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.

**South Sudan

Last night, we issued the following statement attributable to the Spokesman for the Secretary-General on South Sudan.  The Secretary-General is alarmed by the preliminary findings of a fact finding investigation by the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) into the attack on Hotel Terrain in Juba on 11 July, in which one person was killed and several civilians were raped and brutally beaten by men in uniform.  The Secretary-General is also concerned about allegations that UNMISS did not respond appropriately to prevent this and other grave cases of sexual violence committed in Juba.

Due to the gravity of these incidents, related allegations and the preliminary findings by UNMISS, the Secretary-General has decided to launch an independent special investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding these incidents and to evaluate the Mission’s overall response.  The Secretary-General reiterates his outrage over the acts of violence committed by the SPLA [Sudan People’s Liberation Army] and opposition forces in Juba from 8 to 11 July, during which many South Sudanese civilians and two UN peacekeepers were killed.  The Secretary-General urges, once more, the Government of South Sudan to investigate these human right violations and to prosecute those involved in these unspeakable acts of violence.

**Uganda

The Government of Uganda, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees and the World Food Programme (WFP) have appealed to donors to urgently speed contributions to the humanitarian response to refugees in Uganda to end a funding shortage that has forced a revision of survival rations.  Around 200,000 refugees who arrived in Uganda prior to July 2015 will have their food rations or cash assistance reduced by 50 per cent starting this week.  Low levels of funding, together with a large number of new arrivals fleeing to Uganda from South Sudan since 7 July, have left the refugee response with no choice but to re-prioritize their focus on the refugees in greatest need.

The humanitarian response to South Sudanese refugees in Uganda was already severely underfunded before the latest outbreak of violence in Juba, which has since prompted more than 70,000 people to cross the border into Uganda.  New arrivals have spoken of armed groups operating across various parts of South Sudan, attacking villages, burning down houses, murdering civilians, sexually assaulting women and girls, and forcibly recruiting young men and boys into their ranks.

**Kashmir

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights today expressed deep regret at the failure of Indian and Pakistani authorities to grant his office access to Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir and Pakistan-administered Kashmir, given recent allegations of serious human rights violations.  Since the latest outbreak of violence in early July, the High Commissioner, Zeid Ra’ad al Hussein, has been engaging with both Indian and Pakistani authorities to seek access for a team to visit both areas to look into what he called “allegations of the use of excessive force, allegations of state sponsorship of violence, as well as the number of people killed.”  He said he reiterates his request for access.

**Ei Niño

In the latest El Niño Global Overview, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has revised the amount being sought to address urgent El Niño-related humanitarian needs from $3.9 billion to $5 billion.  This appeal includes response plans for 23 countries in East and Southern Africa, Central America and the Pacific.  East and Southern Africa are the most affected regions where humanitarian impacts will continue to increase well into 2017.  To date, a funding gap of $3.4 billion — or 67 per cent — remains, leaving 60 million people at significant risk of further suffering and loss.  That’s it for me.  Yes, Edie?

**Questions and Answers

Question:  Thank you, Farhan.  On the Secretary‑General's announcement about an independent special investigation for South Sudan, can you give us some details on who's going to conduct this, when it's going to start, how long it's going to last?  Is it going to be a report that's going to be made public?

Deputy Spokesman:  Yes, we do expect to make the findings public.  Regarding the details, the terms of reference, and the personnel, we do expect that we’ll have an announcement on the personnel of the mission sometime in the next few days.  Basically, we expect to receive the fact‑finding investigation from the UN Mission, UNMISS, this week.  And that fact‑finding investigation will be used to inform the special investigation, the findings of which will be made public.  Yes, Sherwin?

Question:  Just to follow up on that, the statement does talk about preliminary finds by that fact‑finding mission.  Can you talk a bit about some of those preliminary findings that will now, as you say, inform the special investigation? 

Deputy Spokesman:  Well, at this stage, we're still gathering facts.  Some of the information that we've received helped contribute to the decision to set up the special investigation.  But, in any case, the fact‑finding investigation is being completed, and we expect to receive it this week, and then it will be fed into the work of the special investigation.

