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.
Let’s get started. Good afternoon, everyone.
**Darfur
Just a few minutes ago, we issued the following statement on the behalf of both the Secretary-General and the Chairperson of the African Union Commission concerning Darfur. The Chairperson of the African Union Commission, Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, and the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon, express deep concern about the upsurge in fighting between the Government of Sudan forces and the Sudan Liberation Army/Abdul Wahid, in the Jebel Marra area of Darfur, and its effect on civilians. Since the outbreak of violence six weeks ago, over 90,000 civilians have been displaced in North Darfur, in addition to 2.6 million already displaced by the conflict. There are also unconfirmed reports of significant numbers of displaced people in Central Darfur which humanitarian organizations have been unable to verify due to access restrictions.
The Chairperson and the Secretary-General call on the Government to fully cooperate with UNAMID [African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur] to facilitate its freedom of movement, as well as that of the humanitarian actors, in their continued efforts to protect and provide assistance to the civilian population affected by the fighting. The Chairperson and the Secretary-General stress that there is no military solution to the conflict in Darfur, and call on all parties to engage in earnest in negotiations for a cessation of hostilities leading to a peaceful settlement of the conflict. They reiterate their support to the African Union High-Level Implementation Panel for Sudan and South Sudan, as well as to UNAMID, in their relentless efforts to facilitate the peace process.
**Burkina Faso
The Secretary-General has just left Ouagadougou and is heading off to Nouakchott in Mauritania. He met this morning with Burkina Faso’s President, Roch Marc Christian Kaboré. In a joint press encounter afterward, the Secretary-General said that he was able to see the remarkable progress in his third visit to the country. The Secretary-General added that he was deeply concerned about terrorist attacks across the region. He reiterated that a comprehensive response was needed — one that fully respects human rights and international humanitarian law. He said that the UN will support Burkina Faso in security sector reform.
Later in the morning, the Secretary-General also held separate meetings with the country’s Prime Minister and the President of the National Parliament of Burkina Faso, in which he discussed efforts to consolidate democracy and promote sustainable development. The Secretary-General then visited the Schiphra hospital, which receives acutely malnourished children from Ouagadougou and neighbouring towns and villages. He said that he was very impressed by what he had seen and thanked the staff for their dedicated work.
The Secretary-General then hosted a lunch for the leaders of the UN country team before visiting another field project: the paediatric HIV Support Unit of St. Camille health centre, which is the only one of its kind in Ouagadougou. In remarks to the media there, the Secretary-General expressed his gratitude to the Government for their full engagement in the fight against AIDS at the national level. He also noted that, although homosexuality may be a taboo subject for some, it is also an issue of public health, in which societies need to advance with compassion and care. And those remarks are available online.
**Yemen
Stephen O’Brien, the Emergency Relief Coordinator, spoke to the Security Council by video teleconference this morning to draw attention to the level of humanitarian suffering in Yemen. He said that since the start of the conflict, more than 2,000 children have been killed and injured during the fighting in Yemen, including more than 90 deaths this year alone. He said that air strikes and random shelling of civilians constitute the unlawful conduct of hostilities, adding that it is unacceptable that medical facilities and schools are being hit.
Mr. O’Brien noted the delays impeding the delivery of humanitarian assistance in Yemen, due to restrictions placed both by the Yemeni Government and its allies and by the Houthis. He called once more on all parties to allow timely and unimpeded access for humanitarian assistance. And he noted that the UN Verification and Inspection Mechanism has been instituted and nominations for its steering committee will be finalized this week, allowing it to commence operations this month. The Security Council later went into closed consultations to discuss Yemen further. Council members heard an update from Special Envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, who also briefed by video teleconference.
**South Sudan
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that humanitarian partners have mobilized additional staff and supplies to meet new needs in Malakal, in Upper Nile State, following the violence in mid-February in the Malakal Protection of Civilians site. Food has been distributed to more than 40,000 people, with more than 8,600 children receiving supplementary feeding. In Malakal town, partners have distributed food to more than 4,600 people, along with water purification tablets and other basic sanitation supplies. Efforts are also ongoing to re-establish health and nutrition services in Malakal town.
