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.
**Thailand
I have the following statement attributable to the Spokesman for the Secretary-General on attacks in Thailand.
The Secretary-General condemns the bomb attacks in Thailand on Thursday and Friday. The Secretary-General extends his condolences to the families of the victims and wishes those injured a speedy recovery. He expresses his sympathies to the Government and people of Thailand.
The Secretary-General hopes the perpetrators of these crimes will be brought to justice expeditiously.
**Secretary-General’s Travels
The Secretary-General is on his way to Calgary, in Canada’s Alberta Province, as we speak. Later this evening, he will speak to students at the University of Calgary.
Prior to that, he will meet with a number of federal and provincial officials, as well as with Syrian refugee families recently resettled in Canada.
Yesterday, the Secretary-General met with California Governor Jerry Brown in San Francisco. The two discussed a number of issues, including climate change.
As you know, he also spent part of the day in Novato, California, meeting with the Patterson family, who hosted him as a young student in 1962.
**Security Council
The Security Council will meet this afternoon at 3 p.m. to consider a resolution on the mandate of the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
**South Sudan
On South Sudan, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) warned that, with refugees fleeing in the thousands, surrounding countries are straining under the weight of large numbers of displaced people and critically underfunded operations. There are already some 930,000 refugees in the region, and more are arriving daily.
UNHCR is extremely worried that even as the refugee population grows, funds to meet basic needs are becoming exhausted. South Sudan is now the second largest refugee situation in Africa, and the fourth largest in the world but, only one dollar out of five dollars needed to take care of each refugee is currently available.
Uganda and Sudan have received an estimated 110,000 and 100,000 new arrivals respectively in 2016, together accounting for more than 90 per cent of the new arrivals in the region this year. UNHCR appeals to the international community to support countries of asylum to protect and assist South Sudanese refugees.
**Yemen
The Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, strongly condemns the increasing violations to the cessation of hostilities in Yemen and urges the parties to speed up their efforts to find a comprehensive, political solution to the conflict.
He said that the violations are unacceptable and not conducive to the peace process. The United Nations remains fully committed to bringing peace to Yemen, but the process requires good faith and concessions from all sides. He calls on all parties to show restraint and refrain from any action which undermines efforts to bring about a peaceful, political solution to the conflict.
Meanwhile, the UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen, Jamie McGoldrick, also voiced alarm today at the intensification of violence across the country. He said that the people of Yemen continue to bear the brunt of the suffering as a result of the inability of the parties to find a political solution.
And the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights also said today that the number of civilian casualties in the conflict has been steadily mounting recently, with a sharp increase last week.
**Nauru
The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights today said it was extremely concerned about the serious allegations of violence, sexual assault and degrading treatment of detainees in Nauru.
The agency said the allegations made in more than 1,000 incident reports were sadly consistent with findings from its own previous visits.
A spokesperson said in Geneva today that many of the migrants, asylum seekers and refugees were transferred by Australia to Nauru more than three years ago and have been living in very difficult conditions ever since.
The agency said the recent allegations must be systematically and properly investigated and those responsible held accountable.
The Office repeated its call for the authorities in Nauru and Australia to put an end to the model of processing and keeping migrants offshore.
**Central African Republic
Turning to the Central African Republic (CAR), the World Health Organization (WHO) informs us that, along with its partners, it is working with the Central African Republic’s Ministry of Health to respond to the cholera outbreak declared on the 10th of August. There are 46 confirmed cases and 13 deaths from Djoujou, Damara and Bangui cities, in villages along the banks of the Oubangui River and close to the border with the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
WHO and the Ministry of Health have activated a cholera control command centre within the country’s existing Emergency Operational Centre, which includes all humanitarian partners on the ground. Patients who have reached Bangui are being taken care of in a treatment centre established with WHO support.
**Nigeria
The World Health Organization said today that the confirmation of two cases of polio in Nigeria was a disappointing development.
Michel Zaffran, Director, Polio Eradication at WHO, told a briefing in Geneva today that the cases were discovered in parts of Borno State that have recently become accessible, and that large areas of the state remain unreachable.
He said that Africa was scheduled to be declared polio-free in about a year. The clock will have to be turned back, he said, but the goal remains within reach. A vaccination campaign will begin within the next ten days.
More details are available on the UN Geneva Website.
**International Youth Day
Today is International Youth Day. On this occasion, the Secretary-General said that young people can lead a global drive to break patterns of the past and set the world on course to a more sustainable future. He said that young people are directly affected by the tragic contradictions that prevail today, and that they can deliver solutions on these issues, which lie at the heart of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
The Secretary-General called for the active engagement of the world’s young people to transform the production and consumption of goods and services so they meet the basic needs and aspirations of the world’s poorest people without overburdening already strained ecosystems. “Let us empower young people with the resources, backing and space they need to create lasting changes in our world”, he said.
