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.
**Lebanon
The Secretary-General arrived this morning in Lebanon, starting with a visit to the Headquarters of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon, UNIFIL, in Naqoura. He then met the Speaker of the Parliament of Lebanon, Nabih Berri, with whom he discussed the current political situation in the country alongside the President of the World Bank Group, Jim Yong Kim, and the President of the Islamic Development Bank, Ahmad Mohamed Ali al-Madani.
The three of them then met with the President of the Council of Ministers of Lebanon, Tammam Salam. During a joint press conference just now, the Secretary-General said that few countries have demonstrated the generosity that the Government and people of Lebanon have shown towards Syrian refugees. He explained that this visit with the World Bank and the Islamic Development Bank aimed to find ways to improve conditions for refugees, to support the communities hosting them, and to help mitigate the impact on Lebanon’s economy.
The Secretary-General added that the political situation in Lebanon continued to be a source of concern, contributing to an atmosphere of uncertainty. It is vital that the vacuum in the presidency is filled as soon as possible, in order for Lebanon to be whole again, he said. He also said that ten years after Security Council resolution 1701 (2006), there is relative calm across the Blue Line and that UNIFIL, in close coordination with the Lebanese Armed Forces, is the backbone of this stability.
And the Secretary-General is expected to meet shortly with the Lebanese Armed Forces, UNIFIL and the International Support Group for Lebanon — at the Ministry of Defence of Lebanon, to stress the important role of the Lebanese Armed Forces in an atmosphere of attacks and threats from extremist groups, including Da’esh. He will also echo the Security Council’s clear calls for continued international support for them. His remarks following both meetings will soon be shared with you.
**Secretary-General’s Travels
And meanwhile I have something else to announce for his travels. Following his current travel to Lebanon, Jordan, Tunisia and Geneva, the Secretary-General will also go to Stockholm, Sweden, on 30 March to deliver the Dag Hammarskjöld Lecture. The theme will be “Evolving threats, timeless values: the United Nations in a changing global landscape”. He will also meet with the Swedish Prime Minister, Stefan Löfven. The next day, 31 March, he will head to Washington, D.C., to take part in the Nuclear Security Summit which is on Friday 1 April. And the Secretary-General will be back in New York that night.
**Former Yugoslavia
I’d been asked about the Secretary-General’s response to today’s delivery by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) of the trial judgment in the case against Mr. Radovan Karadžić. The Secretary-General’s thoughts are with the victims of the crimes for which Radovan Karadžić has been found guilty. This is a historic day for the people of the region and beyond as well as for international criminal justice.
As former President of the Republika Srpksa, Head of the Serb Democratic Party and Supreme Commander of the Bosnian Serb Army, Radovan Karadzic is one of the highest ranking officials to be tried by the Tribunal. The judgment sends a strong signal to all who are in positions of responsibility that they will be held accountable for their actions; and shows once again that fugitives cannot outrun the international community's collective resolve to make sure that they face justice according to the law. The Secretary-General deeply appreciates the dedication and hard work of the judges and staff of the ICTY as they progress towards the completion of the Tribunal's work.
**Middle East
Nickolay Mladenov, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, briefed the Security Council this morning on the situation involving the Israelis and Palestinians, saying that the past month has been marked by some of the bloodiest incidents in this current wave of violence across Israel and the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. He said that, six months into this latest round of violence which has killed 30 Israelis and 198 Palestinians — with most of the Palestinians killed while reportedly carrying out knife, gun or car-ramming attacks — it is time that the international community moves beyond mere condemnations of such acts of terror and violence. It is time to send a clear message to both parties.
He said to the Palestinian people that stabbing someone in the street will not bring about a Palestinian state. Nor will praising and glorifying violence in the media. By the same token, he said that Israel should understand that building more walls, administrative detentions, punitive demolitions and movement restrictions, all breed anger among people who feel they are being collectively humiliated, punished and discriminated against.
Mr. Mladenov said that the time has come to ring the alarm bells that the two-State solution is slipping from our fingers, that it is disappearing as the realities on the ground — driven by the ongoing settlement activities and confiscation of Palestinian land, as well as the continued lack of genuine Palestinian unity — make the prospect of a viable and independent Palestinian state less possible and less likely. He noted that the Quartet Envoys have started work on a report which will review the situation on the ground, identify the dangers to a two-State solution, and provide recommendations on the way forward. His remarks are available in our office.
**Yemen
Stephen O’Brien, the Emergency Relief Coordinator, today welcomed the efforts to find a solution to the crisis in Yemen, and said that the announcement yesterday of an agreement to cease hostilities on 10 April is positive. He stressed that we need to be able to reach anyone who needs aid, across Yemen, whoever and wherever they are. The UN and partners continue to call on all parties and their allies to make sure people are able to move freely and safely and that aid organizations can safely deliver critical supplies. And he also called for sustained and generous donor support. His remarks come a day after the Special Envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, spoke to you to announce that peace talks for Yemen under the auspices of the United Nations will resume on 18 April in Kuwait.
