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.

Good afternoon, everyone.

**Olympics

The Secretary-General today called for a worldwide cessation of hostilities in observance of the Olympic Truce during the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro.  He said: “While such an ambitious vision may seem impossible to realize, the Olympic spirit calls on us to rise to the challenge.”  Noting that the Olympic Committee has taken the unprecedented step of including a refugee team, he said that this initiative will showcase the strengths of refugees while reminding the world that we must do more to tackle the root causes of their plight.  He added that a respite in fighting would manifest the values that the Games seek to promote:  respect, friendship, solidarity and equality.  The full text is available on our website.

**Syria

The Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, spoke to press in Geneva today to say that the UN has been studying with great attention and interest the Russian initiative that was outlined yesterday.  He said that, while we await more information on that initiative, we are seeking some key improvements.

First, the Special Envoy said, it is imperative that the 48-hour pause for humanitarian access that was discussed last week in the Security Council be put in place on a sustainable basis.  He asked how people could be expected to use a humanitarian corridor while fighting is still going on.  Second, Mr. de Mistura suggested that the delivery of aid through corridors should be left to the UN and its humanitarian partners.  He noted that bringing humanitarian supplies and assistance to civilians, wherever they decide to be, is what the UN is there for.  We have the transcript of his remarks available online.

**South Sudan

UN humanitarian chief Stephen O’Brien will visit South Sudan from 1 to 3 August to see at first hand the appalling humanitarian situation and call for urgent action to alleviate suffering.  Tens of thousands of civilians have been displaced after recent fighting in Juba and Wau, there is escalating food insecurity and malnutrition across the country, and a cholera outbreak has erupted in Juba and Jonglei.  During the three-day mission, Mr. O’Brien is expected to meet with people affected by the humanitarian crisis, senior Government officials and humanitarian partners.

**Nigeria

Yesterday, unknown assailants attacked a UN humanitarian convoy that was traveling from Bama to Maiduguri in Borno State, Nigeria, which was returning from delivering desperately needed humanitarian assistance.  The UN Children’s Fund, UNICEF, reported that a UNICEF employee and a contractor for the International Organization for Migration (IOM) were injured in the attack and were treated at a local hospital.  UNICEF said that this was not only an attack on humanitarian workers, it is an attack on the people who most need the assistance and aid that these workers were bringing.

**Gambia

Our human rights colleagues in Geneva expressed concern today at the three-year prison sentences handed down last week to 30 members of the main opposition party in Gambia, including its leader Ousainou Darboe, following their participation in peaceful protests in mid-April.  They also remain deeply concerned that there has yet to be an impartial, independent and thorough investigation into allegations of excessive use of force in the context of the demonstrations, and into the arrest and death in State custody of the former secretary of the party.

**Australia

Still from our Human Rights colleagues, they said they were shocked by the video footage that has emerged from a youth detention centre in the Northern Territory in Australia, showing children as young as 10, many of whom are Aboriginal children, being held in inhumane conditions and treated cruelly.  The announcement by the Government of an investigation is an important step.  The Human Rights Office encourages the Government to extend the scope of the investigation beyond the Northern Territory in order to establish that such appalling treatment is not taking place in any other place of detention in Australia.  They also called on Australia to ratify the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture.

**Central America

The UN refugee agency welcomed today the US Government’s initiatives announced earlier this week to address the pressing forced displacement challenge in Central America.  These measures include an arrangement offering safe, legal alternatives for people to seek protection abroad via a third country, increased resettlement opportunities, and expansion of a programme providing life-saving help and protection to children fleeing affected countries.

The number of people fleeing violence and human rights violations in Central America has surged to unprecedented levels.  In 2015, asylum seekers from this region topped nearly 110,000 — a more than five-fold increase over three years — with most of them seeking safety in Mexico and the United States, as well as Belize, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Panama.

**Human Trafficking

On the same subject, tomorrow is the World Day against Trafficking in Persons.  Yuri Fedotov, head of the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), marked the occasion by calling on Governments to ratify and effectively implement the UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime.  He said that while the international community struggles with the biggest refugee and migration crisis since the Second World War, human traffickers and migrant smugglers are taking advantage of misery to turn a profit.  He also urged Governments, companies, and individuals to support the United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund for Victims of Trafficking in Persons.

