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.
**Women
The Secretary-General this morning addressed the Security Council’s debate on Women, Peace and Security, noting that despite progress, the situation remains far from equitable, with many atrocities that continue to be committed against women and girls, including by UN peacekeepers, and continued political exclusion of women, including in peace negotiations for Syria or Yemen. He urged the Council members to hold all UN peace operations accountable for putting women and girls at the centre of their work, as well as to listen to civil society, and particularly women’s groups, in all deliberations on conflict prevention and peacebuilding.
He also urged them to make sure that there are funds available for these activities, by earmarking a minimum of 15 per cent of funding on peace and security to programmes that address the needs of women and girls. In failing to include women and girls in peacemaking and peacebuilding processes, we are not only failing women and girls, we are failing the world, the Secretary‑General said. He added that this agenda is not an optional extra or a favour to women and girls, but fundamental to building sustainable peace and ending conflicts. His remarks are online. And the Executive Director of UN‑Women also addressed the meeting.
**Yemen
The Special Envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, today concluded a three‑day visit to Sana'a, where he held meetings with several representatives of the General People’s Congress, Ansarallah, Yemeni activists and foreign diplomats. The Special Envoy presented the Houthi General People’s Congress delegation with a written roadmap that addresses security and political arrangements. The delegation agreed to respond to the proposal in the coming days. The Special Envoy also stressed that all parties must cooperate fully and swiftly to support political alternatives to secure lasting peace guided by a conviction that violence is never a solution, and he urged all parties to agree to an extension of the Cessation of hostilities.
The Special Envoy visited the site of the funeral hall attack that took place three weeks ago and met representatives of the families of the victims. He noted the urgent need to open up Yemeni airspace to commercial aircraft and to evacuate the injured for treatment. Meanwhile, the World Food Programme (WFP) is increasingly concerned about their deteriorating food security and growing rates of child malnutrition in Yemen, particularly in hard‑to‑reach areas. A senior WFP team recently visited impoverished neighbourhoods and spoke to families and local authorities in Hajjah and Hodeidah, where people are struggling to meet daily food needs.
**Iraq
And the High Commissioner for Human Rights said he continues to receive reports of extrajudicial killings and summary executions by Da’esh, among other crimes, against civilians, including children and women, as Iraqi forces close in on Mosul. The Human Rights Office also continues to receive information that reinforces the belief that Da’esh is deliberately using civilians as human shields. The Human Rights Office also repeats its call on Government forces and their allies to ensure their fighters do not take revenge on any of the civilians who escape from areas under Da’esh control and treat all suspected Da’esh fighters they capture in accordance with international humanitarian law.
Meanwhile, UNFPA [United Nations Population Fund] Iraq has stepped up its response and delivered reproductive health services to women and girls in Iraq. Since the start of the military operations to liberate Mosul from Da’esh, the UNFPA provided more than 1,000 reproductive health consultations, while six internally displaced women have also delivered babies in the UNFPA‑supported health centres. And OCHA [Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs] tells us that almost 9,000 people are internally displaced as a result of the Mosul operation. The majority of displaced people so far are sheltering in host communities. All families who have fled the fighting are reported to be in a vulnerable condition and requiring assistance.
The UN is concerned over reports of displaced families being forcibly evicted in Kirkuk Governorate, following an attack on Kirkuk by Da’esh earlier this morning. The UN has received reports that displaced families living in private quarters in Kirkuk were forcibly evicted. Humanitarian partners are concerned for the safety of civilians in Rutba in western Al Anbar (close to the Jordanian border). Military operations in the area continue, following an attack by ISIL militants over the weekend, and the area is not accessible for humanitarian partners due to insecurity. The number of civilian casualties is unknown and no displacement or movement from the area has been reported so far.
**Central African Republic
And our colleagues in the peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) report that the situation in Bangui is normalizing but remains tense, following yesterday’s civil unrest that resulted in four civilians killed and nine wounded. The Mission updates that five peacekeepers were also injured. The Mission is working with Central African authorities to support investigations into the circumstances of these incidents. The Special Representative of the Secretary‑General also met yesterday with the President and the Prime Minister of CAR. They agreed to reinforce coordination between the Peacekeeping Mission and security forces. And overnight, the Mission continued to dismantle barricades in the first, fifth and eighth districts of Bangui. MINUSCA continues to patrol actively and maintains a visible posture in hotspots and along the city’s key roads, including the road to the international airport, as part of its mandate to protect civilians.
**South Sudan
And from South Sudan, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights today warned that rising ethnic rhetoric, hate speech and incitement to violence against certain ethnic groups is highly dangerous and could result in mass atrocities if not reined in by community and political leaders at the highest level. Zeid [Ra’ad al Hussein] urged President Salva Kiir and all leaders with influence to urgently and unambiguously condemn the incitement to violence and to take urgent measures to defuse the tensions.