The talks aim to reach a comprehensive agreement, which will end the armed conflict and allow the resumption of inclusive political dialogue in accordance with UN Security Council resolution 2216 (2015) and other relevant resolutions. The face-to-face negotiations will provide a mechanism for a return to a peaceful and orderly transition based on the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Initiative and the outcomes of the National Dialogue Conference. The Special Envoy added that the parties to the conflict have agreed to declare a nation-wide cessation of hostilities beginning at midnight on 10 April. He noted that recent weeks had seen a significant reduction in armed activities along the Saudi-Yemeni border, accompanied by other positive confidence-building measures.
**Syria
Today, a second interagency humanitarian convoy is planned to deliver food parcels, nutrition supplies and hygiene kits to the town of Al Houla in northern Homs Governorate in Syria, for 71,000 people. The first convoy carried much needed assistance on Tuesday, and an additional convoy is planned in the coming days with further supplies. On 23 March, the UN received approval from the Government of Syria for interagency convoys to 6 of the 11 locations requested in April, including Kafr Batna sub-district, Zabdeen, Madaya, Arbeen, Zamalka, Foah/Kefraya and eastern Aleppo City. Based on approvals to date, we are aiming to reach over 800,000 people in hard-to-reach, besieged and other priority locations by the end of April. The UN continues to call for unconditional, unimpeded and sustained access to all the 4.6 million people in besieged and hard-to-reach locations across Syria.
**Tuberculosis
In his message on World Tuberculosis (TB) Day, which is today, the Secretary-General says that victory over the disease requires a united approach. As the World Health Organization (WHO) “End TB” Strategy emphasizes, departments responsible for labour, justice, social welfare, science and technology, internal affairs and migration can all make a difference. The Secretary-General says that to end the TB epidemic we all must do more to engage affected persons and communities, as well as non-governmental organizations, researchers and the private sector.
Also on the World Tuberculosis Day, UNAIDS [Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS] is calling for stronger partnerships and a united approach to end the twin epidemics of TB and HIV. According to UNAIDS, 9.6 million people fell ill with TB in 2014 and 1.5 million people died of the disease. TB also remains the leading cause of death among people living with HIV, accounting for one in three AIDS-related deaths every year — around 390,000 of 1.2 million AIDS-related deaths in 2014.
**Refugees
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad al Hussein, expressed serious concerns today about the recent agreement on refugees between the European Union and Turkey, pointing to what he termed “a contradiction at the heart of the agreement”, as well as raising concerns regarding arbitrary detention of refugees and migrants. The EU-Turkey refugee agreement went into effect on 20 March and in essence allows the EU authorities to return to Turkey all refugees and migrants whose asylum applications have been found inadmissible or unfounded.
High Commissioner Zeid expressed concern that the language of the agreement presents a risk of overlooking human rights law obligations, which require states to examine arguments against return beyond those found in refugee law. Such needs could arise, for example, in the case of children; victims of violence, rape, trauma and torture; individuals with specific sexual orientation; persons with disabilities; and a range of others with legitimate individual protection needs. There’s more on the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights website.
**Honour Roll
And another two Member States join the Honour Roll, as Germany and San Marino have paid their regular budget dues in full for 2016. Our thanks go to both nations. So far, 55 have paid in full [their dues] for 2016 and all previous years.
**Weekend Schedule
And last of all, I just want to let you know that if you want to come to work here tomorrow, we are closed. We will see you again and the briefings will resume again on 28 March. Yes, Nabil?
**Questions and Answers
Question: Thank you, Farhan. Mr. Mladenov said that the Quartet is working on a report, and he expected this report should be finalized within maybe two months. And it seems that some recommendations will be included in this report. I'm sure the Secretariat has its own recommendations to the situation between Palestine and Israel since you monitor the situation on a daily basis. Would your recommendation include any action in the Security Council?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, at this stage, the United Nations is contributing to the report of the Quartet as one of the four members of that Quartet. So, we're working on the recommendations overall. I wouldn't highlight any particular thing at this stage until the report comes out, but, yes, once it comes out, it will reflect our views, as well as those of the Russian Federation, the European Union and the United States. Yes, Sherwin?
