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.
All right, good afternoon.
**Peacekeeping
I will start off with a statement on the UN Peacekeeping Defence Ministerial meeting. The Secretary-General welcomes the pledges and commitments made at the United Nations Peacekeeping Defence Ministerial meeting in London today. He expresses his gratitude to the United Kingdom for hosting this important event, which will build on the historic 2015 Leaders’ Summit on Peacekeeping. The Secretary-General is particularly encouraged by the pledges related to rapid deployment, including commitments by Bangladesh, China, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka to maintain units at a high level of readiness.
The Secretary-General reaffirms the UN’s commitment to work with troop- and police-contributing countries in continuing to improve the performance of the UN peacekeepers, including through the full implementation of the Secretary-General’s zero tolerance policy regarding sexual exploitation and abuse. He applauds the strong focus of the Ministerial on women and peacekeeping and he congratulates Major Aichatou Ousmane Issaka of Niger, who received the first UN Military Gender Advocate of the Year Award.
And attending the meeting were the Under-Secretaries-General for Peacekeeping and for Field Support. At the meeting, Atul Khare said that there is justified concern that changes in the types of conflicts we are seeing may be outpacing our ability to respond to them. Mr. Khare urged Member States to advocate for reforms that ensure the UN is fit for purpose and fully focused on the challenges it faces in the field. And Mr. [Hervé] Ladsous, the Head of the Peacekeeping Operations Department (DPKO), also said that since last year’s Summit on Peacekeeping, the UN has made more progress in registering and deploying the pledged capabilities than almost anyone expected. However, he said the Organization is still falling short in increasing the number of women in military and police components and called on Member States to help change that.
**Libya
Also, I have a statement on the removal of chemical weapons precursors from Libya.
The Secretary-General welcomes the successful removal of all chemical weapons precursors from Libya, in an operation facilitated and coordinated by the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW). The operation took place further to a Decision by the OPCW's Executive Council, and endorsed by the Security Council in resolution 2298.
The Secretary-General also welcomes the contribution of personnel, technical expertise, equipment, financial and other resources by Canada, Finland, France, Italy, Malta, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States, as well as the contribution by Denmark of maritime assets to transport the chemicals to Germany for destruction.
Those statements are online.
**Secretary-General’s Travels
The Secretary-General is now on his way back to New York from the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, where as you know he addressed the East Asia Summit, saying that coordination and consistency across and beyond East Asia are essential to meeting regional and global challenges.
He noted that East Asia faces some grave threats and challenges to peace and security, including on the Korean Peninsula. He encouraged the East Asia leaders to strengthen cooperation in responding to the threat of terrorism and spreading of poison of violent extremism, stressing that respect for human rights must be central to those efforts. He urged all parties to resolve their disputes in the South China Sea in a peaceful and amicable manner, through dialogue and conformity with international law.
On the issue of drugs, the Secretary-General stressed the importance of a balance between criminal justice and law enforcement based on proportionality and the rule of law. He reiterated his deep concern about the extrajudicial killings of suspected drug sellers and drug users, which are contrary to human rights law and the international drug conventions.
The Secretary-General also held a bilateral meeting with the Prime Minister of Viet Nam, during which they discussed the Sustainable Development Goals and disaster management, as well as regional issues, including the South China Sea.
**South Sudan
And from South Sudan, our colleagues at the United Nations Mission in that country (UNMISS) said they are deeply concerned by reports they have received of threats and harassment against some civil society members who had met with the UN Security Council delegation during their visit to Juba last week.
The Mission says that these reported actions are in violation of the rights of freedom of expression, movement and civil and political engagement, which are fundamental pillars of any democratic society. It stresses that any attempt to suppress these rights through threats and harassment must be condemned in no uncertain terms. The UN Mission will be raising these concerns with relevant authorities in South Sudan.
**Liberia
And a two-week strategic assessment mission from UN Headquarters concluded its work in Liberia today. Led by Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations El Ghassim Wane, the team will formulate recommendations for the Security Council to consider when it takes a decision on the UN Mission’s future by 15 December of this year.
