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 is in China today, where he spoke to reporters after a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, with whom he discussed the situations in Myanmar, Sudan, South Sudan, Syria and elsewhere.
He added that they had discussed the situation on the Korean Peninsula, which remains a grave concern for the region and the world. The Secretary-General continues to call for dialogue as the best path to break the cycle of provocation.
The Secretary-General also expressed his deep condolences for the loss of life and damage caused by the latest flooding in several provinces in China and expressed the hope that the many displaced can return to their homes as soon as possible.
The Secretary-General also encouraged China’s leaders to create the space needed for the civil society to play a crucial role. He said that environmental activists, human rights lawyers and defenders, government watchdogs and other civil society groups can act as a catalyst for social progress and economic growth. He added that the world will look to China to complement its remarkable economic advances by giving citizens a full say and role in the political life of their country.
The Secretary-General also spoke at an event marking the tenth anniversary of the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of [Persons] with Disabilities. As of 27 June, there have been 165 ratifications of the Convention — which, the Secretary-General noted, also means that 28 Member States have still not ratified. He urged them to do so without further delay, as a matter of basic human dignity and solidarity. The Secretary-General’s remarks are available online.
**Security Council
The Security Council is in consultations on Lebanon right now, and Council members are hearing updates on the political and peacekeeping situation there from the UN Special Coordinator, Sigrid Kaag, and the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Hervé Ladsous. Ms. Kaag will be the guest at tomorrow’s noon briefing and will discuss the recent developments in Lebanon with you.
At 3, the Deputy Secretary-General, Jan Eliasson, will brief the Security Council on the work of the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO).
**Syria
The Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, extended his wishes to the Syrian people on Eid al-Fitr and welcomed all efforts, including by the International [Syria] Support Group co-chairs, to bring about a hudna, or truce, throughout the country in respect of the spirit and true message of peace. He said that this would enhance the prospects of meaningful negotiations towards a political settlement.
Mr. de Mistura continues to closely monitor the situation in Syria. In this regard, and despite some initial reports of potential violations, he says he urges all parties to the Cessation of Hostilities to abide by these days of silence for the sake of all Syrians. His statement has been distributed to you.
And on the humanitarian front, since the beginning of this year, the UN and partners have delivered humanitarian assistance through inter-agency operations to more than 941,000 Syrian civilians in besieged, hard-to-reach and other priority cross-line locations with dire humanitarian needs. Many people have been reached more than once.
A total of 64 UN inter-agency convoys have taken place, reaching more than 822,000 people. The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, UNRWA, has also delivered 30 convoys with assistance to 19,000 people, including thousands of residents in and from Yarmouk.
In addition, through 64 World Food Programme (WFP)-led airdrops, 1,140 metric tons of humanitarian supplies have been delivered to besieged parts of western Deir Ezzour city. Since 1 June, airdrops have provided sufficient materials to support more than 42,000 people in need as part of a second round of food distribution, which aims to reach a total of 110,000 beneficiaries.
The UN continues to call for unconditional, unimpeded and sustained access to the 5.47 million Syrian men, women and children in hard-to-reach locations, including close to 600,000 in 18 besieged locations.
There were a lot of numbers in what I just read. For those of you who may be interested, we will give you a printout in my office.
**South Sudan
The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) reports that the situation in the city of Wau remains volatile. Earlier today, heavy mortar shelling and machine gunfire was heard to the south of the UNMISS compound in Wau, prompting an additional 200 to 250 people to flee to the protection area adjacent to the UNMISS base, where an estimated 19,000 internally displaced people continue to shelter.
In meetings with local officials yesterday, the UN continued to call on the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) to provide unrestricted access to the Mission and humanitarian actors in order for them to provide physical protection and humanitarian services, and help create the conditions for displaced people to return home.
The Special Representative, [Ellen Margrethe] Løj, said she will travel to Wau on Saturday to assess the situation. She added a call for an end to violence.
**El Niño
An update on the recently appointed Special Envoys for El Niño & Climate: Ambassador [Macharia] Kamau of Kenya and Mary Robinson have just completed missions to Papua-Guinea, Timor-Leste and Ethiopia.
