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.
**Secretary-General’s Travels
The Secretary-General is now in Rome, where he just had a private audience with Pope Francis and then participated in a conference at the Vatican on “Sport at the Service of Humanity”. The conference is based on an initiative by the Holy See and the International Olympic Committee. In his remarks at the plenary meeting, the Secretary-General said that sport and faith are based on fundamental values of respect and friendship. At their best, they are open to everyone, they are diverse and inclusive, and they transcend barriers of nationality and ethnicity. He said that both sport and faith can help us achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by driving social change and fostering tolerance, understanding and peace.
Earlier in the day in Brussels, the Secretary-General attended the European Union-sponsored conference on Afghanistan. In his remarks there, the Secretary-General said that, despite complex challenges, the government of national unity had made important headway towards promoting transparency and accountability and improving public service. He added that the principle of mutual accountability between the Afghan Government and the international community guides the shared commitment towards building a peaceful and prosperous future for the Afghan people.
Tomorrow, the Secretary-General is expected to meet with a number of senior Italian political leaders, including President [Sergio] Mattarella. Later in the day, he will leave Rome for Hamburg.
**Deputy Secretary-General’s Travels
Tomorrow, the Deputy Secretary-General, Jan Eliasson, will depart New York for Washington, D.C., to participate in events during the International Monetary Fund–World Bank Group 2016 Annual Meetings. While there, he will also hold bilateral meetings with the World Bank Group, the Inter-American Development Bank and senior US officials.
The Deputy Secretary-General will return to New York over the weekend.
**Haiti
The UN family in Haiti reports that Hurricane Matthew, a large, slow-moving, force four hurricane, made landfall at the town of Les Anglais, west of the city of Les Cayes in the South Department of the country yesterday evening. While the entire South of the country was affected, including the capital, Port-au-Prince, the south-east tip of the island bore the brunt of the hurricane. A main bridge connecting the capital to the south of the country was swept away this afternoon, cutting off access.
The United Nations family in Haiti is working with the Operational Center of National Emergency and the Civil Protection Directorate, and United Nations Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) teams are deployed to Haiti and Jamaica to support national response efforts.
The peacekeeping mission in Haiti, MINUSTAH, stands ready to support and assist the Haitian authorities within its capacity. MINUSTAH has ensured that military assets such as engineering are on stand-by and available if and when requested. A first helicopter reconnaissance to the hardest-hit areas is planned today, weather permitting.
And we expect a statement concerning the hurricane very shortly.
**Climate Change
We have some extremely good news today. By the end of the day, we expect the Paris Agreement on climate change to have crossed the second and final threshold needed for it to enter into force.
The Secretary-General has been very encouraged by the tremendous positive support from a broad coalition of countries — from the largest emitters to the small island developing states — to bring the Paris Agreement to life as soon as possible.
We will announce the names of those Parties that have deposited their ratification instruments by the end of the day. The UN recognizes that all Parties that deposit in a single day are considered collectively in meeting the legal threshold.
The Secretary-General expresses his appreciation for all countries that have accelerated their domestic processes to ensure the Paris Agreement comes to life as soon as possible this year.
**Central African Republic
And an update from Bangui, the UN Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) reports that the situation in the city remains tense today, following inter-communal clashes yesterday in the PK5 neighbourhood, which resulted in at least six people killed and 14 wounded.
Military and police peacekeepers have intensified patrols and continue to maintain a strong presence in PK5 and other sensitive areas. The UN Mission is working with local authorities to identify those responsible for the killings. As part of the Mission’s Protection of Civilians mandate, peacekeepers also transported some 130 people stranded in different areas of the city safely back to PK5.
**Madagascar
The World Food Programme (WFP) announced today that it is scaling up its emergency operations in Southern Madagascar. This announcement comes as the country goes through a third consecutive year of drought and ruined harvests, leading to rising levels of hunger and malnutrition.
The south of Madagascar has been hard hit by this year’s El Niño. As a result, one household in three in the south of the island has already been forced into desperate measures, such as begging, selling land or housing, or migrating. WFP plans to reach as many as one million people with food and cash assistance. The agency requires $92 million for this humanitarian response from now until March of next year. It currently faces a shortfall of $78.5 million.
