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 Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General.
Good afternoon, everyone.
**Security Council
The Security Council discussed today the challenges of policing within a protection of civilians mandate. The Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Hervé Ladsous, said that perhaps the most important reservoir of protection expertise was found among the world’s police officers. He added that these were the women and men who receive training to engage with communities, analyse potential threats, and, if necessary, take action.
He said that 10 peacekeeping operations have a protection of civilians mandate and that the police in particular have an important role to play in protecting civilians, especially as their numbers and responsibilities expand. During the last decade, the number of police authorized for deployment nearly tripled to over 13,000, and their mandates are increasingly multidimensional. The Police Commissioners for the UN Missions in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) and in Liberia (UNMIL), as well as the Deputy Police Commissioner for the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), also addressed the Council.
**Syria
I have an update for you on the work of the Joint Investigation Mechanism dealing with chemical weapons in Syria. Following its initial planning meeting, the Joint Investigation Mechanism has proceeded with the recruitment of its core and administrative staff, and during the last month, it has also moved to set up its offices in both New York and The Hague, as well as a light presence in Damascus. The Joint Investigation Mechanism is now sufficiently staffed to declare itself fully operational as of today. A letter to that respect was sent by the Secretary-General to the Security Council on 10 November.
**Lebanon
In a statement we issued yesterday afternoon, the Secretary-General condemned the terrorist attack in the Beirut suburb of Burj al‑Barajneh. He is deeply saddened at the reported high numbers of fatalities and injured, and extends his condolences to the families of the victims and to the people and Government of Lebanon. He wishes a speedy recovery to those injured. The Secretary-General reiterates the need for all parties to continue to work to preserve Lebanon’s stability and security, as called for by the Security Council. And he calls for those responsible for this terrorist act to be swiftly brought to justice. Also yesterday, Sigrid Kaag, the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, condemned the attack and said that Lebanon’s unity, stability and security need to be supported and shielded at all times. She added that the international community stands by Lebanon.
**Myanmar
In another statement, the Secretary-General warmly congratulates the people of Myanmar for their peaceful, dignified and enthusiastic participation in the historic elections of 8 November. He welcomes this as a significant achievement in Myanmar’s democratic transition. He acknowledges, in particular, the courage and vision of President Thein Sein whose leadership in the reform process has helped achieve progress to this defining stage. The Secretary-General also commends the Union Election Commission, political parties, domestic and international observers and all others who tirelessly contributed to making these elections such a significant success. While saying this, he is regretfully aware that a large number of voters from minority communities, in particular the Rohingya, were denied the right to vote and some were disqualified as candidates.
The Secretary-General extends his warm congratulations to the National League for Democracy and Daw Aung San Suu Kyi for their landmark performance at the elections and to the Union Solidarity and Development Party for its dignified acceptance of the verdict of the people. As Myanmar begins the process of forming its next government, the Secretary-General urges all national stakeholders to maintain a calm atmosphere and uphold human rights and the rule of law. The full statement is available online.
**Central African Republic
The UN Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) reports that the situation remains tense in Batangafo, following clashes between anti-balaka and ex-Séléka combatants inside a camp for internally displaced persons on Wednesday. A majority of the displaced have fled, including some 5,000 who are at the Missions camp and some 12,000 are in NGO [non-governmental organization] camps. In response to the violence, the Mission dispatched reinforcement by helicopter to strengthen its position in Batangafo.
**Mali
The Humanitarian Coordinator in Mali, Ms. Mbaranga Gasarabwe, has condemned the recent increase of violence against humanitarian organizations in the country. Some 30 attacks have been directed against aid workers and their facilities since the beginning of the year, most of them in recent months. In the latest incident, an explosive device was set off at the entrance of a building housing a non-governmental organization in Menaka, in the Gao region.
The Humanitarian Coordinator said that hindering the work of humanitarian organizations affects vulnerable people — the men, women and children for whom humanitarian assistance is often a question of survival. And she added that attacks against the personnel and facilities of humanitarian organizations are violations of international humanitarian law. Some 140 aid organizations work in Mali, about 100 of which are located in the north. They provide essential water, food, health services, education, shelter and livelihood support to hundreds of thousands of people. Her full statement is online.
