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.
**Secretary-General’s Travels
The Secretary-General started his two-day visit to the Netherlands this morning. Earlier today, in The Hague, he spoke at the United Nations World Class Lecture, underscoring the importance of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and international cooperation. He called on students gathered at the lecture to rise to the challenges of their generation, act for our common future and give back as global citizens.
Later in the day, the Secretary-General held a joint press stakeout with Foreign Minister Bert Koenders, during which he expressed his deepest condolences for the victims of today’s terrorist attack in Kabul, adding that there is no justification whatsoever in attacking civilians. The Secretary-General also spoke at the official opening of the Permanent Premises of the International Criminal Court (ICC), calling the inauguration a milestone in global efforts to promote and uphold human rights and the rule of law.
As we speak, he is meeting with Prime Minister Mark Rutte, and this evening he will attend an event hosted by King Willem Alexander of the Netherlands. Tomorrow, the Secretary-General will participate in the seventieth anniversary of the International Court of Justice, which, as you all know, is based in The Hague, as well as receive the World Leader Cycle Award 2016 at the University of Rotterdam.
**Afghanistan
Also on Afghanistan, the UN [Assistance] Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) also issued a statement condemning the attack claimed by the Taliban in Kabul. The Mission has reiterated its call for the Taliban to immediately cease all attacks in civilian-populated areas, and reaffirms its continued support to the people of Afghanistan. The full statement is available online.
**Drugs
Speaking on behalf of the Secretary-General at the opening of the Special General Assembly session on the World Drug Problem, the Deputy Secretary-General, Jan Eliasson, said that the drug problem affects every nation and all sectors of society. Drug trafficking and organised criminal networks, he said, fuel violence and feed corruption. They weaken institutions and the rule of law and have serious human rights implications.
The Deputy Secretary-General stressed that the ultimate goal of the international drug control conventions is to ensure the health and welfare of humanity. In applying these conventions, we must therefore balance security and public safety concerns with considerations of health, human rights and development. As you know, my guest today will be Yury Fedotov, the Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). He will be here to speak to you about the event.
**Somalia
The Special Representative for Somalia, Michael Keating, briefed the Security Council this morning. Highlighting progress in the electoral process, Mr. Keating said that the process needs to be completed in 2016 in preparations for elections in 2020. He also underscored the need to build the capacity of the Somalis to take over from the African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM), as well as to generate jobs and revenues for a sustainable state. Despite the progress, Mr. Keating warned that the country continues to face great insecurity as Al-Shabaab remains a threat. He also called on the international community to continue supporting the African Union and Somali troops.
**Mali
The United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali, MINUSMA, deplores the death of two demonstrators yesterday in Kidal, following a violent protest. Four people were also wounded. The Mission says that the demonstrators entered the restricted area of the Kidal runway, burning and destroying security installations. The Mission is determined to establish the facts and an investigation is currently under way. The Mission is also in contact with the Malian authorities, as well as community leaders in order to ease tensions. A press release is available online from the Mission.
**South Sudan
Our colleagues at UNHCR [Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees] say that all of the countries neighbouring South Sudan have reported a rise in the number of South Sudanese refugees since the beginning of the year. For example, an estimated 52,000 South Sudanese have fled into Sudan since late January, exceeding planning projections for 2016. And Uganda has seen a sharp increase in refugee arrivals from South Sudan since January, sometimes as many as 800 individuals per day. UNHCR says it is extremely worried because the Regional Response Plan funded is just 8 per cent and many life-saving services are threatened.
**Ecuador
An update from our humanitarian colleagues on Ecuador: Stephen O'Brien, the Emergency Relief Coordinator, is currently in Ecuador to see the impact of the earthquake. The area of Manabí is the worst affected. Pedernales, an administrative region in Manabí with an estimated population of 55,000, has been declared a "disaster zone" — nearly 60 per cent of the area's electrical service is still out. WFP [World Food Programme], for its part, has already sent a convoy with food assistance for some 8,000 people, enough for 15 days, and additional food assistance will be delivered shortly to 12,000 people and more than 1,000 hospital patients.
Meanwhile, UNICEF [United Nations Children’s Fund] estimates that at least 150,000 children were impacted by the earthquake, which damaged 119 schools. Teams on the ground say they are concerned about health, water and sanitation conditions in the coastal areas — which are already hotspots for Zika, Dengue and Chikungunya. The health system has been placed on maximum alert and the World Health Organization (WHO) has also deployed an emergency team, at the request of the Ecuadorian Government.