**World Wildlife Day
Today is World Wildlife Day and in his message, the Secretary-General calls on all citizens, businesses and governments to play their part in protecting the world’s wild animals and plants, adding that the actions we take will determine the fate of the world’s wildlife. Warning that time is running out to end the poaching crisis that threatens some of the world’s most iconic species, the Secretary-General stressed that it is essential to address both the demand and supply of illegal wildlife products through agreed goals and targets and international instruments, such as the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora or CITES.
Representing the Secretary-General at an event marking the day this morning, the Under-Secretary-General for Public Information, Cristina Gallach, launched the One UN Global Coalition Campaign to tackle the illegal trade in wildlife. The campaign, which is led by the UN Development Programme (UNDP), the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), along with CITES, underscores that fashion, investment, status, or religious or cultural beliefs should not be allowed to contribute to endangering any species.
Her remarks are available online.
**Appointment
And the Secretary-General is today announcing the appointment of Gerda Verburg of the Netherlands as Coordinator of the Scaling up Nutrition Movement. Ms. Verburg succeeds the acting Scaling up Nutrition Movement Coordinator, Tom Arnold, who has coordinated the Movement from August 2014. Previously, David Nabarro coordinated the Movement. The Secretary-General is grateful for Mr. Nabarro’s and Mr. Arnold’s dedicated service to the Movement, in helping to establish the powerful driving force for nutrition, which it is today. From 2013 until 2015, Ms. Verburg served as Chair of the United Nations Committee on World Food Security (CFS). We have a lot more about her work, and about the Scaling up Nutrition movement, in a press release in my office.
**Honour Roll
And for the honour roll — Turkmenistan has become the forty-third Member State to have paid its regular budget dues in full for 2016. S o our thanks go to Ashgabat.
**Press Conferences
And for press conferences tomorrow, at 11:15 a.m., there will be a briefing here by Atul Khare, the Under-Secretary-General for Field Support. He will present the Secretary-General's report on special measures for protection from sexual exploitation and sexual abuse. And then at 12:30 p.m., there will be a briefing by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs with the newly appointed co-chairs of the 10-Member group to support the Technology Facilitation Mechanism for the Sustainable Development Goals known as TFM. And that’s it from me. Yes, Luke?
**Questions and Answers
Question: Thanks, Farhan. A question on North Korea: I guess I'm curious about the wider applicability here, the precedents set by what we saw yesterday. There's been a lot of talk that this was uncharted territory for the Council, but doesn't a lot of that have to do with the fact that North Korea is different? The Council's sort of operating under this assumption that, when North Koreans go abroad to study, to engage in financial transactions, there's almost a presumption of guilt. And that would seem to give the Security Council a lot more leeway than almost anywhere else.
Deputy Spokesman: Well, ultimately, this is a decision taken by the members of the Security Council. This falls within their prerogative. As you know, they have long believed that the nuclear issue regarding the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) constitutes a threat to international peace and security. They've done a number of resolutions dealing with that matter. And yesterday, resolution 2270 (2016) was their latest attempt to see what can be done to essentially break out of the cycle of provocations that we have been placed into by these repeated tests. You'll have seen what the Secretary‑General's own response was in his statement that followed the adoption of resolution 2270 (2016), and I don't really have anything to add to that. But, regarding how the resolution is applied, that's really a matter that, ultimately, is… remains in the hands of the Security Council and specifically of its sanctions committee.
Question: Well, a question about just one provision, which is prohibiting North Koreans from receiving advanced education abroad in physics, in engineering, in computer science. You know, if this provision was in any other sanctions bill, you could imagine the outcry that individual citizens should not be targeted for the actions of their government.
Deputy Spokesman: I'm aware of the basic point that you're making. As you know, this is something that the Council, including its legal experts, worked on for a considerable amount of time. The test was in January. And it… and this is something that passed yesterday in early March. So they've been looking over the various issues, and this is something, as you’ve seen…
Correspondent: It doesn't mean the Secretariat has to agree with it.
