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.
**Haiti
I have the following statement attributable to the Spokesman for the Secretary-General on Haiti: The Secretary-General is concerned over the growing political uncertainty in Haiti, following the publication of the results of the 25 October elections.
He takes note of the efforts undertaken so far by all stakeholders, including the establishment of an electoral evaluation commission on 16 December, to address the concerns of opposition parties and ensure the successful and timely conclusion of the presidential elections.
The Secretary-General calls for the urgent intensification of dialogue to ensure the transfer of power through elections, within the constitutional timeframe, maintain stability and preserve the country’s democratic gains. He urges the two candidates in the presidential run-off to engage in good faith with the relevant institutions to identify and implement measures to help the process move forward.
The Secretary-General stresses the responsibility of all political actors to discourage violence and encourage a spirit of unity throughout the country. The Secretary-General reaffirms the commitment of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) and the whole United Nations family to continue supporting the Haitian people in the fulfilment of their democratic aspirations.
That statement is available in English and in French on our office.
**China
And I also have the following statement attributable to the Spokesman for the Secretary-General on the landslide in Shenzhen, China.
The Secretary-General extends his heartfelt condolences to families of the victims of the devastating landslide in Shenzhen and expresses his solidarity with the people and Government of China.
The Secretary-General fervently hopes more survivors will be found during the ongoing rescue efforts.
**Yemen
Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Yemen, briefed the Security Council on Yemen this morning and said that the recent meetings in Switzerland between the parties provided a solid foundation for resumed talks in the future and a basis for a renewed and strengthened cessation of hostilities. At the same time, he said, the talks revealed deep divisions between the two sides and trust between the parties remains weak.
The Special Envoy also noted the worsening security situation in Yemen, saying that the residents of Taiz continue to suffer the consequences of heavy fighting and a severe lack of assistance. He said that the conflict and the security vacuum it has caused have led to a dangerous expansion of extremist groups in the country.
The High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad al-Hussein, also briefed the Council, saying that the Human Rights Office in Yemen has estimated that more than 2,700 civilians have been killed and more than 5,300 injured since the start of the conflict. The Office has also documented dozens of cases of alleged illegal detention, primarily at the hands of the Popular Committees.
Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Kyung-wha Kang said that around 7.6 million people in Yemen need emergency food assistance to survive. At least 2 million people are malnourished, including 320,000 children who suffer from severe malnutrition.
Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed and High Commissioner Zeid intend to speak to reporters at the Security Council stakeout following the meeting on Yemen.
**Security Council
Earlier today, the Security Council adopted a resolution on the completion of the judicial work of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) following delivery of its last judgment on 14 December, and the impending closure of the Tribunal, set for this 31 December. The same resolution also provided details of the extension of work of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY).
The Security Council also extended the mandate of the UN Disengagement Observer Force in Golan (UNDOF) by six months.
And the Council, in another resolution, demanded that all parties, in particular the Syrian authorities, immediately comply with their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law and international human rights law as applicable.
**South Sudan
The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) reports the arrival yesterday of the first group of some 150 members of SPLM (Sudan People’s Liberation Movement) in Opposition in the capital, Juba, to start work on implementing the Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan, signed in August this year. Additional delegation members were scheduled to arrive today.
The Mission welcomes the first meeting of the Joint Monitoring Evaluation Commission (JMEC) that took place today to discuss a variety of issues, including the status of cantonment of forces. According to the latest timetable issued by Joint Monitoring Evaluation Commission, all of the relevant bodies are due to meet by 23 December, which is tomorrow.
In addition, the Ministerial selection process and return arrangements for the remaining SPLM in Opposition delegates to Juba and the States are on the agenda.
**Mali
On Mali, I want to flag two reports that just came out today.
The first report, issued by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), looks at grave violations and abuses of human rights and international humanitarian law committed on 20 and 21 May 2015 in the village of Tin Hama, in the Gao region. This followed a confrontation between the Groupe autodefense touareg Imghad and its allies (GATIA) and the Coordination des mouvements de l’Azawad (CMA). The report notes that no investigation was opened concerning the events in Tin Hama.
The second report, issued jointly by the UN Mission in Mali and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), documents violations and abuses of human rights and international humanitarian law committed between 16 and 21 May 2014 in Kidal by armed groups and the national defence and security forces. The report adds that almost no measures were taken or made public by the Malian authorities or armed groups to identify those responsible for these abuses.
The High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, said that it is by addressing the events in Tin Hama and Kidal, by ensuring justice for victims and putting an end to impunity, that the Malian authorities and the armed groups that are signatories of the Algiers Accord will truly demonstrate their engagement regarding human rights. Both reports are available online.
