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.
**Pakistan Bombing
Since this is a long weekend, I have quite a few updates for you. You may have seen it over the weekend and in fact last night we issued a statement on behalf of the UN Secretary-General in which he condemned the appalling attack in Lahore, Pakistan, which killed more than 60 and wounded scores of others. That statement was put out last night.
**Secretary-General Travel
This morning the Secretary-General arrived in Tunisia, on the last leg of his joint visit with the President of the World Bank Group, Dr. Jim Yong Kim.
In a press conference following a meeting with the President of Tunisia, Béji Caïd Essebsi, the Secretary-General congratulated the President on Tunisia’s democratic growth and commended his efforts to tackle social and economic inequalities. He added that during this two-day visit to Tunisia, he and Dr. Kim will discuss concrete proposals that will yield economic dividends to the Tunisian people, particularly on job creation and economic support.
Regarding Libya, the Secretary-General said that the United Nations fully understands the impact that the situation is having on Tunisia, particularly on security and on the economy. A political solution in Libya is the only way to end the crisis and bring the stability to the country and to the region, he said. The Secretary-General and Dr. Kim later laid a wreath outside the Bardo Museum, which was a site of a terrorist attack about a year ago.
**Secretary-General Travel Weekend
Yesterday, as you will have seen the Secretary-General and Dr. Kim were in Jordan where they visited the Zaatari refugee camp, meeting with several residents there. The Secretary-General said that he was moved by the resilience of the Syrian people and stressed the need to both support them while they are refugees and to continue working for a political situation in Syria, in order to allow them to return home as soon as possible.
In Amman, the Secretary-General and Dr. Kim also met with King Abdullah of Jordan, the Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister of Jordan.
Readouts of these meetings have been issued, as well as readouts of the Secretary-General’s meetings in Jordan with the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, and the Prime Minister of Turkey, Ahmet Davutoğlu who was also in Jordan.
On Saturday, the Secretary-General and Dr. Kim were in Iraq. The Secretary-General condemned the terrorist attack in Iskanderiyeh, south of Baghdad. Following a meeting with Prime Minister al-Abadi, he called on Iraq’s regional and international partners to lend their support to the Government and people of Iraq in the fight against Daesh, stressing that this support must be provided with respect for the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The Secretary-General and Dr. Kim were also accompanied by the President of the Islamic Development Bank, also addressed Iraq’s Council of Representatives.
Later, in Erbil, the Secretary-General praised the critical contribution of the Kurdish Peshmerga forces in combatting Da’esh and underlined his grave concern over the economic and fiscal crises in the Kurdistan Region that are compounding the war against Da’esh and the response to the humanitarian crisis.
Finally, on Friday in Lebanon, the Secretary-General and Dr. Kim visited both the Palestinian camp Nahr el Bared and Syrian refugees in the Beka’a Valley and a social development centre supported by the United Nations in favour of poor and marginalized Lebanese.
In his final press conference in Beirut, the Secretary-General stressed that the United Nations and the World Bank are not settling Syrian refugees permanently in Lebanon, but are helping them settle temporarily until they can feel they can return safely to their home country, Syria.
**Western Sahara
An update on Western Sahara.
On 24 March, the Security Council formulated a consensus position on Western Sahara as expressed to the press by His Excellency Mr. Ismael Abraão Gaspar Martins, President of the Security Council this month.
The Secretary-General notes that the Security Council members expressed serious concern regarding recent developments, especially as they relate to their impact on the effective functioning of MINURSO. As the Security Council has recalled, peacekeeping operations and other missions are deployed by the Security Council to carry out tasks that are critical for the maintenance of peace and security. All Member States and other actors should abide by their obligations under the Charter and the decisions of the Security Council.
What is now important is to overcome the current difficulties and enable the Mission to resume its full capacities to carry out its Council-mandated functions. The Secretary-General, his Personal Envoy, Christopher Ross, and his Special Representative are ready to spare no effort to help it do so in a constructive, cooperative, and comprehensive manner, as the members of the Council have requested.