Deputy Spokesman: …as you've seen, that the United Nations Security Council membership unanimously agreed to. Regarding how we deal with it, as we made clear, we're urging the DPRK itself to abide by the resolution, and we've called on all Member States to ensure its implementation, and for our part, we will do what we can to make sure the resolution is faithfully implemented. Yes, Edie?
Question: Thank you, Farhan. Does the Secretary‑General have any comment on the firing of projectiles by the DPRK just hours after the Security Council passed the resolution?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, we don't have any particular new comment on this. You'll have seen the concerns that we've expressed about any of these firings of short‑range missiles, and those apply here. But, I would draw your attention again to what was said yesterday, that what the Secretary‑General wants to see is… clearly, we've seen a firm response by the Security Council, and what he wants to see now is an end to what he calls the cycle of provocation and, ultimately, we want the resumption of dialogue, in accordance with the unified view of the international community. Carla?
Question: [Inaudible] you spoke about provocations, and in many respects, the sanctions that were just imposed or inflicted on the people of North Korea can be seen as a provocation. It… I was present at a conversation when Chinese Deputy Foreign Minister Li Baodong said to Edie Lederer, when she asked about North Korea, he said: If you isolate a people, they become desperate. And I think that could help explain the firing of yesterday. But, the more serious question is, by damaging the economy of North Korea, this could lead to its collapse, which would destabilize the whole area. And nine countries have nuclear weapons, including my own, which is the only country that ever used it. The reason why North Korea is being targeted would seem to be simply because it's a socialist country. And resolution 1973 (2011) against Libya destroyed that country and turned it into an incubator of terrorism. Has the Security Council ever apologized to the Libyan people for destroying their country?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, to the extent that that's a question, that's a question for the Security Council. Regarding your earlier remarks about concerns about the economic collapse, I would again draw your attention to yesterday's statement where it makes clear that the Secretary‑General reiterates the critical role of international assistance in safeguarding the lives of millions in the country. And we have done our part to try to make sure, through the World Food Programme (WFP), the UN Development Programme (UNDP) and others, that the needs of the people of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea are taken care of, and we, again, draw attention to the need for international assistance.
Correspondent: The sanctions against Iraq led to the deaths of thousands of Iraqi children, which Madeleine Albright admitted and said that's the price we're willing to pay for democracy. So…
Deputy Spokesman: With all due respect, Carla, I… it's not really my place to comment on events that took place in the 1990s is what you're talking about and that term of sanctions regimes.
Correspondent: It's a pattern.
Deputy Spokesman: In terms of the concerns we had at the time, those we made reference to at the time, in that decade. Yes, Abdel Majeed?
Question: Thank you, Farhan. About Yemen, does the Secretary‑General think that it's necessary to have a resolution about the humanitarian situation in Yemen?
Deputy Spokesman: Ultimately, it's up to the Council what kind of resolutions they feel are necessary to address the situation. They've been briefed today by Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed and by Stephen O'Brien, and they can evaluate what further steps are needed. Meanwhile, Mr. Ould Cheikh Ahmed has been travelling in the region, in Saudi Arabia, in the United Arab Emirates, and he's continuing his efforts to try to bring the parties together for talks.
Question: Follow‑up on that. What about the UN envoy, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed? What does he think about a draft resolution about the humanitarian situation…?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, like I said, what he's doing right now is travelling to the region, trying to bring the parties together for talks. He did brief the Security Council in their closed consultations to share his evaluation of the situation. But, ultimately, any case where a resolution is one that the Council members themselves would need to deal with. Abdelhamid?