**Nigeria
The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) says that violence and attacks against civilian populations in north-eastern Nigeria and its neighbouring countries have forced more than 1 million children out of school.
The number of children missing out on their education due to the conflict adds to the estimated 11 million children of primary school age who were already out of school in Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger before the onset of the crisis.
UNICEF says that over 2,000 schools remain closed in these four countries due to the conflict — some of them for more than a year — and hundreds have been attacked, looted or set on fire.
In north-eastern Nigeria, UNICEF has supported 170,000 children back into education in the safer areas of the three states most affected by the conflict, where the majority of schools have been able to reopen. But many classrooms are severely overcrowded as some school buildings are still being used to house the large numbers of displaced persons seeking shelter from the conflict.
In other areas, insecurity, fear of violence and attacks are preventing many teachers from resuming classes and discouraging parents from sending their children back to school. In Nigeria alone, approximately 600 teachers have been killed since the start of the Boko Haram insurgency. There is more information online.
**Libya
The World Food Programme (WFP) and its partners have started delivering approximately 1,300 tonnes of food aid to Libyan communities in the east and west of the country. The delivery is expected to reach nearly 5,000 displaced families.
The agency requires $47.7 million to provide aid in the most affected areas for 2016. According to the recently launched 2016 Humanitarian Response Plan for Libya, some 2.44 million people need assistance as well as protection. This includes nearly half a million internally displaced people. An estimated 1.3 million Libyans remain food insecure. More information is available online.
**Europe
Persecution, conflict and poverty have driven a staggering one million people to seek safety in Europe in 2015, according to estimates by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
As of yesterday, some 972,500 people have crossed the Mediterranean Sea, while more than 34,000 people have crossed from Turkey into Bulgaria and Greece by land.
The number of people displaced by war and conflict is the highest in Western and Central Europe since the Balkan crises of the 1990s.
One out of every two people crossing the Mediterranean this year, or half a million people, were Syrians escaping the war in their country, while Afghans accounted for 20 per cent and Iraqis 7 per cent.
High Commissioner for Refugees António Guterres said that as anti-foreigner sentiments escalate in some quarters, it is important to recognize the positive contributions that refugees and migrants make to the societies in which they live and also honour core European values: protecting lives, upholding human rights and promoting tolerance and diversity. You can read more about this on UNHCR’s website.
**El Niño
Crop and livestock production prospects in Southern Africa have been weakened by the El Niño weather phenomenon that has lowered rains and increased temperatures — that’s according to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) today.
FAO had already warned in March that the current El Niño would be strong — and it now appears to be the strongest episode in 18 years. It will peak at the start of 2016, before the usual harvest time for farmers in Southern Africa.
South Africa has already declared drought status for five provinces, its main cereal producing regions, while Lesotho has issued a drought mitigation plan and Swaziland has implemented water restrictions as reservoir levels have become low. More on this is available on the FAO website.
**Aviation
I also want to flag today the preliminary figures released by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), which show the total number of passengers carried on scheduled services rising to 3.5 billion in 2015, a 6.4 per cent increase over last year. More details are available on ICAO’s website.
**Armenia-Azerbaijan
I’ve been asked earlier about a recent meeting of the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan and I have the following to say:
The Secretary-General took note of the summit held between the Presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan on 19 December 2015 in Bern, Switzerland, organized under the auspices of the Co-Chairs of the OSCE (Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe) Minsk Group. The Secretary-General commends the efforts of the Co-Chairs of the Minsk Group to organize this meeting and their ongoing work to de-escalate the current tensions along the Line of Contact and the Armenia-Azerbaijani border. He trusts that the summit offered the two sides the opportunity to discuss the practical steps to reduce the ceasefire violations and the civilian casualties and to agree on ways to move the peace process forward. The Secretary-General also noted the expressed support of both Presidents to the Co-Chairs’ efforts with regard to measures aimed at reducing the risk of violence.
The Secretary-General calls on the sides to work closely with the Co-Chairs of the Minsk Group to de-escalate the current tensions and to refrain from any actions that may result in further violence.
**Honour Roll
And for the honour roll: Belarus has paid its regular budget dues in full, making it the 142nd Member State to do so. Thank you.
**Questions and Answers
And that's it for me. Yes, and then back?