**Greece
The UN refugee agency has warned that despite dangerous sea conditions, the number of refugees and migrants arriving on Lesvos, Greece, continues to be high, at an average of 3,300 people per day so far in November. Of the 660,000 refugees and migrants who have reached Greece this year more than half have landed at Lesvos. UNHCR [United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees] also warns that with winter approaching, reception conditions and capacity there remain overstretched and inadequate. Despite the challenges, the Refugee Agency is working with its partners to provide newly-arriving refugees with immediate life-saving help, and continues to appeal to authorities to create additional accommodation and reception capacity urgently.
**Ukraine
The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says that the lives of an estimated 700,000 children and others in Ukraine’s conflict-affected regions could be at risk if repairs to the water network in those areas are not urgently made. Damage to pipelines and infrastructure, as well as debris from destroyed bridges due to conflict in the eastern Donetsk and Luhansk, are hampering the flow of water, and could result in a shutdown of the system, affecting water, heating and electricity supplies. UNICEF has called for more access to areas where water infrastructure is damaged, ahead of the winter months.
**Measles
Measles vaccination has saved an estimated 17.1 million lives since 2000. That’s according to new data released today by the World Health Organization (WHO) for the Measles & Rubella Initiative. From 2000 to 2014, the number of measles-related deaths has decreased by 79 per cent, with vaccination against the disease playing a key role in reducing child mortality. However, overall progress towards increasing global immunization coverage has recently stagnated. And the World Health Organization warns that based on current trends, the 2015 global milestones and goals set by Member States will not be achieved on time. More on this online.
**Press Conferences
For press conferences, this afternoon at 4:00 p.m., there will be a briefing here by Jean-Louis Borloo, former Minister of Ecology of France, for the Energies for Africa Initiative. This is sponsored by the Permanent Mission of France. And then on Monday, the first ever World Antibiotic Awareness Week will be marked from 16 to 22 November. And on Monday, at 12:30 p.m., Ambassador Matthew Rycroft of the United Kingdom and Dr. Nata Menabde, Executive Director of the World Health Organization Office in New York, will be here to brief you on the emergence of antimicrobial resistance and the launch of a new global campaign entitled Antibiotics: Handle with care. That's it for me. Yes, Matthew?
**Questions and Answers
Question: Sure, thanks a lot. I wanted to ask you about this… well, starting with this note to correspondents by Bernardino León. I just… he said at the beginning of it that, in light of the most recent reporting The New York Times publication of the second tranche of emails, he said, “I have decided to request a full clarification of the issue.” I mean, is he doing that on behalf of the UN? On behalf of the sanctions committee? Will he share the information with the Secretary-General? With the public? What's the… How should that sentence be read?
Deputy Spokesman: That sentence should be read as something reflecting the views of the Special Representative, Mr. León. As such, this comprises his own views as he, as he put it, takes time to reflect on his next steps. That's unrelated to the work of the United Nations. In his capacity as Special Representative, as you know, what he's focusing on in his remaining days in the job is trying to get the parties to an agreement. Once he has left that job, as you know, he will be succeeded in that position by Martin Kobler.
Question: Relatedly, I wanted to ask about his predecessor, Mr. [Tarek] Mitri. I’ve seen this, quote, approval of Secretary-General of certain outside activities that Mr. Mitri received, signed by Susana Malcorra in 2012. Basically it seems like he followed the rules, he sought a ruling on being the Arab centre for research and policy studies, various board memberships. There was a very detailed letter about don't take payment, but you can take travel, et cetera. So I wanted to know, did Mr. León similarly seek a ruling in his discussions with the UAE [United Arab Emirates]? And if not, why not?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, I don't speak for Mr. León and his choices. He has already spoken at length to you, for example, a week ago and also in this note about the actions he's taken, and we'll leave it at that. Our expectation is that all officials, particularly all senior officials, do need to look into any potential conflicts of interest that may arise. If they have any questions about that, they should follow the steps, as indeed Mr. Mitri has done, and look at the existing avenues that we have, including the Ethics Office. These are our resources that all of them can avail themselves of and they are encouraged to do so.
