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.
**Humanitarian Appeal
In order to deliver urgent relief, protection and support to nearly 93 million of the most vulnerable and marginalized people in 2017, we launched earlier today an appeal for $22.2 billion in funding — the highest consolidated humanitarian appeal ever launched. Emergency Relief Coordinator Stephen O’Brien, who launched the appeal in Geneva, said that the scale of humanitarian crises today is greater than at any time since the United Nations was founded.
At the start of 2017, the plans presented collectively to the international donor community today will support vital humanitarian operations in 33 countries, including conflicts in Syria, Yemen, South Sudan and Nigeria. Eighty per cent of the needs stem from man-made conflicts, many of which are not protracted and push up the demand every year. At the same time, the impact of El Niño-triggered droughts, floods and extreme weather is pushing vulnerable communities to the brink of survival.
So far in 2016, international donors have generously provided $11.4 billion to the current global appeal which, over the year, has risen from $20.1 billion to $22.1 billion. However, this represents only 52 per cent of the requirements, and as humanitarian organizations approach the end of this year with a funding gap of a record $10.7 billion — that the largest gap ever reported, as well.
**Syria
Also on the humanitarian front, just an update on our operations in Syria; on Friday, the UN received a Note Verbale from the Government of Syria indicating that it has approved the December convoy plan for deliveries to hard-to-reach and besieged areas, including eastern Aleppo. This will enable the UN to initiate convoy preparations in coordination with the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC), including administrative procedures with the authorities.
On 2 December, the UN conducted two inter-agency missions to assess the humanitarian situation in the cotton factory shelter in Jibreen and Hanano in east Aleppo. Hanano is an area of eastern Aleppo which has been retaken recently by the Government forces.
Neither the UN nor the Syrian Arab Red Crescent have had access to the part of eastern Aleppo under continued control by armed opposition groups. The UN and Syrian Arab Red Crescent have only access to Government of Syria controlled areas. The UN is continuing negotiations to get access to people in need in eastern Aleppo in areas still under control of armed groups.
Hostilities continued over the weekend; however, there have been no reports of new displacement since 2 December. An estimated 31,500 people from east Aleppo remain displaced within the entire city of Aleppo. The UN and its partners are scaling up their humanitarian response in the area and responding to the needs of the newly displaced in all areas we are able to access.
**Yemen
The Special Envoy for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, concluded today a visit to Kuwait, where he met with the Emir of Kuwait, as well as the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs.
The Special Envoy provided a thorough update on the developments that took place since the Yemeni parties left Kuwait earlier this year in August. The Emir of Kuwait reiterated his full support to the Special Envoy and to the Yemeni peace process. And that’s the update that I have.
**Central African Republic
And I did want to share with you one of our periodic updates on investigations into allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse against peacekeepers in the Central African Republic.
The Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) has concluded its investigative process on the allegations of abuse and exploitation against Burundian and Gabonese contingents deployed in Dekoa, in Kemo prefecture, in the Central African Republic.
These allegations referred to incidents between 2014 and 2015. OIOS has conducted joint investigations with Burundian and Gabonese national investigative officers. The investigations started in April 2016, a few days after the allegations were brought to the attention of the United Nations, and have lasted for more than four months. The investigators relied primarily on the testimony of possible victims and witnesses, given the lack of medical, forensic or any other physical evidence. This was due to the fact that the majority of the allegations referred to incidents that took place a year or more earlier. Everyone who came forward with claims, both minors and adults, were assisted by national and international partners of the United Nations.
Overall, 139 possible victims were interviewed and their accounts were investigated. By means of photo array and/or other corroborating evidence, a total of 41 alleged perpetrators — 16 from Gabon and 25 from Burundi — were identified by 45 interviewees; eight persons were unable to identify perpetrators through photo array or other corroborating evidence, but were able to describe some distinctive traits, 83 were not able to identify perpetrators or provide corroborating evidence, and three accounts were considered unreliable. A total of 25 minors asserted they had been sexually abused. And a total of eight paternity claims were filed, including six minors.
