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.
As you know, in a few minutes from now we will be joined by Gordon Brown, so I will keep this part quick and at some point he will call and we will go to him.
**Kosovo
The Security Council held a meeting this morning on the report of the Secretary-General on Kosovo. Speaking at the briefing, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative in Kosovo, Zahir Tanin, said that the election of a new President of Kosovo and the newly mandated Government of Serbia provide an excellent opportunity to draw a line under a period which has often been marked by political infighting and other distractions.
Among the pieces of good news, the Special Representative noted the recent proposal of the EU [European Union] Commission to transfer Kosovo to the list of visa-free short-term travel to the Schengen countries. Despite some positive developments, Mr. Tanin said that Kosovo still faces the hard realities caused by unemployment, inequality, the challenges of developing a productive economy to meet sustainable development goals, the need to overcome legacies of impunity, and weaknesses in its rule of law institutions. All these factors are serious challenges to the mandate of promoting peace and stability, he said.
**Yemen
Over the weekend, the Yemeni peace talks continued in Kuwait, including meetings with the heads of the two delegations and other senior delegates from both sides. The UN Special Envoy to Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, said that progress is being achieved, albeit at a relatively slow pace. He called on all the parties to work towards finding a comprehensive solution as soon as possible.
In remarks to the press yesterday, the Special Envoy said that the situation is complicated, but the time has come to make clear decisions and to determine the fate of the country. He noted that an improved security situation has enabled the various humanitarian agencies to expand their operations and provide aid to more than 13 million people. He told the parties: This is an historic opportunity that might not come around again. And he added that providing concessions is not unusual; what is unusual is determination to continue the conflict and not provide any concessions.
**South Sudan
The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) reports that there were various instances of rocket-propelled grenades and machinegun fire yesterday, close to its base in Bentiu. Reports received by the Mission indicate fighting between the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) and opposition forces. The Mission reiterates its concern over these reports of violence. The Mission urges an immediate end to the fighting and calls for all parties to fully abide by the agreement to resolve the conflict that was signed last August. The Mission is protecting some 105,000 civilians at its base in Bentiu, with more than 177,000 being protected in various parts of the country.
**Niger
Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Stephen O’Brien has arrived in Niamey as part of a four-day trip to areas of the Lake Chad Basin affected by Boko Haram violence. He is meeting with President Mahamadou Issoufou today to discuss the humanitarian situation in the country and across the Sahel region. Tomorrow, he is expected to visit the spontaneous displacement site for people in Assaga, in the Diffa region, where 240,000 people have been displaced by Boko Haram-related violence. He will also travel to Nigeria on Wednesday.
**Afghanistan
UN and humanitarian partners say that more than 118,000 people have fled conflict in Afghanistan during the first four months of this year. In Kunduz, north-eastern Afghanistan, more than 22,400 people have been displaced in April alone. Humanitarian partners report that insecurity and access constraints remain the major challenges to the delivery of assistance. Twenty million dollars from the Common Humanitarian Fund has been allocated to provide emergency trauma services as well as lifesaving aid for displaced communities. More information is available online.
**Cyprus
The Greek and the Turkish Cypriot leaders issued a Joint Statement on the first anniversary of the talks between them, which was put out by the UN Mission there. The Turkish Cypriot leader, Mustafa Akıncı, and the Greek Cypriot leader, Nikos Anastasiades, stressed their commitment to reach a comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus question. They noted that, although there were still difficulties and differences, they were determined to show the necessary will and courage to overcome the remaining outstanding issues.
**Colombia
The UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, Leila Zerrougui, travelled to Havana on Sunday to witness the signing of the agreement between the Government of Colombia and the Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia-Ejército del Pueblo (FARC-EP) to separate and reintegrate children associated with the FARC-EP. She congratulated the parties who led this process, as well as the guarantors and others, for the signing of this agreement, which she said is an historic moment for all Colombians. As part of the commitment, children under the age of 15 will be released first, following by the separation of all children under 18. There are more details in a press release.
**Ecuador
One month after the earthquake in Ecuador, Stephen O’Brien, the Emergency Relief Coordinator, said in a statement that the needs of the Ecuadoran people are still acute and communities are still struggling to get back to normal daily life. But, although some people will need assistance for a very long time, Mr. O’Brien said that he was optimistic that the strong spirit of resilience he saw when he visited the country will help them get through this. He noted that the appeal launched on 22 April remains less than 15 per cent funded and he urged donors to give generously.