Question:  What are some of those facts?  I mean, what has this investigation so far uncovered?  Are you confirming the AP reports?  I mean, what does the UN know?  Why don’t you share that information with us?

Deputy Spokesman:  Well, you will have seen what the statement is.  We don't have any further details to share at this stage while the process continues, but those facts are… like I said, are going to be examined as well by the special investigation.

Question:  So, will the fact‑finding mission's report that's going to be out this week, will that be made public?

Deputy Spokesman:  I don't believe that that's what's happening.  What's happening is that that information is now going to be shared with the special investigation, and the special investigation's report, their findings will be made public.  Yes?

Question:  Same topic.  Sure.  I wanted to ask… I mean, just on… just… on the fact‑finding one, this is the one that Stéphane was referring to on 14 July when he said that the UN was going to look into its own role in this?  Is that the same… one and the same?

Deputy Spokesman:  The fact‑finding investigation is the one that we were referring to.  The special investigation is one we announced in our statement yesterday.

Question:  Gotcha.  What I wanted to ask you about is whether… is the head of… my understanding is he was the head… he is or was the head of the UNDSS [Department of Safety and Security] in South Sudan, Chris Dutoit, told that he had in writing deemed the Terrain Apartments to be "safe" for UNFPA [United Nations Population Fund], FAO [Food and Agriculture Organization] and other staff to live in and that he's now just recently gone on leave.  Can you… was such a determination made?  And how does the UN, in places like Juba, determine and certify off-site places for… for its personnel to live?

Deputy Spokesman:  Well, first of all, I'm not going to get into the specific facts of the case, which are being determined, like I said, first, by the body that's from the UN Mission that's already been working on this and now by a special investigation that will be formed in the coming days.  What I can say more generally is simply that we do rely on our Department of Safety and Security to determine, in any country, where places are that are safe for UN staff to stay.

Question:  Right.  So, it's fair to say that this was… this place had been determined to be safe?  That's why people were living there…

Deputy Spokesman:  No, that's not fair to say.  I'm not… like I said, I'm not going into any specific facts.  Those remain to be determined by the groups who are looking into it.

Question:  And I also want to ask one thing.  I've heard that… that staff of UNFPA in particular, but other UN system staff were discouraged of speaking with the media in the month since this event took place.  And I wanted to know, is that… what is the UN's… does it feel that it has a right to tell its staff not to speak about things that… that… in which they themselves were the victims, or are they free at all times to speak about what happens to them?

Deputy Spokesman:  No, people are free to speak to the media.  Obviously, as staff are aware, when there's an investigation under way, we don't want to prejudice the course of an investigation.  But that… and that is what's happening.  But, as a general rule, yes, of course, they're free.

Question:  But, it seems like this investigation is really triggered by the AP report.  That's why I say it's sort of a chicken‑and‑egg problem.  You were doing your own report.  Then the AP ran a story where people spoke to it anonymously, and now you're doing a special investigation.  Is that…?

Deputy Spokesman:  I don't think that that's fair.  I think part of what was happening is that the facts uncovered by the UN Mission prompted the people here at Headquarters to believe that something more is needed.  Yes?

Question:  Just back to your statement.  You talk about calling on the Government of a South Sudan to investigate these human rights violations.  In terms of the peace deal signed a year ago, there's a… one of the stipulations is the establishment of an AU [African Union] Commission hybrid court.  What is the UN's position on the establishment of that court in relation to the investigations you're calling for?

Deputy Spokesman:  Well, we, of course, expect that the peace agreement will be followed and upheld.  We've expressed our concerns at times, including last month, when it seemed that key provisions of the peace agreement have not been upheld.  But, in… as a general practice, we continue to call for support of the agreement.  Yes, Majeed?

