Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General
Good afternoon.
**Syria
The Secretary-General has appointed Ms. Virginia Gamba of Argentina as the head of the independent three-member panel to be set up to lead the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons-United Nations Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM) established by Security Council resolution 2235 (2015) on the use of chemicals as weapons in the Syrian Arab Republic.
Ms. Gamba is currently serving as Director and Deputy to the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs in the United Nations Office for Disarmament Affairs. She will assume overall responsibility of the JIM with two Deputies responsible for the political and investigative components respectively.
Ms. Gamba will bring to the JIM more than thirty years’ experience and professional leadership on disarmament. In particular, she has displayed outstanding leadership in various international initiatives to promote the disarmament agenda, and provided key support to two earlier missions related to chemical weapons in Syria lead by Professor Åke Sellström and Ms. Sigrid Kaag respectively.
The appointment was made following the usual consultations and in coordination with the Director-General of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).
The Secretary-General reiterates his call for all parties in Syria to cooperate fully with the Joint Investigative Mechanism. He counts on the continued engagement and support of the members of the Security Council as well as the entire UN membership to ensure the effective implementation of this resolution.
**Dag Hammarskjöld
Earlier today, the Secretary-General laid a wreath in memory of former Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld, who died 54 years ago.
Speaking at the ceremony, he said that the UN remains inspired every day by Mr. Hammarskjöld’s integrity, intelligence and idealism.
As you know, earlier this year, at the request of the General Assembly, the Secretary-General appointed a panel of experts to examine new information about the crash that took the life of Mr. Hammarskjöld and 15 others in 1961.
He added that although the panel has increased our understanding of the incident, it has also highlighted some aspects that cannot be explained without additional evidence that may exist. His full remarks are available online.
Later today, at 3 p.m., the Secretary-General will address the opening of the seventieth session of the General Assembly. And following the opening, the new President of the session, Mogens Lykketoft, will speak to you at the General Assembly stakeout.
And also, I want to introduce Dan Thomas, who will be the PGA’s (President of the General Assembly) Spokesman. Dan is behind you and we will drag him out in front of you as much as possible.
Dan will take up the same offices that Jean-Victor [Nkolo] and his team had; and I do want to say a big note of thank you to Jean-Victor and all the people that worked for him for their work during the last session.
**Middle East
Back here, Nickolay Mladenov, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, briefed the Security Council by video teleconference this morning and expressed his grave concern over the violence and continuing clashes in and around the Holy Sites of the Old City of Jerusalem. He said that such serious provocations have the potential to ignite violence well beyond the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem.
Mr. Mladenov urged all political, community and religious leaders to ensure that visitors and worshippers demonstrate restraint and respect for the sanctity of the area. All sides have a responsibility to refrain from provocative actions and rhetoric. He added that it is imperative that the historic status quo is preserved, in line with the agreements between Israel and His Majesty the King of Jordan, as Custodian of the Muslim Holy Sites in Jerusalem.
A note to correspondents we issued yesterday afternoon noted that the Secretary-General has consistently reiterated the importance of respect for religious freedom of all, and for worshippers of all faiths to have access to their holy sites. These events once again underscore the importance of reaching a final status agreement through negotiations on all issues, including arrangements for the holy sites that are acceptable to all.
**Central African Republic
Turning to the Central African Republic, the UN Mission in that country (MINUSCA) has received an allegation of sexual exploitation committed by one of its civilian staff on 12 September 2015.
MINUSCA has informed the country’s authorities of this allegation. The United Nations Office of Internal Oversight Services has immediately taken steps to investigate this case, consistent with the Secretary-General’s zero tolerance policy on sexual exploitation and abuse.
MINUSCA condemns in the strongest possible terms any instance of sexual exploitation and abuse committed by UN personnel in the CAR.
The Secretary-General’s [Special] Representative, Parfait Onanga-Anyanga, has discussed this new case both with the High Commissioner for Human Rights, as well as the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Hervé Ladsous. And he reiterates his personal and institutional commitment to ensure that the rights and dignity of victims are protected, an investigation is carried out swiftly, and justice is done.
