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.
Good afternoon.
**Syria
First of all, I have a statement on Syria and the attack on western Aleppo: The Secretary‑General condemns the reported attack on a school in the western part of Aleppo city in Syria today, which killed a number of children. Such attacks, if deliberate, may amount to a war crime.
Those responsible for these acts must be brought to justice. The Secretary‑General reiterates his call on the Security Council to refer the situation in Syria to the International Criminal Court (ICC). That statement will be online shortly.
**Security Council
At a Security Council open debate this morning on cooperation with regional and subregional organizations, the Secretary‑General spoke about the International Criminal Court (ICC) and noted concerns about the Court’s work, including the idea that the Court has convicted only Africans despite evidence of crimes in other parts of the world. In recent days, he noted, three African countries have expressed their intent to withdraw from the Court. The Secretary‑General regretted these steps, which could send a wrong message on these countries’ commitment to justice.
The Secretary‑General said that the challenges related to the ICC’s operations are best addressed not by diminishing support for the Court, but by strengthening it from within. Deterring future atrocities, delivering justice for victims and defending the rules of war across the globe are far too important priorities to risk a retreat from the age of accountability that we have worked so hard to build and to solidify.
Speaking on regional organizations, the Secretary‑General went on to say that, in line with Chapter VIII of the UN Charter, the United Nations is seeking to intensify its interactions with the heads of regional and sub‑regional organizations. He added that the impact has been meaningful –we can however do even more. His remarks are online.
**Burundi
On the topic of the ICC: Yesterday I confirmed that we had in fact received a written notification from Burundi on its withdrawal from the Rome Statute of the ICC. The Secretary‑General, acting in his capacity as depositary of the Rome Statute, is now processing that letter and the withdrawal, and will circulate a depositary notification today.
The effective date, on which the withdrawal process will begin, is the date of receipt of the letter ‑‑ which is yesterday, 27 October 2016.
Before you ask, we have yet not received any official letter from the Gambia.
**Cyprus
The Secretary‑General will travel to Switzerland to open intensive discussions on 7 November between the Turkish Cypriot and Greek Cypriot leaders.
The talks will take place in Mont Pèlerin and will focus on territory, the first time the leaders will negotiate on the issue directly.
The Secretary‑General has been closely following the Cyprus negotiations throughout his tenure, and he looks forward to lending his personal support to the work of the two leaders as they enter this crucial phase of negotiations.
**Deputy Secretary-General’s Travels
Over the weekend, the Deputy Secretary‑General, Jan Eliasson, will depart New York for Kigali, Rwanda, where he will have bilateral meetings with senior Government officials and visit the Genocide Memorial.
The Deputy Secretary‑General will leave Kigali on Tuesday, and we will announce other stops in due course.
**Iraq
Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, today said that the cowardly strategy by Da’esh to effectively using tens of thousands of women, men and children in Iraq as human shields is a violation of international humanitarian law and of the right not to be arbitrarily deprived of life.
Credible reports suggest that Da’esh has been forcing tens of thousands of people from their homes in sub‑districts around Mosul and has been forcibly relocating civilians inside the city itself since the operation began on 17 October to restore Iraqi Government control over Mosul. Da’esh fighters are allegedly killing civilians who refuse to comply with its instructions or who previously belonged to the Iraqi Security Forces, including 232 civilians who were reportedly shot to death last Wednesday.
The High Commissioner said that, in the face of these flagrant violations of the law by Da’esh, it is even more crucial that Government forces and their allies ensure scrupulous respect for international human rights law and international humanitarian law. It is of the utmost importance to ensure full respect for the cardinal principles of distinction, proportionality and precaution.
**Nigeria
Our colleagues from UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) warn that the situation in northeast Nigeria is an emergency that is attracting very little attention, despite the scale of the needs. 1.8 million people are internally displaced in the region, 4.4 million people are living in emergency situations and more than 400,000 children suffer from severe and acute malnutrition.