Question:  Thank you, Farhan.  As you might be aware, the operation to liberate Mosul has started, and the military operations are intensifying.  And the forces that are fighting are the Kurdish forces; some say the Shiites and the Sunni forces will join them later on.  But, the Iraqi Prime Minister yesterday warned the Kurdish forces to not enter the city of Mosul under any circumstances.  This complicates the fight… the already complicated fight into a sectarian dimension.  What is the UN position about this, about this sectarian division among forces that are fighting ISIS right now in Mosul?

Deputy Spokesman:  What we want to do is make sure that all of the forces engaged in the fight against Da’esh are able to work with each other and in coordination, and of course, we call on all of the various forces to respect the basic human rights of all of the groups of Iraqis that they're dealing with.  Yes.  And then you.

Question:  Thank you, Farhan.  I would like to know your opinion or position on the Russian strikes… that Russia used an Iranian base to launch strikes in Syria.  So, do you consider this a violation to the Security Council resolutions, regarding the arms embargo on Iran, or is it a bilateral issue, or how do you see it?

Deputy Spokesman:  As you know, it's up to the members of the Security Council to determine if the relevant resolutions concerning Iran have been violated.  So, we leave the matter in their hands.  Olga?

Question:  Thank you, Farhan.  Actually, also, about Syria, according to Russian Foreign Minister, there are discussions between Russia, United States and the United Nations on different ways to deliver humanitarian assistance in Aleppo.  So, can you please clarify what's on the table?

Deputy Spokesman:  What we've made clear, as Staffan de Mistura, the Special Envoy for Syria, has said, is that we are pushing for meaningful humanitarian pauses that would allow us to deliver aid.  Stephen O'Brien, the Emergency Relief Coordinator, told you in this room last week that we need 48‑hour pauses for the aid delivery to be most effective.  And he's also made clear the need to free up key lanes for… in terms of highway access, so that we could get aid in by trucks.  And so these are the sort of details that we have been exploring with our Russian and American counterparts.  Yes?

Question:  Back to South Sudan.  Just seeking clarity… and this might have been dealt with.  I've been away.  Can you provide a timeline of what the UN was investigating and… that has now led to the special investigation?  I mean, since the 11 July attacks, what has been the UN's timeline leading to this point? 

Deputy Spokesman:  Well, in the days immediately after that, we mentioned the… that the UN Mission in South Sudan was looking into this.  That was the start of the fact‑finding investigation.  They had expected to complete their work this week.  As a result, as we started to get the findings from them, the decision was taken here, as we conveyed in our statement yesterday evening, to set up a special investigation.  And, in the next few days, we'll announce who will lead the special investigation and its terms of reference.

Question:  So, was the UN, therefore, aware of some of the details contained in the AP report this week?  Were you aware of that before?

Deputy Spokesman:  We've been aware of the gravity of the situation really since the first few days, and, indeed, we mentioned some of this at the time, when this first happened.  And the serious nature of these details has become more clear as the fact‑finding investigation has continued.

Question:  Can I just…?  I guess I was going to move on, but I wanted to ask you about, because I've gone back and looked at it.  On 11 July, I asked Stéphane [Dujarric], as it happened, about the Terrain.  And he said he hadn't heard anything about it.  And then, two days later, Ellen Løj was on the TV screen, and I asked her about Terrain.  And she said she acknowledged that she was aware of it and that they'd sent… they called the army to go.  And then, on 14 July, Stéphane said more about it.  That's what you're referring to.  Was there any other statement that you guys proactively put out?  When?

Deputy Spokesman:  Yes.  Exactly.  We got those… those were the details we shared over the days as we got them.

Question:  Okay.  All right.  Could I… I wanted to ask you about Sudan actually.  The… the… I saw the statement the Secretary… that was put out about the… the peace talks, and Sudan called, but some people are saying the talks have actually fallen apart in Addis on this issue of humanitarian aid, on the delivery of aid into the Nuba Mountain areas, whether from Sudan or from cross‑border from South Sudan.  And the Government of Sudan has said that it's not going to accept any cross‑border aid into those areas.  And so I know that, in other instances, OCHA [Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs] has called for cross‑border aid, for example, in Syria.  What is the position currently of OCHA on the delivery of aid to these hard‑struck areas from… across the border from South Sudan?  Do they believe it should be done?