Question: Thank you, Farhan. I may have missed this during the past weeks. My question is, does the Secretary‑General think that the Pope… Pope Francis' preaching in favour of action for the environment may have had an influence in the agreement in Paris? And does he believe that further pressuring from the Pope may help in bringing certain countries that are Catholic — read Italy, my case — to comply with the agreement? Thank you.
Spokesman: Yes. The Secretary‑General has spoken out about this. He made very clear in what he's been saying about climate change in recent months that he very much appreciates the efforts by Pope Francis to push the case for climate change as a deeply-held moral issue that all of us need to face. He does believe that the Pope's contribution has been very valuable in encouraging leaders… and not just Catholic leaders but all leaders… to reflect on the consequences of our actions and to resolve to work better for the common good of us all. And he does hope that Pope Francis will continue with his efforts, which have been helpful to the cause that we all share of making sure that the world will remain sustainable and safe for us all. Yes?
Question: I guess I… I wanted to ask you what I asked you… yesterday there was indications from the President of Burundi that they were rejecting the AU (African Union) proposal of 5,000 peacekeepers, and now the parliament has… has said that it has rejected it. So I wanted to know, given the… the things the Secretary‑General has said in the past, what does he have to say about the Government… the Government rejecting the offer of peacekeepers from the African Union?
Spokesman: Well, regarding the proposal, first of all, the Secretary‑General welcomes the African Union's Peace and Security Council's communiqué that was adopted on 18 December as well as the press statement made on behalf of the Council on 19 December. The United Nations has started to identify possible support that could be provided to the African Union initiative. He welcomes all efforts by the international community and Burundi's partners to defuse tensions and bring about a political solution, which should be the absolute priority of all action. In this connection, the Secretary‑General welcomes the 28 December start of the dialogue in Kampala, Uganda. The current crisis can only be resolved through a credible and inclusive political process even as we prepare for all eventualities.
Correspondent: Right. No, and… thanks for that. I wanted to know something more specifically. If the idea is the UN would somehow cooperate with the African Union proposal and if the Government has rejected that proposal. That's what I'm trying to ask you.
Spokesman: Well, I think that's really a question for a dialogue between the African Union and the Burundian Government, to see what further steps can be taken. You've heard what our position is on this, and we are supportive of the efforts that are being taken by the African Union's Peace and Security Council. Meanwhile, Jamal Benomar, as you know, has been dispatched to the region, and he'll engage with key regional leaders in determining how the UN can further support their efforts pursuant to Resolution 2248.
Question: Okay. Would he… just one last thing. So is it fair to… do you think… would he be suggesting to the Burundian Government to accept the African Union proposal? That's what I'm trying to get at. What is the UN's position on the Government's…
Spokesman: Well, he'll be in a touch with a number of parties, not just the Burundians but others, in the region, and we'll see what he can say as a result of his efforts. But they're just beginning right now. Yes, Majeed, and then Abdelhamid.
Question: Thank you, Farhan. I want to first ask about Yemen, given the worsening situation in the country and the… for, say, lack of attention to the situation in Yemen, given all the attention has been given to Syria recently. Will the Secretary‑General participate in the talks on 15 January? And do you think the… the… does he think there should be a new agreement? I know Ould Cheikh Ahmed, the Special Envoy, is more aware of the details, but I want to know more about the Secretary‑General's role. That's about Yemen. And the second, I want to ask about the Syria talk. In the resolution of last week, there is… the Security Council asked the UN Secretary‑General to provide options for monitoring the possible ceasefire. Can you elaborate on possible options that the UN can provide in that sense? Thank you.
Spokesman: Well, to take your second question first, the Secretary‑General will provide options as requested by the Security Council in time for their deadline. I believe that will be due sometime towards the end of January. So he is working with the Secretariat and talking also with the various involved countries about possible options forward, and he'll present that, like I said, a little over a month from now. Regarding your first question about Yemen, the Secretary‑General has been hugely concerned about this crisis. He's been in contact with a number of leaders, including the Yemeni leadership and others, as well as through… of course, as well as through the work of his Special Envoy. Mr. Ould Cheikh Ahmed has made very clear that he intends to resume the dialogue amongst the parties on 14 January, and he will be the person chairing those talks. But the Secretary‑General is doing all he can to support the work of his Special Envoy, and he will continue to do so. And as for Mr. Ould Cheikh Ahmed, you can probably talk to him further. Once the meeting is done, he'll speak to you at the stakeout. Abdelhamid?
Question: Thank you Farhan. Before I ask, will there be briefing tomorrow and next week? Did you mention anything like that in your introductory remarks?
