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.
Alright. Good afternoon.
**Syria
Just now, the Emergency Relief Coordinator, Stephen O’Brien, told the Security Council that the last seven days have seen an intensification of attacks across Syria. From airstrikes in Deir Ezzour, to airstrikes and ground attacks in Aleppo, Hama, Homs, Idleb and Rural Damascus and other governorates, fighting has intensified despite a one-week lull when the cessation of hostilities was reinstated, albeit with violations on all sides. He said that nowhere has the fighting been more intense in the last days than in besieged east Aleppo, where estimates are that more than 320 civilians were killed, 765 injured in the first days.
Meanwhile, Ramzy Ezzeldin Ramzy, the Deputy Special Envoy for Syria, spoke to reporters in Geneva today and reiterated the need for the bombing in Aleppo to stop and for the cessation of hostilities to be restored. He said that many hospitals in Aleppo have been damaged by air strikes, and medical supplies are dwindling. It is estimated that many of the 600 wounded cannot be provided with adequate treatment. And just yesterday, two of the remaining eight hospitals in eastern Aleppo were reportedly hit by shelling, taking them out of service. It is clear, he said, that medical evacuations of the most severely wounded are urgently needed. Mr. Ramzy added that food stocks are also running out. Now, many bakeries are remaining closed, and only 14,000 rations remain in eastern Aleppo, enough for only a quarter of the population.
Also, in a statement today, Anthony Lake, the Executive Director of UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund), said that in Aleppo, 96 children were killed and 223 children injured in merciless attacks this week alone. Doctors were forced to let some children die while saving others with scarce medical supplies.
And the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) also strongly condemned the parties responsible for the shelling of one of its schools in Khan Eshieh in Syria.
Yesterday afternoon, the Salameh Girls Prep School took a direct hit that resulted in one eighth grade student being injured, as well as two teachers, one of them seriously wounded. More information online.
**Shimon Peres
As you will have seen, the Secretary-General spoke earlier this morning at a ceremony in honour of former Israeli President Shimon Peres. He added that throughout his tenure as Secretary-General, he had the privilege to benefit from Mr. Peres’s wisdom. He said that Mr. Peres was a constant source of optimism and hope, and inspiration, who was always a voice of calm and reason.
The Secretary-General said that Shimon Peres’s clear-eyed perspective – of reaching across the table, of compromising with your neighbour, of finding common ground for the greater good – has never been more needed. That kind of leadership is one that we long for – and one that we will surely miss. The Secretary-General’s remarks are online.
**Afghanistan
The UN Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) today condemned the killing of at least 15 civilian men and the injuring of at least 13 others, including at least one boy, in an air strike conducted yesterday which targeted Da’esh in the eastern district of Achin.
Government sources report that Da’esh personnel also died in the attack. UNAMA reiterates the need for all parties to the conflict to adhere to their obligations under international humanitarian law.
The UN Mission calls on the Government and international military forces to launch a prompt, independent, impartial, transparent and effective investigation into this incident. The Mission expresses deepest condolences to the families of those killed in this incident and wishes a speedy recovery for all those injured.
**Central African Republic
An update from our colleagues in the Central African Republic: they tell us that following demonstrations and tensions in Kaga Bandoro yesterday, the UN Mission in the country (MINUSCA) reports that it is reinforcing its positions at key locations in the town and Nana-Grébizi prefecture as part of its efforts to protect civilians and provide support to internal security forces.
Meanwhile, the Mission continues to monitor the situation in Koui in Ouham-Pendé prefecture following violence between anti-Balaka and armed elements on Tuesday, which apparently resulted in the death of at least seven people, including six civilians.
The UN Mission reports that unidentified assailants fired upon peacekeepers at checkpoints near Koui yesterday, wounding one peacekeeper. Peacekeepers returned fire, driving away the attackers.
In Bria, Haute-Kotto prefecture, ahead of next week’s General Assembly of Civil Society in the North-East, a UN Mission patrol briefly detained four ex-Séléka individuals, who were in violation of the weapons-free zone in place in the area.
**Nigeria
The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) announced today that it is more than doubling its funding appeal to provide life-saving assistance for children in northeast Nigeria. The agency’s humanitarian appeal was increased from $55 million to $115 million to assist an additional 750,000 people who can now be reached across conflict-affected areas in the northeast of the country.