**Myanmar
The High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad al Hussein, today warmly welcomed the recent release of a second wave of 83 prisoners by Presidential amnesty in Myanmar. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) says that the continued release of political prisoners and the commitment to take preventive measures are important steps in the right direction. It encourages the Government to build upon these human rights gains to ensure that everyone in the country enjoys their fundamental freedoms. The Office also reaffirms its commitment to provide expertise to support efforts by the Government and the Parliament to reform remaining laws that do not conform with international standards. More information online.
**Middle East
As you may have seen, yesterday, Nickolay Mladenov, the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, strongly condemned the terrorist bomb attack on a bus in Jerusalem, which reportedly injured at least 16 Israelis, two of them seriously. He urged all leaders to work together to avoid escalation and counter the extremist forces seeking to destabilize the situation. He added that it was unacceptable that some have praised this act that will only fuel more hatred and further undermine the prospects for peace.
**Syria
A humanitarian update from Syria: today, a convoy led by the UN and partners to Syria’s Kafr Batna sub-district is on its way, bringing food, nutrition, health, protection, education, water, sanitation and hygiene support, and basic relief items for over 28,000 people. The inter-agency convoy will deliver the assistance to two besieged towns — Saqba and Hazzeh — and two of the hard-to-reach towns: Beit Sawa and Hammura. Today’s convoy will complete assistance for 50,000 people in the sub-district following a previous convoy on 16 April. Certain medicines and supplies, including surgical items including painkillers, were not allowed to be included in the latest inter-agency humanitarian convoys. This practice continues to lead to unnecessary suffering and loss of life and the UN continues to press the Syrian Government to allow the inclusion of all necessary medical supplies [and] convoys.
**Press Encounters
Just a couple more things: as I mentioned, I will be joined by Yury Fedotov. And then at 1 p.m., Selwin Hart, Director of the Secretary-General’s Climate Change Support Team, and David Nabarro, the Secretary-General's Special Adviser on Climate Change will be here to brief you on the signing ceremony that will take place on Friday for the Paris Agreement.
Tomorrow at 11:15 a.m., there will be a press briefing by the Permanent Mission of Fiji entitled "Implementation of the Paris Agreement — Consequences for the Humanitarian Summit and the 2030 Development Agenda". That is 11:15 a.m. here. At 3 p.m., Permanent Mission of Uruguay briefing entitled “Uruguay's National experience and beyond the Special Session of the UN GA on the World Drug Problem”.
**Honour Roll
Finally, we say thank you to our friends in both Madrid and Moscow, who have paid their regular budget dues in full for 2016, which brings us up to 68. Okay. Go ahead.
**Questions and Answers
Question: Has the Secretary‑General gotten any feedback from the Moroccans? I know the draft report was discussed and… on some level with them before it's come out, but is there any reaction to the call for keeping MINURSO [United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara] at the level it's at and actually adding some new personnel? And what about members of the Security Council who have been somewhat more supportive of Morocco in the past? I mean, is he sure that he can get everyone's support for renewing the mandate as he wants…?
Spokesman: You know… thank you. Not going to go into the details of it, obviously, because the report, as you all know, has just been distributed, advance copies to Council members. It's not out officially. We obviously look forward to the Security Council discussing the matter. It's on the calendar. And, you know, I think what has been critical in this latest phase regarding Western Sahara is the full backing of the Security Council. So, we look forward to the debate, and obviously, I'm sure we will hear from the various parties at that time. Mr. Lee?
Question: Sure. I wanted to ask you about Yemen. Obviously, the… Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed had said the talks would talk… would start on 18 April. Seems they haven't. And there are now a lot of… both English and Arabic, a lot of negative comments by Houthi and [Ali Abdullah] Saleh’s side leaders, saying he's changed his position many times, saying that the airstrikes haven't stopped, saying he's aligned with the Saudis and not with the UN. So, I'm wondering, where is it headed? Does he still view he can turn it around? And if not, is it a question of sort of three strikes and you're out? Like, there have been three purported talks that happened… that never happened.
Spokesman: I think we very much hope that all the parties in Yemen, whether Government or Houthis, General People's Congress and others, will continue to support the talks. And we hope that those parties that are still in Yemen will come and support. The Secretary‑General has extreme and full confidence in the Special Envoy, how he's been handling these talks, and he would also reiterate the need for all the parties involved in Yemen to support the political process. I think we've been here for quite some time, flagging the humanitarian disaster that has fallen on the Yemeni people. And I think all the Yemeni leaders need to think about what's going on in the country and rally around the work of the Special Envoy and support the political process.
Question: But, had he gotten actually… I mean, what they're saying is he's distributing different drafts to different sides. Had he gotten the agreement of the parties on… on at least the ground rules, before going…?
