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.
Good morning… good afternoon.
**Ambassador Churkin
At the start of his remarks this morning in the Security Council’s open meeting on crises in Europe, the Secretary-General paid special tribute to the late Vitaly Ivanovitch Churkin, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations, who passed away yesterday. The Secretary-General said that Vitaly Churkin was not only an outstanding diplomat, but an extraordinary human being. He said that his passing represents a deep loss for the United Nations, including in the Security Council, where his distinctive voice was ever-present for the past decade.
In a statement we issued yesterday, the Secretary-General said that Ambassador Churkin was a uniquely skilled diplomat, a powerful orator with great wit, and a man of many talents and interests. The Secretary-General said that he greatly appreciated the opportunity to work with him and will deeply miss his insights, skills and friendship. That statement is online.
**Security Council
The Secretary-General spoke today at the Security Council’s open debate on conflict in Europe, saying that such conflicts are not only a tragedy for those directly involved, but they are also reversing development gains and preventing communities and societies from achieving their full potential and contributing to regional and global prosperity.
Discussing the situations in Cyprus, the Balkans and Ukraine, as well as other areas, the Secretary-General said that no single factor can be blamed for the emergence and continuation of conflicts in Europe. He noted that in many cases, peace agreements are simply not being implemented. The international community should not take European peace and prosperity for granted, the Secretary-General warned, stressing that the transition towards a multipolar world is creating greater unpredictability and risk.
**Famine
The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned today that almost 1.4 million children are at imminent risk of death from severe acute malnutrition this year, as famine looms in Nigeria, Somalia, South Sudan and Yemen. UNICEF’s Executive Director, Anthony Lake, said that time is running out, but we can still save many lives as the severe malnutrition and looming famine are largely man-made. Our common humanity demands faster action, he said. There are more details on UNICEF’s website.
**Somalia
Drought has displaced more than 135,000 people inside Somalia since November 2016, according to data compiled by UNHCR [Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees], the Norwegian Refugee Council and other community-based organizations. Swift, substantial action and adequate funding are urgently needed to avoid famine and a repeat of 2011, when some 250,000 people died, more than half of them younger than five years old. In a joint statement, the World Food Programme (WFP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), along with the European Commission’s Joint Research Centre and the Famine Early Warning Systems Network warn that the country’s food crisis could be further exacerbated by a poor rainy season in 2017.
**Ethiopia
Still on the drought affecting the Horn of Africa, the Emergency Relief Coordinator Stephen O’Brien today released $18.5 million from the UN’s Central Emergency Response Fund to provide time-critical aid to more than 785,000 people in Ethiopia’s worst-hit Somali region. Over the past two years, the Response Fund has allocated a total of $47 million to aid operations in Ethiopia.
**South Sudan
From South Sudan, the head of the UN Mission in the country (UNMISS), David Shearer, has welcomed the renewed commitment made by President Salva Kiir during the opening of the country’s Parliament today to launch a national dialogue. The dialogue is aimed at uniting the people of South Sudan as well as improving security and consolidating peace, within the framework of South Sudan's peace agreement. Mr. Shearer reiterated the UN Mission’s position that the process has to be inclusive of all South Sudanese stakeholders to provide a useful contribution to the peace process. He also welcomed President Kiir’s pledge to ensure that all humanitarian and development organizations have unimpeded access to needy populations.
And a day after famine was declared in parts of the country, humanitarian organizations gathered today to launch the 2017 Humanitarian Response Plan, which appeals for $1.6 billion to provide life-saving assistance and protection to 5.8 million people across the country in 2017. Humanitarian organizations estimate that some 7.5 million people in South Sudan now need humanitarian assistance and protection. More than 5.5 million people will face severe food insecurity at the height of the lean season in July.
**Yemen
The Humanitarian Coordinator for Yemen, Jamie McGoldrick, said in a statement today that the escalated military offensive in Yemen's western coast has resulted in a further deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Yemen. He said that there are food shortages, rising food and fuel prices, disruption to agricultural production and other factors which have resulted in 17 million people — or 62 per cent of the population — being food insecure.
UNHCR and IOM [International Organization for Migration] warned today that unabated conflict and rapidly deteriorating conditions across Yemen are pushing millions of displaced Yemenis further into danger and adversity. Since the beginning of the conflict in March 2015, more than 11 per cent of Yemen’s population, some 3 million people, have been forced to flee their homes for safety. Almost two years later, prolonged hostilities and worsening conditions are now forcing 1 million of those uprooted to return to the homes from which they fled, despite danger and insecurity across the country.
Two recent reports show that there are currently 2 million internally displaced people across Yemen and 1 million IDP returnees; and that as conditions across the country further deteriorate, many more IDPs are contemplating a return home, where challenging security and socioeconomic conditions persist.
**Iraq
Initial indications are that the humanitarian impact of advances in the military push on western Mosul has so far remained limited, as security forces in Iraq have primarily moved through sparsely populated areas outside of the city, where civilians have reportedly already fled. There are as yet no clear indications on the numbers of civilian casualties resulting from aerial bombardment of western Mosul. A significant increase in trauma casualties is expected when military operations advance to the densely populated urban neighbourhoods, and displacement of civilians is expected to increase. Between 750,000 and 800,000 civilians are expected to remain in western Mosul.
With the new military operations under way in Mosul, UNHCR is focusing efforts on camp construction to shelter many of those who could be displaced by the renewed fighting. It’s estimated that up to 250,000 people could be displaced. Almost 217,000 people have fled hostilities since 17 October 2016, of whom around 160,000 are still displaced. Others have returned to their homes in newly retaken areas. But, the situation remains fluid and terrifying for those trapped or affected by the fighting.