Our humanitarian colleagues continue to face challenges to operate in the region as they don’t have full access to large areas of the northeast of the country and it is hard for humanitarian workers on the ground to access people in need. They also face funding problems as UNICEF has only received 25 percent of the funds required for its operations in the country in 2016, while it needs US $30 million to continue its activities for the next 6 months.
**Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
Speaking of WFP (World Food Programme), they are saying that they are concerned about the food security of families affected by floods in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), especially with winter approaching.
Many families have lost not only their homes, but also their crops and livelihoods.
WFP urgently needs $5.4 million to help all people affected by floods. It currently faces a shortfall of $23 million through next year for all sorts of programmes in the country.
**Plague
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) launched today with the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE) the first phase of what will be a 15‑year effort to eradicate the PPR, which is the French acronym Peste des petits ruminants (PPR) ‑ also known as sheep and goat plague – by 2030.
This disease causes major losses in regions home to millions of the world’s poorest people. Since it was first identified in Côte d’Ivoire in 1942, it has spread to 70 countries in Africa, the Middle East and Asia ‑‑ in September 2016, Mongolia reported its first‑ever case.
While the disease is highly lethal to small ruminants —killing up to 90 percent of infected animals— it is easily preventable with inexpensive vaccines. You can consult the FAO plan on its website.
**Press Briefings
This afternoon, there will be a press briefing on the “Global Sustainable Transport Outlook Report”. The report will be launched by the two co‑chairs of the UN Secretary‑General’s High‑Level Advisory Group on Sustainable Transport, Martin Lundstedt, CEO of Volvo, and Carolina Toha, Mayor of Santiago in Chile.
3 p.m., Special Rapporteur on freedom of religion or belief, Heiner Bielefeldt.
On Monday, I will be joined by Joan Clos, the Secretary‑General of the Habitat III Conference, Under Secretary‑General and Executive Director of UN‑Habitat. Dr. Clos will present the outcome document of the Habitat III Conference, the New Urban Agenda, on the occasion of World Cities Day.
**Honour Roll
Lastly, I want to thank Ecuador for paying its dues in full, which brings the total number of Member States on the Honour Roll to 133.
**Questions and Answers
Spokesman: Sir?
Question: So many questions, but I will start with Lebanon. There was supposed to be a briefing by Mr. [Jeffrey] Feltman yesterday to the Security Council on the [resolution] 1559; and I heard that Mr. Feltman is not here? So is there any rescheduling for this?
Spokesman: Sure. It’ll be… yeah. I understand. He’s traveling. He will be rescheduled as soon as possible.
Question: My other question is on Syria. Obviously President [Vladimir] Putin just announced that there is no need to resume the air strikes on the eastern parts of Aleppo. Does the Secretary‑General consider this as an opportunity to deliver some humanitarian aid? And my other question is on Iraq and human shields. Do you have reliable information about how many people held by Da’esh are used as human shields?
Spokesman: On your last question, the information we have is what I’ve just shared with you from the High Commissioner for Human Rights. I believe they’re sharing all the details that they have. If they have more, we’ll see if we can get some to you. On the situation in Syria, any halt in the fighting is obviously to be welcomed. The green light on the UN‑sponsored medical evacuation or the UN‑sponsored joint humanitarian convoy will be decided, obviously, with the input of our colleagues on the ground when they feel, through the contacts they’ve had, the situation is safe enough to give the green light to those convoys. That currently is not the case. We’ve also not been able to do the medical evacuations we had wanted to do. So these… it’s really about the colleagues on the ground, our colleagues in Geneva feeling that the time is right to go through with this. As we’ve said, we need… for the humanitarian convoy, we need a longer period of calm, at least 48 hours to get the trucks moving. So when they feel the time is right, the atmosphere is the right one, the green light will be given.
Question: How do you view President Putin’s decision in this regard, halting the air strikes?
Spokesman: Obviously any halt in the fighting and air strikes is to be welcomed. The second part of that is to ensure that there’s enough calm for the humanitarian colleagues to be able to do their work. Yes?