Question: Thanks, Farhan. My question is on Morocco and the fairly muted response we've seen from the Security Council on this issue. Is the Secretary‑General concerned that this dispute and the lack of support he seems… he's not get… the lack of support from the Security Council speaks to a broader problem between the Secretariat and the UN Security Council, where bilateral concerns of individual members seem to trump the wishes of the Secretariat… whether you're talking about the arms embargo in South Sudan, whether you're talking about humanitarian access in Syria, and now the question of Morocco? Does the Secretary‑General believe that the UN Security Council's lack of support is undermining his authority and the institution that he represents?
Deputy Spokesman: I'd formulate it the other way around. What the Secretary‑General believes is that the Council works best and is, by far, at its most effective when it is united and when it is capable of expressing its united stance. That's why it's important, for example, on resolutions which the Security Council has passed, that the Security Council is able to take action to make sure that its will in those resolutions is respected and respected by all parties. And so that is just a general point across the board. When they do that, obviously, it is much easier to ensure that the resolutions of the Security Council will be implemented and its will be upheld. Yes?
Question: Some other questions, but on that… on Western Sahara, and I guess what seemingly actually muted maybe response by the Secretariat, I've seen two… at least two, and I believe there's more, wire service stories quoting an unknown UN official saying very forcefully that the Security Council should act and that MINURSO [United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara] should be back in. So, I wanted to ask you, because it seems strange to some, if this is the Secretariat's position, why do it on background or, in one case, on condition of anonymity? What's the basis of a UN official to seek anonymity to say MINURSO should go back to Western Sahara? Why would this be done this way?
Deputy Spokesman: You know, for a reporter, you seem to be upset when people talk to the press.
Correspondent: I'm not. I'm upset when it's done selectively on background…
Deputy Spokesman: Sometimes people talk to the press, and depending upon the circumstances, they choose the conditions under which they do that. That's how it goes.
Question: Will DPKO [Department of Peacekeeping Operations] give a press conference about MINURSO and the impact of Dakhla… of pulling the people out of Dakhla or only on background?
Deputy Spokesman: At this stage, you have seen that I've spoken about that with the language that they have prepared for me.
Question: What about the DRC [Democratic Republic of the Congo]? The request yesterday by the Foreign Minister of the DRC related, I would say, to cut in half the size of MONUSCO [United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo] by 2,000 troops? What's the response by DPKO?
Deputy Spokesman: The Secretary‑General has made his own recommendations, which you have seen, concerning what we think of are the cuts that could be justified given the conditions on the ground, and it's up to the Security Council to evaluate his recommendations.
Question: Does pulling out of Western Sahara…?
Deputy Spokesman: Matthew, there are other hands in the air.
Correspondent: I'm just saying these things are related. Okay…
Deputy Spokesman: No, that's like four questions. Yes?
Question: Thank you, Farhan. Just on MINURSO, this Mission has over 30 international staff and more than 160 local staff working for the operation of the… of its military component. Yet, you've been saying that the military component of MINURSO cannot go about its regular work. Isn't that misleading the international opinion?
Deputy Spokesman: No, I did not say it cannot go about its regular work. In fact, its regular work is going on. I'm saying that its regular work has been impaired. We do not have… bless you. We do not have such an overwhelming amount of staff in any peacekeeping mission that we can afford to have a number of people away from their posts at any point in time. We are continuing as best we can, but ultimately, that work has been impaired. And what we want is for us to be able to do our work with full efficiency in the way that we're mandated to do.
Question: A follow‑up, if I may? We understand that everything is working fine in the military component of MINURSO and that you've been saying lately that the security of the… of the MINURSO itself is at stake. There is… there has no… there has been no incidents reported, so how do you square with that?
Deputy Spokesman: I didn't say the security of MINURSO itself, of the peacekeepers, is at stake. The point is for security and logistical considerations, we had to withdraw, temporarily relocate some of our staff to Las Palmas. At this stage, our concerns continue to be that, as time goes on, that we will have the resources, including things, for example, crucially like bulk water and energy, to allow us to sustain conditions for our personnel. If that happens, if they're able to go about their work, they will go about their work as best they can. Yes, Abdelhamid?
Question: Thank you. Yesterday, I asked Mr. Mladenov about his statements, if there is one case at least worth mentioning when the Palestinians are killed, and he said: Are you trying to divide victims? I said: No, I read your statement. I read the statement today. There are three examples he gave in the beginning of his statement, and again, he did not mention one case, there is a Palestinian victim that should be worth mentioning in a statement. This my question. I'll ask it again and again. Why there is no mention of Palestinian victims?
Deputy Spokesman: There is a mention of Palestinian victims.
Correspondent: There's numbers, yes, numbers.
Deputy Spokesman: There is, indeed, and in fact, as I pointed out, he mentioned quite clearly that there had been 30 Israeli victims and 198 Palestinian victims…
Question: Yeah, out of the 198, there is not one case worth mentioning in his statement? That's what I'm asking about.