**Security Council
The Security Council is meeting today on the role of women in conflict prevention and resolution in Africa.
The Executive Director of UN Women [Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka] told the Council that the role of women in conflict prevention was often lauded but rarely visible. She said that women’s empowerment was the best line of defence against militarism and violent extremism.
She said that the Council had to make sure that its deliberations were more frequently informed by the perspective and analysis of women on the ground. She also said that women’s organizations should receive political and financial support to engage in violence prevention, mediation and diplomacy.
The Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs, Taye-Brook Zerihoun, underlined his Department’s actions to promote women’s effective participation in conflict mediation and to address their specific needs in peace-making efforts.
He said that prioritization, prevention and inclusive political solutions has never been more urgent. And he added that experience has shown that with early diplomatic initiatives, actively engaging civil society and notably women’s organizations, we stand a better chance of helping prevent and resolve conflicts.
Those remarks are available in my office.
**Raquelina Langa
Today we learned with sadness of the passing of Raquelina Langa, a remarkable young woman from Mozambique.
As you may recall, the Secretary-General met Raquelina in 2013 when he visited her school in Maputo. At the time, she asked the Secretary-General if she, as a girl, could become Secretary-General and what she needed to do to achieve that goal. In response, and as a way to encourage her, the Secretary-General invited her to come to New York to see what it would be to be Secretary-General for a day.
Raquelina spent International Youth Day here on 12 August 2014.
In a letter to her family, the Secretary-General expressed his deep personal condolences at her passing.
He writes that “while her life was short, her legacy will be long. Raquelina was more than a bright individual from Mozambique; she was [the] embodiment of why the world needs to invest in the health, well-being and future of young women everywhere.”
**Central African Republic
On the Central African Republic, over the weekend, a delegation led by the Secretary-General’s Deputy Special Representative for that country, Diane Corner, and including members of the conduct and discipline team, human rights unit, as well as representatives of UNFPA, UNHCR, and UNICEF, visited Kemo prefecture to gather more information on new allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse — and to engage with local communities and authorities.
As you will have seen on Friday, the United Nations Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) said it received new information of allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse both by UN and non-UN forces and civilians in the Kemo prefecture. These allegations reportedly refer to incidents that occurred in 2014 and 2015.
The Mission said that its primary concern was to ensure that victims have been assisted and all reports immediately investigated to ensure that any perpetrator is appropriately sanctioned.
The integrated team will gather all available information and preserve evidence to the extent possible.
We expect more information from the Mission in the next days.
And also just to flag that Hervé Ladsous, the Under-Secretary-General for the Department of Peacekeeping Operations, will be travelling today to the Central African Republic to represent the Secretary-General at the inauguration ceremony of the newly elected president of the Central African Republic [Faustin-Archange Touadera] — that will take place on Wednesday.
During his visit, Mr. Ladsous will meet with the national authorities and discuss the political process as well as their views on the country’s relationship with the peacekeeping Mission there [MINUSCA].
He will also meet with the mission’s leadership, as well as senior UN police and military commanders to address the issues of security, performance and conduct, including sexual exploitation and abuse.
**Children and Armed Conflict
In Sudan, the Government yesterday signed an Action Plan with the United Nations to prevent the recruitment and use of children by Sudan Government Security Forces.
The Action Plan sets out a series of measures to enhance the overall protection of children affected by armed conflict, including the cessation and prevention of child recruitment, and the release of children from national security forces.
The Office of the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Leila Zerrougui, said that this was a new milestone for the “Children, not Soldiers” campaign. With this signing, all seven countries whose national security forces are listed by the Secretary-General for recruitment and use of children have committed to the objective of the global campaign to end and prevent the recruitment and use of children by Government security forces in conflict.
There is more information in a press release.