As new areas open up to humanitarian assistance, the true scale of the Boko Haram-related crisis and its impact on children is being revealed. An estimated 400,000 children under the age of five will suffer from severe acute malnutrition in three states across the northeast. More than 4 million people are facing severe food shortages and 65,000 people are living in famine-like conditions. Nearly one million children are now displaced across the area.
UNICEF has increased its response in the areas worst-affected by Boko Haram. However, only $28 million of the $115 million that is needed has been received, which represents clearly a setback to UNICEF’s efforts in the area.
**Press Briefings
Immediately following tomorrow’s Noon Briefing, around 12.30 pm, there will be a press briefing by His Excellency Mr. Peter Thomson, President of the seventy-first session of the UN General Assembly.
**Honour Roll
And today our honour roll grows to 126. We thank our friends in Roseau, which is the capital of what country?
Correspondent: [inaudible]
Spokesman: How long you have guys been covering the UN? It's pathetic. Roseau, of Dominica. So we thank them.
**Questions and Answers
Question: Yes. As I'm sure you know, the US (United States) Congress yesterday overrode President [Barack] Obama's veto of the bill allowing Saudis… the Saudi Government to be sued by the victims or families of victims of the 9/11 attack. I'm not asking you to comment on the merits of the bill itself, but, from the UN's perspective, international law perspective, some have… some have argued that this could violate the principle of sovereign immunity, so I'm interested in whether the Secretary‑General, or you on his behalf, would have any comment on that international law, sovereign immunity dimension of this action.
Spokesman: The short answer is no, not at this time. I will not venture into an area for which I'm not an expert in. But I will see if we have something to say, we'll share it with you. Mr. Lee?
Question: Sure. I just wanted to know if the UN has… has any response… Amnesty International put out a report of the use of chemical weapons against residents of Darfur and Sudan and Jebel Marra with photographs, very documented. And I wondered, where is UNAMID (African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur) on this? Do they… they, who have the big mission there, have they… do… have they seen this in the past?
Spokesman: Well, obviously, it goes without saying that we're extremely troubled by the information contained in the Amnesty International report. I think, as you know, the UN… UNAMID has regularly reported on the violence in Jebel Marra since the beginning of the year and its devastating effect on the population. We're obviously extremely and particularly concerned about the… regarding the allegations of use of chemical weapons. At the same time, as you will know, the Government of Sudan has denied access to Jebel Marra… to conflict areas in Jebel Marra and this prevented the Mission from being able to effectively monitor and report on the impact of the fighting. We have reinforced our position in Sortony, where a lot of the civilians who have been impacted by the fighting have gone to. We, again, reiterate our call to the Government to let us have access… unhindered access for ourselves, for our humanitarian colleague to Jebel Marra and to all those areas. Obviously, in terms of chemical weapons, Sudan is a party to the Chemical Weapons Convention. Any allegations of violations of that Convention will be examined by the OPCW (Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons). We're told that our colleagues at OPCW are very much aware of these reports and will examine them along with relevant information.
Question: Given… thanks a lot. Given that the UN, the Secretariat and Mr. Kim [Wonsoo] worked with OPCW on… on allegations in Syria, is there any thought within the Secretariat to… to… you said there was no access, but there's very little access in Syria, and in Darfur, you have a peacekeeping mission. Is there some…
Spokesman: It's a different… first of all, there is no access, because the Government has denied us access. The OPCW… the various joint OPCW‑UN Missions that have worked well on Syria have also worked well, especially when there's been the cooperation from the Government of Syria for access. Obviously, the report's just come out. We'll take a look at it. And if there's any further steps, we'll come back to you. Yes, sir?
Question: Thank you, Mr. Stéphane. The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit, scheduled to take place in Islamabad in November, has been cancelled as the Member States in India and Bangladesh pulled out from this summit. So the structure of the regional cooperation body is very vulnerable now. As the highest body, like UN, what is your comment on these issues?
Spokesman: Well, I had not seen the reports of the cancellation of the SAARC summit. We're obviously following this situation with great concern concerning the increase of tensions across the Line of Control. The UN Military Observer Group for India and Pakistan, UNMOGIP, is aware of the ceasefire violations and right now is liaising with the concerned authorities to obtain further information. The United Nations calls on the Governments of India and Pakistan to exercise restraint and encourages them to continue their effort to resolve their differences peacefully and through dialogue.