Question: Thank you, Farhan. The Israeli Prime Minister, [Benjamin] Netanyahu, is consulting with his legal adviser to start expelling the families of those whom he accuse of attacking the state and its citizens. Is that… doesn't that amount to collective punishment? Is it also violation of international law when you go to the families and punish them?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, regarding this, clearly, within the accounts we've seen in Israel about this, there are differing accounts of whether this is going to be a policy or not. So, I wouldn't want to comment on this specifically, because some of this remains hypothetical. Regarding our overall position, the Secretary‑General has made very clear in the past that any Israeli security measures should be properly calibrated and that they should fully respect international law. Yes, Matthew and then you.
Question: Sure. A number of questions. I want to ask you about Malakal since you mentioned something at the top about it. There's a letter from the UNMISS [United Nations Mission in South Sudan] IDP [internally displaced person] representatives and community leaders in Malakal directed to the deputy SRSG [Special Representative of the Secretary-General], also to the troika, and to the EU, which says that… that the threat of violence was communicated to UNMISS along with certain requests before the killings took place and that nothing was done. And they also say that UNMISS itself shot five individuals who were trying to enter the Protection of Civilians sites, and some number of those died. And I wanted to know, is that the case? What is… what's been UNMISS' response to this letter from the representatives of the IDPs? And… and if UNMISS shot people entering, why did they do it?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, we've already described what the UN Mission in South Sudan, UNMISS, did in terms of trying to make sure that the Protection of Civilians site was… was kept safe. I… that doesn't include any information about deaths. If I have any information on that, we'll let you know. But, certainly, we've already shared when this incident happened last week, the details about their actions.
Question: Is UNMISS… I guess I'm saying, in response to a letter from community, Nuer and other leaders in the camp, is UNMISS doing an investigation of itself for possibly shooting at and killing IDPs?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, first of all, I have no confirmation that that’s what's happened.
Correspondent: No, I'm saying…
Deputy Spokesman: If… if there's anything to those allegations, we'll let you know, but I've already disclosed… or Stéphane [Dujarric] already disclosed about a week ago what their actions were. And we'll have to see what their follow‑up is after that. Yes? Your turn.
Question: Yes. As will soon be a sentence in John Ashe case, how do you explain that there is this level of corruption in United Nations?
Deputy Spokesman: In what case?
Correspondent: John Ashe.
Deputy Spokesman: Well, you'll have seen the sort of concerns expressed by the Secretary‑General and by the current General Assembly President. We're studying what kind of impact this may have had on the system in terms of doing an audit of the various groups that were involved. And we're… and hopefully, that will be done soon enough that we can see exactly what the various groups, including the Sun Kian Ip Foundation… what their involvement was in the operations of the United Nations.
Question: Same topic? Okay. I wanted to ask… actually, I was going to ask this later, but I'll ask it now. The… the… I wanted to ask you about a specific non… non… no need to investigate them. There was an event in the GA Lobby called “Breaking the Silence, Beating the Drum”, which was sponsored by something called the World Harmony Foundation, which David Ng Lap Seng was a sponsor. And I wanted… this was a DPI [Department of Public Information] event. I wanted know, is this within the scope of the audit that you're looking at? There was also the Ark of Return slavery memorial, which was funded by Ng Lap Seng in the indictment. So, I wanted… what I basically want to ask you for is a list… some of these things don't need to wait for the audit.
Deputy Spokesman: Actually, I disagree. They would need to wait for the audit. We'll have to see what the audit does, and then we can provide the information.
Question: Okay. There's video of Vijay Nambiar and Ban Ki‑moon's spouse at the founding of the Global Sustainability Foundation of Sheri Yan, now indicted. So, I don't think that Mr. Ban needs an audit to tell them that these two very close associates were there. So, what does he think of their presence? Why were they there? And what's the response to them being there?
Deputy Spokesman: Again, we will wait for this audit to be conducted, and then we will evaluate at that point. Yes?
Question: Farhan, I think you have any update on Mr. [Staffan] de Mistura’s invitation sent to the parties? And how is your evaluation of the cessation of hostilities in Syria?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, I believe Staffan de Mistura did speak to reporters in Geneva today and made clear that he believes that, as of now, the cessation of hostilities is largely holding, and we… he continues to make preparations with the target date of 9 March for the talks to resume. And we'll have further details the closer we get to that point. Yes?