Deputy Spokesman: You can quibble over how it is characterized, but he has been true to the facts of the case. He's condemned each and every bit of violence that has occurred. He's had very harsh, very tough messages to give…
Correspondent: He mentioned the three cases, Farhan.
Deputy Spokesman: Please. Please. This is… yeah, it's not meant to be a debate. He has given harsh messages to each side, and he is hoping that each side will listen, will respond by easing away, backing away from the violence and returning to actual talks and a two‑State solution, which is beneficial for both of them. Yes, Joe?
Question: Yes. I'd like to know whether the Secretary‑General would give his unqualified support and endorsement of the statement that you alluded to from the High Commissioner Zeid? And, in that context, since the refugees and migrants would be returned to Turkey, not to the countries where the conflicts are raging and where there may be persecution if they returned, what… what is the rationale under international law for objecting to this arrangement, you know, if Turkey, for whatever reason, decides to take back a number of these refugees? Because the Convention on asylum only talks about it being against the Convention if refugees seeking asylum are returned to their countries of origin.
Deputy Spokesman: Well, you've seen, not just what High Commissioner Zeid said, but also the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the head of UNICEF [United Nations Children’s Fund] and others. We all have our various concerns, including having… concerns having to do with the lack of certain safeguards that we believe are necessary on the ground. This, as I've pointed out in recent days, is the Secretary‑General's concern, as well. But, regarding the legal concerns, the concerns about human rights law, I'd just refer you back to the full press release of what High Commissioner Zeid is saying. But, in any case, one of the points, as I just mentioned, was that there are other human rights needs that are separate and apart from being returned to the countries from which they face persecution. That's a concern. But, even short of that, like I said, there's specific concerns about the cases of children, victims of violence, rape, trauma and torture, individuals with specific sexual orientation, persons with disabilities, and a range of others with legitimate individual protection needs. Those needs need to be fairly evaluated, and that is something that he is concerned is not happening at present.
Question: On what basis is he saying it's not happening? He doesn't… does he have information on specific individual cases, let's say, of someone who's disabled or a child without parents whose… who have been processed and returned to Turkey? I mean, isn't he making assumptions without…
Deputy Spokesman: No, it's not a question of assumptions. We have been examining the issue. His office has been dealing with this as well as, in particular, UNHCR, and these are concerns that are reflected throughout the system. And you've heard what UNHCR has had to say about this as well. Evelyn?
Question: Yes, on Yemen, has the bombing stopped totally? I don't see a report of it today, but then I don't know.
Deputy Spokesman: The point is to have the cessation of hostilities take effect on 10 April. What's happening between now and then, as the Special Envoy made clear, is that different coordinating mechanisms, including mechanisms involving elders, tribal leaders and others, will be set up to make sure that, once you have an actual cessation of hostilities, it will be upheld. Yes? Yes, please, Olga?
Question: Thank you, Farhan. Today's supposed to be the last day of the talks, Syrian talks in Geneva. Thanks. Will Staffan de Mistura brief the Security Council on the outcome? Will he come here to New York?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, first, I believe Mr. de Mistura will be speaking to the press in Geneva. So, we're waiting to hear from him what he has to say. And then he'll indicate what his next course of action will be. I do expect him to keep the Security Council informed. Hold on. Let's see. Were there anyone… Farnaz, you haven't asked yet.
Question: I wanted to ask you to give us an update on the status of the internal investigation on the John Ashe case. You… there was some mention that it would be released at the end of March. So, will we see it next week? Also South‑South Cooperation was doing its own investigation. Will that be made public, too?
Deputy Spokesman: Yes, yes, both of those are being wrapped, and up they're both to be made public. And once that happens, we will let you know.
Question: Is it next week?
Deputy Spokesman: With any luck. I never try to predict things on the calendar, because honestly, even if we say the end of March, the UN, as you know, is elastic in terms of time, and the clock starts to run out a little bit longer. Yes, Nabil?
Question: Yes, on Syria, Geneva. Mrs. [Federica] Mogherini was invited by Mr. de Mistura yesterday to join the talks, and she met the head of the Government's delegation in Geneva. Why was she invited? I mean, it's… I think it's the first time for her to attend or to be part of these discussions. And what was the message that Mr. de Mistura and the SG [Secretary-General], like, hoped to be delivered through Mrs. Mogherini to the Syrian parties?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, like I said, for now, I'm going to wait for Mr. de Mistura to talk next, because he will be talking to the press, and I think he can deal with this and other issues at that point. Yes?