Question: Just one more thing, if you don’t mind.
Deputy Spokesman: Can we come back to you? Hold on. Yes?
Question: Yes. On the same subject, New York Times article alludes to an email from Jeffrey Feltman to senior officials of the UAE, asking for more time for Mr. León, if necessary, to reach agreement. First of all, I'd like to know, since it's now referenced in the article, whether that email could be made public. And secondly, the article quotes the email, saying: if needed, I could ask the Secretary-General to call you to make the request. I'd like to know whether that call was made and what… we can get a readout of that call. Thank you.
Deputy Spokesman: First of all, of course, as you know as a general policy, we don't comment on leaked emails. Regarding this overall affair, of course, it's clear that for the job that Mr. León was doing, this was a critical time and indeed it remains a critical time in the negotiations concerning a diplomatic solution for the people of Libya. As such, it's perfectly within the managerial responsibilities that Jeffrey Feltman has as the head of political affairs to try to see what he can do to ensure that the people he has on the job as mediators stay on the job at the critical times that they are needed. And so, that's simply a question of making sure that you have the people on hand when you need them. And of course when there's a transition, as indeed there will be one underway in the coming days, that it can be done smoothly.
Question: Why would he have even needed to get clearance, if you will, or an okay from the UAE unless he knew about this job offer and was leaning on the UAE senior officials to allow an extension? I mean, isn't it unusual? I mean, isn't it up to Secretary-General to ask Mr. León directly, can you stay on for another month and it's between the two of them. Why go to the UAE in particular to ask for an extension?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, that… again, the question of Mr. León's post-UN career is not really one that I intend to go into at length. The point for us was to make sure that he was available on hand as long as we needed him for the purpose of these particular discussions. So, yes, you would deal with Mr. León on that, but if need be, you would deal with whomever else would be helpful in making sure that he could stay on as long in this job as we needed him. Yes, Zack?
Question: Question about the logistics of the Joint Investigation Mechanism. You said it's fully operational as of today — in all three cities?
Deputy Spokesman: Yes. Well, it's not fully staffed in all three cities. The staffing still needs to be completed in a number of places. There were a couple of delays caused, for example, by the deployment of the Umoja programme throughout the UN system. It's created a little bit of backlog in terms of being able to get all of the administrative functions and staffing done. Yes, we're trying to have a presence available in all the places where the mechanism will be operational.
Question: And to follow up, any idea what the staffing level will be at those two places?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, we don't expect to have a large presence in Damascus. There will be a light presence there. There will be a certain number of staff in New York and The Hague, however. Once those places are fully staffed, I'll try to get you a number, but we're still in the process of getting some people there. I believe next week, there will also be a meeting taking place in The Hague in which the operationalization of the mechanism will proceed. Yes?
Question: Some other questions, but still on Libyan following up. If… I mean, I've looked… there's an ethics… UN ethics Q and A that says to people for post-employment restrictions: Finally, you should act with caution if you accept a job with a Member State immediately after leaving the UN. It seems like if Mr. Feltman knew of these negotiations from 27 August on… my question is not to Mr. León, I guess it's to you for Mr. Feltman; did Mr. Feltman advise Bernardino León of this? Did he inform the Secretary-General? And after that, did he tell him to seek an ethics ruling, as Mr. Mitri did?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, ultimately, like I said, the question is for the officials themselves. They are encouraged and Secretary-General does encourage all of them to go to the Ethics Office for anything… for any questions of this sort of nature, and it's up to them to avail themselves of these resources. Mr. León has made clear to all of you, I believe, his awareness that this particular set of circumstances didn't look good. Following the Times article, he's made it clear that he himself is looking for further clarifications and he may need to make some further decisions [in] that light. So that's the process he's going through and we will await the outcome of that. In the meantime, our focus, as it has always been, remains on the negotiations in Libya itself. We don't ultimately want to get distracted from the fact that right now, we have a deal on the table. We need to make sure that all the parties see that deal as being in their interest. He's been working towards that and we certainly hope that what has happened over these past days doesn't become a distraction from something that is actually achievable and that needs to be achieved for the sake of the Libyan people.
