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.
**Female Genital Mutilation
The Secretary-General this morning spoke at a special event on eliminating Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) by 2030. He said that he is proud to be among so many champions in the cause of eliminating female genital mutilation, calling it more than a mobilization, but a celebration of women’s empowerment. The Secretary-General said during his time in his current role, impressive results have been achieved, including increasing budgeting for FGM and changing of mindsets.
Today, he said that nearly all countries where it is prevalent outlaw the practice. He thanked the many religious leaders who have joined the cause and saluted the men and boys speaking out against it. The Secretary-General called for the focus to be shifted away from mutilation to education and a world where FGM stands for Focus on Girls’ Minds. His full remarks are online.
**Deputy Secretary-General’s Travels
The Deputy Secretary-General, Jan Eliasson, traveled to Dubai to participate in the World Government Summit, hosted by the Government of the United Arab Emirates. On 10 February, the Deputy Secretary-General will travel to Munich, where he will lead the UN delegation to the International Syria Support Group meeting on 11 February. He will then attend the Munich Security Conference from 12 to 14 February.
**West Bank
I have a statement: The Secretary-General condemns the arson attack on 6 February against a synagogue in the occupied West Bank and calls for a thorough investigation to quickly bring the perpetrators to justice. The Secretary-General also calls on all sides to respect the sanctity of all holy sites, refrain from any inflammatory actions or statements and reject the extremist elements that are pursuing a political agenda seeking to transform the current situation into a religious conflict.
**Appointment
I wanted to flag a senior appointment: The Secretary-General is appointing Jane Holl Lute of the United States as Special Coordinator on improving the United Nations’ response to sexual exploitation and abuse. The appointment of Ms. Lute is part of a series on ongoing measures derived from the Secretary-General’s analysis of the High-Level External Independent Review Panel on Sexual Exploitation and Abuse by International Peacekeeping Forces in the Central African Republic, which as you will recall submitted its report on 17 December 2015. The Secretary-General is committed to ensuring that the systemic issues, fragmentation and other weaknesses identified are fully addressed in a timely manner, and in so doing, to uphold the trust that must underpin all international engagements.
During 2016, Ms. Lute will support the ongoing efforts of the Secretary-General and the leadership of UN Offices, Departments, Funds and Programmes to better align our peacekeeping and human rights systems to strengthen the UN response to sexual exploitation and abuse. Ms. Lute has been serving as Chief Executive Officer of the Center for Internet Security, and also serves as Special Adviser to the Secretary-General for Relocation of Camp Hurriya Residents Outside of Iraq. Earlier UN appointments, as you will recall, include serving as Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping from 2003 to 2007 and acting Under-Secretary-General for Field Support from 2007-2008. Her full bio is in my office.
**Central African Republic
The UN [Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization] Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) reports that sensitive and non-sensitive material for the second round of presidential elections and the first round of legislative elections arrived in Bangui on Saturday. The deployment of the sensitive material from Bangui to 5 of the 16 prefectures by MINUSCA also began on 7 February.
Meanwhile, the two candidates for the second round of presidential elections, Anicet-Georges Dolonguele and Faustin Archange Touadera, officially launched their campaigns over the weekend. Both candidates have reiterated publicly and privately to the Mission their adherence to the Electoral Code of Conduct and their commitment to leading a peaceful campaign. The presidential elections, as well as the first round of the legislative polls, which were recently annulled by the Transitional Constitutional Court, are scheduled to take place on 14 February.
**Sudan
On Darfur, our humanitarian colleagues say that a spike in conflict in the Jebel Marra region has triggered the highest levels of civilian displacement seen in the area for several years. About 38,000 civilians have fled into North Darfur. This includes over 23,000 people — of whom 90 per cent are women and children — who are seeking shelter near a team site of the African Union–UN [Hybrid Operation in Darfur], UNAMID, in the area of Sortony, and nearly 14,000 others who are in the areas of Tawila and Kebkabiya.
Following the intensification of fighting, the AU-UN Mission has implemented contingency plans to ensure the protection of civilians through a reinforced military and police presence at its team sites in North and Central Darfur, while continuing to facilitate the provision of humanitarian assistance. Together with humanitarian partners, the Mission has engaged with the Government to advocate for full and unhindered access to affected areas. A humanitarian convoy escorted by UNAMID reached Sortoni, in North Darfur, yesterday. OCHA [Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs] also says that a 24-truck convoy is also on its way to El Fasher, the main city in North Darfur State.