Correspondent: Sure. Questions on Yemen, ICTY, South‑South News, and this room. On… on Yemen, I wanted to know, there are reports of talks, not only the ones between the Saudis and the Houthis, but now of talks in Oman concerning the possible remo… departure from Sana’a of President… former President [Ali Abdullah] Saleh in exchange for immunity. And I wanted to know, as I'd wanted to know yesterday, whether the envoy… the UN envoy is involved in either of these two tracks of talks or if they… he thinks they undermine his track, the fact that the Saudis and Houthis are talking directly and the fact that there are talks in Oman about Saleh and his future legal status.
Deputy Spokesman: Well, as I believe he actually said, you know, he was… he's not involved in that separate process of talks that is happening between the Saudis and the Houthis. But he is… he encourages them because they are helping to move this process along. Yes?
Question: Do you have any new assessment on Libya by the Special Envoy [Martin] Kobler?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, Mr. Kobler is continuing his work to try to get the parties to come to an agreement. Obviously, it continues to be a fairly drawn-out process, but he's continuing with it, and he believes ultimately that what's needed is for everyone to back the current agreement on a government. Yes, Sherwin?
Question: Back to the question of Morocco. Does… given the personal nature of the dispute of the use of the word "occupation" by the Secretary‑General of the dispute in Morocco, does the Secretary‑General believe that negotiations between the two parties, Western Sahara and Morocco, are still a viable option given the nature of this personal sort of dispute over the use of a word. Does he believe… does he still have confidence in the process? And is the end… is the goal still a referendum on self‑determination?
Deputy Spokesman: The goal, ultimately, is to resolve the final status of Western Sahara. We intend to abide by all the relevant Security Council resolutions. We certainly intend, as we do with all peace efforts around the world, to keep trying with negotiations no matter how hard it may seem or how intractable the parties may be at a given part in time. This is not the only case in the world where the United Nations is facing a long‑running dispute where the parties have extremely hardened views. But, you will have seen over time many of the cases that you… that have been resolved or that are being resolved right now are ones that people told us could never be done. It takes time. It takes patience and effort, but I think it can be. Yes, Nabil?
Question: A follow-up on Western Sahara? Yes. Do you feel… like, I… I'm sure Mr. [Jeffrey] Feltman and the SG's office are in daily contact with Security Council members. Do you feel that the Council is closer now to agree on an… on a united… to be united on this matter? And since the SG stands by his language on Western Sahara and used "occupation" several times, does this mean that he's calling…
Deputy Spokesman: Well, he used "occupation" once.
Question: Yeah, but you repeated here twice, I think, or three times. So, does this mean that the SG calls to end occupation, or what's his stand on this?
Deputy Spokesman: No, what… like what I said is the entire point is to deal with the issue of the status of Western Sahara, however that may be decided amongst the parties and the Sahrawi people. This is where we stand on that. And regarding the Council, ultimately, the matter is in their hands. We believe that there's a general will in the Council to respond. How they will choose to do it is up to them. Yes?
Question: Sure. I wanted… on Burundi, I wanted to know if you have a comment or "if asked" on this new law in the country that people cannot have more than one SIM card for their phone and that the SIM card has to be registered to them. Many people see this as an attempt to cut down on civilian peaceful protests of the third term.
Deputy Spokesman: No, we don't have a comment.
Correspondent: Okay. Also earlier at the trial…
Deputy Spokesman: Hold on. Yeah?
Question: Just back to Morocco. Does the Secretary‑General today believe that Morocco is occupying parts of Western Sahara?
Deputy Spokesman: Ultimately, this is… the question of the status is a complex question. We want it to be resolved in a way that's agreeable to all parties. The Secretary‑General said what he said. We explained why he said what he said. And he continues to stand by that. Butm we want this to be resolved in a way that ultimately comes out in the interest of all parties. We're not trying to take any side over any other side. What we're trying to do is get to a situation where the status of Western Sahara will be resolved. This is something that's been lingering for a long, long time. It's been a cause of much tension in the region. And with the right amount of goodwill, with the right amount of faith… of good faith among the parties, we believe it can still be resolved even now.
Question: Will he use the word "occupation" again?
Deputy Spokesman: I can't predict the future. What I can say is that he said what he meant to say. Yes?
Question: I don't understand this whole situation. The Secretary‑General… you explained that the Secretary‑General said what he said and explained what led him to say what he said. But, the word "occupation" has meanings. It has legal meaning, actually. And you say that he wants to reduce tension, and yet he's not backing off from the word "occupation" and is not explaining what the word meant other than to say I… I did it because I was upset to see those people and the situation and so on. Is that conducive to reducing tensions? As far as it goes now, it actually has raised tensions.
Deputy Spokesman: The Secretary‑General, throughout his trip, wanted to make sure that he could, in fact, reduce the tensions that have been existing regarding the Western Sahara issue. He remains amenable to deal with all the parties, each point of view on this. So, he has made it very clear that he understands the… their differing positions, but he wants sincerely to bring them together to deal with the problem that has gone on for too long.