**Hunger

I also want to flag a new series of 17 country briefs provided, prepared by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP), which were submitted to the Security Council and are available online.  These documents find that conflicts affecting 17 countries have driven millions of people into severe food insecurity and are hindering global efforts to eradicate malnutrition, with over 56 million people pushed into either "crisis" or "emergency" levels of food insecurity.

Topping the list in terms of the sheer numbers of people whose food security is being negatively impacted by ongoing conflict are Yemen and Syria, followed by South Sudan where the situation is rapidly deteriorating.  And in countries coming out of extended periods of civil strife such as the Central African Republic and Colombia, millions of people are still wrestling with high levels of food insecurity.

**Honour Roll

For the honour roll, Cambodia has paid its regular budget dues in full, making it the ninety-seventh Member State on the Honour Roll.  Thank you, Phnom Penh.

**Press Conferences Today

And for press conferences, today, at 4:30 p.m., in this room, Ambassador Koro Bessho, Permanent Representative of Japan to the United Nations will brief you on the end of Japan’s presidency of the Security Council.  And at 5 p.m., on Monday, the Permanent Representative of Malaysia, Ambassador Dato’ Ramlan [Bin] Ibrahim of Malaysia, who will be the President of the Security Council for the month of August, will brief you on the Council’s programme of work.  And that is it for me.  Yes, Michelle?

**Questions and Answers

Question:  Thanks, Farhan; two questions on Syria:  what discussions have the UN been having here with the Russians on their plan?  Obviously, you said de Mistura has made some comments in Geneva but what is happening in New York?  And on South Sudan and Cholera, do you have numbers for how many cases there are and how many deaths there have been?

Deputy Spokesman:  On your second question regarding the number of Cholera deaths, I will have to look that up.  I don't have that on me right now.  [He later said that, on 25 July, the World Health Organization reported that across the country, 271 cholera cases had been reported, including 14 deaths since 12 July.] Regarding the talks about Syria, we have been seeking clarifications both from our humanitarian side and from the Office of the Special Envoy, Staffan de Mistura, trying to get some further details about what this plan would entail and whether it can be adjusted in certain ways.  And you will have seen the comments made in the past day, first by Stephen O'Brien and now by Staffan de Mistura, about the sort of things we are seeking to see.  Yes?

Question:  Regarding the situation in Aleppo, do you or does the UN consider Aleppo a besieged town or city now?

Deputy Spokesman:  Well, what Staffan de Mistura said in his press remarks yesterday was that it is de facto besieged; that there is a huge number of people estimated to be between 200,000‑300,000 people to whom we do not have any regular way of obtaining access now that the main roads, including Castello Road, have been closed off, so we are trying to get regular access restored to them.

Question:  And another question on Aleppo, Mr. O'Brien, Stephen O'Brien, said in his statement yesterday that no one can be forced to flee.  Is this something happening in Aleppo now or do you have any information that some people are forced to flee their homes or neighborhoods?

Deputy Spokesman:  We don't have any firsthand accounts of any of this.  What we are trying to suggest is that for these corridors, if they are to work, any departures from Aleppo have to be voluntary, and this is something that has been made, a point that has been made both by Staffan de Mistura and Stephen O'Brien.  Yes, Carole?

Question:  Farhan, on Tuesday the Security Council will be picking up the Children in Armed Conflict report and I'm wondering if you could update us on the talks with the Saudis on whether or not they are staying on the list of child rights violators?

Deputy Spokesman:  I don't have an update on the list per se.  What I can say is that we have been in touch with the Saudi authorities.  We have received communications from them, including one as recently as yesterday, and are studying and evaluating those.  Yes?

Question:  Have you… are you planning to send experts to Riyadh to discuss the coalition's campaign in Yemen?  And, I mean, there was also a request that the Saudis show how they are taking steps to try to avert civilian deaths.  I'm wondering if anything along those lines was communicated to you.

Deputy Spokesman:  Yes.  We have tried to receive some information from them, and I believe the Saudi authorities have sent some information, which is being evaluated right now.  At present, there are no plans for any of the UN experts to travel to Riyadh.  Yes?

Question:  Sure.  I wanted to ask you about the… this case of the Canadian peacekeepers in Haiti who were charged with sexual abuse while they were in Haiti, back in Canada.  And it seems like they have now, by retiring, they have escaped any punishment whatsoever.  They received full pensions.  So, I'm wondering, this was a case that has been brought up here before; what does the UN think?  Is this a sufficient you call on countries to prosecute people engaged in sexual abuse or expectation; is retirement with full pension and no punishment sufficient and what can be done in terms of future deployments of Canadian peacekeepers?