**Honour Roll
And lastly, we thank Peru for paying its dues in full, which brings the total number of Member States on the Honour Roll to 101.
**Questions and Answers
And that is it for me. Are there any questions? Yes, Emoke?
Question: Thanks, Farhan. Today, the Colombian National Government and the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) issued a joint statement proposing that the Secretary‑General should be part of a committee along with Pope Francis and some others to appoint judges for a special tribunal that is part of the peace process. Is that something the SG will look into? What's the process for such requests?
Deputy Spokesman: Yes, we were made away of this request today and we're studying the request right now. So this is something that we will have to consider. Of course, you're aware that the Secretary‑General and the United Nations are committed to doing all that we can to support the peace process between the Government of Colombia and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, and we will try to see how we can support that. As you know, we have a mission that has been established by the Security Council that will take effect once a peace agreement is signed. But we'll see what other steps are needed. Yes?
Question: Sure. Some other stuff, but I wanted to ask you this. Yesterday, there were some filings in the Ng Lap Seng case in the Southern District of New York. And the reason I wanted to ask you about them is one of them is a letter that was written by Ng Lap Seng's lawyers to the UN lawyer, Emanuel [Miguel] de Serpa Soares, asking for a number of pieces of information, including communications with South‑South News, including rules regarding conflict of interest. And so I wanted to know… they quote in their letter Stéphane [Dujarric] saying that the UN will cooperate if contacted. So I wanted to know, first, can you confirm the letter is marked hand‑delivered receipt by the UN. And, two, what is the UN's response to this request to cooperate?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, as Stéphane has said and as I reiterate today, yes we will cooperate with the courts upon request, and we'll be in touch with the court authorities to see what's required… requested of us.
Question: The letter is from Ng Lap Seng's lawyers, and it was in July. So now it's… it's now 12 August, so have you not contacted… responded to the letter?
Deputy Spokesman: This is something for which we will be in touch with the court authorities, and so we'll respond as needed.
Question: So only if ordered by the court, essentially. Is that what you're saying?
Deputy Spokesman: That's not what I'm saying. I'm saying we're looking into what the court authorities are requesting.
Question: But the request is by the lawyer… a person seeking due process. They say that the prosecution made this a case about UN corruption and they seek these documents.
Deputy Spokesman: No, I understand, and I've said what I said. Do you have another question?
Question: I do have another question.
Deputy Spokesman: All right.
Question: Also in that there is a… a… a… a request for discover… another request for discovery that involves a number of former PGAs (Presidents of the General Assembly), but including Mr. Han Seung‑soo. They're requesting information about events held and funding of his office during… during the time that he was PGA here. So I wanted to ask if you have any response to that. And also I'm going to, again, without… I'll speak and then I'll be sure to be quiet. Is it… have you verified to your own satisfaction that Han Seung‑soo is listed on the website of Standard Chartered Bank as an independent outside… on the board of directors and that Standard Chartered Bank has not only the brokerage contract but also a master servicing contract, and how is it consistent with any pla… any legitimate conflict‑of‑interest rules that a person can be in both of these capacities at once?
Deputy Spokesman: I've been in touch with the Ethics Office. They are satisfied with the cooperation that they're receiving, and I've provided the details that we have about the cooperation that they've been receiving from Han Seung‑soo. Yes?
Question: Thanks, Farhan. Just on South Sudan, the Secretary‑General has asked for an arms embargo to be imposed on South Sudan. The Security Council is not going to impose an arms embargo this afternoon. How does the SG feel about that?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, of course, decisions about arms embargoes are to be taken by the members of the Security Council, so the matter is in their hands, and we're leaving the matter in their hands. As you are aware, they will take up the matter this afternoon. And we have made clear our concerns about the arming of the parties, and those concerns remain. But beyond that, of course, it's up to the Council themselves to determine what's best for the mandate of the Mission and what steps need to be taken. Yeah?
Question: Sure. On the same… also on South Sudan, there was a… it was said that DPKO (Department of Peacekeeping Operations) would be briefing the Security Council about possible TCCs (troop-contributing countries) for this new proposed mission. I wanted to know, can you at least state… it's… I've heard that… that Kenya and Ethiopia have expressed some willingness to partic… to contribute new troops, whereas Uganda and Sudan have not. Can you… did DPKO brief the Council about discussions with potential TCCs? And can you give some sense of which countries are… are saying yes and whether this is dependent on being under UNMISS or not UNMISS command?