The UN has shared the OIOS report with both Member States, that is Burundi and Gabon, including the names of the identified alleged perpetrators, and has requested for appropriate judicial actions to ensure criminal accountability.
Responsibility for further investigations lies with Burundi and Gabon. The UN has requested from the Burundian and Gabonese authorities that they review the OIOS findings and conduct the interviews of the alleged perpetrators, who had all been rotated out from Central African Republic before these allegations surfaced. The UN has asked for a copy of the final national investigation reports to be transmitted urgently.
The alleged perpetrators, if allegations against them are substantiated, and, if warranted, their commanding officers will not be accepted again for deployment in peacekeeping operations.
The UN in the Central African Republic has strengthened its prevention measures and reinforced its outreach among communities and peacekeepers across the country, especially in high-risk areas to improve awareness and reporting on sexual exploitation and abuse and other forms of misconduct. The Mission is also regularly monitoring conditions and behaviour of the mission personnel and has partnered with UN agencies and implementing partners in Central African Republic that provide psychosocial, medical and legal assistance to victims of sexual exploitation and abuse.
The UN condemns, in the strongest terms, all acts of sexual exploitation and abuse committed by peacekeepers or any other UN personnel and will maintain follow up so that perpetrators of these abhorrent acts are brought to justice.
**Refugees
And a note from UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees): our colleagues there have presented a paper to the European Union, calling for far‑reaching reform of Europe’s global refugee policies, including its asylum system.
UNHCR says more strategic and targeted support needs to be provided to countries of origin and that Europe needs to invest more in the integration of arriving refugees, including housing, employment and language training.
The paper, titled “Better Protecting Refugees in the EU and Globally”, also calls on European countries to review contingency preparations to respond to large refugee and migrant arrivals and to put in place a more efficient and better‑managed asylum system.
**Uzbekistan
I was asked recently about elections in Uzbekistan and I can tell you that the Secretary-General congratulates Shavkat Mirziyoyev, the President-elect of Uzbekistan, according to preliminary results announced by the Central Election Commission today.
The Secretary-General notes the orderly conduct of early presidential elections in Uzbekistan, which took place following the recent death of the long‑time President Islam Karimov. The Secretary-General encourages all political forces to work together to ensure a stable post-election development of the country.
He assures the people of Uzbekistan of the continued support of the United Nations, including through the efforts of his Special Representative, Mr. Petko Draganov, and the UN Country Team.
**World Soil Day
And today is [World Soil Day], and the Secretary-General in a message issued today calls attention to the pressing issues affecting soils, including climate change, antimicrobial resistance, soil-borne diseases, contamination, nutrition, and human health.
In a modern world with population growth and expanding cities, more food is needed and we need healthy soils. More online.
**Volunteer Day
On this International Volunteer Day, the Secretary-General would like to extend his deepest gratitude to the thousands of UN and community volunteers worldwide, whose commitment and passion can act as inspiration to us all.
We see this in action all over the world, most notably over the past year as volunteers have provided shelter and support to millions of refugees forced from their homes.
The Secretary General applauds their commitment to building a future of peace, prosperity, and dignity for all.
**Hospitality Committee
A couple more mentions: On Saturday, the UN Hospitality Committee hosted its annual gala where it expressed its appreciation to the Secretary-General and Mrs. Ban for their tireless leadership of the UN in the past decade.
This year’s Humanitarian Award recipient was Steven Tyler of the band Aerosmith. He is a strong advocate of prevention of violence against women and has established Janie’s Fund, which is raising money to assist girls who have been victimized by abuse and neglect. In its first year, the Fund has supporters in 38 countries.
In his remarks, the Secretary-General also paid tribute to Ambassador [Joseph] Verner Reed, who passed away recently. The Secretary-General said that Ambassador Reed was a dear friend and a great fixture in the diplomatic community.