Question: But, he has driven them apart as of yet. I mean, maybe a course correction is needed?
Deputy Spokesman: He's explained what he had said. The question is, is there will among people to de‑escalate the situation? We certainly think that there's no cause, no reason for this. There's no reason to escalate this particular situation at all. And the Secretary‑General is certainly not intending or trying to do that, but ultimately, it's up to the parties themselves to take their own actions to make sure that they will also de‑escalate. Joe?
Question: Well, to Benny's point, the term "occupation", which triggers certain obligations on the occupying Power under the Geneva Convention, so does the Secretary‑General, perhaps implicitly, endorse the full application of the Geneva Convention obligations? That's part of the question. And the second is, you sort of indicated a neutral stance, if you will, toward the question of referendum, leaving it up to the Security Council, but isn't it the case that the very title of the peacekeeping force contains the word "referendum"?
Deputy Spokesman: Yes. Yes, of course.
Question: So, therefore, why is he sort of taking a… on the one hand, using the term "occupation" and second… and then not answering the question about the final status?
Deputy Spokesman: The Security Council, in its resolution, gives us mandates. We act in good faith to carry out those mandates. What we're trying to do is see how can the mandate given to us by the Security Council be carried out. It's been a complex task, and it's been a complex task for several decades now. But we're continuing to do that. And that includes trying to deal with how the Council resolutions regarding a referendum can be implemented.
Correspondent: What about… sorry. What about the question of the full implications? Perhaps the Secretary‑General didn't realize it, but… when he used the term "occupation"… but it does trigger certain legal obligations of the occupying Power under the Geneva Conventions…
Deputy Spokesman: And the Secretary‑General…
Correspondent: … which have often been cited in the case of Israel.
Deputy Spokesman: Joe, if I may, it's not just a word that came out of the Secretary‑General's head. This is a word that has been used by the General Assembly itself in resolutions dating back to the late 1980s. So… so you would actually have to ask that… that's a question really for the Member States as much as for anyone. Yes?
Question: Sure. I wanted to ask, in the… in the ICTY case that you were… spoke about at the top, there was also a detention or arrest… it's a little unclear… of the former spokeswoman… spokesperson of the ICTY, Florence Hartmann, who's a former journalist. And it's described she was physically detained by… by… by… they said blue‑shirted. I'm not sure if it's the UN court or who it was. Are you aware of this detention of Ms. Hartmann and what… what… what's behind it?
Deputy Spokesman: I am aware of the reports. Ultimately, I think that's a question for the ICTY… if that's an action that they have taken, they would need to explain what the reasoning is behind it.
Question: Who provides security there? Is it the UNDSS [Department of Safety and Security] or is it some separate entity?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, like I said, ultimately, though, this is proceedings at the ICTY, so you'd need to talk with them.
Question: South… can I…?
Deputy Spokesman: Yeah. Hold on. Yes, you please.
Question: Thank you, Farhan. A follow‑up on Western Sahara: You said that he used the word "occupation" only once. Does it mean that he didn't intend on using it, or was it part of a strategy, or it's just that it's a… he misspoke?
Deputy Spokesman: To get back to the note to correspondents that we issued that put this better than me. Hold on one second. Let me just read out what we said at the time. During his visit, the Secretary‑General personally witnessed a desperate situation in a Western Sahara refugee camp resulting from decades of life without hope in the harshest conditions. He stressed that the Sahrawi refugees deserve a better future. He referred to occupation as related to the inability of Sahrawi refugees to return home under conditions that include satisfactory governance arrangements under which all Sahrawis can freely express their desires.
Correspondent: Just a follow‑up on that. On the Moroccan side, from my understanding, the refugees can go back, but apparently, there's a problem where there's contained… they are contained in these camps, and they cannot leave these camps. So, just a comment on… on this…
Deputy Spokesman: You'll have seen what we've said including in our periodic reports on the situation. I'd just refer you to those. Yes, Benny?
Question: You said before that the main aim of the Secretary‑General is to reduce tensions between the parties, but the tensions between the parties hasn't changed. What changed is the tension between Morocco and the Secretary‑General. The question is, is there any way to reduce those tensions, including, by the way, in lowering the rhetoric in this room that keeps repeating every day the same thing? Maybe there's a way to change course that will reduce tension on that front, not between the parties, but between the Secretary‑General and the… and Government of Morocco.
Deputy Spokesman: Well… Bless you. There's a lot of sneezing today.
Correspondent: Allergy season.