Meanwhile, the UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, says today that up to 100 babies on average are born every day in Esmeraldas and Manabí, the provinces worst hit by the Ecuador earthquake, and that it is essential to provide these babies with the basic needs to survive and thrive. One month after the earthquake that killed 660 people, thousands are still staying in informal shelters which lack basic services and 120,000 children are in urgent need of temporary educational spaces. Yet funding remains extremely low: UNICEF alone will need $15 million and has so far received only 15 per cent of this amount.
**United Nations Children’s Fund
And still regarding UNICEF, I want to flag the launch today of the Emergency Lessons campaign on the importance of education for children in conflict and disaster zones. This social media campaign launched with the European Union aims to reach 20 million Europeans, especially those 25 and under, in Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Slovenia, Slovakia and the United Kingdom. Over the next seven months, children living through emergencies in countries such as Guinea, Iraq, Nepal and Ukraine, will share their story, #EmergencyLessons.
**Female Genital Mutilation
The World Health Organization (WHO) released today new recommendations to help health workers provide better care to the more than 200 million girls and women worldwide living with female genital mutilation. As you know, female genital mutilation has no health benefits, can cause grave harm and violates the rights of girls and women, with procedures causing severe bleeding, other health problems and even death. The World Health Organization stresses that international migration has now made the practice, which is prevalent in 30 countries in Africa and in a few countries in Asia and the Middle East, a global health issue. More details on their website.
**Fishing
Today, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) says that illegal, unregulated and unreported fishing is about to become much more difficult, thanks to the imminent entry into force of the Port State Measures Agreement. Now that the required threshold of 30 Members has been reached, the countdown to the entry into force of this ground-breaking international accord is under way: on 5 June, it will become international law. More information is available on the FAO’s website.
**Honour Roll
And for the honour roll we thank Lisbon for paying its dues. Portugal has become the eighty-fifth Member State to contribute to the regular budget in full.
**Press Encounters
And as I mention, in a short while, I will be joined by telephone by Gordon Brown, the UN Special Envoy for Global Education. Mr. Brown will brief you on the forthcoming World Humanitarian Summit, which as you know, will take place on 23 and 24 May in Istanbul, Turkey. And then at 1:30 p.m., there will be a briefing here by the Habitat III Secretariat on updates about the Habitat III Conference that is taking place in Quito, Ecuador, from 17 to 20 October and the role of local authorities.
And tomorrow, at 11:15 a.m. there will be a press conference here entitled “Access to Justice, Indigenous Women in Conflict and Peace”. And then at noon we will be joined by John Ging, the Operations Director for the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and he will brief you on his recent trip to Yemen. And that is it for me. Are there any questions before we head on to Gordon Brown? Yes?
**Questions and Answers
Question: Farhan, I think Stéphane [Dujarric] mentioned that there'd be an update on SEA [sexual exploitation and abuse] cases in CAR [Central African Republic] today. Do you have anything for us?
Deputy Spokesman: Not for today. They're finishing up some information, so we're in touch with our colleagues throughout the system. And hopefully, by tomorrow, we'll have something. Yes. You had a question?
Correspondent: Farhan, I wonder whether the Secretary‑General had anything to add to the strong criticism of the UN refugee chief on the state of migrants and asylum seekers not really being very well accepted.
Deputy Spokesman: Well, certainly, the Secretary‑General supports the High Commissioner, Filippo Grandi, who has spoken out, as you just mentioned, very strongly on this issue. You're aware of what the Secretary‑General's own concerns are and how seriously he takes the issue, which is one of the key reasons why he is holding… convening a summit on… in September on this topic and why he has Karen AbuZayd dealing with this issue in advance to that meeting. You'll have seen the report that was launched just a week ago by… in this room by the Deputy Secretary‑General and Ms. AbuZayd, where the Secretary‑General goes in depth about the various concerns he has. But, the sort of heartfelt words that Mr. Grandi has said are ones that he shares. He believes that people who have lost everything, people who have been forced to flee from their lives and have to deal with the question of basic safety for themselves and their family should not be cast aside and should not be ignored. Yes?
Question: Sure. I have some questions about Burundi. I'd asked last week about this. It's now confirmed by a number of sources that up to 300 people were detained in Musaga last week. It's perceived as an opposition neighbourhood. And basically, the youth wing of the ruling party was allowed to pick and choose who would stay in jail. And since then, a professor was… in Mugamba was arrested as he was delivering a lecture. So, I wanted to know, what is… one, do you have any comment on these events? And what is the UN and Special Adviser and country team doing?