**South Sudan
From South Sudan: as you know, South Sudan is facing unprecedented levels of food insecurity, as 2.8 million people — that’s 25 per cent of the country’s population — remain in urgent need of food assistance, according to three UN agencies. The FAO [Food and Agriculture Organization], the World Food Programme (WFP) and UNICEF [United Nations Children’s Fund] say that the dry season, which is now beginning, could bring additional hardship to people facing the most severe levels of hunger.
The agencies are calling for a speedy implementation of the peace agreement signed last year, and for unrestricted access to conflict areas to deliver much-needed supplies to the most impacted areas. UNICEF says that many of the areas where the needs are greatest are out of reach because of the security situation. It’s crucial that we are given unrestricted access now. If we can reach them, we can help them.
**Somalia
Also, the FAO says that Somalia will continue to face large-scale food insecurity between now and June 2016 as a result of poor rainfall and drought conditions in several areas, trade disruptions, displacement and chronic poverty. Acute malnutrition remains high in many parts of the country.
**Democratic Republic of the Congo
From the Democratic Republic of the Congo, our Human Rights Office said today it is alarmed by reports of escalating intercommunal violence in the North Kivu province, with at least 21 people killed, 40 wounded and 70 houses burned down over the weekend. Tensions between the Hutu and Nande communities, which have been increasing since November 2015, seem to have reached an alarming level with these latest incidents and could lead to large-scale violence and further displacement. The Human Rights Office calls upon the Congolese Government to do its utmost to ensure the protection of civilians and eradicate the threat of armed groups.
**Zika
Today, the World Health Organization (WHO) released its first situation report for the public health emergency announced after a spike in cases of microcephaly and Guillain-Barré syndrome in the Americas, as related to Zika. These cases are strongly suspected to be linked to Zika virus. WHO is currently mapping out existing research and development for Zika virus to prioritize actions that need to be taken in order to fast-track medical products and approaches. This situation report shows that the geographical distribution of Zika virus has been steadily increasing since it was first detected in the Americas in 2015, with a total of 33 countries having reported circulation… native circulation of Zika virus. Further spread is considered likely. More information on the WHO website.
**Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
Just to flag, over the weekend, you will have seen the statement we issued on late Saturday in which the Secretary-General deplored the launch by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea using ballistic missile technology in violation of relevant Security Council resolutions. This launch, he said, came despite the united plea of the international community against such an act.
The Secretary-General reiterates his call on the [Democratic People’s Republic of Korea] to halt provocative actions and return to compliance with its international obligations. He also reiterated his commitment to working with all sides in reducing tensions and achieving verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. The Security Council also met in consultations yesterday and issued a statement strongly condemning the launch.
**Haiti
Also over the weekend, we issued a statement in which the Secretary-General welcomed the agreement reached by Haitian stakeholders to preserve the institutional continuity of the country, as well as a road map for the swift conclusion of the ongoing electoral cycle.
**Anthony Banbury
Also I wanted to flag that, this morning, the Secretary-General accepted the resignation of Anthony Banbury. As you know Mr. Banbury has a long and varied career at the United Nations serving in positions all over the world ending with his current post as Assistant Secretary-General in the Department of Field Support.
The Secretary-General thanks Mr. Banbury for his dedication to the United Nations and his outstanding contributions to our work. He helped the United Nations respond to many of the leading challenges of the past two decades, from hunger and natural disasters to the spread of Ebola and the impacts of armed conflict. He never hesitated, sometimes at a moment's notice, to jump on a plane and head to the front lines. He showed a special skill for galvanizing the UN machinery to high standards of achievement. And throughout, he had a capacity to inspire others, earning lasting admiration. The UN system, and the Secretary-General personally, will miss his dynamism and friendship. We wish him every success in his future endeavours.
**Press Conferences
At 11 a.m., tomorrow, in Conference Room 3, the Secretary-General will brief the General Assembly during an informal meeting on the occasion of the launch of his report for the World Humanitarian Summit. Following that, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Stephen O’Brien, will be my guest right here at the noon briefing to answer all your questions. Michele, then Edie, then Matthew.
**Questions and Answers
Question: Thanks, Steph. On Anthony Banbury, given his most recent appearance here, where he appeared quite emotional announcing the latest cases in CAR [Central African Republic], did he give a reason for why he resigned? Did it have anything to do with…?
Spokesman: Mr. Banbury has had an exciting new opportunity, which he will start shortly, and I think we can expect an announcement a bit later on this afternoon.