Question: I have two questions on Syria on the JIM [Joint Investigative Mechanism] Committee. So just to clarify, regarding the Russian critique, can you say more about how this committee was chosen and whether the American… I mean the main players were consulted, American and Russian? And the second part, what’s your comment on the fact that the Security Council is, for now at least, is not going to renew the mandate for one year… of the committee?
Spokesman: Well, you know, obviously it’s up to the Council to decide on the mandate of the mission that they’ve… they gave the mandate to. The investigation of reporting on chemical weapons is one that is very important. I think the Secretary‑General is very pleased with the work that the JIM did. Obviously in putting together the team, there were consultations with the Security Council, and it operated under a mandate of the Security Council. Yes? And then to you, Matthew.
Question: Thank you. Two days ago in Cyprus, leaders announced they will continue their talks in Switzerland, and you just announced the Secretary‑General is going to Switzerland to open it. But from the announcement made in Cyprus, it was said that the meetings will be held under the auspices of Mr. [Espen Barth] Eide, the Special Advisor. Can you tell me… is the Secretary‑General going to actively participate in this meeting? How is that going to take place? Because he said he will personally engage in the process, and this is a very critical meeting, as you said. I mean, is it under the auspices of Mr. Ban Ki‑moon?
Spokesman: Sure. The meetings in Mont Pèlerin are being organized under the auspices of the Special Advisor, Mr. Eide. The Secretary‑General is extremely pleased with the work that Mr. Eide has been doing. He’s been asked by Mr. Eide to be there at the opening to show his personal involvement, to show his personal interest in moving the issues forward. So I think it’s a sign of, you know, not only of the interest of the Secretary‑General, but a sign that Mr. Eide felt that the person… the presence of the Secretary‑General at the opening was very important in order to set the tone and hopefully a positive tone for the work they will be doing during the rest of the time.
Question: Do you know if you… if… if Mr. Secretary‑General is going to open it and then leave? Do you know how these meetings will work? It will take place for five days, the whole week. If you have more information, more detailed information?
Spokesman: Sure. The Secretary‑General’s presence will be there just… will be there for the opening. Obviously if he needs to participate again, he’s always available and always willing to do whatever he can to move the process forward. Mr. Lee?
Question: Sure. I wanted to ask you what… to explain what the Secretary‑General would like the Security Council to do about the South Sudan supporters that are in the DRC [Democratic Republic of the Congo]? Seems like the deadline passed. He’s asking the Council to do something. But what does he want them to do, and when does he want them to do it by? Given the deadline has passed, has there been more communications from DRC about expelling them?
Spokesman: No, there’s been no more communication. Obviously I think the Secretary‑General would like to see the Council play a constructive role, those who have an influence over the situation to help solve the problem in a humanitarian way.
Question: I mean, does he want them to act… to adopt some product that would tell the DRC to accept it or set a deadline, or do you think… is it basically a request for various Council members to call?
Spokesman: I think it’s… I will leave it at that. Carmen? And then Abdelhamid.
Question: Thank you. Stéphane, in Geneva, the Human Rights Council was meeting to vote on new members. Do you have an update on that?
Spokesman: No, I think they’re meeting here… the General Assembly is meeting here… is voting here for the new members. I don’t have an update. Hopefully our colleagues at the General Assembly President’s Office will give you an update as soon as that… but my understanding… as I was walking into here, my understanding is it was still going on. Abdelhamid?
Question: Thank you. There is a report in “The Guardian” today that says UN hire [Bashar al] Assad’s friends and relatives for Syria relief operation. It’s a lengthy report, and according to a spokesman, the UN officials asked the paper not to reveal names for their safety. Do you have any comment? Have you seen the report?