Also from the Central African Republic, the Humanitarian Coordinator in the country, Aurélien Agbénonci, is alarmed by the eviction of 114 people from the Saint Jean Gabaladja displacement site in Bangui on 12 September. They have been temporarily moved to Benzvi displacement site, where they have been provided with support to resettle.
The Humanitarian Coordinator says he was concerned the evictions could signal the start of a wave of forced movements, with nine displacement sites hosting 2,700 people who are currently under threat of eviction.
He said that any movement of displaced populations must be based on a voluntary decision by the concerned people, ensuring best safety conditions and [respecting] the dignity of people affected, following the rules and principles of the international humanitarian law and the Kampala Convention.
There are 31 displacement sites in Bangui alone, hosting over 27,300 people. Throughout the country, some 368,000 people are also internally displaced.
**Refugees
From Geneva, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said that yesterday’s decision to adopt a relocation proposal for 40,000 people, by the European Council of Ministers, was a welcome single step.
However, the Agency said it is clear that much more is needed.
It is deeply disappointed that although a majority of Member States was in agreement with a wider relocation proposal for 120,000 people, a final consensus within EU Members was not reached.
The Agency said that decisive agreement is needed without further delay to address needs, as well as bold action based on solidarity from all Member States. It welcomed the announcement of increased support by the European Union and Member States to UNHCR to respond to the needs of refugees in countries neighbouring Syria.
The Agency stressed once again that saving lives of refugees and migrants at sea continues to be a critical priority, as demonstrated by several boat tragedies over the past few days.
**Syria
Also from Geneva, our colleagues at UNICEF report that there are more than 2 million children in Syria who would not be able to attend school this term. Another 400,000 are at risk of dropping out as a result of conflict, violence and continued displacement. As the conflict in Syria entered its fifth year, the crisis continues to wipe out years of achievements in education. Some children in Syria have never been inside a classroom, while others have lost up to four years of their schooling.
Meanwhile, the World Food Programme (WFP) says that critical funding shortages have forced it to halve the level of assistance provided to almost 1.3 million vulnerable Syrian refugees in the region. In Jordan, WFP has reduced the value of its food vouchers to refugees living outside the camps to $14 per person, per month. All 96,000 refugees living inside the camps continue to get $28 per person per month to meet their food needs.
**Yemen
From Yemen, our humanitarian colleagues say that damage to civilian infrastructure such as hospitals, mosques and schools continues unabated in Yemen, while the depletion of medical stocks and the lack of fuel to run hospital generators further exacerbate the humanitarian crisis.
Yemen relies on imports for up to 70 percent of its fuel requirements and 100 per cent of its needs for medicine. In August, imports accounted for only 12 per cent of monthly fuel needs, a steep drop compared with 69 per cent in July. The decrease is due to embargo-related import restrictions and damage to the main ports such as Al Hudaydah, but also unwillingness of commercial shipping companies to berth in Yemen, due to insecurity concerns.
Since the conflict escalated in March, 30 people have been killed and 185 injured on average each day, according to data provided by the World Health Organization (WHO). As of 7 September, there have been nearly 30,000 deaths and injuries reported by health facilities, according to the World Health Organization. The number of casualties is likely much higher than reported, as many health facilities are closing or victims never reach a health facility.
**Children
Also I want to flag a letter signed by 18 child survivors of violence and championed by UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) Goodwill Ambassador David Beckham, which calls on world leaders to end the widespread abuse that affects millions of children around the world.
The letter includes the words of survivors of violent conflict in South Sudan, sexual abuse in Iceland, and child trafficking in Pakistan. You can discover it on UNICEF’s website.
**Afghanistan
From Afghanistan, UNHCR’s 2015 Nansen Refugee Award went to a teacher from Afghanistan, who has dedicated her life to bringing education to refugee girls in Pakistan.
UNHCR recognizes the dedication of Afghan refugee teacher Aqeela Asifi for her work in the Kot Chandana refugee village in Mianwali, where she has helped a thousand refugee girls with primary school education.