**Press Briefings
Tomorrow at 11 am, there will be a press briefing here by Penny Abeywardena, the New York City Commissioner for International Affairs. She will be launching the report on the United Nations’ economic impact on the city of New York, our host city, and she will be joined at this briefing by Cristina Gallach, the Under-Secretary-General for Public Information.
**Questions and Answers
Mr. Klein?
Question: Yes. Can you confirm that Mr. [Staffan] de Mistura is meeting or has met today with the Secretary‑General? Because I happened to see a schedule that had his name on it. And if so, is… is there a plan for him to speak to the press?
Spokesman: I don't think… I mean, I looked at the SG's schedule. I didn't see it on there, but I will look again.
Question: Okay. All right.
Spokesman: And I haven't seen Mr. de Mistura.
Question: All right. Well, maybe… maybe…
Spokesman: One of us is right and one of us is wrong, and I have a feeling the one that's seated is probably right. Let me check.
Question: No, no. I'm going to assume that you're right. You would know the schedule better than me. My other question is really a follow‑up on the Commission of Inquiry regarding the attack on the humanitarian convoy in Syria what the status is.
Spokesman: Last I'd heard, they've still not received their visas from the Syrian authorities. Luke?
Question: On the OCHA (Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) appeal, you mentioned the record gap between what was requested and what was received, which is obviously not sustainable. How do you avoid a larger shortfall next year as the request goes up?
Spokesman: We avoid a larger shortfall by solving the underpinning political issues that have led to a lot of these crises. As Mr. O'Brien said, a lot of these crises were, in fact, man‑made, whether we see Yemen or Syria, just to take two, or Iraq. We need more consistent and more funding to meet the needs of the world's most vulnerable. We are… I think the… our colleagues at OCHA do a great job in updating these appeals and adapting them as things move along, but humanitarian aid is the Band‑Aid. For a lot of these crises, it's about resolving the underlying issues.
Question: Can I follow up on that, before we shift…?
Spokesman: Go ahead.
Question: I mean, I know it's… you can look outside the building and look at the crises and say they're the problem, but I'm sure these persistent shortfalls cause some sort of inward reflection. Is there a communications problem in the urgency… stressing the urgency? Are countries just saying their budgets are tight? I wonder what you guys see as any of the problems that might have to do with what's happening here.
Spokesman: I don't… one can always communicate better, but we have crises that are very much in the public eye: Syria, Iraq, Yemen. We have other crises that are more forgotten, like Nigeria, the crises all over the Sahel. I think there is a sustained and continued effort by the UN to keep donors appraised [apprised]. And we very much understand that we also live in a world where there are other demands on national budgets, where we often see national budgets contracting, that there are a lot of competing demands. One second. Joe, you… both of us were right, in a sense. Mr. de Mistura is… [Laughter] It's the UN. [Laughter] Mr. de Mistura is here, but he is seeing the Deputy Secretary‑General. But I will check with him if he's available to speak to you in one form or another. Majeed and then Matthew.
Question: Well, Stéphane, you… you listed the… the… countries of forgotten conflicts. I think it's fair to say that Iraq is part of it, because just today, a kid in a refugee camp near Erbil froze to death because of the lack of blankets in those camps. And this is, of course, as you mentioned, because of lack of funds, but also, one of the reasons, according to humanitarians on the ground in Iraq, is… is lack of international attention. Why the Secretary‑General himself or Mr. O'Brien don't… don't focus more on Iraq, especially with the occupation in Mosul?
Spokesman: I think we… You know, I think, as seen from those who are suffering, every crisis is important and every crisis deserves attention, and we firmly believe that. And that's why we try to bring attention to every crisis in the world. We mention Iraq here almost on a daily basis. We mention… we try to mention Nigeria, the Sahel. We try to mention every crisis. Everyone needs to help. The reality is, unfortunately, is that, whether it's the international community or the global media or whatever, some pay attention to one crisis more over another. Our job here is to make sure that no one is forgotten and no one is left behind. Mr. Lee?