**ESCAP/Youth
The first-ever survey on youth and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) in Asia-Pacific was launched today in Bangkok by the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).
The report says that young people will play a key role in achieving sustainable development in the Asia-Pacific region.
According to the report, there are over 700 million people aged 15 to 24 years in Asia-Pacific and while the region stands to benefit from engaging its young population, there are obstacles toward achieving the SDG. Poverty and health risks, for example, are big issues for the young people in that region.
More on the report - on ESCAP’s website.
**Martti Ahtisaari
Also I wanted to flag an event organized by the Association of Former International Civil Servants, (AFICS/NY) to mark the seventieth anniversary of the United Nations, tomorrow at 3 pm in Conference Room 3. Martti Ahtisaari, the former President of Finland, United Nations diplomat and Nobel Peace Prize Laureate will have an Open Conversation with James Bays, correspondent for Al Jazeera, on the seventieth anniversary of the United Nations: Accomplishments and Challenges. And since this is an open conversation, I assume the meeting is opened and you are all invited.
**Honour Roll
And for the Honour Roll, we thank Mauritius for paying its dues in full. So far, 56 Member States have paid their dues in full.
**Questions and Answers
Edie.
Question: Sorry about that. The cord was stuck. Stéph, two questions. First, on Western Sahara, was the Secretary‑General satisfied with the Security Council’s statement? And what does he view as the next steps in trying to resolve this crisis?
Spokesman: Well, you know, I think, the Secretary‑General’s opinion, I think, of the statement is what I just, what I just read out of him taking note of, I think, the Council’s expressing serious concern of the situation. As he said, it’s important to overcome the current difficulties and enable the Mission to go about its work. You know, I think next steps, parts of it are — you know, and if you’ll indulge me, I may do that again — is to reiterate what the purpose of the Secretary‑General’s trip had been earlier this month and, again, to say that nothing he said or did in the course of that trip was meant to offend or express hostility towards the Kingdom of Morocco, which is a valued member of the United Nations.
Second, he has not and will not take sides on the issue of Western Sahara. Neither he nor his Personal Envoy, Christopher Ross, has ever sought to impose the views or positions of one side on the other. Our facilitation of the negotiating process is based on the principles of the United Nations and the relevant Security Council resolutions. We seek to encourage the parties to negotiate without precondition and in good faith to find “a mutually acceptable political solution which will provide for the self‑determination of the people of Western Sahara”, which is as the Security Council has requested.
Also, because I think there have been a lot of questions about that in the past few days, the position of the United Nations has not changed. Nothing the Secretary‑General did or said during his trip to North Africa was meant to signal any shift in the Organization’s approach to the Western Sahara issue.
And, lastly, I think it’s also useful to understand and for me to reiterate, because I think we’ve done that quite a bit here, the circumstances of the Secretary‑General’s use of the word “occupation”. Again, he used it in one single time in response to a press question, noting that he had been moved and saddened to see the harsh conditions in which men, women, and children have been living in for decades. His use of the word was not planned nor was it deliberate. It was a spontaneous, personal reaction. We regret the misunderstandings and consequences that this personal expression of solicitude provoked, especially since the main purpose of the Secretary‑General’s trip was to focus on the need for a mutually acceptable way forward that would, among other things, end the tribulations of the refugees. Yes?
Question: I was just going to ask, one, on the new allegations of sexual abuse and exploitation in the Central African Republic, is there any information on new… on what forces were involved, either UN or non‑UN?
Spokesman: In terms of… there are a couple of… what MINUSCA’s also reporting that and what we’ve been told, it’s received also new allegations of possible sexual abuse of a minor involving members of the Burundian military contingent based in Sibut. The allegations are in connection with the alleged rape of a 14‑year‑old girl, which was first reported to the Mission by UNICEF last week. The Mission reports that the victim was provided with medical and psychosocial assistance by an implementing partner of UNICEF. In addition, there is also another new allegation of possible sexual exploitation implicating a yet unidentified member of the Moroccan military contingent. According to the information received by the Mission, the unidentified peacekeeper engaged in an exploitative sexual relationship with a local adult woman in February of this year in Bangassou. Both national authorities, the Burundian and the Moroccans, have been notified with the request to indicate whether they will appoint a national investigation officer, and the Moroccans have so far indicated that they will investigate. Yes.