According to the agency, Afghanistan remains the largest, most protracted refugee crisis in the world. More than 2.6 million Afghans currently live in exile, over half of them being children.
**Press Conference
At noon: the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon. That’s it. I mean, that’s it for press conferences.
**Honour Roll
And for the honour roll, we would like to thank Nepal and Swaziland for paying their dues. One hundred and nineteen Member States have now paid in full.
**Questions and Answers
Spokesman: You get the first question. If you have… if you don't have one, I'll take a pass. [Laughter] I'm sure you do, Abdel Hamid. Go ahead.
Question: My first question is about the statement read by Mr. Mladenov to the Security Council regarding the provocations and the al‑Aqsa mosque and in Jerusalem. And if you read carefully, it doesn't point out who is provocating [sic] who. They put all sides in the same basket, as if the Palestinians who are provoking exactly the same… at the same level of those settlers who came to the mosque with the Minister of Agriculture led by them and they brought about 700 tourists, which is not a place for tourism. It's a place for worship. And yet the statement put all sides and calls on the restraint from all sides — that at the same level of provocation coming from both sides. Is that fair?
Spokesman: I think to call on all sides to show restraint, is, indeed, fair and necessary. In these situations, we've seen these kinds of situations flare up. Different incidents spark different incidents. The point is to look forward and to call on all sides to show restraint. Carole?
Question: There were many injuries…
Spokesman: I'll… I'll come back.
Question: Stéphane, on this latest case in the Central African Republic, do you have details, where, one… what? Also, given that it's a civilian, does that mean that… who’s handling the investigation, and who would take action?
Spokesman: Well, the… obviously, the local authorities have been informed. At this point, we are conducting an internal investigation by OIOS (Office of Internal Oversight Services). It is… as I mentioned, it's a civilian. The person remains in‑country and will not be allowed to leave the CAR for the time being. And that's really the details I can share with you at this point.
Question: [inaudible]
Spokesman: Sorry. It's a case of… it's a case of sexual… it's a case of a possible serious misconduct involving sexual abuse. Mr. Lee?
Question: On the same topic. First, would… I mean, does this person have immunity or would the UN waive immunity?
Spokesman: Immunity in criminal cases… in all criminal cases does not apply. And if… if a case were to go… a judicial case were to go forward, there would be no immunity for these actions, clearly, as they're not part of that person's work.
Question: When you say the person can't leave the country, is that by order of… the UN won't facilitate them leaving or the CAR…
Spokesman: That's as far as… I'm speaking on behalf of the UN.
Question: I guess, inevitably, I have to ask you this. Since Mr. [Hervé] Ladsous said that one of the reasons these abuses take place is people don't leave the country and go for R&R elsewhere for recreation, one could say, how long has the person been in the country?
Spokesman: Matthew, I think… I think you continue to gain great pleasure in distorting what Mr. Ladsous said…
Question: You can read the transcript. He said…
Spokesman: Listen, I think you raised that issue yesterday. I answered clearly this is a case… a possible case of sexual abuse, which is to be condemned and which will be pursued as far as we can, both internally and with the relevant judicial authorities.
Question: How long has it been since the person left the country? The reason I ask is that he made the linkage. He's the one that brought up people traveling… [Cross talk]
Spokesman: Matthew, I will say this one last time. Civilian staff and military staff work under two different regimes. So you're… to compare soldiers that have been in‑country in very difficult circumstances for three years and civilian staff is not to be comparable. Yes, ma'am?
Question: Just… sorry. So just going back to this same issue of CAR, so what happens if the perpetrator is really confirmed? Will he or she have the salary suspended? Will he or she be… [Cross talk]
Spokesman: Well, there are two avenues here. On our end, there's an investigation, which could lead to various administrative decisions depending… up to and including dismissal, depending on what is found. So that's one. And, obviously, there is a possibility, depending on what is found, of a criminal avenue being pursued by the relevant authorities.