Question: Sure. I want to ask you about the… the announcement you made of the sexual abuse in the CAR. My question is about the Burundian contingent. In around mid‑November, I'd asked, I guess… looked back at it; it was Farhan [Haq] that day, about specifically that number, 25 Burundians charged, because people inside the building knew that that was the number: 25. They said that there is strong evidence against them. So I'm wondering, now can you explain how after that date DPKO (Department of Peacekeeping Operations) wrote a letter to Burundi saying we're going to take 800 more peacekeepers; we're watching you closely. How is it consistent to be watching you closely… if 25 Burundian peacekeepers committed rape, isn't that grounds to not…
Spokesman: First of all, I think we're looking at accusations., right? I think… so that's… everyone deserves due process. We're talking about individuals, right, who may have committed horrible crimes, and if they did, they should face… they should clearly face justice. Following consultations with relevant offices within the system, the Secretariat has decided to continue with the deployment of Burundian troop battalion in the Central African Republic. The deployment of the Burundian troops will remain under close review based on the evolving situation in Burundi and cooperation with the UN. The conduct of Burundian troops in the Central African Republic will also be closely monitored. Just to give you an example, we reviewed the names of the new incoming Burundian troops. Nine individuals, for various reasons, were excluded at our request from the rotation. If you look back at Security Council Resolution 2272 on sexual abuse, it gives the UN the authority to bar troops wholesale from a country. We will… we've… we're in the middle of a process here. We… the UN has concluded what it is responsible for. We've concluded our investigations, and I would stress that, during those investigations, the national investigative officers from Burundi and Gabon were also present. Once we get the information back from those two countries to see what they have done, the sort of investigations they've done, the accountability they've done for each of these alleged crimes, we'll then consider whether the various provisions of 2272 apply. And at this point, we can't exclude any option, but we do need to let the process play itself out.
Question: But I have two… thanks. I have two follow‑ups. One is that… is that the UN… various parts of the UN system have… has… have been critical of the judiciary process in Burundi. For example, there are journalists missing. There are cases… and also, over the weekend, basically, a new… It seems that the… the Arusha Accord and the constitution are being overridden in terms of the makeup between Hutu and Tutsi in the army. This has been… I was going to ask you that separately from this. But, given the things that are going on, it seems… I understand due process, but from my understanding, the… I guess what I'm saying is this same number, 25, is what I'd heard three weeks ago. And so it seems like people in the system… and from what I was told, there's, in some instances, video evidence, cell phone video evidence. So due process or not, it seems like, how desperate is the UN for peacekeepers in CAR to continue to work with this battalion that has problems at home…
Spokesman: Whoa, whoa. We're not… Matthew, all the people that were accused, right, have been rotated out. They're gone, right? We're talking… the Burundian troops that are coming in are different units; they're different people. We've excluded people based on a review. It's clear that no one who is accused while the process is ongoing would be allowed back. And we expect the Burundian military to do an investigation and to bring the perpetrators to justice.
Question: But they can go to AMISOM (African Union Mission in Somalia), right? Just one last question. For example… that's why I've asked you before, about whether the UN is part of its financial support to AMISOM. Has any human rights review [inaudible]…?
Spokesman: The UN does not provide; the European Union does. Abdelhamid?
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. I have three short questions. First, if you have any success in contacting Mr. [Ali al] Za’tari in Aleppo.
Spokesman: Yes, we're trying to get him to brief you by phone, either tomorrow or Wednesday. And I know they… he's got a lot on his plate, but we definitely would like to bring him into this room virtually.
Question: Thank you. We also asked you who represented the United Nations in the funeral of Fidel Castro, but we didn't get…
Spokesman: My understanding is it's probably the Resident Coordinator. There was… but I will double check.
Question: And, lastly, there was a UN representative at the Fatah seventh conference in Ramallah, in the opening session, and do you have any feedback from the UN representative about the outcome of the conference?
Spokesman: The outcome played itself out. I haven't received any specific feedback yet, but as soon as I have something, I will share it with you. Olga, then Anna?
Question: Thanks, Stéphane. What information do you have on the shelling of Russian field hospital in Aleppo earlier today?