Spokesman: There will be a briefing tomorrow. And I'll be there for that. There will be a briefing on Thursday, and my comrade Stéphane [Dujarric] will be there for that. And then after that, there will be no more briefings until Monday, 4 January. And we can all take a well‑earned rest.
Question: Thank you. Now my question.
Spokesman: Yes?
Question: The Secretary‑General issued a statement yesterday about the rockets fired from Lebanon to Israel. Now, I want to read a quote from the… a letter sent by the Israeli Permanent Representative, Mr. Danny Danon, to the Secretary‑General in which he says, "I call on you to condemn these violations immediately and to address the escalation on the part of Lebanon before the situation further escalates." That is quote from his letter. He sent this letter before the SG issued his statement. Do you confirm that? And second, is that statement based on this letter? And the third, the statement did not put the incident in context, didn't mention that Syrian sovereignty was violated and an assassination that took place in the kind of, what you call, extrajudicial killing which led to this escalation, so that part was missing in the statement of the Secretary‑General.
Spokesman: Well, first of all, Abdelhamid, I think you're making a connection that has not been established as fact. What I can say and, indeed, what I said yesterday even prior to the issuance of the statement is that the UN Interim Force in Lebanon, UNIFIL, is investigating the circumstances of the Sunday incident. So the circumstances still need to be established. The Secretary‑General condemns, and here's the precise words, “condemns any and all violations of Resolution 1701 and urges all concerned to exercise maximum restraint and cooperate with UNIFIL in order to prevent an escalation”. That's where we stand on that. That statement was being prepared even over the course of the morning. So it's not… it's in response to the circumstances on the ground. It's not in response to any request from any side. And I believe that's it for the questions you asked; right? Okay. Edie?
Question: I'd like to follow up on Burundi and your answer to Matthew. The African Union felt that some kind of peacekeeping force was necessary in Burundi. Does the Secretary‑General, in backing the African Union, also believe that some kind of peacekeeping force is necessary?
Spokesman: Well, ultimately, the decision on whether or not a peacekeeping force is necessary and should be authorised is a question that we will leave in the hands of the members of the Security Council. As you know, they themselves have been presented with a set of options for the way forward in Burundi, and now they can also evaluate this latest offer from the African Union. For our part, what we're trying to do is to identify possible support that could be provided to the African Union's initiative. Yeah?
Question: Couple things. Something on South Sudan. But I wanted to ask, this is sort of on the freedom of expression/academic freedom front. There's a long article in "The New York Times" on Sunday about a professor in South Korea who has written a book which is… differs somewhat from the Government's view on the comfort women issue, and she's being prosecuted for criminal defamation. She's a professor. So I wanted to know, you've said sort of generic… you know, the Secretary‑General stands behind freedom of expression. Does he have any view of academic freedom in this case? And just to finish off this journalist there, the decision was made in South Korea not to appeal the freeing of the journalist who was charged with criminal defamation of the President, and so I wanted to know what… now that the case is finally over, is there any comment from your office on that?
Spokesman: No, I don't think there's any further comment. As you can see, it's been handled in the domestic legal system. Regarding the question of academic freedom, obviously, academic freedom is part of the overall question of freedom of expression and needs to be protected as such. But that, as you've mentioned, is a generic response. I don't know the particular circumstances of this case.
Question: But does he have a concern just generally about countries that have… this seems to be kind of a trend, like criminal defamation in the field of being a professor and writing a book, being a journalist and writing an article. Is there a problem with criminal charges for expression?
Spokesman: Well, there's a problem with any potential criminalization of thought, of the freedom of thought, and this is something that the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has taken up, and you'll have seen what they've had to say about that. Yes?
Question: Question, if you have any update on Libya. There was a call by Mr. [Martin] Kobler to both sides to try to establish an interim government in Tripoli. Is there any success on that endeavour?
Spokesman: Well, yes, you've seen what Martin Kobler has had to say in recent days, so he's continuing with his efforts to bring the sides together on this. There's no particularly new news to say beyond what Mr. Kobler and what the Secretary‑General have said. Yes?
Question: On South Sudan, did you end up… I mean, I'd seen sort of public reports confirming the SPLA in Opposition returning to Juba, but does the UN have any response? Do they think it's a good move? And I saw that UN security there declared a grey ar… grey alert status, movement restrictions. Does that mean that this has caused more uncertainty, or is that just a temporary move by the UN?
Spokesman: No, the UN mission did report on this, and while all of you were ambling your way into the room, this is one of the notes I read. But the bottom line is that the Mission welcomes the first meeting of the Joint Monitoring Evaluation Commission that took place.
All right. Good afternoon.