Question: Sorry. Sorry. But just, meanwhile, while the investigation is in course…
Spokesman: Currently the staff member is not at the office. If there are further steps that are taken that I can share with you, I will. Yes, Iftikhar?
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. Regarding this new team to investigate the alleged use of chemical weapons of chemical weapons in Syria, what is its mandate? Will it just determine the use or not use of chemical weapons or go beyond and assign responsibility?
Spokesman: The mandate is very clear, and that's the mandate given to the United Nations and the OPCW in resolution 2235, which also includes trying to assign responsibility for the use of chemical weapons. So I would refer you back to the resolution. Mr. Abbadi?
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. On the Middle East peace process, Secretary‑General is scheduled to meet with the Quartet… to chair the Quartet at the end of this month, in order to discuss links between regional and international efforts to bring back the peace process. Does the Secretary‑General would like to see the issue more internalized… internationalized, beyond the limits of the Quartet?
Spokesman: Well, I think the issue itself is already fairly internationalized with the involvement of the Security Council, sometimes with the General Assembly. I think what the Secretary‑General would like to see is a real, renewed push for the peace process. Yes, sir?
Question: Was there a phone conversation with President [Tayyip Recep] Erdogan and Secretary‑General yesterday about…
Spokesman: Yes, there was.
Question: And can you tell…
Spokesman: It was at the request of President Erdogan, and it focused on the situation in Jerusalem. Yes, sir? Stefano?
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. The situation in Europe with the refugee and looks like it… the situation changes again, and Hungary is starting to arrest people and the meetings that the European Union are doing are not… looks like they don't resolve anything. They don't take decisions on many refugees — they are going to be accepted. So any reaction to the last few days of confusion in Europe?
Spokesman: You know, I think… I just flagged the response by the High Commissioner for Refugees, which the Secretary‑General takes absolutely no issue with. I think whether it's the Secretary‑General, whether it's High Commissioner for Refugees, for Human Rights, I think everyone would like to see a comprehensive European‑wide decision and policy to avoid leaving migrants and refugees in various legal limbos, depending on which country they go through. And moreover, what we would like to see everywhere is refugees and migrants treated with dignity and within the respect of their rights.
Round two?
Question: Great. I wanted to ask you about a communication by the staff union saying that the… this is a quote, the Secretary‑General has decided to accept the recommendation of the ICSC (International Civil Service Commission) basically to reduce staff… the compensation of lower-ranked UN staff by 5.8 per cent and they've previously compared this to raises that they say upper staff are getting. Maybe you're going to say I'm misinterpreting this. But I'm looking at it. I'm sure you've seen it. What is the Secretary‑General's response?
Spokesman: I haven't seen I haven't seen the letter of the staff union. I'll take a look at it, and I'll give you a response.
Question: Does he…
Spokesman: I'll take a look at it, and give you a response. Mr. Abbadi and then Abdel Hamid?
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. I would like to go back to my question on the Quartet.
Spokesman: I'm sure you would.
Question: Does the Secretary‑General wish to see the membership of the Quartet extended to other countries?
Spokesman: I think the… the Quartet will meet with its Arab partners. I think that issue may be part of the discussions within the Quartet. But I have nothing else to add at this point. Abdel Hamid?
Question: My question is about Egypt. There is a letter sent to the Secretary‑General, Stéphane.
Spokesman: Yes, I'm listening to you.
Question: And the letter is sent from a group… an NGO called the Egyptian Revolutionary Council, and it addresses the SG telling him that there are grave concerns over the deteriorating health of Egypt’s first democratically elected President, Dr. Mohamed Morsi, at the hands of the Egyptian authorities to a deliberate policy of medical negligence. So this letter is sent to the Secretary‑General. First, do you acknowledge receiving this letter?
Spokesman: I will take a look. I have not seen the letter but I'm happy to take a look.
Question: Please let us know, and if he's taking any step further.
Spokesman: Okay. Yes, ma'am?