At an El Niño conference in Rome after his recent mission to Papua New Guinea and Timor-Leste, Ambassador Kamau said that impacted communities are under extreme strain, reserves have been eroded and the drought is forcing them to rely on humanitarian assistance.
As for Mary Robinson, she just completed a three-day visit to Ethiopia to witness the devastating impact of the El Niño drought, the worst in 50 years.
Ms. Robinson said that the Ethiopian Government has taken impressive steps to respond early to the crisis, including with substantial amounts of funding from their own budget, but that it is critical that the international donors stay engaged.
More than 60 million people worldwide, about 40 million in East and Southern Africa alone, are projected to be food insecure due to the impact of the El Niño climate event.
**Fisheries
I also want to flag a new State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture report from FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization), released today.
The report finds that global per capita fish consumption has risen above 20 kilograms a year, thanks to stronger aquaculture supply and firm demand, as well as record hauls for some key species and reduced wastage.
Yet despite notable progress in some areas, the state of the world’s marine resources has not improved, with almost a third of commercial fish stocks now fished at biologically unsustainable levels. FAO’s report is online.
**Press Conferences
A couple of things to say: after I’m done here, Dan Thomas, who is here in the back, will be here to speak on behalf of the President of the General Assembly to update you on a number of General Assembly activities.
**Other Announcements
If you have noticed, it is a bit warmer today. That is because we have entered our Cool UN period – I think the thermostat will be set a little higher so as to save on air conditioning costs and I will refuse to wear a tie until the temperature goes down.
Also I think an update on when we briefed you on sexual abuse allegations in the Central African Republic, new allegations that have emerged recently. Just to flag that the troop-contributing country in question is Burundi, as we said we would tell you.
Lastly, as you will have noticed, a number of people have been leaving the last couple of days and today is the last day for one of your colleagues, Go Kamoshida of NHK. We, all my office and all of you join us in wishing him luck as he returns back to the mother ship in Tokyo. Hopefully, he will still watch the briefings at midnight and we welcome his successor, Mr. [Fumitaka] Sato. I know I will miss him and I will have to find another Japanese journalist with whom I can practise my French. Go, good luck and happy to take your questions.
**Questions and Answers
Masood?
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. Over the weekend, the Secretary‑General… I mean, has… Secretary‑General and the United Nations humanitarian offices, UNRWA, the Palestinian organization have issued statement about the plight in the occupied territories, and the Secretary‑General in particular has decried Israeli, what do you call, expansion of territories. Has anybody… has anybody from the Secretary‑General’s Office or Secretary‑General talked to anybody in the Israeli Prime Minister’s office?
Spokesman: Well, I think the Secretary‑General, as you will recall, was just recently in Israel, and obviously, all those issues were high on the agenda of his discussions with the Prime Minister, as well as the President of Israel. After his visit, we released, on behalf of the Quartet, the report, which we will hope will become a basis for discussions. And we also look forward to the discussions in the Security Council on the Quartet report. The Secretary‑General will be briefing the Council on the situation in the Middle East, I believe, next week. So, obviously, contacts are being had. Sidi rais?
Question: Thank you. Stéphane, is there a reason why the Secretary‑General has broken away with the tradition of wishing the… or congratulating the Muslim nations around the world with Eid al-Fitr after Ramadan? In the past, we had either a recorded message, television recorded message, given to the stations to transmit or a statement at least by the Spokesman’s Office. We notice that Staffan de Mistura has put a statement, but the Secretary‑General did not do it this year. Why is that?
Spokesman: No, I think the Secretary‑General very much joins Mr. de Mistura and all of the other UN officials in wishing peace to all the Muslim people on the… on the marking of Eid al‑Fitr.
Question: But why no…
Spokesman: I don’t think it’s been a… I don’t think it’s been a set tradition.
Question: It has been. I mean, just mentioned here that there has not been a statement by Secretary‑General to congratulate… [inaudible]
Spokesman: I don’t think anyone should read anything into it.
Question: But he knew the date and it has been…
Spokesman: No, I…
Question: I mean, is there message to the Muslim people? So what’s the reason?
Spokesman: As I said, I don’t think you should read anything into it and I would say on behalf of the Secretary‑General that he obviously wishes peace and harmony and all the best things to Muslim people around the world.
Question: To make it himself. Is that… is that the message?
Spokesman: As I said, I don’t think you should read anything into it. Edie?