Deputy Spokesman:  First of all, bless you.  Second of all, on that, of course, we don't have any comment about the policies within the Canadian Government or the Canadian military.  That's really a comment for the Canadian authorities to make, not for the UN.  From our standpoint, what we want is all troop contributors to prosecute any of these allegations, and that's what has been done.  And you have heard what we had to say on that.

Question:  So, that is what has been done in this case, you are saying that these people were prosecuted?

Deputy Spokesman:  There has been a prosecution in the case, I believe, right?

Correspondent:  No.  They were put on administrative leave and now they are retiring with full pensions.  One was suspended for nine days.  It was in the Secretary‑General's report.

Deputy Spokesman:  You would have to check with the Canadian authorities, what the policies of each Government entails.  Ultimately we don't control or dictate the policies of each individual government.

Question:  Can I ask about the union?

Deputy Spokesman:  Hold on one second.  Yes, yes, you, Olga?

Question:  Thank you, Farhan.  Has the Secretary‑General contacted the Indonesian authorities after dozens of people were accused there on the direct crimes and, as asked you before, asked to suspend the sentences?

Deputy Spokesman:  Regarding that, one of the things about starting the noon briefing at noon is that sometimes there are things that are still in the pipeline before I come in here, and one of those is potentially a statement on Indonesia, so I do expect at some point later today we will have a statement about this issue and we'll put it out once we get it.  Yes, Carmen Maria?  [He later informed the correspondent that the Secretary-General expresses deep regret over the executions carried out in Indonesia on 29 July.  He urges the Government of Indonesia to halt the execution of all other prisoners sentenced to death.   The Secretary-General reaffirms the opposition of the United Nations to the death penalty under all circumstances.  In addition, under international law, if the death penalty is to be used at all, it should only be imposed for the “most serious crimes”, namely those involving intentional killing.  Drug crimes are generally not considered to meet this threshold.  The increasing momentum for the abolition of capital punishment globally is undeniable:  82 per cent of United Nations Member States have either introduced moratoria in law or in practice or have abolished the death penalty entirely.  The Secretary-General calls on Indonesia and all countries that retain the death penalty to join this growing international movement.]

Question:  Thank you.  Farhan, in Cuba, there is a human rights activist, Guillermo Fariñas, who won Sakharov Prize for freedom of expression.  He is on a hunger strike and so are other eight or nine other people, and they are asking the Cuban Government to meet with them and for the Government to cease brutalizing them, beating them up every time they hold demonstrations.  How does the Secretary‑General view this?  Thank you.

Deputy Spokesman:  I'll check with our colleagues, including our human rights colleagues and see whether they have any particular response to this latest hunger strike.  Yes?

Question:  Sure.  I wanted to ask you about the strike in UNAMID [United Nations-African Union Hybrid Operation in Darfur] of national staff.  They have gone on strike.  They've said that this issue of payment not in dollars but in Sudanese pounds, which are highly, you know, decreased in value, has continued and some other issues.  What does OHRM [Office of Human Resources Management] or whoever is in charge here, DFS [Department of Field Support], intend to do about the strike of the national staff of UNAMID?

Deputy Spokesman:  Yes, the mission is in touch with the staff association and is dealing with them on this and is also in touch with Headquarters in an effort to resolve this.  Yes, Oleg?

Question:  Thank you, Farhan.  On Al‑Nusra Front, announcing that they are changing their name and breaking all ties with Al‑Qaida, there is some skepticism whether they are doing it maybe just to get out of the sanctions regime and save themselves from the air strike.  What is your opinion on this?  I mean, are you studying this?  How are you responding to that?

Deputy Spokesman:  In terms of how the UN system views them, as you know, there is a consolidated list of all of the individuals and entities associated with Al‑Qaida and Jabhat al‑Nusra continues to be on that list.  Yes?

Question:  One, I wanted to see if you have a comment.  There has been a review of Burundi at the Committee on Torture in Geneva and today they declined to come back and answer questions, which people are describing as unprecedented.  Given the concerns the Secretary‑General has expressed about Burundi in the past, what does he think of a country declining to answer questions that were raised in the first day of review and…?

Deputy Spokesman:  Well, we hope and expect that all Member States participate in the reviews by the human rights instruments.