Question: Thanks, Stéph. Just to clarify, so that the Moroccan was in February 2016?
Spokesman: Right.
Question: What are these 2014 and 2015 allegations that you just referred to? There’s other allegations?
Spokesman: Yes, these are other allegations that the Mission has also been informed of. The number of allegations that I have as of today, this year, 25 allegations have been registered in MINUSCA. And as of the end of February, other missions account for six allegations. I will try to get you a clearer tabulation of where we are.
Question: So the other ones you referenced, the 2014…
Spokesman: Some of them are older…
Question: …2015.
Spokesman: …allegations, 2014, 2015. That predate MINUSCA.
Question: Yeah. The one… the investigation you just told us about earlier…
Spokesman: Yeah, was for the other ones.
Question: Okay. How many allegations were there? Against whom…
Spokesman: I have to check. Let me go back and look at the press release from MINUSCA.
Question: Okay. Because, as you can imagine, it’s getting very confusing. And also, if you can clarify some remarks the Secretary‑General made in Jordan, before he left Jordan, why did he praise the Syrian Government forces for retaking Palmyra when the Syrian Government forces have also been blamed for destroying or damaging cultural heritage sites in Syria?
Spokesman: I think what the Secretary‑General said is that he welcomed the fact that Da’esh had been, had been defeated in Palmyra and that the rest — you know, we should welcome any defeat of an extremist group like Da’esh. And this could be the start of rebuilding the world heritage site that Palmyra is. Mr. Lee.
Question: Sure. Follow‑ups on sexual abuse and on Western Sahara. On these sexual abuse allegations, particularly as regard the… the… what you stated was the alleged rape of a 14‑year‑old girl by the Burundian contingent, given previous charges against the Burundian contingent in CAR, not only of sexual abuse but also of physical abuse and the repatriation of a number of individuals who were involved in abusing their own populous in May, what is Mr. Ladsous’ thought of repatriating the…
[inaudible]
Spokesman: Well, obviously, this is a new allegation. I think, as we’ve seen in the past, the UN has asked for whole contingents to be repatriated, and we’ve done so, we’ve done so in the past with that mission. Obviously, that remains an open possibility for any contingent that is involved in systematic abuse.
Question: Sure. I wanted to ask you, on Western Sahara, there’s an article in the Moroccan press quoting the press conference on Thursday of the Foreign Minister, saying that he was that… that… he believes Ban Ki‑moon, when he met with him on the Monday of last week, committed to make an apology. He said it’s because of this lack of an apology that the decision to not allow MINURSO to return is irreversible. So I wanted to know, did he misunderstand the meeting, or is this a misreport? And also there’s separately a report by the UN volunteers who left MINURSO and went I guess back home that somehow they feel they’re being cheated out of money, that it’s a security withdrawal because of the threat of, forced by Morocco, but it’s not being acknowledged as such. So I’m wondering, what is their status?
[inaudible]
Spokesman: We can check with UNV what their status is. I’m not going to comment on what the Foreign Minister said. I think the Secretary‑General’s position was laid out clearly just today. Again, I think, as I just read, the Secretary‑General regrets the misunderstanding and consequences that the personal expression of solicitude provoked.
Question: I have a question of how the stakeout on Western Sahara on the 24th was run. I can ask now or at the end, whichever you prefer.
Spokesman: Let’s ask later.
Correspondent: Okay.
Spokesman: Sir.
Question: Yes, Stéphane, on Libya, the Special Envoy Kobler kind of signalling that the situation is deteriorating compared to last week. Can you confirm that?