Deputy Spokesman: Yes, we're closely monitoring the developments on the ground, both through the Special Adviser, Jamal Benomar's team in Bujumbura, and by reporting from the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights. We're deeply concerned by the current spike in violence and the reports of an increased number of detentions in recent days, including in places like Musaga. We urge calm and restraint from all sides of the conflict, particularly as tensions rise around the one‑year anniversary of the attempted coup. As we made clear, we believe that political dialogue is the only means to resolve the crisis and bring lasting stability to the country. And in line with that, the Secretary‑General reiterates his urgent appeal to all relevant stakeholders to participate constructively in the talks in Arusha in order to find a common way forward to resolve the crisis.
Question: Do you have any… there have been recent… life prison terms imposed on those accused of being part of the coup. Do you think that's excessive? Do you think… I guess I'm asking you. Do you think the process was fair? Sometimes you do comment on that.
Deputy Spokesman: Well, at this stage, of course, our people on the ground, including the human rights people, are watching the results of the process. We hope and expect that due process will be followed. Yes?
Question: Thank you. Thank you, Farhan. On October… on 10 May, I think, or 5 May, the Israeli court was looking into this case of a child called Ahmed al Manasra… he's 14; he's 14… accused of trying to kill Israelis. And they found him guilty of two counts, which is expected that he could take a life sentence. He's 14. And he… when they arrested him in October, there was a video circulated around the globe of the torture he received, verbally and psychologically. He was under tremendous torture. And now he's in court, and he's 14. And there's not one single statement from any UN official, and I'm sure Mr. [Nickolay] Mladenov had seen that video. So, why in this… such a case of a child, child abuse, is not resonating with Mr. Mladenov and the UN system?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, regarding that, of course, we're aware of the process of trials. What we have encouraged is that all those who are accused of crimes be tried and that due process be followed. And we'll need to monitor to make sure that people's basic rights are respected and upheld. Our concerns, as you know, have often been with the practice of administrative detention, with the idea that sometimes people are detained without trial. In this case, a trial process is under way, and we'll need to make sure that it proceeds in a fair manner. We're aware of concerns, including concerns about minors. And you're aware of the remarks that we have made about the need for fairness in the treatment of minors in all countries. Yes. Erol, did you have a question? Okay. Excellent. Carole?
Question: Farhan, did you see these reports that Nepal is sending troops to Libya to shore up UNSMIL [United Nations Support Mission in Libya]? Can you tell us anything about that?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, what I can say about that is that the UN Support Mission in Libya, UNSMIL, remains committed to re‑establishing its offices in Tripoli. And we intend to do that as soon as possible. Currently, what we are doing as the Secretariat is exploring various options, including the possibility… and I have to underscore it's just a possibility… of a guard unit, and that's one of the options to ensure that UNSMIL premises in Tripoli are secure enough that our staff can go about their work. But, this is something, like I said, that's simply being explored at this stage. There's nothing further to say at this point.
Question: Can you just clarify this guard unit? How many are we talking about?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, like I said, we're exploring various options. This is one of the possibilities. It's nothing that we've come down to a conclusion on at this point. Yes?
Question: Thanks. Actually, a follow‑up, Farhan. How many staff members do you have in Libya… in Tripoli right now? How many international staff members? How many national?
Deputy Spokesman: I believe that there's been a small number of international staff. I don't have the precise number on me right now. But, a small number of international staff have been working basically for… during the weekdays and then travelling out at other points when their work is done. I'll try to get a number. Yes?
Question: And also on the same topic, on Libya, I'm sure you have followed meetings in Vienna where the decision was taken to arm the Government and possibly adopt some sort of UN Security Council resolution allowing to do that. To what degree the UN was participating, if it was in the Vienna meetings? And what is your view of the decision taken to arm the Government right now? Thank you.
Deputy Spokesman: Well, first of all, the Secretary‑General's Special Representative for Libya, Martin Kobler, is the one who's participating in the Libya meetings in Vienna. The participants there expressed strong support for the Presidency Council and for its efforts to bring stability to the country, as well as for the full implementation of the Libya Political Agreement. And participants also discussed the provision of assistance to Libya in a variety of sectors. I don't believe at this point that there's been a final conclusion made about the armaments issue. You're aware of what we've said in the past about this. But, our standpoint is that we want there to be support for the Presidency Council, and in line with that, we're pressing that case at Vienna and at other venues.