Spokesman: Obviously, we would not have called for these talks had we not received assurances that the parties would show up. We understand that the Houthis, General People's Congress have yet to arrive. We very much hope that they will do and we can get the talks under way. Yes?
Question: Just to clarify on Western Sahara, so when do you expect the Security Council to meet to discuss the report?
Spokesman: I don't have the Council's calendar, but it's on the calendar.
Question: For this month?
Spokesman: Yeah. Yes.
Question: And when you talk about these copies not official or not a final copy, can you clarify exactly, do you expect to have some changes? Why…?
Spokesman: No, the procedure is that an advanced copy goes to Security Council members. I understand they have it. And then it gets issued as an official document once it's translated in the six languages, but there's no change in the report.
Question: And on the same subject, does the Secretary‑General has… still have the feeling or feels that the Security Council is not supporting him enough on this subject, regarding his remarks and…?
Spokesman: I think, you know, obviously, we look forward to the debate, and we look forward to the support of the Security Council for the Secretary‑General's report and the way forward on the mission. Abdelhamid?
Correspondent: Thank you. I have two questions, one on Syria, if you can update us with the status of the talks. The delegation from the opposition has not yet arrived in Geneva, and it looks like it has been delayed, so if you can update us on that.
Spokesman: My understanding, and I hope it's correct, is that there is an opposition delegation currently and still in Geneva. So, discussions are ongoing.
Question: So, what is… why it's not starting, the talks…?
Spokesman: They did… they did start. I mean, Mr. [Staffan] de Mistura, I think, spoke extensively to the press yesterday, and discussions are ongoing…
Correspondent: There is a strong… today there is a strong statement from the opposition also.
Spokesman: No, we understand that they've… they're remaining in Geneva, which is important. Again, I think, in all these processes, these are extremely delicate and complex issues. There will be ups and downs. I think what is important is that all the parties concerned continue to support the process.
Question: My second question, Stéphane, in his last statement, the Secretary‑General interpreted to the Security Council, he talked about that history had told us that every occupation generates resistance. Does he still stand with that statement? Because his statement yesterday… squarely, he put the blame on the Palestinian, and this is the…
Spokesman: I think the Secretary‑General's statement last month was very explicit. He does not… as we've gone through this over and over again, he doesn't… he continues to fully stand by what he said previously. I'm not sure I agree with your interpretation of the statement he delivered yesterday, but he delivered his assessment of the situation as it stands.
Question: Now, in his opening, when he talks about the four different violations and he put those… he qualified them as terrorist acts without… without mentioning the violence coming from the settlers, without talking about extrajudicial killing or proportionate use of force.
Spokesman: I think one has to look at the body of the statements the Secretary‑General has made. I think you and I will have a continuous disagreement on how to interpret them. Oleg?
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. On Syria, there is a certain feeling expressed by some that the cessation of hostilities regime is falling apart, with the reports coming a couple of days ago that the opposition started an offensive against the Government today, some Syrian activists saying that there were airstrikes killing 44 civilians in some area of Syria. I don't remember exactly. Can you confirm this report that there is a tendency… trend to resuming full‑blown hostilities?
Spokesman: You know, I wouldn't use the same characterization you used. Obviously, we have seen an uptick on the violence, but we also know that the talks are continuing, and it is important that those… that all the parties involved do abide by the cessation of hostilities. We have seen a result of that overall drop in violence since the cessation of hostilities started. We have seen an increase in our ability to deliver humanitarian aid as we've already… as I mentioned just today. But, obviously, that's not enough. We need to see less violence and more humanitarian access. Luke?
Question: Following up on Syria, we heard from Mr. de Mistura yesterday sort of touting the flexibility of the talks, saying that the fact that, for example, a party could remain in the city but not participate was perhaps inserted into the format to allow the HNC [High Negotiations Committee] to keep playing along. You know, in that light, what incentives are there for the Government to remain involved in the talks? It's so easy for the right incentives to get imbalanced in talks.
Spokesman: I think the incentive is the future of the Syrian people and putting an end to the suffering of the Syrian people. I don't think anyone should need more incentive than that in the participation of the political process. I was just handed a statement to read out on Yemen, which is, thank God, in line with the same answer I gave Matthew.
**Yemen
The Secretary‑General urges all parties to the peace process in Yemen to engage in good faith with his Special Envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, so that talks can start without further delay.