Spokesman: No, I have no updates. Obviously, from what I understand, Mr. Kobler has not been able to go into Tripoli because also of flight restrictions. The Secretary‑General had been expecting to meet with senior Libyan officials that were supposed to come out of the country. They were not able to fly out, which is not a positive sign. Sir?
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. Moving from Libya a little bit to the east to Egypt. Last week, the Secretary‑General met with one of the key human rights activists in Egypt and issued a statement. However, the situation in Egypt on the ground, there is still a witch hunt for the NGOs, putting them through legal process, intimidation of journalists, arrests and reopening some of the old legal cases that have been raised against non-governmental organizations and other civil society players in the area especially of human rights. My question, is the Secretary‑General considering any sort of mediation or addressing maybe raising it with the Egyptian Government in more strong sounding than the regular readout from the meeting?
Spokesman: You know, there’s been no request for mediation obviously. You know, the Secretary‑General’s just raised this publicly as we did in the readout following the meeting with Mr. Bahey Eldin Hassan, last week. And this is an issue the Secretary‑General and others have brought up to the attention of Egyptian officials repeatedly during various bilateral meetings. Masood.
Question: Yes, Stéphane. About this Israel and Palestinian Authority has asked the United Nations to conduct an inquiry into extrajudicial killings and [inaudible] sort of was lying on the ground was killed by… apparently by this… Israelis. Do you have any comment on that inquiry going to go ahead and take place or…
Spokesman: Nothing that I — nothing at this point. Obviously, the issue of extrajudicial killings is also one that can be looked at by the UN’s human rights mechanism and its Special Rapporteurs. Mr. Barada?
Question: Thank you, Stéph. There have been some efforts to convene international peace conference regarding the Palestinian issue in Paris. Is the Secretary‑General taking any part in these efforts? Thank you.
Spokesman: No, not directly, but obviously, we’re watching very closely the discussions that are being had.
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. In the press statement presented by the Security Council on Thursday, the Security Council did not express its support to the SG, and that support was… he was waiting for this support for more than 10 days now. So how does that going to affect the SG’s position and do you think that he’s going to regret using this word even if it was once? Thank you.
Spokesman: Okay. I don’t know… I think I’ve — I hope I’ve expressed the Secretary‑General’s position on his use of the word fairly clearly in what I just read out. Obviously, as I read out earlier in the briefing, we’ve definitely taken note of the Security Council’s elements to the press, what the ambassador told you. I think what is important to remember is that peacekeeping missions are deployed and authorized by the Security Council, and it is important that all Member States and other actors abide by their obligations under the Charter and the decisions of the Security Council.
Question: Thanks, Stéph. Can you just clarify? You said there were 25 accusations fielded by MINUSCA this year and there were 6…
Spokesman: As of the end of February.
Question: So that’s from 1 January they’ve received these and they could have been from the past?
Spokesman: Exactly.
Question: But there’s 25.
Spokesman: Exactly. But as I told your colleague from Reuters, I will try to get a little clarity on the arith… mathematics and numbers.
Question: Okay. Are they all SEA, though? Is that…
Spokesman: They’re all related to sexual exploitation or abuse.
Question: And just if I can ask, are there any updates on the Yemen talks, any update you can…
Spokesman: No. I mean, we have seen the prisoner exchange that took place on Sunday, which is obviously something that the Special Envoy very much welcomes. And this is something that he encourages the parties to keep, to keep demonstrating good faith, as well as spirit of compromise and patriotism, in order to enable a political solution as a way out of the current conflict. And I mean, from the beginning, the Special Envoy has been encouraging these types of confidence‑building measures and other positive measures that the parties have demonstrated as they did on Sunday. Oleg. And then Olga.
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. How many allegations recently did you receive? The ones that you announced today, how many of them?
Spokesman: I’ve just announced two… that took place… that took place this… this year that were very recent.