Deputy Spokesman: I cannot confirm that, because, as you're aware, the mandate of the Mission as of now has not changed. So we'll have to wait and see how the mandate changes once the Security Council has voted. Once the Security Council has come to a decision, we'll try to work as quickly as we can to implement what it requests.
Question: But does DPKO not reach out… had they had no discussions with potential TCCs during this time…?
Deputy Spokesman: They have preliminary talks as a standard practice so that we can be prepared, but those are preliminary talks. It's nothing to confirm because there's nothing, as of this stage, at this particular moment, that's been requested. Let's see what happens in a few hours.
Question: What about on Burundi, on the poten… on the resolution that was passed to send police? Have there been discussions between DPKO police unit and PCCs (police-contributing countries)?
Deputy Spokesman: Yes, we're reaching out to potential police contributing countries. Yes?
Question: Do you have an update on Aleppo and possible gas attacks and people singing in the streets, because they broke through one section of what they call the killer Syrian army?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, we continue to be concerned about the situation in Aleppo. It's… it continues to be very serious. We're worried about the ability of people cut off from aid to receive food, water and other essentials. We are, as you know, calling for weekly 48‑hour humanitarian pauses, which we think are the minimum that are needed to reach people in need across Aleppo, and those discussions are going on. Regarding the potential use of chemical weapons, you'll have heard what Staffan de Mistura, the Special Envoy for Syria, said yesterday and his call for any of these reports to be investigated. As he made clear, if chemical weapons are being used, that could constitute a war crime. But, of course, we would need to be able to determine what's actually going on. And do you have something further or no?
Correspondent: Yes.
Deputy Spokesman: Okay.
Question: [inaudible] Is everyone a terrorist from the Government? I said, is everyone guilty of war crimes there? Is the Government a terrorist outfit?
Deputy Spokesman: There's quite a lot of atrocities over the span of five‑years‑plus war that need to be thoroughly investigated, yes.
Question: Sure. I have some questions about Haiti. One has to do with this OIOS (Office of Internal Oversight Services) audit about waste management. I'm sure you may have… maybe you have something ready on it, but it seems to indicate that even after the spread of cholera that there continue to be negligence and pouring of untreated waste into canals leaving behind and failure to supervise contractors as well. What's the UN's response to that audit and… and… including as relates to its responsibility for cholera in Haiti?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, regarding that audit, if you have noticed, the date on that audit, it was completed as of May 2015. It's been disclosed more recently than that, but what the information is that we have from the Departments of Peacekeeping Operation (DPKO) and of Field Support (DFS) is that the sort of recommendations in that report by the Office of Internal Oversight Services were, in fact, implemented and taken into account so that, by October 2015, or almost a year ago, all of the appropriate steps were put in place. So, at this point, they report that the remedies that were needed have been taken.
Question: Sure. But I guess what I'm saying is, if even… as you put it, up until… up until October 2015, these type of practices took place, does this not cast some light on… on what the practises were at the time that the cholera took off in Haiti and… and… and caused the UN to rethink its invocation of immunity as to its responsibility for that?
Deputy Spokesman: It's certainly worrying that it took as long as it did for some of these problems to be rectified. You will have seen over the years, and the report itself makes clear, that there were steps that needed to have been taken. And it's a grave disappointment that it took as long as it did. As of now, those steps have been taken.
Question: One more on Haiti just quickly. I wanted to… this had to do with the case where the Canadian police that served in MINUSTAH (United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti) went back and were allowed to retire with benefits, and one was suspended for only nine days. Mario Joseph, a well‑known Haitian lawyer, is in Montreal at this world social forum. And he said that… at least in his opinion, that… that the way… the failure to punish in Canada reflects on the UN in Haiti, that the UN needs to take action to ensure that people that it brings that… that engage in sexual exploitation or… or abuse are held accountable in the home country. So I wanted to know, do you have any… it… it… I think it was said it was totally up to Canada. But I'm saying people there don't seem… see it in that light. What do you think?
Deputy Spokesman: The way the legal process works with the soldiers is up to the national authorities. What we try to do as the UN is push the countries to make sure that there are prosecutions or some form of accountability for the soldiers who commit wrongdoing. We try to get commitments, therefore, from the countries that they'll follow up. In this case, Canada followed up, but whether that was sufficient or insufficient is something that people need to take up with the respective Government. We don't have control over their legal process.
Question: Right, but there's a lot of talk now of Canada stepping up its participation in peacekeeping. They seem to want to be on good footing with DPKO. Wouldn't it be a time to sort of seek these type of commitments?
Deputy Spokesman: We certainly hope that any country that contributes will be able to ensure that their troops will be held accountable, and that's something we will seek from all countries. Have a great weekend, everyone.