Mr. Wane said that strengthening and reforming the security institutions and the judiciary are critical, but Liberia’s long-term peace and stability and security will hinge on far broader range of reform processes that address the root causes of the conflict. This includes national reconciliation, land reform, decentralization and the empowerment of all Liberian citizens, including women and youth and the disabled, among others.
**Food
And our colleagues at the FAO said today that the prices of staple food rose in August. The FAO Food Price Index is up nearly 7 per cent from what it was in the same period of last year. The jump comes even as grain prices fell and global cereal production is expected to increase. More on the FAO’s website.
**Paralympics
And as you will have seen, the Paralympics got under way in Rio de Janeiro and the Secretary-General has welcomed the start of the sporting event.
He believes that sport has a particularly important role to play in promoting and implementing the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The Paralympic Movement is a key ally, the Secretary-General says.
Not only do the Paralympic Games showcase the extraordinary abilities and potential of athletes living with disability, they promote the rights of all persons with disabilities and provide a catalyst for lasting change.
The Secretary-General believes that Paralympic athletes are change makers and role models and are symbols of courage and aspiration to us all.
**Margaret Anstee
The Secretary-General has mourned the passing of Dame Margaret Anstee, who was the first woman as you know to be appointed Under-Secretary-General. During her four decades of service to the United Nations, she was also the first woman to lead a UN peacekeeping mission (in Angola) and the first woman resident representative for UNDP (United Nations Development Programme).
The Secretary-General said that she brought energy, humility, courage and a sense of adventure to everything she did, from negotiating peace with rebels in Nigeria to spiriting UN staff out of Chile in the days following the 1973 coup.
A message will be delivered on the Secretary-General’s behalf at the funeral, which is scheduled to take place tomorrow in the United Kingdom.
**Literacy Day
And today is? Yes, very good. It is the fiftieth anniversary of International Literacy Day. On this occasion, the Secretary-General said that while we have made significant progress over the last five decades, the world is still very far from universal literacy. More than 750 million adults are illiterate, including 115 million young people. Two thirds of those are female. Some 250 million children of primary school age lack basic literacy skills and 124 million children and adolescents receive no schooling at all. These obstacles to sustainable development can and must be overcome by developing and implementing the right policies, backed up by commitments and resources, the Secretary-General said.
And today, UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) also launched a report taking stock of progress made by countries in implementing commitments to adult learning and education. That’s online.
**Honour Roll
And today we thank Belize for paying its dues to the United Nations.
**Questions and Answers
Carole?
Question: Stéphane, what can you tell us about this letter from 73 Syrian aid organisations, saying that the UN aid effort is basically being manipulated by the Syrian Government? And they've announced that they're suspending cooperation with the UN. How will this affect the aid effort?
Spokesman: Sure. I can confirm that a letter was received by our colleagues working for our humanitarian office in Turkey. It was from the Syrian NGO (Non-Governmental Organization) Alliance, as you said, regarding their participation in the Whole of Syria information‑sharing mechanism. We recognise the tremendous work of Syrian NGOs, who are often the first responders on the front lines, I think something we've stressed here over and over again, as they provide assistance to millions of Syrians in desperate need of assistance. We're going to continue to engage with them and all humanitarian partners in order to improve our collective efforts and reach as many people as we can in Syria. And I would stress, again, the impartiality in which the UN conducts its humanitarian work in Syria. Yes, of course.
Question: [inaudible] investigation and suggested a new monitoring group to oversee all of the… are these suggestions you're willing to look at?
Spokesman: We've received the letter. We'll obviously take a look at it. I think we addressed a lot of issues regarding our humanitarian operations recently when The Guardian article came out. I would, again, stress that everything that we do in Syria, the kind… the people we partner it with, those with… from whom we procure assets is done in a transparent way. Everything is listed. We've always and we welcome any public scrutiny to our humanitarian work in Syria. The context in which we operate in Syria, not only in terms of… I mean, is… every aspect of the context is extremely challenging. Our focus is and will continue to be to deliver as much aid as possible to the Syrian people. Obviously, that depends on a lowering of the level of the violence. Whenever the violence… we see a lessening of the violence or a ceasefire, cessation of hostilities, we're able to get more aid in. We also work in a context in Damascus where the Syrian Government, as some other Governments, insist that UN agencies work with a list of authorised UN partners. We choose from those lists, based on our own assessment of their capacity to deliver and follow due diligence processes. But, obviously, we work in a very specific environment. I would also remind you that we have done a tremendous number of aid deliveries through cross‑border deliveries to areas that are not under Government control. And, again, the UN's focus is on getting food, basic supplies, basic items to… in the hands of the Syrian people regardless of their political affiliation, their ethnic affiliation or their religious beliefs. One second. Yes?