Question: And…
[inaudible]
Spokesman: And then on Friday, while we were not here, the peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic put out a press release saying they received new information of allegations by both UN and non‑UN forces against civilians in Kemo prefecture. And these allegations reportedly refer to incidents that occurred in 2014 and 2015. So some of those while the mission existed, some of those before the mission existed.
Question: And on a separate topic, on Syria, there were reports of airdrops to Deir ez‑Zor. Did the UN take part in these…
Spokesman: I had not. I had asked for an update, I was not given any updates on airdrops, which doesn’t mean they didn’t happen. It just means I have not received them, so we’ll see what we can get. Olga and then Carla.
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. Also a follow‑up on Palmyra. SG also expressed hope that this historic site would be restored. Will UN or UNESCO send some specialist to assess the work needed to do on the ground?
Spokesman: Obviously, I have no doubt that our colleagues in UNESCO will do so as soon as it is safe. Obviously, there are also very knowledgeable archaeological experts in Syria. We’ve seen reports that they were already going in, but we can check with our colleagues in UNESCO. Carla.
Question: Has the Secretary‑General or any… anyone else at the UN commented upon the politicization of the judiciary in Brazil which is attempting a coup d’état against another democratically elected president, which is beginning to resemble what happened in 1964 when Goulart was overthrown and replaced by the military?
Spokesman: Short answer is the Secretary‑General has not commented.
Question: Is there any concern about the situation…
Spokesman: Obviously, we’re watching the situation, the situation carefully, and we hope that all the constitutional — we’re just watching it carefully at this point.
Question: And regarding the attempt to arrest Lula, who brought more people out of poverty in Brazil than anybody in history and the most popular President there… Is there any comment about that?
Spokesman: I do not. Mr. Lee.
Question: Sure. I want to ask you something about Yemen. There was a… on the one‑year anniversary of the Saudi‑led coalition’s bombing, which was held on the 26th, there were two big rallies in Sana’a. One was by the Houthis, but another one was by followers of former President Saleh. It was a pretty large one. There are photographs of it. And at this rally, he said he has no more interest in working with the UN Security Council or its envoy, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, that only to deal directly with the Saudis. And that if the UN had meant business, they would have stopped these air strikes long ago. So I wanted to know, given that this is sort of a third element in the Yemen situation, what are Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed’s comments, relations with the Saleh side and this massive rally?
Spokesman: Mr. Ould Cheikh Ahmed is continuing to speak to all sides in the region. That has not changed. And it is not, it’s not the Secretary‑General that can stop the fighting. It is those who have their fingers on the trigger or on the bomb doors that can actually stop the fighting.
Question: Right. I think their critique was just that it’s not an even‑handed … Anyway, I’ll… I just wanted to ask you. I wanted to ask you also on Burundi, over the weekend, there had been at least two major crackdowns on jails with the use of live fire against prisoners who say they’re being mistreated. There’s also been some killings inside barracks as the army along various lines falls apart. And I’m wondering, what is the UN doing given its now stated role in interest in Burundi?
Spokesman: I don’t have any updates on the current situation in Burundi, but if I do, I will share one with you. Yes, please.
Question: Thank you. Japan’s new security law took effect today [inaudible] to fight overseas for the first time since World War II. What’s the security, the Secretary‑General’s reactions on it?
Spokesman: I don’t have anything for you on that, but I will get you something this afternoon. Okay. Matthew.
Question: Okay. Great. ICTY and then issues of stakeout on 24 March. I’d asked Farhan. I just want to see if you have anything on it, because as now reported in The New York Times there was this arrest of the former spokeswoman… spokesperson of ICTY, also a journalist, and apparently, she’s now under suicide watch with lights on 24 hours a day. The picture in The Times is a picture of UN security DSS grabbing her. So I wanted to know, what is the UN’s position on this physical restraint of a journalist/spokesperson for the content of her book?