Question: I guess my question is, as the head of the department like Mr. Feltman, if the UN system is saying there should be caution taken about taking a job with a Member State, if an envoy reporting to Mr. Feltman tells him I'm in negotiations for a job, what is the head of the department supposed to do?
Deputy Spokesman: I'm not aware that he even had that kind of discussion with him, mind you. What I am aware of is that Mr. Feltman appreciates the need to keep him on the job while the work was proceeding. That's clear. And that's within his responsibilities as manager. What's also clear is that Mr. León, like all officials, does need to take responsibility for the ethics of his own actions.
Question: Does the Secretary-General send a letter out yet, you had seen both orally and in writing, envoys were going to be reminded of these ethical considerations. Has that happened?
Deputy Spokesman: I believe there will be further reminders. I do think that this matter will be taken up in the next meeting of the Chief Executives Board which, as you know, gathers the heads of the UN system. And we do expect it also be raised at the next session of the Senior Management Group, so we are taking this forward. Yes, Carole?
Question: Sure. Farhan, what is this Chief Executives Board and senior management, what were they supposed to do?
Deputy Spokesman: The idea is to make sure that rules are understood and are implemented throughout the UN system. So twice a year, the Chief Executive Board meets and is chaired by the Secretary-General and includes the heads of all the agencies, finds and programmes and the heads of the main UN offices. So that way you are able to get greater coordination throughout the UN system of common concerns.
Question: Right. But they are supposed to look into what happened in the León case?
Deputy Spokesman: No, no, no, not into this particular case. They are supposed to make sure that it's clearly understood that any sorts of dealings that would complicate the work that officials do by raising, for example, the perception of a conflict of interest, that that will be dealt with in terms of the sort of employment people pursue once they have ceased to work for the United Nations. Yes?
Question: Well, what efforts are being made now at the highest levels, perhaps by the Secretary-General personally, to try to ensure that this deal stays intact? Mr. León sounds like he is not now going to be further involved or he's taking himself out temporarily. Is Mr. Kobler formally now replaced him and is interceding to try to keep the deal together or is the Secretary-General making a personal appeal?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, right now, the Secretary-General and the officials of the system are trying to deal with all of the relevant officials, both among the Libyan parties and in the region as a whole to make sure that they accept this deal. You will have seen the statement we issued two weeks ago on this. We think that the terms of this agreement are fair on all parties and we are encouraging all of them to go the extra mile. As you know, many of them initialed this agreement and the idea is to fully sign up to it. Mr. León is working with that in his concluding days, but even after he's gone, of course, the work of the mission will continue under the leadership of Martin Kobler.
Question: But given these latest developments surrounding the UAE and so forth and Mr. León saying that he has to take time for reflection and consideration, what now is being done in this pretty critical period where at least one of the parties is questioning the fairness of the deal and the bias… perception of bias? Is the Secretary-General personally getting involved or his deputies making all the calls necessary now to keep this deal intact until Mr. Kobler assumes his position?
Deputy Spokesman: The Secretary-General has declared his support for the agreement reached by his Special Representative, Mr. León. He continues to support Mr. León's work. By the way, when Mr. León said that he was taking time to reflect, that had to do with discussions about his post-UN employment. Right now, he continues to be employed by the UN and he continues to pursue an agreement among the parties. He is working right now; he continues, I believe, to be in Tunis trying to deal with the various parties and we will continue to backstop that effort because we're trying to see what can be done in these coming days to get the parties to agreement. As you know, this is something we've been pursuing for some weeks now, but ultimately we have an agreement on the table. As we've made clear, this is a final text. It shouldn't be tinkered with any further. And if they look objectively at what the agreement says, there's a fair deal for all parties enshrined in this, and so it's up to them now to take their courageous step toward the benefit of the Libyan people and come to an agreement with each other. Yes?
Question: Farhan, can you give us any update on the sub-working groups that Staffan de Mistura announced earlier this week, and are they up and running?