**Peacekeeping
Just an update on the travels of the head of the peacekeeping department, Hervé Ladsous: yesterday, he wrapped up his visit to Western Sahara, Morocco and Algeria. Mr. Ladsous met with Moroccan authorities in Rabat and with Polisario authorities in Rabouni. He then visited MINURSO's [United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara] Headquarters in Laayoune and did an overflight of the Guerguerat area in the south. And Mr. Ladsous is in Paris today, where he is participating in a ministerial conference of peacekeeping in Francophone countries.
**Refugees
And just to flag two things from UNHCR [Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees]: one, they said that with two months remaining in 2016, at least 3,740 refugees and migrants have lost their lives while crossing the Mediterranean this year. This year is on pace to have the most lives lost in the Mediterranean, despite a large drop in the number of people who have attempted the crossing. And also, they report that the first voluntary returns of six refugee families returning to Myanmar from Thailand began today. There are currently more than 100,000 Myanmar refugees living in Thailand. The new pilot programme is supported by the Governments of both countries. More information online.
**Detained Children
And the Secretary‑General today welcomed the selection of Manfred Nowak as the new lead [official] on the Global Study on detained children. Children, who are deprived of liberty, often remain invisible and forgotten. The General Assembly last year invited the Secretary‑General to commission such a study, which will include good practices and recommendations for action to effectively realize all relevant rights of the child.
**Columbia University
And just to flag that the Secretary‑General will be speaking at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs tomorrow afternoon at 2 p.m. on the topic of “Turmoil, Transition and Opportunity: the UN in a Changing World”. There are still a few seats left for journalists. If you’re interested, contact Veronica in my office.
**Press Briefings
After we are done here, there will be a briefing by the Special Rapporteur on the right to food, Hilal Elver. And after that, Philip Alston, Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights. And at 1:15 p.m. tomorrow, the Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities, Catalina Devandas Aguilar.
**Honour Roll
And, today we thank our friends in Gabarone, who have paid their dues in full to the UN regular budget, bringing us up to 132. Botswana. Yes, sir?
**Questions and Answers
Question: Stéphane, thank you. Toyota, the manufacturer of the four‑wheel drives, well-known ones, have confirmed recently in an investigation that 6,000 Toyota four‑wheels were sold to Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Qatar, ended up in the hands of ISIS, which they used in the invasion of Iraq and Syria. If… of course, this is an official investigation by Toyota. Have you had any look at it? Did any of the countries explain how these vehicles were transferred to ISIS?
Spokesman: It's… these are the first I've heard of it. I will look to see if we've been apprised or if we have anything on this investigation. Mr. Abbadi, then Matthew.
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. The Secretary‑General has called for more representation of women in negotiating for… and for more diversity. Is that call also addressed to the Security Council itself?
Spokesman: Yes. Matthew?
Question: I wanted to ask you, on the UN's introduction of cholera into Haiti, you know, I'm sure that you've seen and are aware of the… Philip Alston's letter to Deputy Secretary‑General Jan Eliasson of 5 October. And since he… it's a lengthy and detailed letter, and he basically says, unless the UN sets up a mechanism for the mode of settlement of victims' claims under the Convention on Privileges and Immunity, it creates ongoing impunity and makes it a travesty of justice. And Mr. Eliasson's response… it's not clear to me. Is he outright rejecting that? He said: Our legal position is not inconsistent with doing something in Haiti, but does that mean… Alston is very clear on this. He's saying, no matter how much money you pay, if you don't accept legal responsibility…
Spokesman: No, no, I hear what Mr. Alston says…
Question: Right. So, what is Mr. Eliasson saying?
Spokesman: What Mr. Eliasson said is what we've been saying for quite a long time, which is that the Organization’s legal position with respect to cholera doesn't prevent us from taking effective steps to address the issue of cholera in Haiti and taking a position that has both compassion and solidarity. I think we've shown and explained repeatedly the two‑track approach that the Secretary‑General will launch officially before he leaves. A lot of work has already been done, led by the Deputy Secretary‑General and Dr. [David] Nabarro, which aims to look at the… to stop the spread of cholera and also develop a package for material assistance to those Haitians most affected by cholera.
Question: But I guess… so in the legal position… is it the legal position of the Secretary‑General that there are no instances in which the UN would set up such a mechanism to actually pay rather than voluntarily… what Mr. Alston's calling charity…
Spokesman: I'm not speculating on what our legal position may be or [may be] in the future at some point. I'm just talking to you about what we're doing right now. Our legal position is what it is. It doesn't prevent us from taking action to offer material assistance to those who were severely impacted by cholera and to provide support to eradicate, on a systematic basis, cholera from Haiti.