Question: And I just had one other question on North Korea. Has the Secretary‑General had any contact with any North Korean officials over the satellite test and the nuclear test?
Spokesman: No.
Question: And is his… his sort of trip that's been spoken about, is that off the table, given what's been going on?
Spokesman: I think, as you know, trips are on the table once they're announced from here. Ms. Lederer?
Question: Thank you, Steph. The Israeli ambassador has sent a letter to the Secretary‑General, asking him to withdraw the statement he made about settlements, saying this was being used by the Palestinian leadership to perpetuate what he called deplorable acts of terror. I should say “to justify”. Could you tell me whether the Secretary‑General has any plans to withdraw that statement?
Spokesman: No, I think, as we've said many times from here, the Secretary‑General stands by every word he has used, notably in his recent editorial in The New York Times. I think people have been accusing him of justifying terror. I think nothing could be further from the truth. The Secretary‑General has repeatedly and will continue to condemn terror and has said that absolutely nothing, nothing justifies terrorism. Mr. Lee?
Question: Sure. I wanted to ask you about… you read out the Office of the High Commissioner's statement on the DRC [Democratic Republic of the Congo]. They… they seem to be calling for the Government of DRC to neutralize or… actually, they used the word "eradicate" armed groups, FDLR [Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda] and Mai‑Mai. And I wanted to know, there was some… I guess while you weren't here last week, there was some… some back‑and‑forth between Mr. [Hervé] Ladsous and the DRC Government about whether they have agreed to move generals, whether they… the… the… MONUSCO [United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo] will be fighting FDLR. So, I wanted to know, where does it… it seems strange that the UN… the UN system would be call… not mentioning MONUSCO in terms of fighting FDLR. And relatedly, that Group of Experts' report, looking at it more closely, the one that's come out that said that Tanzanian peacekeepers under UN beret were killed by… by the FARDC, the Congolese Army. What is the UN going to do? Beyond the fact that the report says the peacekeepers misled the Group of Experts. If they died, isn't there a Board of Inquiry? Isn't there some… does the UN try to find out who killed peacekeepers?
Spokesman: Whenever there is death of peacekeepers, there is a Board of Inquiry. But, I have nothing… nothing to add to that. On your…
Correspondent: FDLR.
Spokesman: On your first question, you know, I would encourage you to get in touch with the Mission in Kinshasa. They may have the latest update for you on MONUSCO's military activities. Yes?
Question: I have a question regarding the Palestinian journalist Mohammed al‑Qiq, his situation… who, since 24 November 2015, I think, on hunger strike, because of his administrative detention. Is there anyone from the UN who is following up this case and other cases of prisoners who…?
Spokesman: I think, you know, we've spoken out on the case of this journalist, asking him to be… who's obviously suffering tremendously, and on the case of others who are under administrative detention that they either be charged or released. The issue of administrative detention is one that the Secretary‑General and other parts of the UN system are following closely and routinely comes up in discussions with Israeli counterparts. Yes?
Question: Thanks, Stéphane. This afternoon, Mr. [Jeffrey] Feltman will meet with members of CELAC [Community of Latin American and Caribbean States] on the issue of political mission to Colombia. Any update on this issue?
Spokesman: No, we'll give you an update. Obviously, the… we've received our marching orders from the Security Council. The UN system is mobilizing to put the mission together, given the amount of responsibilities given to the United Nations in this very important peace process. Yes?
Question: I have a question on North Korea. What… you know, the statement issued yesterday signals that there will be new measures that the Security Council will be evaluating. Which could those be?
Spokesman: Well, obviously, that's a question you need to address to the presidency of the Security Council. There are measures and sanctions in place. It is up to the Council to now take stock and decide whether or not to increase the sanctions that are currently in place. But, again, that is a decision to be made by the Security Council itself. Sherwin?
Question: We're seeing reports that some countries, some national Olympic committees are warning federations on whether to send… basically leaving up to federations on whether they send athletes to the Olympic Games in Rio later this year, given the Zika outbreak, and you're talking about it increasing… spreading around several more countries now. What role will the Secretary‑General play? He carried the torch in London. Will he still be as involved as he was this year, given concerns about this virus spreading around the world?