Question:  Sure.  And I wanted to ask, Ng Lap Seng, as you know, is under house arrest charged with bribery at the UN.  There is now a call by the US House Oversight Committee to have him testify about a previous bribery case which was widely publicized.  And there are some people who are saying he should receive immunity, which would involve immunity for this case if he testifies to them.  Given that he is on… under house arrest for UN bribery, does the UN have any view of an offer of immunity to him?

Deputy Spokesman:  No.  We wouldn't have any comment on this.  This is, as you know, this is an issue within the US system.  It's not about the United Nations.  He is not a UN employee or anything like that.

Correspondent:  Right, but he is charged with bribery to procure a UN document.

Deputy Spokesman:  That is not the same thing, is it?  Yes.

Question:  Yeah, I would like to follow up on Oleg's question.  I think I know your answer, but I would like to have it on the record.  What's the due process to list or delist any entity or individuals on this list?

Deputy Spokesman:  That's a process that is in the hands ultimately of the members of the Security Council who also sit on the relevant sanctions committee involving Al‑Qaida, and so it would be a decision for them to take.  Yes, Carla, you had your…

Question:  Thank you.  Thank you, Farhan.  At the Security Council meeting on 25 July, there was discussion of the Palestinian boy who had been beheaded.  One of the delegates referred to the beheading by a rebel group and the Syrian ambassador said it was, in fact, a terrorist group that had committed the atrocity.  Do you have the identity of the group which beheaded the boy?

Deputy Spokesman:  I don't think we can speak authoritatively to that, but the UN Relief and Works Agency [for Palestine Refugees in the Near East] (UNRWA) has put out a statement about this, so I would refer you to what they have said.  Yes?

Question:  Sure.  I wanted to ask you, I had asked you a couple days now about this event that is coming up on 2 August and its sponsors.  And wanted… I asked some questions that you have not answered, including permission to be on the board, but I wanted to ask you something more specific.  There was one of the events that they sponsored in the UN was 8 January 2015, called Real Cause.  And in this entity, Real Cause, one of the other stakeholders was a Francis Lorenzo entity, and as you know Francis Lorenzo has plead guilty to bribery at the UN while he was deputy permanent representative of the Dominican Republic and founder of South-South News.  So, my question is:  Given the audit that you did and given the due diligence that was said, what are the links between the group that is having the event on 2 August and Francis Lorenzo, with whom they held an event in 2015, who plead guilty to bribery, and what is the status of these for‑profit… the event on 2 August, is sponsored by a mission or by DSS [Department of Safety and Security]?  Who has given the invite and permission for it to be held in the UN?

Deputy Spokesman:  You would need to ask the entity in question who their sponsors are.

Question:  No, I'm asking you.  It's a UN room.  Is an UN department sponsoring it?

Deputy Spokesman:  No, we are not the company in question.  Ask the company in question.

Question:  And the question I asked you yesterday, did the Secretary‑General, under the applicable rule, give permission for UN this… the UN official to be on the board of directors of this group?

Deputy Spokesman:  I'm not aware of any problems involving this individual.  Yes?

Question:  Thanks, Farhan.  On Turkey, they are saying that they have detained more than 18,000 people since the failed coup earlier this month.  Does the UN Secretary‑General have any comment on this?

Deputy Spokesman:  Well, you've seen the readout we had of the Secretary‑General's phone call to the Foreign Minister of Turkey, where he raised his concerns with the Foreign Minister.  After that phone call, he has since also spoken to [President] Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and conveyed the same sentiments.  And you will have seen the concerns that we've had about the treatment of military detainees and other topics, as well as the worrying reports of mistreatment and abuse of some of those who are still in custody and their detention conditions.  I would refer you to the full readout from a couple days back for our language on that.  But, yes, the Secretary‑General has been in touch with [President] Erdoğan and with Foreign Minister [Mevlut] Çavusoglu.

Question:  When was that?

Deputy Spokesman:  It was on 27 July, which was Wednesday afternoon.  Yes?

Question:  The meeting yesterday with Turkey's Permanent Representative, was that at the Secretary‑General's request or at the Turkish Ambassador's request?

Deputy Spokesman:  That was at the Turkish Ambassador's request.

Question:  Do you have a readout of that?

Deputy Spokesman:  No, we normally don't put out readouts of meetings with ambassadors.  Have a good afternoon and a great weekend, everyone.