Question: What's the UN's scientific position? Did the UN bring cholera to Haiti or not?
Spokesman: I think the scientific position is… can be found in the report that was commissioned some years ago.
Question: Doesn't that [inaudible] discredited?
Spokesman: Sylviane?
Question: On another note, tomorrow there will be consultations on 1559. Who will be briefing the Council tomorrow?
Spokesman: It's a very valid question to one… but one I cannot answer off the top of my head, but I will find out.
Question: [Terje] Roed-Larsen is not…
Spokesman: I assume it will be someone from DPA [Department of Political Affairs] who've taken over the responsibilities for 1559. Yes, sir?
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. I was… back to Yemen and the Special Envoy visit. Earlier, there was a request from the head of the Human Rights Council, Prince Zeid bin Ra'ad, to form a committee to investigate war crimes in Yemen and in Syria. Since then, we have not heard anything. Is there any development? And would that mean that Saudi Arabia membership in the Council be a factor in postponing forming such a committee?
Spokesman: A few things. One, it's up to the Human Rights Council to put this together. The Secretary‑General's clearly voiced his support for this initiative. What's happened to the initiative, why it hasn't moved forward, I think that's a question to address to the members of the Human Rights… to the Human Rights Council. Yes, sir?
Question: Sure. I want to ask you, on Burundi, there've been… there's been a widely publicized, at least in Burundi, order banning and removing the permits of a number of NGOs [non-governmental organizations], including a human rights group run by Pierre Claver Mbonimpa and a number of other ones that are basically part of what's called the moderate opposition. So I'm wondering, you said yesterday that the Special Adviser's meetings with the Foreign Minister were constructive. Did they address the… the… the disaccrediting of… of… of a large proportion of civil society?
Spokesman: We're very disappointed by the Government's decision to withdraw the permits of a number of NGOs, including the ones you mentioned. And our message to the Government is to reconsider it.
Question: But what was constructive about the talks then? Because I asked you about the journalists, and then I asked you about this one. So is there some secret kernel of constructivity that took place?
Spokesman: The constructivity is, I think, in diplomatic terms, can be interpreted in many different ways. The fact that the talks took place in a constructive atmosphere, I think, says it all. Mr. Abbadi?
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. Secretary‑General Ban Ki‑moon's mandate will conclude in about two months. Does he still intend to appoint senior officials to the Secretariat? And, if that is the case, would he consult with Secretary‑General‑designate António Guterres before?
Spokesman: Yes. I think, if there is a need to appoint a senior official to a certain post between now and then, there would be clearly consultations with the incoming team. Nabil and then Olga.
Question: My question is a follow‑up on Mr. [Stephen] O'Brien's statement yesterday that the UN and its partners have aborted the evacuation plans…?
Spokesman: Have… sorry. You have to speak louder.
Question: Aborted evacuation plan for Aleppo, medical evacuation, I think. Does this mean that all the communication on this are on hold now? Is he still trying with the parties to find a way to evacuate the wounded people, or what's happening exactly?
Spokesman: No, I would not say that the communications are on hold. Obviously, the communications continue. Whenever and wherever there is enough of a lull or a pause in the fighting, we would… and we have the security guarantees that our people need and that the Syrian humanitarian workers need, we would go ahead with humanitarian operations as we can.
Question: And follow‑up, please. Russia announced today to extend the halt three hours, I think. Would this be a positive factor that will, I don’t know…?
Spokesman: Any lull in the fighting is a positive factor. For us to get humanitarian operations underway, our colleagues who are on the ground who are talking to various parties need to align all the stars and need to align all the different factors and, when that alignment is in place, they will decide to go ahead with humanitarian operations. And I'm not going to second‑guess or question their judgment from here.
Question: No, no, but… what's happening is it seems that Russia is extending the pause, like, hours, for three hours, for ten hours, for seven hours. Would this be… help you to do anything? Because, of course, more time…
Spokesman: It is part of a very complicated puzzle. Olga and then Nizar. I'll come back to you.
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. You mentioned the statement of High Commissioner for Human Rights about using of civilian… civilians as human shields in around Mosul. What UN agency reports on civilian casualties from this operation?
Spokesman: Right now we don't have any data to share. As soon as we get some, either from the High Commissioner's office or from OCHA, we will share it with you. But there is no… at least through my office, we don't have any casualty figures to share with you. Okay?