Spokesman: Obviously, the Secretary‑General has been a tremendous supporter of the Olympic Games. If and when he travels, we will… to these particular games, we will announce it. It is not for us to comment on decisions made by national Olympic committees. They're free to do what they want. We would obviously encourage people to follow the stated guidelines issued by the World Health Organization. I think the latest found no justification for restrictions on travel or trade. But, however, it encourages travelers to protect themselves from mosquito bites if they do go to Zika‑infected areas.
Question: [Inaudible] many Syrian refugees trying to go to Turkey have been blocked or stranded at the border there. More than 30,000 have been reported. Also, there are reports that, in Sweden, many refugees are sleeping in the open in icy conditions. Is there any reports United Nations following that trying to give help to these people?
Spokesman: No, obviously, we're very much following the issue of what's going on in Syria and Syrian refugees. As you know, the Secretary‑General was just in London at the Syria Donors Conference, which raised a record amount of money in pledges for assisting Syrian refugees who are in the region. I think all countries have a responsibility, a moral one and a legal one, under the refugee… relevant refugee conventions. We're particularly concerned about what we're seeing right now, with reports of over 30,000 civilians who have been displaced from Aleppo and other areas in Northern Syria by the continuing clashes. Most of those people are women and children who are in a vulnerable situation. Our colleagues at OCHA are trying to provide displaced families with food assistance or cash vouchers, also with mobile clinics. We're trying to do what we can. Obviously, the most important thing is to see cessation of the violence and a halt to the violence that we're seeing.
Question: How about Sweden? I mean…
Spokesman: Sweden, you know, I think the… a number of European countries have shown a tremendous generosity, and I know they're trying to cope with the numbers that they have. We do hope that those refugees and migrants who have made it are treated with due respect to their human rights and in respect to their dignity.
Question: Follow‑up on Syria to clarify. So, on the border, where now there's more than 30,000 refugees, you said that there is from WHO, or which organization is working there from the United Nations?
Spokesman: From… our UN humanitarian organization and partners, so that would obviously… people working with OCHA, whether it's WFP, UNICEF, WHO and so forth.
Question: Do you have any response to this Amnesty International report on the CAR that found that MINUSCA (United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic) troops… there are gaps in the forces' capacity to respond and the peacekeepers are performing below expected standards and, of course, also pointing out the sexual abuse allegations?
Spokesman: Obviously, MINUSCA worked very closely with the authors of the report. We cooperated fully with them, and we welcome the release of the report and support the key findings. I think it's clear that, as the report says, without the Mission's presence, the violence would have been much worse. But it's also true that MINUSCA's performance was below standard during the crisis described by Amnesty International, notably in September. But I think if you look at reactions to other violence, notably in October, I think it has noticeably improved. I think these kinds of reports are important for peacekeeping missions in order to get sort of an outside look and see how they can improve their way of working, but I think, looking at what the situation was in September and what it is now, I think it is greatly improved on the Mission's ability to provide security to the people of the Central African Republic. Mr. Lee and then Nizar?
Question: Sure. I wanted to ask you, in Burundi over the weekend, at least 11 people were killed, some by grenade, some by hit squads in people's houses. I wanted to know if you have any update on what the UN is doing and also any response to a speech in which Pierre Nkurunziza on Saturday likened himself to Jesus and the visiting delegations, presumably including Mr. [Jamal] Benomar or the Security Council, to the serpent trying to tempt. Is there any… what do you think of that?
Spokesman: I'm not going to comment on the very colourful statements made. The… I think the Secretary‑General spoke at length about his position on Burundi during the… his recent meetings with the African Union, supporting the African Union's push to find a political settlement, notably with the sending of a mission. Our concern continues to be at the continuing levels of violence and the lack of a real political dialogue.
Correspondent: One other… I just… you may have the same response, but in Sri Lanka, during the visit of Prince Zeid [Ra’ad al-Hussein], Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, who I know… the president… president, who I know the Secretary‑General has previously met with, called the visit a big joke and said there should be no war crimes inquiry, at all. And I wonder…
Spokesman: The Secretary‑General… our response to the issue of the need to find justice in Sri Lanka is clear. We've supported the mechanisms in place. And the High Commissioner is there, and I think he's giving a press conference or was giving a press conference, so I'll refer you to what he said. Nizar and then Oleg?
Question: Another question on Syria. In north-west of Aleppo, all armed groups, including the al‑Shamia front, have consulted with [Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant/Da’esh] and Al-Nusrah together in one unified command and control to fight the Syrian army and their allies. How does United Nations view such consultation of power between terrorists and so‑called moderates?