Question: Steph, on the practical end of things, how will this announcement affect delivery of aid to areas in Syria? Is it just an information suspension or convoy suspension…?
Spokesman: As far as they want to suspend their cooperation, information sharing. As I said, the story broke just in the last hour. We are able to confirm that we've received the letter. We're obviously going to study the letter and continue discussions. I mean, the… you know, the ones… the people who are putting their lives at risks in Syria to deliver humanitarian aid are the Syrians themselves. The vast majority of humanitarian workers are Syrians. They're all tremendous partners to the United Nations. We will continue the dialogue with those agencies that have signed on to this letter.
Question: Stéphane, there's… there are obviously some allegations about some working methods or… or people that the UN agencies work with based out of Damascus, some of the concerns that these NGOs have. Is it true that a lot of people that the UN agencies work on the ground are somehow related to the Government in Syria? Or… or… they're… you know, they may be related. They may be, you know, business ties or… there are allegations. And what does the UN say about it?
Spokesman: Again, we work in offices based in Damascus in a very specific political environment. As I just said, a number of countries insist that UN agencies work with a list of authorized partners. We choose from those partners in terms of supplies, in terms of, you know, where we get cell phone service, fuel. You're dealing with an area that is in conflict. The numbers of suppliers are limited. We also work in areas that are not in control with the Government and work with local partners there that may not be authorized by the central… by the Government in Damascus. I think the UN's humanitarian arm along with its partners is navigating an extremely, extremely challenging environment. The goal is and will remain to deliver as much humanitarian aid as possible. We have been… we have never been shy of raising our voices when issues have arose, whether it's the Government systematically removing surgical items from aid convoys, not giving us the permissions that we need to deliver aid in Government‑controlled areas. We will continue to raise our voices when necessary. And unfortunately, that is almost every day. Masood, then Mr. Lee.
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. Since the Secretary‑General is in the region, South-East Asia, the Philippine President, Mr. [Rodrigo] Duterte, whatever his name is…
Spokesman: That is his name.
Question: …is using abusive language against leaders in the Western world, in particular, President [Barack] Obama. Can the Secretary‑General weigh in on this use of abusive language against a world leader?
Spokesman: Well, the Secretary‑General believes in freedom of expression. It doesn't mean that he has to like what everybody says. I think we have all heard the very vivid language coming out of the Philippines. It's not language that the Secretary‑General would ever use and not one that he likes to hear. Matthew, and then we'll come back to you.
Question: Sure. I wanted to ask you about Gabon. You'd said yesterday that the UN envoy will be participating in this A… I guess, AU mediation team, which seems like it's been delayed. President [Idriss] Déby was described as tired returning from the G-20 and has not arrived. So I wanted to know, does the UN plan to go forward in any way on its own? And are they aware of the ex‑justice minister, Serafin Mandunga, saying that once he resigned for failure of a recount that his house was attacked by five armed men and everything…
Spokesman: I haven't seen those particular reports, but I think the Secretary‑General and his envoys repeatedly condemned violence and called out anyone engaging in such violence. We do, obviously, know and understand that the AU… excuse me… that the AU mission has been delayed, which included Mr. [Abdoulaye] Bathily. We will continue to work closely with the AU to try to expedite the arrival on the mission. I think it's a very important mission in order to try to de‑escalate the situation and calm the post‑election situation. Meanwhile, Mr. Bathily is continuing to talk to various actors on both sides of the issue in Gabon, and he's also in touch with regional actors as well.
