mauk Moruk, was killed in an operation, along with three of his supporters. I'm not sure if you've got any comment on that.
Spokesman: I do not, but I'm happy to check after this briefing. Oleg?
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. I think you remember this initiative of opening office in support of the implementation of Minsk agreements in Kyiv or somewhere in Ukraine. What's the status? Are there any negotiations going on? What's happening?
Spokesman: Well, I don't have an update on that particular issue. But, I can check for you. Masoodji?
Question: On this expert panel report on occupied Palestinian territories which you just read, the Secretary… does the Secretary‑General, in view of the report, ask to talk to anybody in the Israeli cabinet, especially the Prime Minister?
Spokesman: I think… I don't think… Masood, I don't think I misspoke. It was not a report so much as… Oleg. It was not a report so much as a press statement. It was the Deputy Special Coordinator, representing humanitarian affairs, and the human right… UN human rights representative locally, as well as the World Health Organization (WHO) representative, speaking with one voice. I think the Secretary‑General, through the periodic reports that he delivers to the Security Council, I think, just the last one also expresses great concern on the issue of force-feeding, and that is a position that he takes wherever this practice occurs, in whatever country it occurs, in whatever place it occurs, as well as the issue of administrative detention. So, this is an issue that is, I'm sure, brought up in discussions locally on the ground between the UN officials and their Israeli counterparts. Matthew, then Oleg?
Question: Sure. I want to ask about… in the Korean peninsula, there's been this incident where two South Korean soldiers were injured by a land mine they say was planted by the DPRK [Democratic People’s Republic of Korea] in the demilitarized zone, and now South Korea says they're going to resume these "propaganda broadcasts" with loudspeakers. Some stories say that the UN has confirmed these landmark… these land mines. So, I'd like you to… to… which is the UN Command, whether it's a UN agency or not. What does the Secretary‑General think of this development, particularly the threatens… the statements of reprisal by South Korea and what, if anything, is he doing to try to defuse this tension?
Spokesman: Sure. You know what? I have some language on that, but not with me, so I will share with you right after the briefing. And as you know, the UN Command is… is named “UN Command” for historical reasons — is not one over which the Secretary‑General has any authority. Oleg?
Question: Can I ask on UNOPS [United Nations Office for Project Services]?
Spokesman: I'm going to go back to take my painkillers if you ask me…
Question: Any updates on Stephen O'Brien's visit in Syria so sold for?
Spokesman: Stephen O'Brien? No. He's currently in Yemen.
Correspondent: I mean afterwards… he announced that he is going…
Spokesman: No, when he'll go… obviously, I think given the security situation, he will… we'll announce it when he arrives. Go ahead and then Nizar.
Question: Okay. Myanmar and UNOPS. On Myanmar, I heard you had one, I guess, readout that you did. But, the Human Rights Special Rapporteur, Ms. Yanghee Lee, has said that, while she was there, she was banned from speaking to any Rohingya Muslims and that meetings were cancelled at the last minute. So, I wonder, especially since there is a good offices envoy, Mr. [Vijay] Nambiar, what's the UN system doing to ensure that this…
Spokesman: I haven't… I mean, one, as you know, the Special Rapporteurs are fully independent. However, it is incumbent on every Member State to fully support and cooperate with the work of the Special Rapporteurs. This is something the Secretary‑General attaches great importance to and has raised it in a number of contexts. I will… I had not seen the particular case of Ms. Lee, but I will check on it.
Question: Yeah. How true is… of the news that Mr. [Jeffrey] Feltman is considering visiting Damascus?
Spokesman: As… it is true when it will happen. So, I don't know. I don't know. But, wait for it. You can listen to all sorts of rumours, but I have nothing… I don't know of any plans by Mr. Feltman to go to Damascus. Sherwin?
Question: It appears that the Assistant Secretary‑General for Political Affairs and the Assistant Secretary‑General for Human Rights will brief the Council on Burundi today. Can we request that they speak to us at stakeout afterwards?
Spokesman: I will be… my pleasure to request for someone to speak to all of you, as long as it's not me. Yes?
Question: UNOPS. And it will begin with Novocaine. UNOPS did respond, I'm happy to say, but they… I want to ask you something and you'll see why. On the question of whether, faced with reports of having purchased an anti‑aircraft gun, Mr. [David] Bax was let go. They've said: "The investigation is completed. We can confirm that the person concerned is no longer an employee of UNOPS." I don't want to misunderstand this as being that the two being connected, but the reason I want to ask you is if, in fact, it was found, as I've heard, that he did buy an anti‑aircraft gun, does this mean that he's banned from UN employment, a zero‑tolerance policy, or can a person working for UNMAS [United Nations Mine Action Service], but technically employed by UNOPS be fired by UNOPS and reappear as an UNMAS person? So, I'm asking… how does it work?
Spokesman: It's a good… I would almost concede that it's a good question. I don't know if there's such a ruling as a lifetime ban from working at the UN. But, clearly, when people… and I don't… I'm not commenting specifically on this case, because I don't know the details of how he was let go. Obviously, I would hope that, when people apply for a job within the UN system, there is a minimum of reference checks, which would then show that some person has been let go of the UN system in…
Correspondent: The reason I ask is because, in the sexual abuse context, sometimes the UN without naming who the people are will say proudly, they'll never serve with us again. So, it seems like buying… although this is not…
Spokesman: I can't…
Correspondent: …civilian personnel.
Spokesman: I can't answer that question at this point, on this day. Goodbye. It's been a pleasure.