Spokesman: I have no direct information to confirm what you're telling me. I think, as a matter of course, the Secretary‑General and his team are working to find a way to ease the violence and to see an end to the violence and the end of the suffering of the Syrian people.
Question: [Inaudible] Jordanian border for the second week running. Last week, they shot dead 12 people trying to cross from Syria into Jordan. Last… yesterday, they shot another two people. This policy of shoot to kill anyone trying to cross border from Syria, these people could be refugees. How do you…?
Spokesman: I don't have details of the specific cases, so I won't comment on them. What I will say is that Jordan, Jordanian people, have shown an immense amount of generosity in taking in a very, very large number of refugees. The King, as you know, was present at the Syria conference. The Secretary‑General met with him. Obviously, your countries have to secure the borders, but we do hope any operation is done in full compliance with international law.
Question: Do you not think that these were armed…?
Spokesman: I have no information on my side, so I have nothing else to say. Oleg?
Question: Also on Syria, the ceasefire, should it be seen as a precondition for the beginning of the talks right now? Because there are a lot of disagreements on the issue.
Spokesman: I don't think… we're not talking about… I think we've avoided talking about any sorts of preconditions as to the resumption of the talks, which we very much hope will happen later this month. Evelyn?
Question: There's a report just today… I don't know if you've seen it yet on the… out of Geneva… by the Commission of Inquiry on Syria that several thousand detainees have been executed, beaten to death, otherwise left to die. Most of these crimes have been committed by the Syrian Government, as well as ISIL and Al‑Nusrah.
Spokesman: You know, I… the independent commission is exactly that, but I do think they perform an invaluable service in ensuring that there will be accountability and justice for those who have been killed during this conflict. Mr. Lee?
Question: Sure. I want to ask you about Somaliland and then about this room. On Somaliland, I wanted to ask you, there was a report by FAO and others saying that there's danger of drought and famine there, and so some are asking why the CERF [Central Emergency Response Fund], which has released funds to Ethiopia, has not released any. Is there some… is there a reason for that? Is there… on one arm of the UN is saying there's an urgent problem and the other arm is not… is there a legal reason, I guess I'm saying, given…
Spokesman: I'm not aware… I'm not aware of any legal reason. You know, the determination of the CERF is meant to be an emergency mandate. They disperse quite a lot the money. We can be in touch with OCHA as to this particular case, but I'm not aware of any political reason.
Correspondent: Sure. And I wanted to ask you, before, when you were last here, you said that the use of this room is “really your decision”. So, overall, I wanted to know why a list of uses to which you've permitted it is not released, given…
Spokesman: Two… obviously, I mean, I watched you and Farhan [Haq] exchange views on this. Maybe it will take somebody who's not an English… native English speaker to try to explain it clearly. This room is a press briefing room. When it is used to brief the press, there's a record of it, and you can look at it every day. You have the media alert, which is a record of it. And you can go back and see who's used it. When a department of this… in the UN, whether it's… whatever, DPI [Department of Public Information] or another department, asks to use the room because they need to, we let them use the room. If UNCA [United Nations Correspondent Association] asks to use the room, we let them use the room.
Correspondent: But I'm asking for…
Spokesman: No, outside… and when that room is used, when that room is used as not a press briefing room, it is no longer a press briefing.
Correspondent: My question is this. Number one, in… when François Hollande did his thing there… and I know that you were in the room there… and it wasn't described as a press briefing. Did you view that as a sort of a non‑briefing private event? And number two, Francis Lorenzo, who's now been found not immune, has been indicted for corruption or… you know, accused of it, used the UN press briefing room on 8 September 2011, to do… to award… to give out a South‑South News award. And I wanted to know… this is what I was asking him last week. Given the issues around Mr. Lorenzo and Ng Lap Seng, that's why the simplest reaction would just be to release a list. I was told you have the information…
Spokesman: The list of public… you're… the list of times this room has been used for public press briefings is available and to the public.
Correspondent: That's not the list that I'm asking for.
Spokesman: But, that's the list that exists.
Question: No, but you know who you lent it to. Did you lend it to François Hollande? Was that a press briefing or what was it?
Spokesman: Nobody lent it to François Hollande. You know, I think I've really run out of words to try to explain the situation.
Correspondent: You…
Spokesman: I said there's a list. I said there's a list. And you can look at the list…
Correspondent: No, I'm asking for the list of lending.
Spokesman: There… that's the list that exists. Any other questions? Have a wonderful week.