Deputy Spokesman:  The basic point is we want to make sure that we are able to have access to all the people who need aid.  That's what we call for across the board and that's what we expect here.  Whether that needs to be done through cross‑border or through a different type of system is something that's still under discussion.

Question:  But, does the UN have any role… and these talks were taking place in Addis over five days.  Did the UN, whether OCHA or the various envoys or Mr. [Nicholas] Haysom, have a role in these talks?

Deputy Spokesman:  I'll have to check whether anyone's been in attendance.  They're not our talks, but I'll see whether there was someone there.  Yes, Majeed?

Question:  Thank you, Farhan.  I want to ask about Syria.  The Iranian Foreign Minister proposed an alliance with Russia and Turkey and… and… to have a meeting about that in Tehran later on this month about Syria and what the Iranian called to have a final solution for the conflict in Syria between those three Powers.  Do you think the regional Powers are feeling that the UN‑led process, peace process, is becoming increasingly irrelevant and they want to just basically try to find, as they say, final solution for the conflict themselves with these proposals? 

Deputy Spokesman:  What we want to see is that all of the parties in the region and all the parties dealing with this work with the United Nations and help advance the course of the intra‑Syrian talks.  So, that is what we have been dealing with our various partners to ensure, and that is what we will continue to strive for as we aim to get the next round of talks going as soon as possible.

Question:  Just follow‑up on that.  Are you aware of this… this rapprochement between Turkey, Iran, and Russia about Syria?

Deputy Spokesman:  We're aware of the recent developments, and, obviously, we hope that any improvement of… in relations between countries in the region will help advance the peace process.  Yes?

Question:  Sure.  I wanted to… to… I mean, you… you… you came back with the… these two answers from the UN Ethics Office, and I'm glad they're at least answering.  But, I want to ask you about a financial seeming conflict of interest that goes… that, hopefully, they'll actually say whether they've approved it or not.  And it has to do with the Special Envoy… the Secretary‑General's personal envoy on the talks between Greece and the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Mr. [Mathew] Nimetz.  It is part of his public disclosure that he's a principal in General Atlantic, but what's not said there is that this company invests in Studio Moderna, which is a for‑profit company which lists itself as doing business in [former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia].  So… or Macedonia, as it calls it.  So, I wonder, how can a UN… how can a negotiator be a principal, not just on the board of directors, but actively work in a fund that has an investment somewhere between $50 and $500 million in a company doing business in the country in which he's mediating?  Is that… so, I want… I guess what I'm asking you for is a substantive answer rather than the same answer that they… they check these things and restrictions are… is there any restriction on this in some way?

Deputy Spokesman:  The basic point is that the nature of their disclosures is that all participants have the voluntary right to make public disclosures.  Beyond that, they are disclosures that are shared with the Ethics Office and those are of a confidential nature.  Therefore, I cannot go into the details.

Question:  Right, but from the outside, can you see why some people would say this has the appearance of a conflict of interest to have a financial stake in a country you're mediating around? 

Deputy Spokesman:  What I can say is the Ethics Office works specifically with officials to make sure that there is none.

Question:  What about appearance?  This is what… the World Bank says…

Deputy Spokesman:  Yes, Linda?

Question:  Thank you, Farhan.  You mentioned that the UN is pursuing meaningful pauses so that aid can be delivered in Syria.  I was just wondering how cooperative, for example, rebel groups are being in terms of providing access to people there.

Deputy Spokesman:  We are having problems with all the various parties, whether on the Government side, on the rebel side.  What we want is meaningful pauses that are upheld by all parties.

Question:  Would you say that the… sorry.  Would you say that the rebel side is being as obstinate as the Government?  I mean, is there sort of… or are they being more cooperative?

Deputy Spokesman:  I'm not going to evaluate the relative problems of noncompliance.  Noncompliance with pauses has been a problem, and it's rendered our ability to deliver aid a much more… made it a much more difficult task than it otherwise would have.  So we need cooperation from all the various sides.  Thank you very much.