The Secretary‑General recalls the commitment of all parties to a cessation of hostilities, which took effect on 10 April, and to the convening of inter‑Yemeni talks in Kuwait on 18 April. He notes that the Yemeni Government delegation has arrived in Kuwait and looks forward to the participation of Ansar Allah and representatives of the General People's Congress in the talks.
The Secretary‑General is convinced that seizing this opportunity to move the process forward will help resolve outstanding issues and bring the end of this prolonged conflict closer. The Yemeni people and the region deserve no less.
Well, thank God he agrees with me. Go ahead.
Question: Thanks, Steph. To follow up on Oleg's question, there's also… there're also reports for the last couple days of Syrian use… Damascus using barrel bombs in Darayya. Do you have anything on that or…?
Spokesman: I do not. But, obviously, we're not completely blind, and we have noticed an uptick in the violence. Linda?
Question: Thank you, Steph. Also regarding Syria, do you have any of the latest figures regarding the numbers of IDPs [internally displaced persons] and refugees from Syria?
Spokesman: No, but I can easily enough request. [He later informed the correspondents that there are roughly 4.7 million refugees and 6.5 million IDPs from the Syrian conflict.] The gentleman next, Oleg. You. Yeah.
Question: Thank you. I'm from Russian news agency RIA Novosti. So, as reported, Iran tested new launch… ballistic missile launch yesterday. So, do you have any confirmation, and do you have any concerns? And also, Russia stated that these tests don't violate UN Security Council resolutions because these missiles don't have any nuclear weapon.
Spokesman: Your second part, that's obviously up to the Security Council to decide. I had not seen those reports, though in the past, during recent tests, the Secretary‑General had expressed his concern at these activities. Mr. Lee?
Correspondent: Sure. See if we can coax a… maybe another Secretary‑General comment, if you'll comment on these. This has to do with Burundi. In Burundi, the Vice-President, Gaston Sindimwo, has said that… that non‑Burundians who come from countries that have cut aid to Burundi should reapply for tourist visas or leave the country in light of their Government's policies. And the youth wing of the [inaudible] party have begun to sing songs like "Let's impregnate them so they will deliver more Imbonerakures" and also: "We will never stop hunting you. We will run after you until your feet get hot. We will catch you traumatized." This is all…
Spokesman: I hadn't seen those comments. Obviously, if they are confirmed, I think any comments that are inciting to violence or hatred violent crimes ought to be… are of grave concern to us.
Question: And I wanted to ask you about South Sudan, as well. I saw in the situation report of UNMISS [United Nations Mission in South Sudan] yesterday with Riek Machar still not having arrived there was this notation that… that 20 armed SPLA [Sudan People’s Liberation Army] soldiers stormed the Australian House along Airport Road in Juba following the sighting by SPLA of two Australian military liaison officers monitoring the situation at the airport. I'm asking you this because it ends by saying UN security is following up. Do these Australian liaison officers who were… you know, had their binoculars and radios confiscated by SPLA… are they somehow a part of UNMISS? Are they there on their own?
Spokesman: I don't know.
Question: And what is… why does… I guess I was expecting you to have some kind of an UNMISS or Secretary‑General statement on the non‑arrival of Riek Machar. Where does that stand?
Spokesman: You know, obviously, it's clear to all that Mr. Machar has not yet arrived. I think the… what the Secretary‑General would like to see is a… he would like to see him arrive, being sworn in and have the agreement, the political agreement, implemented as soon as possible.
Question: And could I ask… on… just a follow‑up on this Western Sahara report. The copy that I got had, you know, approved by Deputy Secretary‑General Jan Eliasson as of 18 April. And I wanted to know, is that the highest… is there… did Ban Ki‑moon also sign a copy…?
Spokesman: I'm not going to speak to the veracity of documents that you post online. I can't attest to where they came from, but, obviously, I think anyone who looks at the report, it is the Secretary‑General's report, and they go… they all go out with his approval.
Question: Can you comment on the fact that the financial aspect, Section 8…?
Spokesman: No.
Question: …paragraphs… oh, you won't. Okay. I'm sorry. I wanted to ask you this, about… about the Panama Papers… the issue that came up yesterday of South‑South News, in fact, being a British Virgin Islands corporation that appears in the Panama Papers, the President of the General Assembly had said actually yesterday that all organizations, presumably including the UN, should review things in light of the Panama Papers and tax evasions. So, my question to you is, are there other entities that have joined and are currently members of the Global Compact which appear in the now public database of the Panama Papers as shell companies?
Spokesman: I think… I can't answer that. I think that's a question you need to raise directly with the Global Compact.
Question: Can they come? Can they come here?
Spokesman: I think you could call them. Thank you. I will go get Mr. Fedotov.