Question: Stéphane, the African Union’s Peace and Security Council has announced that it’s planning to withdraw its forces from Somalia by the end of 2020. Was this a decision that the UN was consulted on? Does the UN support this? They say that they’re planning to turn all of the activities that they’re doing over to the Somali security forces.
Spokesman: I’ll be honest with you. It’s the first I’ve heard of it, so I will try to get you some more official reaction. Mr. Lee?
Question: Sure. Two, I guess, interrelated questions. I wanted to know if you can confirm that the Secretary‑General has invite… well, first, does he have any comment on the US sanctions on DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea) and Kim Jong‑un in particular as an individual that were announced yesterday?
Spokesman: Obviously, we’re aware of the recent round of sanctions imposed by the United States on the DPRK. Unilateral sanctions are a matter for the States concerned. As far as the Secretary‑General is concerned, the Security Council has discussed the human rights situation in the DPRK several times, based, I think, on what… the very powerful report by the independent Commission of Inquiry two years ago. The UN system has also been working to follow up on these findings and recommendations of the report. The Secretary‑General believes that discussion of human rights concerns allow for a more comprehensive assessment and action when addressing security and stability concerns on the Korean Peninsula, and he hopes that Member States including China uses its influence to encourage the DPRK authorities to cooperate with international human rights mechanisms.
Question: Okay. Thanks. And I wanted to know, can you confirm, at least two papers in South Korea have reported that the Secretary‑General has announ… has invited Kim Jong‑un to attend this world conference on sustainable transport in Ashkebad, Turkmenistan, in November. Is that the case?
Spokesman: I’m not aware of the particular invitation. I know of the conference. And as the Secretary‑General for these international conferences invites all the Heads of State and leaders to attend, but I don’t have the particular invitation.
Question: At least both the stories that I’ve seen report this as some attempt by him to bring the two countries together.
Spokesman: I’ve said what I can safely say and what I know. Stefano?
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. Any reaction by the Secretary‑General on report… on the British report on Iraq, on the war in Iraq, and especially on the… on way former Prime Minister… at that time, Prime Minister Tony Blair handled?
Spokesman: The Chilcot inquiry is a national… it’s a national process. I think the idea of looking into the decisions that led… you know, important critical decisions of the past, including those that led to the start of the conflict in Iraq, is a very important exercise and valuable lessons learned for current and future policymakers. We ourselves will look at the report and will take it into account any lessons that are of… that are relevant to the UN. I think, that being said, our focus and the Secretary‑General’s focus is very much on Iraq today and the support that the Iraqi Government needs, the support that the Iraqi people need to deal with the considerable challenges they face, whether it’s fighting Da’esh, fighting a… dealing with a crisis-level humanitarian situation, issues of de‑mining, rehabilitation, as well as strengthening the rule of law and respect for human rights in Iraq.
Question: As a follow‑up, is… what you just said is going to be actually the Secretary‑General statement on it? Because there is a specific passage on… on the way the United Nations was treated, so the issue we believe, deserves, even if it was the past… [inaudible]
Spokesman: There was the discussions, and I think many of us who were here at the time, were indeed very heated in the Security Council. We very much know the UN was involved. As I said, we will look at the report, follow up on our lessons learned as well, and what is… what can be of impact for us. But for the Secretary‑General, the focus is very much on dealing with the situation in Iraq in 2016 and the challenges that are faced by the Iraqi people and the Iraqi Government. Dulcie?
Question: Yeah, does Staffan de Mistura have a time frame when the next round of talks will be held, sometime July or August?
Spokesman: No, nothing further to what he told the press here, I guess, it’s last week…
Question: He didn’t give us any date.
Spokesman: Well, nothing to add to what he’s said. Obviously, when he’s ready to announce, he will. Carmen?
Question: Thank you. There are reports that one of the groups from Colombia has said it will not abide by the agreement signed in Havana and that it will not surrender its weapons. Any comment on this, please?
Spokesman: Obviously, we’ve seen the reports. We’re taking a look at it and see exactly what this… what this means, but we obviously remain very much hopeful that the agreement… the preliminary agreement that was signed in Havana in the presence of the Secretary‑General will lead to a final agreement as quickly as possible so the Colombian people can return to rebuilding their country in peace. Yes. Go ahead. Yeah?