Spokesman: This is an issue for the ICTY to address. It had to do, it’s not… it had to do with issues of a ruling of contempt of court against her. I would refer you to the ICTY spokesman. From what I understand, the information that’s been shared with us is that she is not in solitary confinement and that she’s not being forced to keep the lights on. But I would refer you to the ICTY and the UN security officers who are operating under the authority of the tribunal.
Question: Sure. And what I wanted to ask you about the stakeout was this. Even before — well, just after… I’ll skip the first part. Just after Ambassador Gaspar Martins read out those press elements, I was told to leave the stakeout area even as diplomats continued to come out and other people interviewed them. Then I was told I could only remain with an escort, which I view as a minder, because people that wanted to speak on background are unwilling to do so with Secretariat staff. So I wanted to know how this is consistent with what Cristina Gallach having said over the weekend to Western Sahara supporters elsewhere that there are no restrictions and I’m able to report just like anyone else. How is that consistent?
Spokesman: I wasn’t here on Thursday. We can look into it. Obviously, from what I see, you’re still very much able to…
Question: I’m here but I’m…
Spokesman: …to report. You’re able to keep… you’re able to keep tabs on the comings and goings of my staff, which I found useful when I was on vacation. So… and I said, I think if you have any issues, you should take them up directly with DPI.
Question: Okay. I’ve asked this so… I think… you’re essentially saying that reporting with a person who works with the Secretariat at the shoulders…
Spokesman: That’s not at all what I’m saying, Matthew.
Question: Okay. What I wanted to ask — I want to be sure to ask this, because the letter that I received that put me out on the street and has kept me from my office has, quotes a thing about civility and professionalism. And while I was at the stakeout on 24 March, I was approached by the President of the UN Correspondents Association who’s here in the [inaudible] and was told four times, “You are an A‑hole.” This was said loudly. This was said on the microphone. What I don’t understand is, if I was thrown out for trying to cover a meeting in this room, how is it professional or civil to come to the stakeout and to say, “You are an A‑hole” four times? And what’s going to be done about it?
Spokesman: Matthew.
Question: Question.
Spokesman: I think — let me just, and this and hopefully the last I will say about it today. What happened to you with your pass had to do with events that took place here. Obviously, you and I don’t agree on what actually happened. I’m not one to judge people on their use of language.
Question: Do you understand…
Spokesman: I…
[inaudible]
Question: This booth was used in your absence on 23 March. Two individuals were in the interpreter’s booth…
Spokesman: It…
[inaudible]
Question: How is this…
[inaudible]
Spokesman: It was — first of all, from what I understand, they weren’t hiding, and it was a mistake.
Question: I wasn’t hiding either. I never… I was never asked if I was hiding.
[inaudible]
Spokesman: I’m done.
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. I just want to… I want a clarification on your response to Salima’s question earlier, and I want to go back to this statements by the press, elements to the press by Security Council on last Thursday, which, as you will have seen, came empty of any support, clear support to the Secretary‑General and which rather stressed on, and I quote here, the importance of addressing in a constructive, comprehensive and cooperative manner the circumstances that led to this situation. Our reading is that this is like an invitation by the Security Council to the SG to withdraw or apologize for the word he uses to… to characterize the status of the… of Western Sahara for the mission to… for MINURSO to continue its work. What’s your take on that?
Spokesman: Well, you know, again, as to your colleague’s question, I think I expressed our position on what the Security Council said. Obviously, different people analyse it and have different takeaways, different takeaways from it. I think what is important is that MINURSO, as any other peacekeeping mission, is a mission of the Security Council and that all Member States have an obligation, and other parties, have an obligation to abide by the responsibilities under the Charter. As for the use of the word, I mean, you will see the transcript of what I’ve just read, and I would refer you to what I’ve said. Oleg.
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. As a clarification, on Western Sahara, what you read out, this is not to be considered an excuse, and Ban Ki‑moon is not taking back his words. Right?