Spokesman: I will check. I haven't… we have not been given any information on that. But I will check.
Question: You haven't been given information from whom?
Spokesman: I haven't seen the report… I have not seen any reporting back from the field on this news item. Anna?
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. I have two questions based on two major issues that you mentioned in your report. First is about humanitarian appeal. As you mentioned yourself, roughly only 50 per cent was collected from the last appeal, and the experts say there is such an issue as a compassion fatigue amongst donors. What UN is going to do about that? Are there any incentives, or the programmes would be wrapped up? What's going to happen? And if this does not happen… let's be optimistic, but the worst‑case scenario… what's the plan B for this?
Spokesman: Well, two things. The incentive is the incentive to help people and to help the most vulnerable. That's the incentive.
Question: No, what I meant incentives for donors.
Spokesman: That should be the incentive for donors. I don't know what else to answer. The plan B… there is no plan B. If these… I mean, we've seen it… we saw it in… over, what, two years ago or a little less maybe when, because of lack of funds, WFP (World Food Programme) had to cut back on food rations to Syrian refugees in Jordan and Lebanon. That's plan B. And that's not a plan. Yep?
Question: My second question, if you'll let me.
Spokesman: I thought that was two. Go ahead.
Question: No. Just a short question. You mentioned this horrible tragedy with Central African Republic and the way UN was handling it. As we all know, the best way to handle crisis is to avoid it. Has the vetting and recruitment of UN peacekeepers changed all across UN's footprint since then? Thank you.
Spokesman: There is a continuous effort to increase training, right? We are seeing it now with increased training before deployment with continued refreshment training while being deployed. It's about prevention. And you're right. There are increased patrols in Dekoa in Kemo prefecture to ensure that the non‑fraternisation policies are put in place, that the curfews are watched. It's done by training of the trainers. It is done by senior military and civilian leadership of the mission travelling around the country, repeating the same message. The Deputy Secretary‑General was there not too long ago. He himself personally delivered that same message. And so there is a constant need and a constant effort, and there is constant improvement on how we try to prevent these things.
Question: So can we say it's become stricter than before?
Spokesman: I… it has been a constant process of improvement. Yes, in the back.
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. Japanese Prime Minister [Shinzo] Abe said he will go to Pearl Harbor later in the month with US President Barack Obama, becoming the first Japanese Prime Minister to visit the site. How would Secretary‑General react to it?
Spokesman: You know, what we can say, I think, is that such commemoration, such as the commemoration of Pearl Harbor, reminds us of the tremendous shared sacrifice and the huge price of victory over fascism paid through countless lost lives and devastating destruction. The terrible long years of World War II were a time of unspeakable atrocities of lost faith and lost humanity. The United Nations was founded at the end of this terrible conflict, this calamitous war that claimed the lives of millions. Out of the tragedy emerged a common resolve by the international community to come together and create the UN in order to foster international peace and security. As the UN Charter reminds us, the organisation's main purpose is to save succeeding generations from the scourge of war. Ms. Fasulo and then Oleg.
Question: Thank you, Steph. I have a question going back to Aleppo. I gather the draft resolution under consideration to date does not include groups viewed as terrorist groups, such as ISIS and al‑Nusra. So now going back to Mr. de Mistura and his remarks, I guess it's about a month ago, that he would escort 800 or 900 terrorists, I gather al‑Nusra, out of Aleppo, does he still stand by that? And are there any plans to sort of move that along?
Spokesman: I think there's, unfortunately, been no positive development on that front, on the various options that Mr. de Mistura put forward. As I mentioned, our colleagues… our humanitarian colleagues are trying to negotiate with the various armed opposition groups to try to gain access into the parts of Eastern Aleppo that they receive… that they need to access. It is clear that we would like to see all the guns fall silent, at least initially, for a pause to enable us to get aid to all those Syrians who need it, whether under Government control or not under Government control, but we have not seen that.
Question: But has the UN actually been in communication and discussions with [inaudible]…?