**UNRWA
The UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, UNRWA, officially launched the final report on its Education Reform to celebrate the achievements of the Agency’s 19,000 teachers in transforming teaching and learning practices in its 692 schools.
Overall, the four-year reform effort resulted in greater efficiencies in the UNRWA education system. The report says that student survival rates (which measures how many children successfully complete basic education) increased to the highest point in five years, while dropout rates fell to their lowest point over the same period.
The Report also highlighted the important role of UNRWA teachers in realizing these achievements and emphasized that their commitment and dedication will continue to be essential in ensuring quality, inclusive and equitable education for all Palestine refugee children.
**Questions and Answers
And that is it for me. Are there any questions? Yes?
Question: Sure. This may be… I'm sure you've heard the results of the… the straw poll. Does the Secretary‑General or your office have any response to the announcement that Mr. [Antonio] Guterres will be the next SG? And related or separately, I wanted to know if you can… if you have any comment at all on reports that, previously, Mr. Guterres asked for an extension as the head of UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees), asked Ban Ki‑moon to extend his time, given the refugee crisis, and was rejected?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, first of all, regarding the Secretary‑General's position, he is aware of the latest developments. He was informed of this just now while he was in Rome. And, of course, we will await the official actions on this. As you know, there's a procedure in place under the UN Charter where the Security Council and the General Assembly are to act, and we will wait for them to do that before venturing our opinion on this. It's, of course, gratifying to see that the process has been proceeding in a smooth and orderly fashion thus far. And regarding your other question, we announced the appointment of Filippo Grandi when… as we did, and that was in line with the existing arrangement where his term had ended.
Question: And just one other thing. There's been some discussion of… in this election process, of discussions in advance of who the next Under‑Secretaries‑General will be, and I won't ask you about the names for those except to say, what is the Secretary-General's expectation of his current USGs? Will they be turning in resignation slips at the end of the time, or how does that work?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, ultimately, that's a decision for the next Secretary‑General to make, so I won't venture a guess as to how that's handled. The tradition has been that many of the senior officials, as a standard practice, turn in resignations at the start of a new Secretary‑General's term. But whether that will be the case this time or not, it's ultimately up to the incoming Administration, and I wouldn't want to predict. Yes?
Question: I'm sorry. Maybe I missed Matthew's question, and I missed your answer. I was busy with something else but… [laughter]
Deputy Spokesman: So in other words, you haven't been listening to anything we've been saying. All right. That’s fine.
Question: No, no, I was [inaudible]. I'm sorry about that, Farhan.
Deputy Spokesman: We were very articulate.
Question: Are… is Secretary‑General frustrated that neither the principle of geographical rotation and the gender balance didn't work out in this case? Everybody was…
Deputy Spokesman: First of all, I think the basic point is it's too soon to venture a guess about how the Member States act. The decision remains in the hands of the Member States, and we'll leave it in their hands. I'm not going to comment on any specific individual until that's happened, in keeping with our standard practice of allowing them to have the say on this. And, in line with that, of course, the point is, whomever they pick, that is what the Member States have decided. They have expressed their own views and many Member States expressed their views about… in terms of geographic representation, in terms of whether it was time for a woman to be Secretary‑General, and it's… we have to remember that it is their decision as enshrined in the UN Charter, how a Secretary‑General is determined, and we respect whatever decision they come up with. I think it's also important to point out that they had a full slate of candidates, of which you've been aware. There's been a greater transparency to the process, so you've known who the candidates are, and you can see for yourselves that they were all very well qualified, regardless of where they came from and what their gender is. And so the Security Council and the General Assembly, in deciding the next Secretary‑General, had a good, wide and diverse roster of candidates to look at.
Question: So when will the transfer of power start from Ban Ki‑moon to the new Secretary‑General?
Deputy Spokesman: As you're aware, the last day of the Secretary‑General's term is 31 December 2016, and the new Secretary‑General starts on 1 January 2017.
Question: Will there be any training for the candidate that they're going to come up with?
Deputy Spokesman: I think that there will be some sort of effort to have a bit of education and crossover in the waning weeks of the year. As you'll remember, ten years ago, there was a period of time… or, as some of the people in this room remember, ten years ago, there was a time when Ban Ki‑moon and his incoming aides were familiarizing themselves on the work of the UN as Kofi Annan was ending his term, and so that there's is a sharing of information so that there can be a smooth transition. Yeah?