Deputy Spokesman: Bless you again. All right. Now that we're past that, I certainly hope what I'm… it's not… I'm not being seen as engaging in rhetoric against anyone. I'm not trying to do that. And we're not trying to do that on behalf of the Secretary‑General. For this particular dispute, we, like I said, don't take any special side. We are a neutral party in this. We want to bring the parties together. We want them to negotiate with each other in good faith. The Secretary‑General has great respect for the people of Morocco, as he does for the Sahrawi people. What he wants to make sure ultimately is that something can be devised to break this impasse. This is a conflict that he had not been dealing with directly on the ground until now, and he really believes that there has to come a time when you take some positive action to move parties forward. In this case, as you can see, there's been some misunderstanding about what his effort is, but he doesn't do this out of any stance of opposition to anyone. He's trying for peace, and that is what his focus is. Yeah?
Question: But, just to follow up on this, the issue that apparently exacerbated even further the situation between the Secretary‑General and the Government of Morocco is the Secretary‑General insistence that people can't demonstrate against him in the streets because something to do with his prestige…?
Deputy Spokesman: No, no, no, no. No, no, that's not it. It's not that people can't demonstrate…
Correspondent: He said so in a statement that you read from this podium.
Deputy Spokesman: Everyone has the right to demonstrate. No. But, what I read… part of what he was suggesting is his… is that there was a misunderstanding of his actions, but also that these demonstrations were in some way prompted in a way that was disfavourable to the interests of the United Nations. The United Nations continues to go about its work. We don't want the public at large, including the public in Morocco, to misunderstand what we're doing. That's part of what he was trying to get at. People are free to protest when they're protesting sincerely. They're free to assemble. This is the case with everything no matter… and no matter what the views are, even if those views are against us. That fine.
Question: So, the United… United Nations is a party in this?
Deputy Spokesman: No. No, we're not a party.
Correspondent: I mean, you can't pretend that the United Nations has no…
Deputy Spokesman: You know what the word "party" means, and we are not party to this.
Question: Well, in this case, it is a party. The whole war now is between the Government of Morocco and the Secretary‑General.
Deputy Spokesman: There's no war between the Government of Morocco and the Secretary‑General.
Correspondent: Not war‑war. War of words. War of words.
Deputy Spokesman: I wouldn't even call it a war of words. I mean, I don't think what I've been saying in the last few minutes is discouraging, is it? I'm not trying to. Anyway, Oleg.
Question: Farhan, since you mentioned the sides of conflict, these report… not a report. This press conference yesterday by Human Rights Watch where they mentioned that the US can be considered a party of the conflict in Yemen, and with that it can be accountable for the crimes committed by the Saudi Arabia, my question is, does the UN consider the US and other countries providing arms to the coalition headed by Saudi Arabia as parties to the conflict in Yemen?
Deputy Spokesman: What I can say is what we've… what we're… what we've been pushing for is an end to the hostilities in the first place, that this is what our work has been dedicated on. So, to that extent, we've been dealing with the parties in the form of the Houthis, the GNC [General National Congress] and the [Abd Rabbuh Mansur] Hadi Government. And, of course, we've also been dealing with countries in the region who we feel would have influence on them.
Question: Yes, but in case with Syria, for example, the UN always says that a first goal is to end the hostilities and the second… at some point, there should be accountability for the actions and for the crimes committed during the conflict. Is this the same with Yemen? In this case, there should be… already now there should be some process of identifying who could be responsible?
Deputy Spokesman: I'd just refer you back to what Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed said just yesterday in this room. I mean, there's a process being put in place, and he described the process as we see it. Yes, Abdelhamid?
Question: Thank you. Can you update us on the work of the panel of experts on Yemen? Are there still five members? Do they report to the Security Council periodically? What are they doing now? Did they add any names on the list of individuals or entities included in the sanctions?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, ultimately, I think once they have their next report done to the Security Council, then you'll be apprised at that point. I don't have any update at this point. Yes?
Question: Thank you. So, is the Secretary‑General still questioning the sincerity of the protesters in Morocco? And there were protests here last week with more than 600 Moroccans coming from all over the United States, and I just want to… wondered if there's a questioning around the sincerity of this…
Deputy Spokesman: It's not a questioning of their sincerity. He believes that they misunderstand the actions that he's taken, which are not taken in opposition to anyone. He is not… he has not, in many cases, done the things of which he's accused, in terms of the accusations that he has somehow taken one side over the other.
Question: So, again, it brings us back to the word "occupy", and the Moroccans seemed to have read it in its legal aspect, and that's why they felt that it was… that the Secretary‑General took sides and the fact that he didn't review his position later made it as a… sound as a confirmation on his position. And so that's the…
Deputy Spokesman: Like I said, he has explained his position in terms of what I've just read out to you, which we put out some time ago. He has spoken to the Foreign Minister. We are… we continue to be in touch with our Moroccan colleagues. We are clarifying matters, but it is simply not logical to think that he would throw away a process of many, many years by saying a single word on a single occasion. You and then you.