Question: Thank you… thanks, Farhan. Even in the… yesterday's statement by Secretary‑General about DPRK, he emphasized that he is ready to fully be engaged in the peaceful process and to bring parties to the negotiations, etc. What Secretary‑General is really intends to do right now after the… another… the range of… sorry… launch of short‑range missiles after the strongest resolution?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, you heard what I said earlier. He remains committed to the idea that the DPRK should abide by this and previous Security Council resolutions. He wants the resolution to be implemented by all Member States. And he… his hope remains that, ultimately, we'll be able to break out of this current cycle of provocation and get back to dialogue. And he is going to try to support that process in whatever way he can. Yes, Linda?
Question: Thank you, Farhan. Also regarding the DPRK, can you discuss what the… the latest in terms of what the status of UN involvement is with North Korea, what kind of programmes are involved? And also, how would you describe the UN relationship with the country?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, I think I'll let you… all of you describe what the relationship has been like. It's a complex one. As you know, the Secretary‑General has tried many times to engage with the DPRK, and he's continuing with those efforts. Different entities in the system, most precisely, the UN Development Programme and the World Food Programme, have done their part trying to assist the people of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea with their various needs. And, of course, it's a Member State and participates in the work of the UN as a Member State. But, within that, there is complexity, as yesterday's events showed. Okay?
Correspondent: Sure. I want to ask about Yemen, DPKO [Department of Peacekeeping Operations] and Sri Lanka. On…
Deputy Spokesman: Sri Lanka or you? Is it really about Sri Lanka?
Correspondent: Well, why don't we just wait and see, you know? Because I thought actually people can ask questions in here.
Deputy Spokesman: You're perfectly entitled to. It's just that you have this adorable way of saying what your subject titles are for your questions, and they seem to not match what the actual questions are.
Question: There was a protest in Jaffna. That's actually not what I was going to ask about. You could easily take a look at it. And I think it's outrageous that you didn't answer it. But, I have another question on Sri Lanka. So, my first question is on Yemen. Today, by video, Stephen O'Brien said, referring to the ship that was diverted by Saudi Arabia, that he was pleased to report that it's… that the food is now in Hodeidah and that the… and pleased to report that the humanitarian IT equipment will be delivered to Aden on 6 March. So, I wanted to know, is… does… is OCHA pleased that a warring party conducting an airstrike campaign on Yemen was able to delay humanitarian IT equipment for this long? And why is he pleased at that, rather than angry at that?
Deputy Spokesman: You've heard what he said, and he means exactly what he said. He is pleased that this has now been cleared up. You'll have heard a few days ago John Ging, the Director of Operations for the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said that the idea that this equipment had been used for any other purpose has been disproven, and we're glad to know that, through this procedure, we were able to get the facts out and that the equipment will now go to its intended use.
Question: But, will OCHA be equally pleased when other States block and delay their equipment… like, was this actually a legitimate process for a country to divert humanitarian IT equipment and then be pleased that it's released on a delay or should… is something more required?
Deputy Spokesman: I think, sarcasm aside, the fact is we're pleased that the matter is now resolved. It was a difficult matter, but it has now been resolved.
Question: Have there been threats to the WFP ships to leave Hodeidah quickly or face airstrikes? Question.
Deputy Spokesman: You are aware of what Mr. Ging said about the matter in… just a few days ago, and I'll refer you back to what he said. We expect to have our humanitarian staff continue to go about their work, regardless of the cautions that have been received.
Question: I wanted to ask you about DPKO. I've seen a story in which an unnamed UN peacekeeping official has, I guess, previewed what Mr. Khare is going to say on Friday, and he talks about possible court‑martials and even DNA testing. And I guess… first, I wanted to ask, who was he? And the reason I ask is, if you're talking about name and shame, why would DPKO be presenting its information anonymously?
Deputy Spokesman: Matthew, the background briefings that are provided are background briefings. You know that we have background briefings. You've attended them. And I will abide by the rules of them.