Question: Stéphane, going back to the issue of refugees and their rights, the question I have is do refugees… given the definition of what a refugee is, I gather… excuse me… someone having… there's an imminent threat of death. There's persecution, etc. But is the view of the international community that refugees, for example that have sought refugee… refuge in other countries, then have the right to say or… to themselves, I'd like to then go to a second country for refuge? In other words, there have been examples of people from Turkey. Those refugees are clearly not in imminent danger, yet they are going elsewhere. I'm just wondering what are the rights of refugees?
Spokesman: I think all those cases are… those things are examined… people's cases are examined on case‑by‑case basis and once it's determined they are refugees and have a rightful fear for their lives, then they're accorded certain privileges. But I hesitate, with my slightly limited legal knowledge, to actually give you a straight answer on that one. Yes, in the back?
Question: Follow‑up on the refugees. It's very well known that hundreds of refugees are leaving Turkey and they take boats from Turkey and it's very well-known from where, what ports and what cities on the Mediterranean. So what's the responsibility on Turkey here? Should the Turkish authorities stop them or help them to find safe vessels?
Spokesman: I think every country has a responsibility to ensure the safety of those who are moving to seek refuge. I wanted to add something to the question asked about the panel on Syria, is that… I just want to give you the name of the two other members that will lead… that will be part of the team led by Ms. Gamba, and that is… she will have two deputies. One is Mr. Adrian Neritani of Albania and Mr. Eberhard Schanze of Germany. Mr. Neritani will be responsible for the political component of the mechanism, and Mr. Schanze will be responsible for investigative component. Matthew?
Question: Sure. I wanted to ask about refugees, Burundi and South Sudan. On refugees, the notice put out by the Secretary‑General for nominations for… to replace… to succeed Mr. [Antonio] Guterres, top UNHCR, said to apply by 14 September. Can you say how many people have applied? Can you confirm Filippo Grandi is an applicant? Given now that the GA has asked for greater transparency in the selection of the SG, what's the process here? Is there going to be a panel to interview people? How does it work?
Spokesman: The process is being guided by direct… by… excuse me… by direct… by… excuse me, by a directive from the General Assembly. I can make that public. We will not be releasing a short list or any other details.
Question: Is there a panel to interview people?
Spokesman: There's always a panel.
Question: Who's on the panel?
Spokesman: I have no other details to share with you.
Question: Okay. And on Burundi, today the Human Rights Council, the Special Rapporteur Pablo de Greiff had said that, unless something is done, that… that things will spiral out of control. It's harkened to all the language of Rights Up Front. So I wonder, where does it stand with the Secretary‑General, sending an envoy or doing something… [crosstalk]
Spokesman: The discussions on appointing a person are still ongoing. Obviously, despite that appointment, without that appointment, we continue to watch the situation very closely with the staff on the ground and the human rights staff, and I think we would share at lot of concerns expressed by the Special Rapporteur.
Question: And on south… Salva Kiir has now said he's not coming to the UN General Assembly debate. Yesterday you said you'd check if Riek Machar has been invited.
Spokesman: Yes, the Secretary‑General invited the signatories of the agreement on the resolution of the conflict in South Sudan for the high‑level meeting he's having on 29 September, and we very much hope that it will be attended at the highest level, to ensure that the implementation of the agreement receives the fullest possible support from the international community.
Question: Would it be disappointing if Salva Kiir didn't come?
Spokesman: I think we would expect and hope the highest level.
Correspondent: Okay.
Spokesman: If you have a question, yes. Otherwise, I will pull the plug on myself. [laughter]
Question: CPJ (Committee for the Protection of Journalists) has a list of winners this year of people who have been… who have been under tremendous pressure of media people by their Governments, and we all know about Syria. But I wondered if the SG or the UN is looking into Paraguay, Malaysia, as well as…
[crosstalk]
Spokesman: I think whether it's us or UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization), the Office of Human Rights, these issues are routinely raised. We also make it a point to meet with NGOs that support reporters. The Deputy Secretary‑General met yesterday, I believe, with the representatives of Reporters Without Borders. It is something that is very close to the heart of the Secretary‑General.
Thank you.