Question: Thanks, Stéphane. Just a follow-up: Do you have any update on the issue of the deployment of UN political mission in Colombia?
Spokesman: No, nothing more, but let me see if I can get you something a little later this afternoon. Yes, Carla?
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. Former Canadian ambassador, Douglas Roche, has expressed great alarm about the meeting on 21 June in Albuquerque of senior military nuclear weapons officials who are promoting the expenditure and planning of $1 trillion nuclear weapons build-up. I know there’s a nuclear non-proliferation treaty, which prevents other countries from getting massive amounts of nuclear weap… any nuclear weapons, but is there anything in the United Nations which limits or prohibits the astronomical kind of weapons build-up that’s going on now?
Spokesman: You know, I’m not aware of the particular meeting you mentioned, but I think the Secretary‑General and many others have spoken out repeatedly and passionately for Member States to make the right commitments and the right actions to… so we can have a nuclear‑free world. Yes, go ahead.
Question: Thank you. Is the Secretary‑General concerned that there will be any kind of military reaction from the DPRK after the announcement of the sanctions from the US yesterday?
Spokesman: You know, obviously, I think the Secretary‑General remains concerned about the rising tensions. For his part, all parties concerned need to step up efforts to reduce any tension and to find a path to resume dialogue to create more stability on the peninsula.
Question: There’s a human right report saying on Burundi… saying that the country and television service have tortured scores of suspected Government opponents at the headquarter in the secret… secret location. Are you aware of it, and could you please give us more detail…?
Spokesman: I saw the report this morning. We obviously remain extremely concerned about the general human rights situation in Burundi. Our human rights colleagues there are also monitoring in whatever way they can, but the situation in the country continues to be of concern to us. Mr. Lee?
Question: Okay. Great. I wanted to… I mean, you’ve now… you said yesterday… on Friday, you’d said that you’d say the nationality. I wondered, can you say when… when the Burundian Mission was informed that its… its personnel is charged with these rapes?
Spokesman: It was informed either today or Tuesday.
Question: Okay. What I wanted to know is, does either what was asked about torture in Burundi or these new sexual allegation claims, is DPKO (Department of Peacekeeping Operations) still intending to bring in 800 more Burundian troops in September?
Spokesman: I think the… we have to let the investigation go through on this particular case. As for any country, all options remain on the table, including repatriation.
Question: And do… also Burundi. I just wanted to… is the UN aware that the talks that had been scheduled for July 9th through 12th in Arusha have been postponed? Is that your understanding?
Spokesman: I don’t have any information on that. Yes, go ahead.
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. Kind of a follow‑up question through Matthew’s earlier. When the Secretary‑General invites Head of States to a global conference which is convening, do these invitation letters that… the contents of it, is the same all across or does he personalize some of it depending on… [inaudible]
Spokesman: My understanding is that they’re the same… they’re the same all across. Oleg?
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. De Mistura’s office statement mentioned some potential violations. Do you have any particular information where those happened?
Spokesman: No, I mean, I think we’ve seen the press reports of the fighting around… around Aleppo. Talal?
Question: What is the Secretariat’s view… there’s a move in the Security Council now to issue a press statement or presidential statement welcoming the Quartet report. Taking consideration that there was no press statement or presidential statement from the Council welcoming the Arab initiative, the almighty Arab initiative, is that appropriate?
Spokesman: Yeah, obviously, the Security Council is the master of its own work. I will let you judge on what is appropriate and not appropriate in what they do. What I can tell you is that we very much look forward to the full backing of the Security Council of the Quartet report. The UN is represented in the Quartet, 25 per cent of it. We think the report is a very important one in terms of assessing the situation and showing a path forward, and I think the full support of the international community, including the expression of support from the Security Council, would be a very positive development, indeed. Masood?
Question: Thank you. Stéphane, has the Secretary‑General and Secretariat noted the plethora of attacks inside the Islamic nations now from Turkey to Iraq to Bangladesh and what have you? In some cases, it was Da’esh or ISIS, but in case of Bangladesh, it is the elements that seems an enemy within. Has he talked to anyone in the country…?