Question: By support, you mean military support?
Deputy Spokesman: Support in order that it can go about the functions of a government. And, of course, what we want is to make sure that the country will once more be united and having a functioning government.
Question: Functions like fighting ISIS? Functions like what?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, that's to be determined. But, I don't want do get ahead of the discussions that are taking place in Vienna at this stage. Yes, Moshfiqul Alam?
Question: Thank you, Mr. Farhan. A 75… on Bangladesh, a 75‑year‑old Buddhist monk has been hacked to death in south-eastern district of Bangladesh, and this is the common phenomenon of Bangladesh. Every day it's going on. Just day before yesterday this happened. And the Government… on the other end, Government is filing charge against the main democratic leaders of Bangladesh, former Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Begum Khaleda Zia, and Senior Vice-Chairman Tarique Rahman, and all rank and files, they are facing hundreds of cases. So, has Assistant Secretary‑General… Mr. Oscar Fernandez‑Taranco was assigned by the Secretary‑General, just I wanted to know, still he's working for the Secretary‑General on his behalf to restore democracy in Bangladesh and for participatory, inclusive election and Bangladesh to build in a right track?
Deputy Spokesman: Regarding Mr. Fernandez‑Taranco, as you know, he heads our peacebuilding support office, and that is the work that he does. He has travelled to Bangladesh in the past, and he will do so again as circumstances allow. Ultimately, that depends, of course, on the willingness of the parties to deal with each other. And we encourage them to do that, to be willing to deal with each other in a peaceful and amicable fashion. We regard, of course, the question of the deaths of different people, including of secular activists, of people from the Hindu and Buddhist communities and others with extreme concern. That's essentially a separate issue, where you've seen attacks by extremist elements against different communities. And you'll have seen the concerns that the Secretary‑General and the High Commissioner for Human Rights have expressed, and we reiterate those again today. Oleg, you had a question? Okay. Then you.
Question: Sure. I wanted to ask about Kosovo and DRC [Democratic Republic of the Congo] and something else. On Kosovo, since it's in the Council today, I wanted to ask whether it was said in April that Zahir Tanin had raised to the UN Headquarters this idea of paying compensation for the Roma children that were living in a camp over… and got lead poisoning. Now that it's mid‑May, what… what… one, can you confirm how this was raised? And what is the process at the UN to decide whether to pay this compensation or not?
Deputy Spokesman: I believe that process is still under way. I don't have anything to add to what Stéphane said about this several weeks back. But, as you know, that there was a panel that made its recommendations, which are being evaluated, and we're trying to follow up.
Question: And how is that… I guess… many people don't understand it. How is this process different than the one on Haiti? Like, was a panel set up by the UN to decide whether to even consider compensation or what's the difference?
Deputy Spokesman: They're completely different circumstances. They have had different bodies looking into them. They have had different ways of looking at it. You'll have seen what we've had to say about Haiti. It's a separate matter. Yes. Yes?
Question: Stéphane, I just wanted to come back to Libya because you… you… at one point, you said, well, you've heard what we had to say about… I think you were referring to the arms embargo. I lost your train of thought there. What is the UN position on lifting the arms embargo on Libya?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, the question of lifting the arms embargo is a question for the members of the Security Council. Ultimately, it's for them to decide. Yes, Evelyn?
Question: The question has come up again on Rwanda training Burundi rebels in the Congo, according to the Experts Report. It used to be that they stopped it last year, but the Experts Report says it's still continuing. Is this something the UN at all has looked into?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, you… you've seen what the Experts Report has to say, and ultimately, that report goes to the Security Council, and then the Security Council will evaluate what to do with the recommendations and the findings of the experts. Yes?
Question: Sure. The DRC and then something else. On the DRC, it seems like, on Saturday, there was a protest of the UN compound or base in Goma of the failure to protect civilians. And then the protesters and a journalist were, in fact, arrested or detained. I wanted to know, what is the… does the UN think that people peacefully protesting outside its compound should be arrested? And if not, what does the UN do in response to the detention of people protesting the UN?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, we encourage and allow all forms of peaceful protest. That's not to be discouraged. I'm not aware of whether there were other factors behind this, but ultimately, that will be a question for MONUSCO [United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo] to handle.