Spokesman: We’ve seen the report. I think printing the name of staff members for political purposes is not particularly helpful, especially in a context as highly charged as Syria. We don’t provide specific information on our employees to protect their privacy and their safety, nor do we vet employees for political affiliation or political views. I think the thousands of Syrians who work for the UN in Syria, nationals who work, do a tremendous job. They are often the ones who put their lives on the line by being on the front lines of distributing aid, of driving trucks, or doing whatever they need to do in the field. All UN employees, whether in Syria or anywhere else, are meant to follow UN rules and regulations and abide by humanitarian principles and code of conduct. The work that we do, humanitarian that we do in Syria and around the world, is transparent and impartial. And I will… I will leave it at that.
Question: Can you… can you deny the report that says 67 percent of the humanitarian aid went to the areas that are under control of the regime?
Spokesman: Where the humanitarian aid goes in Syria is transparent and open. We update regularly where we deliver the aid. Our colleagues at OCHA [Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs] put out online daily bulletins where we deliver the aid. We reach people in need. We target people in need. It is not an easy task in Syria, as we’ve been saying here, whether it’s eastern Aleppo or other places. We have not been able to deliver the aid that we need. Our work in Syria, I think, is as transparent as possible. Mr. Lee?
Question: The… just because it seems like you read “The Guardian” once, so I wanted to know, have you read… “Liberation” has a long interview with Anders Kompass, and among other things, he says that when he was first confronted before his badge was taken off and his mobile taken, he was asked about the, quote, boys in Mali, i.e. at the top levels of the high… Office of the High Commissioner of Human Rights didn’t even know that it had to do with CAR [Central African Republic], and he calls Ban Ki‑moon’s leadership uninspired. I wanted to know, given that he’s a high‑profile UN official, there are other things in it… what do… does the UN have any response…?
Spokesman: To say that I disagree with what Mr. Kompass said would be an understatement. I think… Mr. Kompass, as it relates to the CAR and others, those… how they were treated and everything around it was looked into in detail, in impartial detail, by the review panel the Secretary‑General put together. And I have no intention of revisiting it. We’ve been, I think, as open as possible in updating you where we are on these investigations into the CAR on a regular basis. To say that the Secretary‑General takes all these issues of sexual abuse extremely seriously and acts on them, I think, in a very strong way.
Question: One of the things criticized in that report was the kind of collaboration of OIOS [Office of Internal Oversight Services] and the Ethics Office and the then chief of staff. And I wanted… Recently you told me to ask the Ethics Office about whether the… whether the propriety of Ban Ki‑moon giving speeches for which $100,000 were charged. Is it true… do they have a spokesperson? What’s the status? How is… I thought it’s through you that we’re supposed to ask the Secretariat questions. Is there an Ethics Office spokesperson?
Spokesman: There’s no Ethics spokesperson… you can either contact them directly, or we can pass on questions.
Question: Please do.
Spokesman: Yes, Linda?
Question: Thank you, Steph. I wanted to go back to Mr. [Staffan] de Mistura’s comment that he thought there were about 900 Al Qaeda‑related fighters in Aleppo, eastern Aleppo. And, of course, he made that offer that under certain circumstances, he would escort that out. There have been other reports that have put that number, you know, much lower, several hundred. I was just wondering what the latest numbers were?
Spokesman: I have not been provided with any updated numbers from Mr. de Mistura’s office. We can talk to him and see what there is. But I have not seen any change of the numbers.
Question: So he’s still estimating 900?
Spokesman: I haven’t seen any change, but I’ll check on that. Yes, Matthew?
Question: Sure. US question. I don’t know if the UN system has… is aware of this Dakota Access Pipeline protest. But yesterday there were… or earlier this week, there has been a governmental crackdown on this tribe. And the reason I’m asking the question is the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribal Chairman has said that they would like the UN, they feel that this is an UN‑relevant issue in which a Government is cracking down on a sovereign nation. So I wanted to know, one, have you received any communication? But, two, what are the thoughts of the Secretary‑General or the Secretariat on this taking place in the host country?
Spokesman: We have not, as far as I know, not been made aware of any official communication from the Cheyenne or any other Native American groups to us on this. Obviously, I think it’s important that people’s right to demonstrate be respected and that law enforcement behave accordingly. Thank you.