Question: And just if I… with the EAC (East African Community) Head of States meeting that's dealing with Burundi as well as some other topics, what is the UN's… is the UN involved in there? I've seen, like, letters from civil society to various parties but not to the UN.
Spokesman: I'll try to get an update. I haven’t seen it.
Question: I wanted to follow up on Syria. Do you have, at this point, any concrete assessment of how this affects your aid operation, how many people are affected, what areas that are affected, what…
Spokesman: No, as I said, we're obviously continuing those discussions with all those aid agencies that are listed on the letter. My understanding it's more about an information‑sharing mechanism, but, again, we pay homage to the work that all these Syrian humanitarian organizations are doing every day. They are a critical part of how we go about delivering aid. And then we'll go… go ahead. Sorry and then Edie.
Question: Steph, has… maybe I missed it over the summer at some point, but has a successor been named to Yacoub El Hillo in Syria as humanitarian coordinator?
Spokesman: Yes, that person has been named.
Question: And could you remind me who it is?
Spokesman: You and I were both absent that day. We'll get a name.
Question: And another follow‑up…
Spokesman: Somebody from my office will bring you the name.
Question: Okay. I'll look back. Another follow‑up on South Sudan, please. The threats against the civil society members, do you know who they came from?
Spokesman: We believe it came from people related to the Government. Edie?
Question: Thanks, Steph. The Russian Foreign Ministry announced today that the Israeli and Palestinian leaders have agreed in principle to hold talks in Moscow. Does… this would, they hope, be a prelude to reviving the Mideast peace talks. Does the Secretary‑General have any reaction?
Spokesman: We would obviously welcome any direct talks between the Israelis and Palestinian leaders. Yeah?
Question: [inaudible] from Al Jazeera English. There is a specific allegation in this letter from the Syrian NGOs that conjoined twins born in [inaudible] subsequently evacuated to Damascus died as a result of UN and the Syrian Arab Red Crescent inaction, the suggestion being that inaction was the result of Syrian Government pressure.
Spokesman: Look, I don't know the particulars of that case. What I do know is that, over and over again during this conflict, we have seen people in need of aid used as pawns. We have seen negotiations for medical evacuations that were delayed by one side over another because they were part of broader negotiations. These things should not happen. When people need aid, they should get it as soon as they can. And we have seen too many roadblocks, whether administrative or real, get in the way of people receiving aid. But I'm happy to look into particulars of that case.
Question: But I mean, are you surprised that they are so forceful in this letter? I mean, it is quite…
Spokesman: I'm not surprised… after more than 5 1/2 years of conflict, I'm not surprised that the Syrians are forceful. I don't think it should come as a surprise, their frustration at the situation. What I'm saying is that… and what we've been saying really for the last… I mean, especially since these articles have first come out, that, you know, the UN is the UN. We're not international NGOs. We're not NGOs. We work within certain parameters. We work in partnership with Member States. That's the way we operate in 193 countries. Despite those challenges, we continue to deliver aid to people regardless of their affiliation, regardless of where they are. We cannot shoot our way through roadblocks.
Question: But that's very understandable, but the allegation is, in the words of one humanitarian worker talking to The Guardian, that the UN has Stockholm syndrome when it comes to dealing with the Syrian regime.
Spokesman: I disagree. I disagree, and I think I would encourage people to listen to the statements made by the Secretary‑General. Listen to the statements made by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, Mr. [Stephen] O'Brien, in the Security Council, in other places. Their criticism of what is going on in Syria, I think, is anything but Stockholm syndrome. Linda?
Question: Thank you, Steph. Also regarding Syria, I was wondering what the status is at this point regarding the rebels and UN attempts to provide aid in rebel‑controlled areas, and, of course, there are areas controlled by ISIS. Any news on that?
Spokesman: You know, we've… as we've said, we've gone backwards in terms of aid deliveries in the last… in August because of the increased fighting. Issues around Aleppo and around Costello Roads and the other roads that have been… that have changed hands, have been taken over, have made it that much more difficult for us to get in. Our colleagues at WFP (World Food Programme) have continued with airdrops. I think they've done more than 100 now, way… much more than 100. But that, again, is not the preferred mode of delivery for anyone. What we need to see and what we've been saying we need to see is a drop in the fighting. We need to see ceasefires. We need to see pauses in the fighting for us to be able to get these truck convoys in. Masood?