Question: I mean, I have some other things, but I just suddenly thought of this. Is there a provision for sort of like a transition office? Does the UN provide office space to the incoming SG and some kind of secretarial… you know, like, if he wants to… if he's going to be in New York and getting ready, does he have to rent a hotel suite, or is he going to be working out of the UN?
Deputy Spokesman: I think there's informal arrangements made to share information. I wouldn't be able to comment on how they pursue their housing.
Question: Okay. No, no, I didn't mean housing. I meant like a transition office. Like, are there going to be DC1 or DC2? Is there UN office space provided for a transition team? Presumably they're going to start doing things before 1 January. That's the question.
Deputy Spokesman: No, I mean, they'll be able to visit the UN headquarters and see the work of offices, but, of course, the people existing in these offices continue to have their work to do until the end of this year.
Question: Could I ask also on Yemen? I just wanted to ask… Yesterday, you'd said that it didn't seem, based on the information that you had, that the ship, the UAE (United Arab Emirates) ship, that was sunk was on a humanitarian mission. And then some found it contradictory afterwards, the Security Council issued a press statement condemning the sinking of the vessel. Did you get any more information, and did the Secretariat brief the Council? Thanks.
Deputy Spokesman: Well, the information as you are aware, the Security Council had a press statement, and so now we have an official reaction by the Security Council in which they strongly condemned an attack by Houthi forces on a United Arab Emirates vessel operating near Bab al‑Mandab on 1 October. And so there's a full statement on that, and I would refer you to that statement as the latest on this particular case.
Question: Sure, but their statement doesn't say whether it was a humanitarian or a military ship. So I'm wondering, does what you said still stand?
Deputy Spokesman: Yes. I mean, that was the information I had, but in any case, I would refer you to the statement that is the official position of the members of the Security Council in a joint press statement. Yes?
Question: Yes, still on the transition. Well, for these last two months of Ban Ki‑moon, there's going to be communication between Ban Ki‑moon and the… and the new Secretary‑General on decisions or any… you know, when Ban Ki‑moon is going to have an important decision to do, statement or anything, is he going to consult with the new Secretary‑General, or there is not going to be communication?
Deputy Spokesman: I mean, obviously, there will be communication on this. You know, whenever there's a new Secretary‑General, that person will be apprised of what is happening as we try to have a smooth transition. But the decision‑making of the current Secretary‑General, Ban Ki‑moon, is his normal decision‑making process. Yes?
Question: Farhan, on what's happening between Russia and the United States and Syria, there was this fallout of the deal they agreed, and now we see some consequence for their cooperation on other things, like this plutonium deal they had. Is Ban Ki‑moon concerned that… with this fallout that we're seeing right now? Thank you.
Deputy Spokesman: What I can say is that the Secretary‑General regrets that the Russian‑American bilateral talks on reviving the cessation of hostilities in Aleppo, in particular, and Syria, in general, have been suspended. The UN will continue to push for a political solution to the Syrian conflict, and the UN‑chaired International Syria Support Group (ISSG) Humanitarian Task Force will continue to facilitate the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid to vulnerable civilians throughout Syria. And, of course, in other areas, we certainly hope there will continue to be cooperation between the United States and Russia. One thing I can point out is that the Secretary‑General, while he was in Brussels, did speak with the U.S. Secretary of State, John Kerry, about Syria on the margins of the Afghan conference. And he underscored the need for continued cooperation between the United States and the Russian Federation. Yes?
Question: Thank you, Farhan. Follow‑up on this previous question. How can the UN push for a political solution while the Security Council is stalemated by the P2 veto power? Can anything be ever done, or is the Secretary‑General intending to go to the GA (General Assembly) in total to be able to obtain a workable resolution?
Deputy Spokesman: It's a difficult situation. But the Secretary‑General is continuing to try to work with the members of the Security Council, and he hopes that they will come to a united action on this issue. Security Council unity is crucial, and we've been able to achieve a lot in Syria when the Security Council members have been united. When they've been divided, the entire situation on the ground becomes much more difficult and much more deadly for the Syrian people, and that's why it's important that they come together once more. Yes, Stefano?