Deputy Spokesman: Not yet. I mean, they are ready to work as needed. I do believe, as you know, there's a meeting underway in Vienna. Staffan de Mistura is there, representing the United Nations. I do think that we may have more to say in the coming day or so about where we stand on the issue of what the next step should be. So in some ways, just stay tuned for us and I think we'll have more to say as the events unfold in Vienna over the next day or so.
Question: He announced that they would start on Wednesday, so what happened?
Deputy Spokesman: Right now we're in the grip of a series of different events, including, as you know, the talks in Vienna, so he's gone over there. We have not formally begun any of these sessions yet. Like I said, we're ready to support the process. And I do expect we'll have some more information to provide for you in the coming days as these talks get underway in Vienna. Yes?
Question: Sure, I wanted to ask two things about Burundi. One is both the EU [European Union] and Belgium and maybe others have announced either they’re pulling some staff out of the country or diplomats families leaving. I wanted to know what's the status for the UN? Is it a family station? Does it remain a family station? What's in terms of presence? Also, I wanted to know if the UN has any participation in this AUPSC [African Union Peace and Security Council] meeting in Addis concerning Burundi.
Deputy Spokesman: At this stage I don't have anything to say about the African Union Peace and Security Council meeting. You'll have seen the joint statement that our Deputy Secretary-General put out with Ms. [Nkosazana] Dlamini-Zuma of the African Union, as well as Ms. [Federica] Mogherini of the European Union. You will have seen the sentiments in that, which reflect where we stand there. Regarding the status of Burundi, I don't have any change to report in the security status. Yes?
Question: This had to do with an incident earlier in the week, in what they call the visitors’ lobby. It was a protest by the, quote, unpaid interns who were outside, they came inside. By the time I got down there, they were being told to put their signs away. They couldn’t take signs in. People were being told not to take any photographs. So I wanted to know, what are the rules… I've attended other staff union protests in the North Lawn Building where people did have signs. Is there a rule against UN, whether they are called employees or interns, one, protesting; two, having signs; and three, how can photographs of it be prohibited?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, photographs of that are not prohibited. That's a misunderstanding. The photographers were able to keep all of the photographs of that event.
Question: Right, but they were told not to take any more. I was there and I walked around.
Deputy Spokesman: Like I said, that was a misunderstanding. I took it up with security afterwards. They explained to me that what they had said was not to take photographs of them. They had not consented to give photographs of themselves. That's to say the security officers in question, which is a question of consent. It's not a question of what the rules are. Media are free to take photos.
Question: If they stand in front of a protest, then you can't photograph the protest. That's what I was there for, not them, just the protest.
Deputy Spokesman: No. And there was no restriction to taking photographs of the protest. In any case, they allowed for photographs to be taken of themselves, but their own personal wish had been that, since they had not consented, that their own images not be taken, which is a reasonable request.
Question: What about signs?
Deputy Spokesman: Regarding the signs, the simple point is that protests and banners of protests are not authorized in UN Headquarters. So as a matter of course, security disperses those.
Question: What about the substance? Has the Secretary-General, as this issue has grown, this also happened in Vienna, Brussels, Geneva, what does he think… the idea being not necessarily just the people protesting want to be paid, but that they say that not paying their interns means only the most affluent can work for the UN?
Deputy Spokesman: It's a real concern. We want to make sure internships are available widely and that more governments, more people can avail themselves of that. At the same time, as you know, the relevant General Assembly rulings on this do not really provide for payment of interns. And of course, we as an organization that is budgeted by Member States do not have a budget given to them, given by them for us to pay interns. Until that changes, we simply cannot do it. Yes?
Question: Okay. Just following up, number one, how is that policy? I realize it's the Member States that set the policy, but they also adopted sustainable development goals, one of which references a fair wage. So I'm just wondering whether… how those jibe. And secondly, it was reported in that incident… I was not personally there, but I'm going by a report… that at least one of the photographer's badge was taken from him by security, so I wanted to know if that's true, and if it is, was it returned, or what was the disposition?
Deputy Spokesman: Like I said, I followed up with security on this incident and they said no, the… They are aware of some differences with the photographers at the site, but no, no one was obstructed or hindered in that way. Yes. Have a good weekend, everyone.