Question: Just checking out if the SG (Secretary-General) already sent a letter to President [Ali] Bongo congratulating him for his re‑election. And also, the leader of the opposition, Jean Ping, has just sent an open invitation to the public to talk about the future of Gabon. Is there any good sign for the peace in the country as he has not been elected, and is there any comment on that?
Spokesman: As far as I know, and I hope I'm correct, we traditionally do not send letters… the Secretary‑General does not send letters of congratulations on re‑election. That's one. We obviously continue to follow very closely the developments in Gabon. We hope that both the Government and the opposition are able to work out a path that does not involve violence or confrontation and that people also be allowed to demonstrate and express themselves peacefully and without fear of harassment from security forces.
Question: But Jean Ping is having a press conference actually in his house to talk about the future of the Gabon.
Spokesman: Well, I'm not… I'm here, and I can't watch his press conference. So I will have to see what he says. Yes, sir?
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. The UK (United Kingdom) ambassador just talked about a UN proposal for ceasefire in Aleppo. Can you tell us about this proposal? What is the difference between the UN ambass… proposal for ceasefire and the Russian one?
Spokesman: Well, that I may be somewhat out of the loop should not be a surprise, but I'm not aware of any new plan for a ceasefire. We've been calling for a cessation of hostilities for a ceasefire for quite some time now. Unfortunately, that has not taken hold, with the devastating effect that we're seeing. Oleg?
Question: Can I have one follow‑up on that?
Spokesman: You may.
Question: There is 48‑hour ceasefire proposal by Russia, and there is the US talks about one week. Which one is… is necessary to have…
Spokesman: We… what we need to see is close and positive cooperation between the two co‑chairs of the ISSG (International Syria Support Group) in order to help bring about a cessation of hostilities in Syria, in order to bring a pause in the fighting, in order to allow us to get the convoys through. We have been able to get some convoys in over the last week. There was a convoy, I think, two days ago, so some of the convoys have been able to reach al‑Waer, Moadamiyeh, and the Four Towns, which is good and which is to be welcomed. Obviously, we're still not able to reach Aleppo, East Aleppo. I think the description of the humanitarian… the devastating humanitarian situation on the ground is clear, and we've been very vocal about that. And just yesterday, a planned convoy to Douma for about 35,000 people had to be aborted after waiting for seven hours at a Government of Syria checkpoint. We're not where we want to be on the distribution of aid. We've submitted a plan to… for October to the Government for approval, and that was done on 19 September, and we're hoping to get swift approval for that plan. Oleg?
Question: Thanks, Stéphane. If I will just continue the same topic. Did you actually receive any details of the Russian proposal or the Americans… what the Americans are proposing, or they are just…?
Spokesman: Not… not in my… I mean, I don't know. I know things were said in the Security Council. Not that I'm aware of, but it doesn't mean they have not been received.
Question: And also, a general question on Syria. I have asked you this and some other journalists ask you this, and the UN officials were quoted as saying that there should be some progress made on Syria before the end of the year, before the term of Ban Ki‑moon and Obama's term, as well. Do you think it's realistic right now when we basically make one step forward and two steps back?
Spokesman: Our focus isn't so much on the end of the Secretary‑General's term, the end of Ban Ki‑moon's term. Our focus is on trying to get help to the people in Syria that need it now. As I said, whether it's on the humanitarian end, we're not where we want to be. On the political track, we're not where we want to be. We're continuing contacts with various parties at all levels. We want to see progress. The Syrian people need to see some progress. They need to see some pause in the fighting for us to get the aid in that we need.
Question: Yes, but now things seem to be going from bad to worse.
Spokesman: I'm aware of that, and I think the Secretary‑General has said it in ways that were much more eloquent than me yesterday. Joe, then Matthew.
Question: Thank you. In his statement today to the Security Council, Mr. O'Brien said that continued inaction by the Security Council on the humanitarian crisis, particularly in East Aleppo, would put the Security Council and, by extension, the UN on the wrong side of history. And he also said that "it is time to place blame". So if the Security Council continues to be paralyzed by divisions, particularly amongst the permanent members, is the Secretary‑General considering the possibility of proactively recommending that the General Assembly invoke the Uniting for Peace Resolution and consider assigning blame and censuring through public resolution… publicly adopt a resolution censuring those who are apparently account… responsible for the carnage in East Aleppo?
Spokesman: I think the Secretary‑General used the same words yesterday, talked about the collective failure of the UN, of the Security Council in the UN as a whole, of not getting any progress on Syria. The General Assembly has, over the past five years, been seized of the matter. There have been briefings to the Security Council. It's been debated and discussed in the Security Council. I think we're at a time where words are used, but we need to see action, and we need to see action on a cessation of hostilities.