Question: Yes. Last week, Staffan de Mistura went to Rome. He participated in a meeting with the pope where… for Aleppo. And I… I wonder, is… there is any communication between the Secretary‑General and this pope on maybe an attempt to… you know, sometimes those… as Stalin was saying, they don't have any divisions to send, but they… both of them, for the world, they should have a moral status. So is… is… there is any plan to maybe try to break the stalemate that the Security Council with a combined message, something strong, something they could put words into effect, into action, for the great powers? For Aleppo; I'm talking for Syria.
Deputy Spokesman: Yes, and both the Secretary‑General and Pope Francis have been talking at great length about the need for the people of the world to deal with the crisis in Syria, and they are continuing to do so. You'll have seen the statement that Pope Francis put out after his meeting with Staffan de Mistura last week, and as you know, the Secretary‑General just over the past hour had an audience with Pope Francis. And so their coordination and cooperation on this particular issue, as well as other issues of mutual concern, is continuing. Yes?
Question: Sure. I wanted to ask, is… one more thing on… at least from my point of view on the transition is… is, I've seen some… an announcement, I think, by the Secretary‑General about a new tasks for… for new… relatively new Assistant Secretary‑General Andrew Gilmour. But it made me want to know… not that there's any written rule on it, but does the Secretary‑General anticipate going forward over his final nearly three months making more appointments at the ASG or at other levels? Is there some kind of a hold on appointments given that the new person should come in with the ability to make his own… his own decisions?
Deputy Spokesman: I think most Secretaries‑General believe that the incoming Secretaries‑General need to have the ability to appoint the people that they want to senior positions, and that's something that this Secretary‑General, Ban Ki‑moon, certainly respects. Of course, there may still need to be appointments based on the nature of different crises happening in the world or based on different people having their own mandates expire. But I think that, in the coming months, there's not that much left of that process happening. Yes?
Question: Little bit changing the subject. On freedom of expression, last week, an Omani court in the Sultanate of Oman convicted three journalists and sentenced them to prison, financial penalty, as well as banning them from journalism for an extended period, for a year, and closure of the newspaper because they dared to expose with documents that there was improprieties in the conduct of one of the judges in… in Oman. We haven't heard any statement from the Secretary‑General. It's almost been a week. Is there any plans for the Secretary‑General to stand up for the freedom of expression, for the protection of journalists, as he constantly stress on the need for that?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, I'll reiterate again the need for the rights of all journalists to be protected everywhere in the world. In regards to this particular case, I'm not aware of the facts of what's happened in Oman, but obviously, as we proceed, the point needs to be that journalists' rights and freedoms of expression will be protected.
Question: Shall we wait for a statement from the Secretary‑General on this particular case? The Committee to Protect Journalists issued already a statement. Human Rights Watch issued a statement. We haven't heard anything from the Secretary‑General.
Deputy Spokesman: Depending upon the circumstances of the case, there may be reactions by the Secretary‑General or by the High Commissioner for Human Rights or whoever's best qualified to deal with the specific facts. But, again, the general principle that the Secretary‑General and the entire system uphold is the need to respect the freedom of the press. Yes?
Question: Sure. I wanted to ask you, there… there are at least a couple reports that the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has told MONUSCO (United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo) that they want the… the SPLA‑IO (Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition) fighters of Riek Machar to leave the country within a week, saying that there'd be somehow destabilising force in Eastern Congo. Can you confirm that? And what… what is the UN's, I guess, response? If that is the request, will they, in fact, do it? And where will the individuals go?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, we're aware of the request from the Government. As you're aware, the UN Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has been apprised of the situation regarding these fighters. We're trying to see how best this can be handled in our own communication and our own dialogue with the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Ultimately, they're the ones who determine how their territory is to be used properly, and we respect that.
Question: And what happened… the… the… they were apparently disarmed or whatever. What happened with the actual armaments that they had when they crossed the border? Where are they now?
Deputy Spokesman: The fighters who are being referred to in this case are people who have not disarmed. There were some… there was a group of people who the UN took charge of on humanitarian grounds that included Riek Machar and some of his close aides. Those individuals had been disarmed at the time that they were transported by the United Nations. This is a different group of people who were not transported and who have not been disarmed. Have a good afternoon, everyone.