Spokesman: You know, I’m not a native English speaker, but from what I’ve read, I think it’s pretty clear that we regret the misunderstandings and consequences that this personal expression of solicitude provoked, especially since the main purpose of the Secretary‑General’s trip was to focus on the need for mutually acceptable way forward that will among other things end the tribulation of the refugees. I think the Secretary‑General has repeatedly, through his spokespeople, expressed the regret at the misunderstanding and the consequences that the personal expression of the word…
Question: Does he still stick to the world… word as…
Spokesman: You know, the, the word was… was said. It was said in a very particular context. It wasn’t deliberate. It wasn’t premeditated. It was a spontaneous, personal reaction to what he had seen and an answer to a question.
Question: And since Friday was a holiday, I didn’t hear any reaction from Ban Ki‑moon… his assessment on the latest round of talks on Syria. They ended. What’s his reaction? Does he think it was a success?
Spokesman: Obviously, we look forward to the next round. I think a lot of important things were accomplished, notably getting a lot of various parties to Geneva. We’ve seen an increase in the humanitarian… the humanitarian aid that was able to be delivered, which still, unfortunately, remains very much a drop in the bucket. And we have seen, you know, somewhat a continuation of… I mean, the situation is calmer on the ground militarily than it was before this round of discussions started. Yes, Ali.
Question: Just a follow‑up. You mean this personal expression does not reflect the formal and official UN position? Thank you.
Spokesman: You know, maybe we should use interpreters here. I think what is clear is that the position of the UN has not changed. Nothing that the Secretary‑General said or did during his visit was meant to signal any shift in the Organization’s approach to the Western Sahara issue. When he used the word “occupation”, it was not premeditated. It was not planned. It was not deliberate. It was a spontaneous, personal reaction to what he and the rest of his delegation had just seen in the camps. And having been there, I can say that it was… it would have been… you really would have had to have a heart of stone not to have been moved by what you have seen. But as I said, nothing he has said or done indicates any shift in the UN’s position. Mr. Lee.
Question: Sure. On a different topic, in Sudan, the… the… a reporter known as Faisal Mohammed Saleh was arrested on Friday at the Khartoum airport and told he’s on a list to not leave the country and his passport was seized. Given the UN’s continued — obviously it has the mission in Darfur, but it has a country team in Khartoum. Was it aware of this arrest of a high-profile journalist?
Spokesman: I will check.
Question: Okay. The other one has to do with UN corruption or I said otherwise South‑South News. In October I’d asked you about these multiple inclusions of South‑South News content in UN Television archives. While you were away, Farhan explained one, one incident saying that it had, it was a request from Habitat, but I’ve gone back and looked, and as you may know, there are many of them. And so I wanted to know…
Spokesman: Again, all…
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Spokesman: I think you have… you have asked this question. If I’m not mistaken, my answer to you was to check with DPI.
Question: I… I… but my question I guess is this. Given there are other things that came up while you were away that remain unexplained including a statement of support for South‑South News by the Under‑Secretary‑General of DPI that remains online. I wanted to know…
[inaudible]
Spokesman: I think obviously, you know, it’s clear that the latest legal decisions taken by courts in New York and prosecutors I think will push us to again review the situation. Second, you know, as for the statement that the Under‑Secretary‑General made at the time, she made the statement. You know, taking it down, we’re not going to whitewash what was said. And obviously, at the time, no one had any indication that there was anything untowards going on with the leadership of South‑South News.
Question: But my question, given… and thank you for that. Given what… given what you’ve said now, which is Mr. Frank Lorenzo pleading guilty and Vivian Wang being indicted right after that, both of South‑South News what is the thinking of expanding or having a new audit…
Spokesman: I just said two seconds ago…
Correspondent: Right. I didn’t…
Spokesman: …obviously, the latest issues are pushing us to review a…
[inaudible]
Question: Is that a reference to perhaps starting a new OIOS audit?
Spokesman: No, it’s just reviewing the current situation with South‑South News.
Thank you, all.