Spokesman: I think we’ve… we very much noted that, and I would refer you back to the statements that we’ve issued on the attacks in Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia and Turkey. And we… what we’ve seen in Baghdad, of course, and what we’ve seen, of course, in the last tragic week is that the majority of… the vast majority of those who suffer at the hands of these extremist groups are the Muslim people themselves. And I think that what makes these attacks especially heinous is that they did take place during a very holy time for the Islamic… for Muslims everywhere. Mr. Lee?
Question: Sure. Some peacekeeping questions. I… maybe I missed it. Did you say anything about these Dutch peacekeepers in Mali that were reportedly killed in.?
Spokesman: No, I know the peacekeeping mission in Mali issued a statement outlining the way these two Dutch peacekeepers were killed, accidentally killed, in a mortar accident. So they put out a statement. Obviously, our thoughts are with their comrades, their families and the people and Government of the Netherlands and, of course, our colleagues in the mission.
Question: Sure. And you read… you’d read now this statement about Wau, but there’s still no UN estimate of the people killed. There’s still these divergent… does the UN intend to actually come up with the figure? Are they investigating what happened?
Spokesman: Obviously, the UN is looking into it. The mission is looking into it. As we said, the SRSG herself is going, and as soon as we have something to share, we will do so.
Question: Is the UN bringing media to Wau? And if so, how do they decide which ones?
Spokesman: Matthew, I think you can call the mission and find out. I’m really not going to get into the granularity of what our colleagues do and how they do it.
Question: Right, but, as an overall policy, I guess I’m saying enough time has gone by that the UN’s failure to come up with an estimate of casualties, which it does even in countries where it doesn’t have… [inaudible]
Spokesman: Matthew, the UN facilitates media in peacekeeping operations and they will… and as our colleagues in South Sudan do. As for this particular trip, that’s a phone call you need to make to the mission. [inaudible]
Question: Sure… I’m asking but the number of people killed and why… [inaudible]
Spokesman: And I’ve told you… I’ve told you, I have not gotten that information from the mission. As soon as I get information, I try to bring it up here.
Question: And the question about Yemen that I’d asked you about in writing on Tuesday, I wanted to know whether the delegation from Sana’a, a number of the delegates are saying that, in the Kuwait talks, they received substantially less funding to be participating in the talks than they had in Geneva. In fact, some of them took personal… [inaudible]
Spokesman: My understanding is that the Government of Kuwait provided the accommodations, provided the venue for the talks. The UN itself is not responsible or did not provide DSA (daily subsistence allowance)… is not responsible for providing DSA for the delegations. That’s a question you need to ask the delegations themselves.
Question: What’s the size of Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed’s team and… and are they all still in Kuwait? Where are they now?
Spokesman: I don’t know… I don’t think they’re all still in Kuwait, because the talks have been on a pause for a little bit.
Question: So what is the thermostat being kept at? Is that through summer, and is it building‑wide?
Spokesman: It’s building‑wide, and it is through the summer, as we’ve done almost, I think, every summer for the last five, six years at least…
Question: Do you know what the temperature is?
Spokesman: Hot. [laughter] I don’t know. [He later said it was set at 77 °Fahrenheit in UN offices.] Masood? I need a microphone if there’s a question.
Question: [inaudible]. What’s the Secretary‑General going to do about this heat in this building?
Spokesman: Sorry?
Question: It’s so hot.
Spokesman: Well, I think the Secretary‑General will hopefully not wear a tie, and it’s… we can survive, and we can spend less money. If you need to cool off, you can find a restaurant off‑campus. Okay. Matthew, last question.
Question: Yeah, a US question. Over the holiday or in the last 48 hours. two African‑Americans have been, in a very high‑profile way, killed, Philando Castile in Minnesota and Alton Sterling in Louisiana. One was captured on film, the whole incident. And I wanted to know, although these might seem to be disparate incidents, does the… what does the Secretary‑General think, if the United States has enough protections for particularly members of minority or other groups… being shot by the police?
Spokesman: First of all, our condolences go to the families of the victims involved in both shootings. I think anybody who’s seen the videos, they are extremely disturbing, to say the least, and we would hope that each of these cases are investigated thoroughly in order to find out what happened and also to establish if there is, in fact, any pattern.
Okay. I will leave you into the good hands of Mr. Thomas, who should take off his tie. [laughter]