Question: Yes, Stéphane, yesterday, you were asked this question about Saudi Arabia using one of the security… international security agency to use bracelets for the pilgrims, for the Hajj pilgrims, and you said you would look into it and you would…
Spokesman: I haven't seen any reports. I really have nothing to add to what I said yesterday about very much wishing the pilgrims best for the pilgrimage and very much hoping that the Hajj will go off without any incidents.
Question: This is… this is a… a point being raised by Iran in particular, which has barred all the Hajj pilgrims from going there. And they said that…
Spokesman: I'm fully aware of the political context in which the Hajj takes place, but I really have nothing more to say on it. Mr. Lee?
Question: Sure. I wanted to ask you, you'd… you'd had the statement on the peacekeeping conference in London. It made me, I guess, go back. There'd been this announcement, in the outburst of violence in Juba, that a number of mostly European countries withdrew their police or pulled them back in or, in some cases, left the country. And it was said from this podium that there would be repercussions, either fail… they couldn't deploy again. Could you get it… either have or do you know what actually happened in that case?
Spokesman: We're also looking at, as you know, is the mission led by Mr. [Patrick] Cammaert to look at how the mission responded, how the different components of the mission responded, so I think we have to wait for that to terminate.
Question: Right, but I think… I mean, the thing about the European… was… it was not was before the Terrain Hotel. It was announced from here. There was a lot of controversy.
Spokesman: I think we're looking at… We're looking overall at the response to the incidents in Juba.
Question: I wanted to ask about the Ng Lap Seng case. Assuming that the UN is tracking it, as it's expanded, they're now asking about other individuals beyond Ng Lap Seng, but one of the guys is Mr. Qin, Q‑I‑N, and he's quoted in the Macau press as saying that he also was a partner in South‑South News. I know you said from here many times there's some sort of a review. Are you following this case to see what…
Spokesman: Yes, we're very much following the case. As we've said, our… the UN is cooperating with the relevant authorities here in the… judicial authorities in the United States.
Question: There was a request by Ng Lap Seng's lawyers for certain documents from the UN. They wrote to the head of OLA (Office of Legal Affairs) and asked for them. Have any of those documents been provided?
Spokesman: As I said, we are cooperating with the authorities. Any requests that come from the authorities will be studied and given due consideration.
Question: I have another one.
Spokesman: Sure.
Question: Okay. Thanks a lot. This is… it may be an interim question. But I wanted to know, in continuing to try to, I guess, await a response on this son‑in‑law of the Secretary‑General and his promotion, this DOCO, just for your own information, the Development Operations Cooperation [Coordination] Office, has not responded to… to any of the questions sent to them. Maybe you can light a fire under them…
Spokesman: We will push, but I really have nothing more to say on Mr. [Siddarth] Chatterjee.
Question: I actually have another question. Okay. Do you?
Spokesman: Go ahead.
Question: What I wanted to ask is, I was looking at the… actually the Twitter profile of Nardos Bekele‑Thomas, who was the resident coordinator and still lists herself as the resident coordinator. And I'm told that she now works on the 38th Floor. So I wanted to know… to some… I mean, the previous one moved from Kenya to the 38th Floor, and the son‑in‑law of the head of the 38th Floor is now in the job. So I wanted to just get from you a description. What is Ms. Nardos Bekele‑Thomas' current position, if you're aware?
Spokesman: She's the… she works with the Deputy Chef de Cabinet, on the 38th Floor.
Question: And what was her… what's the usual term of a resident coordinator? She began in 2013 in Kenya.
Spokesman: I… it could be from one, two, three, four, five years. It depends.
Correspondent: Okay. Maybe tell her to update her profile…
Spokesman: I will… also, I failed to mention that, for those of you who are interested, the… our colleagues in DPI (Department of Public Information) have put out the press kit for the seventy-first General Assembly profile of the President. It's all online. There's some not‑online flyers, on real paper, behind you. But take a look at it. It's in French and English, and it looks very nice. Thank you.