Question: On the subject in Aleppo, 48 civilians managed to flee from Eastern Aleppo into Western Aleppo yesterday. Did the United Nations get in touch with them —— ask them about the situation, why they fled and how they have been treated since they managed to get out?
Spokesman: I will check with our colleagues. Mr. Lee?
Question: Sure. Sure. I wanted to ask you about South Sudan. I'm… I'm… I trust that you've seen now Amnesty International has… has come out with this report about the events in Juba in July, and they ag… as with other groups con… conclude that the UN did fire teargas at IDPs [internally displaced persons]. They also have some pretty gruelling description of UN police ordering people to stay out in the rain and putting them at risk. I'm wondering, especially since the UN's report is now delayed more than a month, what is your… it seems that you can't… you can't… what's the UN's response to these very troubling depictions by credible persons…?
Spokesman: First of all, we worked and engaged, both at the headquarter level and mission level, with Amnesty International in the production of the report, including providing responses to some of their questions. Yes, teargas was used during the crisis by one of the contingents as sort of a… as a non‑lethal measure when security personnel felt they were overwhelmed with an influx of external… of people coming into the UN House compound. This was done to ensure the safety of the UN personnel, as well as the property, and of the IDPs, in accordance with standard rules of operations. Our report, I know, is overdue. I do expect it later this week or early next week. It's a question of scheduling. And I think we will also lay bare a lot of the issues that took place in that time in Juba.
Question: But, just on… just… only on the specifics of the teargas, like, Amnesty International quotes an elderly man saying that he was gassed, and his eyes hurt for three days. So was he… was he somehow a threat to the UN?
Spokesman: You know, I think, obviously, we're very sorry for anyone who was injured in the operation, for all the individuals who suffered from teargas. I've walked into teargas in my other… previous life. It's not pleasant. Obviously, it's used as a last resort when there is a mass movement of people, and the security forces felt they were being overwhelmed, and it was a non‑lethal response to a mass movement of people.
Question: And this spokesperson who said it was an accidental teargas explosion, was this just a miscommunication or kind of reflexive… I mean, you've seen that before…?
Spokesman: I know. I can only speak for this spokesperson, which is myself. Sylviane?
Question: Thanks, Steph. I would like to ask you this question. Is it appropriate to call the refugee from Calais “Jungle”? Do… they are not animals. Do they…?
Spokesman: No, I think this was… this is a name that has been given to the camp. It's a way it's been referring. If it is used to describe the place from the United Nations' part, it is clearly not used to describe each and every human being, man, woman, children who is in the camp.
Question: When Mr. Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed visited the great hall where the massacre happened last… a few weeks ago, he did not give any description to that. He just visited the place and they say… did not condemn it, did not renounce it or did not even say clearly…
Spokesman: I think we've clearly… I think we… the Secretary‑General and, obviously, Secretary… the Special Envoy supports the Secretary‑General's position, condemned the attack in no uncertain terms. He visited the site, and he paid his respects to the families of the victims. I wasn't there with him. I can't tell you what the conversations were exactly, but I can assure you that we have condemned the attack on this place.
Question: And… and did… the Secretary‑General condemned it, but in every mission, other mission like UNAMI [United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq] or… other missions, they… the envoy always expresses a point of view of the United Nations. In the case of Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, who is widely accused of being Saudi biased, he did not even bother about that…?
Spokesman: I don't agree with… while I appreciate your point of view, I don't agree with your analysis. He is a Special Envoy of the Secretary‑General. He has the same views as the Secretary‑General.
Correspondent: The Yemeni media, all of them accuse him of being Saudi envoy.
Spokesman: People can accuse him of being whatever…
Correspondent: I don't.
Spokesman: I'm sure. Mr. Lee?
Correspondent: I do.
Spokesman: I know you do.
Question: But I just… I wanted to… there's something… there's other things I want to ask, but I want to be sure to ask this follow‑up, because on Western Sahara, I'd asked you yesterday to respond to reports that there was police brutality in Laayoune before Mr… right on the eve of Ladsous' visit. You said you might have a readout. So I heard the readout, and thanks for the readout. But, is there a MINURSO response to published reports that people were swept inside?
Spokesman: I don't have anything.
Question: And the other one has to do with the speech. Again, it's kind of a glass half full/half empty situation. Thanks for announcing the Secretary‑General's speech in… at Columbia. I want to ask again. Rather than… I may have misread your [inaudible]. Last time I asked, where is Ban Ki‑moon's speech to the Council of Korean‑Americans, for which they raised $100,000, just to release it? You seem… I somehow read into your face that, like, it might be coming. Is there some reason that that speech is… is… of all the speeches that he gave in the last two weeks… withheld?
Spokesman: He's given speeches to private events. I really have nothing else to add on the issue. Thank you.