Question: Well, just to follow up, institutionally, the UN, either through the General Assembly or the Secretary‑General himself, could go beyond just a general abstract condemnation and, at the very minimum, do some naming and shaming of the parties that are responsible primarily for the carnage in East Aleppo. I mean, he, obviously, cannot control the divisions amongst the Member States in the Security Council, but there are mechanisms institutionally that the Secretary‑General could invoke to attempt to get other organs, like the General Assembly, to be less… make less passive statements and put the onus of accountability on those parties who are known to be responsible for this carnage.
Spokesman: I think the Secretary‑General's been pretty clear on those issues, but, obviously, there are always… as we said, there are always other options. Mr. Lee?
Question: Sure. About Haiti, Western Sahara and then something else. On Haiti, I've seen this interview by David Nabarro, I guess with AFP (Agence France-Presse). It's mostly in French, and it seems to be saying that… previewing the plan and saying some $181 million in renewed funding and at least that amount in reparation to victims to be announced by late October. So since he said it and he works for the Secretary‑General, is that the current thinking? Is that a solid commitment of $181 million for…?
Spokesman: I think what we're talking about is really a minimum. There really… I think the Secretary‑General was very clear. He said he would come back to the General Assembly. He has talked about the moral responsibility that the UN has towards the victims of the cholera epidemic and also helping Haiti overcome the structural issues it has in fighting waterborne diseases. There really are two tracks to this new approach that the Secretary‑General will announce in more details later. One would be to intensify support to the country for cholera control and response and address the sanitation issues. And the second one would be to provide material assistance and support to those Haitians who have been most directly affected by cholera. Now, both of those will require generous and active participation of donors. There has been… you know, I think, for the two‑track approach, it will be more than $185 million, as I think… I think Mr. Nabarro was really talking about a minimum for one of the tracks. We've had some initial contacts with donors, and we'll continue to do so. And, as I said, the Secretary‑General will present a more detailed plan soon to the General Assembly.
Question: And what's his goal… I mean, I'd heard some reference to the… I mean, is it tied in any way to the… to the budget committee here, or is it something he aims to raise? Does he aim to raise this money or get the commitments before he leaves office, or is he announcing it in October with… what's the…
Spokesman: No, I think the Secretary‑General aims to get this well underway before he leaves office. Obviously, this will not come out of the regular budget. It will have to be funded by donors, but it is something he does… he wants to leave on a solid footing by December.
Question: Sure. And I wanted to ask, there's a letter from… from the Polisario Front to the Secretary‑General dated 26 September, and they're saying that the… the protesting that… that Morocco would include Western Sahara in its legislative elections on 7 October. And they've asked him to get involved. I wanted to know… they passed it out at [inaudible] to the Fourth Committee. It seems to be…
Spokesman: I haven't seen the letter. But I can follow up.
Question: Okay. And the other one… if you don't mind. I'm just… I'm going to try… I've asked Farhan [Haq] about this kind of indirectly, but I wanted to ask you directly to get a confirmation or denial. We've received sort of complaints from a variety of staff members that a longtime aide of the Secretary‑General Eun-ha Kim, or Isabelle Kim, may be in line for a P3 position in Protocol. The reason I'm asking you this is because it's not… it's more than one person that said this would be wrong. Their question is, how does a person go from general staff to professional staff? Is it through a competitive exam, and if it's not, what is the loophole…?
Spokesman: I'm not going to… I mean, you know, you may want to drag…
Correspondent: It's not dragging.
Spokesman: …drag people through the mud.
Question: So you say.
Spokesman: And I'm not going to go into the details of individual staff members' cases, because I don't think it's fair for anyone who works in this organization. But all the rules are being followed, and this case does not involve the Secretary‑General.
Question: You say dragging through the mud, but my question is, I'm saying staff members at var… a variety of levels have said, since this G to P wall, which they think is wrong, applies to them and you have people with PhDs that can't do it, they're extremely interested to know how somebody close to the Secretary‑General could do it?
Spokesman: There are various ways of people to go from G to P in this organization.
Question: I read Farhan a rule that…
Spokesman: And I've seen it, and I'm telling that you all the rules are being followed.
Question: Is there currently a P-3 post in protocol that exists?
Spokesman: I have no clue. Thank you.