Correspondent: Right, but if you encourage that right and a host country… I mean, I guess I'm asking you specifically about this, but there should be an answer to this…
Deputy Spokesman: If any authority… if authorities don't allow for peaceful protest, that's a question of concern for us. We encourage all authorities in all countries to allow peaceful protest.
Question: And the other thing… I'll keep it brief. The… the… you know, there was an event in the… in the Secretariat lobby. This one‑man artistic show for Sheri Yan's father. It was called One China. The Secretary‑General attended. It's not in the audit. And I wanted to know two… one… two things, two separate things. One, I wanted to know, and I'd… who vets these event? Like, for example, to go and appear at a… at a… at this type of an art exhibit that was have… of a single artist to a woman who's now pled guilty to bribery? Who is in charge? Is it DPI [Department of Public Information]? Who checks that out before it happens? My second question related to that is Stéphane last week said that another appearance by the Secretary‑General this year that… that I should ask Grenada why a certain event took place. And I wanted to ask you, one of the… the… the… the… the chief, in fact, of this Global Governance for UN SDGs [Sustainable Development Goals] is a gentleman, Carrie Yan, who's listed in the Blue Book as an adviser to Grenada. So, what I wanted to know is, what is the UN's… I mean, is the Blue Book just any name a Member State puts forward? Is there some provision for looking when somebody's not a national of the State that they're accredited and given a badge to, to look into that? It seems like a loophole that was used by… in the previous case?
Deputy Spokesman: If people have credentials that are conferred on them by a Member State, they will be listed as having those credentials. The question of who… granting those credentials is upon the Member State.
Question: But, do you do a background check? Can somebody with a criminal conviction… could a person on a terrorist watch list… I'm saying, what is the UN's duty when somebody puts… when a small State puts forward somebody that's not their national and says this is our DPR [Deputy Permanent Representative] or this is our legal adviser, is there any process to check that out?
Deputy Spokesman: Decisions on credentials are taken by Governments. Ultimately, it's the decision of the responsible Government to make sure that its credentials are in order. Disputes on credentials, as you know, we have a credentials committee to handle that. But, it's the responsibility of the Government itself.
Question: Seems like a pretty big loophole. I guess what I'm… my question would be, do you think that the John Ashe/Ng Lap Seng sting causes any kind of review of… of… for example, Frank Lorenzo?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, certainly, Member States themselves need to understand what their responsibilities are to make sure that the credentials of the officials that they send over to us are in order. It's not us who can take decisions for Governments. This is an organization of Governments, however.
Question: So, even the terrorist watch list, you don't run people through it?
Deputy Spokesman: The… the terrorist watch list… of course, the people who are on the terrorist watch list can't hold functions in any sort of capacity. You're aware of what the terrorist watch list is, and you wouldn't be able to travel into a country under the list. It's a completely different issue. What I'm saying, though, is that we cannot determine for Governments who their representatives are. You can see why that is. Yes?
Question: Yes. Farhan, I have a question about, on 11 May, Stéphane answered a question that was raised about the tunnels in Gaza… about connecting Gaza and Egypt. And I thought at the time when he answered the question he said that each country has to do what they have to do, referring to Israel, with regard to security. But, Israel is an occupier of the Palestinians, and so it not only has to protect its own citizens, but also has to protect the Palestinians. And so the closing of the tunnels is contrary to that, because the average Palestinians in Gaza are being… are being attacked by the closing of the tunnels. So, I just wondered the Secretary‑General's position on the need to protect the Palestinians by the occupier State in this situation. Thank you.
Deputy Spokesman: Well, the Secretary‑General and his Special Coordinator on the ground have made very clear the need to make sure that the populations in the Palestinian areas have the resources that they need, including through the restoration of normal commercial traffic. That is an issue separate and apart from security concerns. Obviously, there are legitimate security concerns that Israel, like any State, has. And they need to be able to go about that without impeding upon the humanitarian and development needs of the population in the occupied territories. Yeah, yes?
Question: But… but isn't there a special obligation on Israel as an occupier to protect the Palestinians, not only the Israeli citizens who aren't Palestinian or whatever, but the Palestinians as well? So, doesn't Israel have to be called on to protect the Palestinians when it's considering security? Isn't that its obligation?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, you'll have seen the relevant General Assembly and Security Council resolutions on the topic, so I'd just refer you to those. And with that, let's see… is… do we have our expert available? Okay. He is just going to be on the line. If you have anything more to… to weigh in on, weigh in right now, and then we'll have our guest. Yeah, what? Yeah, he's there? Okay.