Question: Did Mr. Atul Khare conduct already, on Wednesday of this week, a sit‑down interview with UNTV? And, if so, when will it be released? And why would… is this actually a publicity campaign to promote belated response to the rapes in the CAR [Central African Republic]? Or can we see the video now? Is it under embargo? I would like to know what the rules of that.
Deputy Spokesman: Different UN officials do, in fact, talk to UNTV, and that's part of what we do in order to actually communicate the work of the United Nations. There's nothing untoward about that. And it will air at some point fairly soon, I believe. But, ultimately, it becomes public when it does. You'll be able to see it on the website, as anyone else. Yes?
Question: Just saw this statement come in from the Rapporteurs on the Flint water crisis. There's a Republican debate tonight. They're asking for audience questions. Would the Secretary‑General call on candidates for President in the US to ratify the Convention on the Rights of the Child?
Deputy Spokesman: As you're well aware, we are not involved in the US electoral process. We leave the matter in the hands of the voters, and we hope that concerned voters will talk about things that are close to them, including the water crisis. Yes?
Correspondent: Okay. Here's a Sri Lanka question you seem to have tried to stop in advance, but…
Deputy Spokesman: I wasn't stopping in advance. I just don't like false advertising.
Correspondent: If the UN is protested in Sri Lanka, I think it is a Sri Lanka question. And I actually think you do answer about protests of the UN elsewhere.
Deputy Spokesman: Sure.
Correspondent: And, in fact, if VICE News…
Deputy Spokesman: Is this a protest having to do with Sri Lanka, or is it about you?
Question: If VICE News asks you about Turkey locking up VICE News journalists in Turkey, do you say, don't ask about VICE News? I'm just asking you. So, if the UN does something that people protest, you don't answer? But, here's my question. There's a letter from a group called the Tamil Relief Fund, and it is saying the following… it is saying that not 40,000, as reported in Mr. Ban's report, but 70,000 civilians were killed in 2009. And it says that the UN has not conducted any credible investigation in it and that, therefore, a number of parties, including the UN, should not invest in… with the Government who had just committed, they say, a genocide. And I'd like to know the UN side of this letter, how do you respond? Does the UN feel that it conducted an inquiry, a sufficient inquiry, into the number of people killed and that there's been accountability, and how does the UN justify its now more accommodative stance given the facts alleged in this letter?Deputy Spokesman: Well, you'll have seen what we've been saying about the [Maithripala] Sirisena Government and its efforts to investigate. We're trying to encourage an effort to get to the bottom of what happened in the end of the conflict with the Tamils. And we want to make sure that there's an actual good‑faith effort by the Government of Sri Lanka to do that, and we'll keep pressing on that.
Question: According to the UN, how many people were killed?
Deputy Spokesman: Hold on. Yeah, yes?
Correspondent: Just a housekeeping question. Are there transcripts available of press conferences in… oh, sorry.
Deputy Spokesman: Yeah, please use that.
Question: Thanks. Just a housekeeping question: Are there transcripts available of press conferences in Geneva like Jan Egeland this morning, and do I have to listen to it live again?
Deputy Spokesman: Yeah, the press conferences that they have, the UN Office in Geneva transcribes those. So, hopefully, they'll be out on the website later.
Question: According to the UN… after all this time and all this interest, according to the UN, what… approximately, as close as you can make it, was… was the approximate number of civilians killed in 2008 and 2009? And also, has the matter of Mr. Vijay Nambiar, close senior adviser of Mr. Ban Ki‑moon, and his role in communicating with surrendering individuals at end of the conflict who ended up being killed with a white flag in their hand, has this matter been resolved within the UN system to the satisfaction of Ban Ki‑moon? Because it's not to the satisfaction of people in Jaffna.
Deputy Spokesman: We have already said where we stand on the question of how Mr. Nambiar handled that. I'd refer you back to what we said several years back. Regarding the death tolls, ultimately, that's… the figures had been developed and… and have… are in the hands of, I believe, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, so you should ask them. All right. Have a good afternoon.