Question: My last question. So, I mean, the SG waited till his last year in office to visit the region and to use this language on Western Sahara. Is he worried or concerned now that he might maybe leave the office with unfinished job? because we see the tension now between the parties, and it's basically a reaction to his word and his language. So, is he worried that he's going to leave the office with unfinished job on this matter?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, there's time yet in his mandate, so he can get it resolved. There's time enough to solve problems, if there's will. Yes?
Question: Sure. Just on Yemen, very specifically, did… does a call for an investigation of this market shell… airstrike in Hajjah, does the UN or Secretary‑General believe that the US, given that it provides fuel and targeting information to the Saudi coalition, should they conduct their own investigation into how 118 civilians were killed?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, our call is really just for investigation, and we'll have to see how that is carried out.
Question: On South‑South News, I wanted to ask… the other day, I asked you some specific questions, but I have… on the issue of the… of how their content was included in UN webcast archives, I went back and looked. This is something that I asked in October. So, you'd said that somebody is looking into it. Given that it's now March, what exactly have… how have they been looking into it? And also, I want to read you something that's on South‑South News's website today, which says, South‑South News received backing of UN Under‑Secretary‑General of Department of Public Information. And I wanted to know… I'm looking at it now. Does this still stand? What do you say to this presentation?
Deputy Spokesman: Yes, my colleague did look into this. The request was from UN‑Habitat to use some information that was provided by South‑South News for a project by Habitat.
Correspondent: There's more than one use, but can I… if there are other questions, go ahead.
Deputy Spokesman: Yes, there are.
Question: Yes, there was an e-mail from the staff union today about all the UN staff who have been killed in the line of duty. Syria had the highest number, but they didn't say where they were killed in Syria. Do you have any information on that? Is it the Government? Is it ISIS? Is it what?
Deputy Spokesman: We've made some periodic details about the killing of different humanitarian workers. Part… the biggest risk has been on… to humanitarian workers being killed while on convoys. So, there's been a lot of people killed that way. There have been some people who were killed… including local staff killed in their homes or on the streets during the fighting. There's no clear-cut case of responsibility. It's been different factions at different times. And as Stéphane [Dujarric] has pointed out to you… as Stéphane has pointed out to you, a lot of times, it's difficult to identify even who is behind killings at checkpoints. There are different armed groups, and it's hard to determine which one is the one that's attacking.
Question: Also, on Morocco, go back to that, no court has ever said that the Sahara was part of Morocco. I don't know if you want to use the word "occupied" or not, but it's never been deemed legally part of Morocco by anyone but Morocco, yeah?
Deputy Spokesman: That's not a question, so I don't really have anything to say to that.
Correspondent: She did say: “Yeah?”
Question: It’s a question mark. Is that not true?
Deputy Spokesman: You know the historical facts as well as anyone. Yes?
Question: Sure. Thanks a lot. I just am noting on the South‑South News question that there's more than one use, and one that I'm looking at now is called "A High‑level Political Forum: A Focus on Climate", and it has nothing to do with UN-Habitat. So, I guess I'd encourage you, since it was asked in October, there's not just one… there probably is one that's from UN-Habitat, but there are number of them. But, here's the question about this room, and I'll keep it very brief, but I want to ask you about it. You can… my question is this. It was explain… I guess I want to ask… I'll phrase it this way. Yesterday, as you held your briefing, there were two individuals in the booth right there, the interpreter's booth, the other interpreter's booth. And I wanted to know, since it's been explained to me that there's some clear rule, it's been said that the Under‑Secretary‑General of Department of Public Information says that there's an extremely clear rule that only interpreters can be in these booths, and if anyone other than interpreters are in the booth, they face summary ouster from the United Nations. What was the use of this… please explain, because he's been asked for the rule and didn't provide the rule.
Deputy Spokesman: Yes, there was, in fact, a violation of the room, which we… which we have taken up…
Question: A violation of what rule? Can you provide the rule? Because he's been asked for the rule.
Deputy Spokesman: This is by our fellow DPI staff who were unaware of this, but they have been told they cannot use that room, that they cannot and must not.
Question: Who were they? And did you know yesterday when you did nothing during your presence there?
Deputy Spokesman: I did not know, because, as when you were hiding there, it's difficult for me to tell that there are people there.
Question: There's no hiding. They're totally visible. So, you're saying you didn't know and you did nothing, yet it's an extremely strong rule.
Deputy Spokesman: No, I didn't say I did nothing. In fact, we were apprised of this, and they cannot use that room. Thanks.