Spokesman: As I said, the UN has continued negotiations to get access to people in need in the parts of Eastern Aleppo controlled by armed opposition groups. Oleg?
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. There was a letter from the Syrian authorities couple of days ago to the Secretary‑General, I guess, or the Security Council of the UN saying that they're ready to provide safety… to ensure safety of the humanitarian personnel in the areas controlled by the Syrian Government, which are… that they are obviously gaining more ground in the Eastern Aleppo. Does this mean that the UN is preparing some sort of operation in these areas which are…?
Spokesman: Well, I think, as we've said, we have access to those… to the areas under Government control in Aleppo. If we need security guarantees, we will try to get them from the Government. But just a couple days ago, they were able to get… to assess the humanitarian situation in Jibreen and Hanano in East Aleppo, which had been recently retaken by the Government. The first step is to assess the situation and then get whatever aid we can to try to go in. And, as I mentioned also, on Friday we received this note verbale from the Government of Syria, which allowed us… indicated they had approved the December convoy plan. Now, the approval is one step. Obviously, we would like see all of that come to fruition. Mr. Lee?
Question: Sure. Wanted to ask you about, in South Sudan, a couple of things. The US has just put out a statement saying it's deeply concerned about tensions in Equatoria, and the numbers they use are 1,900 homes destroyed and 4,000 irregular ethnic militia introduced into Equatoria by the Government side, Dinka side. So I wanted to know, they say they're calling for a variety of things. But I haven't… what's the UN doing in terms of this deployment and the homes… and also what's the… what's the process for replacing Ms. [Ellen] Løj as SRSG (Special Representative of the Secretary-General)? Is that going to be done when the next Secretary‑General comes in, or has this process already begun?
Spokesman: The… the replacement… I don't have a time for the replacement as of yet. My assumption is that it will be done with the new Secretary‑General. Moustapha Soumaré is the acting SRSG, but the… obviously, the process of recruitment has begun. I don't expect an announcement before the end of the year. The situation in Equatoria is one that we ourselves have been flagging for quite some time and our… as others are increasingly concerned about the situation on the ground. Obviously, these are areas of which we have limited access.
Question: Can I also just… just… I don't know if you have this or not, but I've heard that the SPLA (Sudan People’s Liberation Army) border garrison at… to the DRC (Democratic Republic of the Congo) at Lasu has been taken over, i.e., that they're fighting in different parts of the country. Is there…
Spokesman: I do not have any reports from there. Okay. Yes, sir?
Question: When the SG is planning to go back to South Korea, to move his business…?
Spokesman: He plans to go back around mid‑January. Mid‑January. Not… I don't expect him to go back before mid‑January is the date he's indicated to us. Okay. Yes, sir?
Question: Sure. Just to… I wanted… one question about Bangladesh and then one follow‑up on Jane Holl Lute. On Bangladesh, there's been an… in an interview, the home minister, Khan Kamal, has denied there are forced disappearances because he's being asked whether opposition people are, in fact, being disappeared. And I know that last week you'd said that the UN is still… you know, there's no connection between the use of these emergency troops in South Sudan. So does the UN system have any comment on what are… are… what even journalists in Bangladesh are asking about as forced disappearances…? [Cross talk]
Spokesman: We've expressed our concern at some of the violence that we've seen, especially against bloggers and journalists. On Ms. Lute, you remind me that I should have told you that she was, indeed, named by the President of the United States to serve on the Board of Visitors of the US Military Academy at West Point. It is an appointment that she has cleared… it is a nonpaying appointment, and it is an appointment… an honourary… an honour she has cleared with the leadership here and has been fully transparent in… throughout this process.
Question: Because the announcement… my question… the reason… it says it's a key administration post, and so that was… overall, I guess… it was cleared on what basis? Can you be a key administration post…
Spokesman: I think it was… it's basically… I think that's the language the US Government used for all these appointments. What I'm saying, it is a nonpaying appointment and one that she has cleared with her superiors. Thank you.