**Libya
The UN [Support] Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) today issued a report analysing the trial in Libya of Saif al-Islam Qadhafi and 36 other members of Colonel Muammar Qadhafi’s regime. The report shows that this trial represented a major effort by the Libyan judiciary to hold people to account for crimes, including grave human rights violations during the 2011 revolution, but that it ultimately failed to meet international fair trial standards.
**Children
On the tenth anniversary of the Paris Commitments to end use of children in conflict, the UN Children’s Fund says today that at least 65,000 children have been released from armed forces and armed groups in a decade. Exact data on the number of children used and recruited in armed conflict are difficult to confirm. However, estimates show that, in the past 10 years, more than 20,000 children were released in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, nearly 9,000 in the Central African Republic, and over 1,600 children in Chad. Countries where child recruitment persists include South Sudan, Nigeria — where 2,000 children were recruited by Boko Haram in 2016 alone — and Yemen.
**Appointment
I have an appointment: today, the Secretary-General is announcing the appointment of François Louncény Fall of Guinea as his Special Representative for Central Africa and Head of the UN Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA). Mr. Fall has been serving as the Acting Special Representative for Central Africa since November 2016. More details are available in a biographical note in our office.
**Burundi
On Burundi, we were asked about allegations of human rights violations regarding an individual staff officer from Burundi deployed to United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) in January. Further to information received by the Secretariat regarding these serious allegations from 2015, prior to his deployment to MINUSCA, we have decided to repatriate the officer with immediate effect. The Permanent Mission of Burundi has been informed of this decision.
**Press Briefings
As for briefings today, after the noon briefing, you will have a briefing by the Secretary-General for the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), Mr. Lamberto Zannier. He will brief on the latest developments in Ukraine. And do we have questions before we head on to him? Yes?
**Questions and Answers
Question: Yes. Actually, I have two questions. The first is that the Secretary‑General said this morning in his remarks that, along with xenophobia and violent extremism, populism and nationalism he considered to be among the various causes of conflicts. And I need to get some clarification on this since the United Nations is based up… is based on membership by nation‑States, and national sovereignty is a cardinal principle in the UN Charter. And populism is defined as a political philosophy supporting the rights and power of the people in their struggle against the privileged elite. That's the dictionary definition. So, what does the Secretary‑General mean when he lumps populism, at least as it's normally defined, and nationalism, which is based on the nation‑State, with xenophobia and extremism as causes of violence? That would be my… causes of conflict. That would be my first question.
Deputy Spokesman: Well, I don't think he's using it in the broadest dictionary sense, as you were looking at. What he's talking about precisely is the use of the mobilization of groups against other groups. And so this has been a danger, not just in Europe but in many different parts of the world, where other groups, sometimes minority groups, sometimes migrants, other types of otherwise disadvantaged groups, are being targeted for political benefit by different political groups. So, we are drawing attention to that particular phenomenon as a problem. It's not that we are saying anything against the sovereignty of nation‑States. That's one of the core principles of the United Nations, and we respect that. At the same time, we want to make sure that groups are not singled out for hostility. And this has been happening too frequently, and this has become a concern in a variety of contexts.
Question: Well, xenophobia would probably cover that and extremism. So, that's why I'm wondering about the use of these additional terms that are more generic, like populism and nationalism. But, my second question is: I know the Secretary‑General has emphasized conflict prevention as a core theme of his term. Can you state a couple of very specific, concrete examples how the UN, over the last 70 years, has implemented successfully conflict prevention?
Deputy Spokesman: Sure. The one that comes to my head in recent years was our ability to mediate between Nigeria and Cameroon in the Bakassi Peninsula. The thing about conflict prevention is it's not a romantic idea, because once it succeeds, luckily, you get to avoid having a conflict, and it doesn't become something that's covered in the news media. But, there are many different times when, through the careful use of diplomacy, we are able to resolve situations, sometimes inside a country, sometimes between countries, in a way that makes sure that situations don't worsen.
Correspondent: Well, I… I'm looking at particularly the mechanism of mediation and where the UN was the primary driver through mediation, for example, of successfully preventing conflict. For example, in Cyprus, I know people are optimistic, but that's been going on for decades, and we haven't seen any successful result.
Deputy Spokesman: Yes, the example I gave you… the example I gave you of the Bakassi Peninsula was one in which UN mediation was central to the resolution of the issue. And of course, there have been other issues, as you know, when we welcome if different countries take their disputes, for example, to the International Court of Justice (ICJ). A lot of times, that itself is the result of mediators making sure that countries are aware of the other avenues that they can use so that different disputes are resolved in a way that is not a conflict‑based way. And of course, there are many times when we've worked within countries to make sure that, after elections or during the course of an electoral process, you are able to avoid conflict. The most recent example of that, just a few weeks ago, was when we interacted with our regional and sub-regional allies dealing with the situation in the Gambia. Yeah?
Question: Thank you, Farhan. I have two questions. One… the first, there is a… an Israeli soldier. His name is Elor Azaria, who [was] found guilty for shooting dead a Pal… a wounded Palestinian. His name is Abed al‑Fattah al‑Sharif in Hebron. It was shown all over the world. And he was sentenced to 18 months, while a Palestinian child, for throwing a stone, he can get a minimum of three years. Can the UN call that, forcefully, a kind of an apartheid State?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, regarding that, as you know, the UN respects the principle of judicial independence. We don't try to second‑guess the results of judiciary bodies as a general principle, and I won't do that in this case. We're certainly pleased that this case did go to court and there has been a court process. And beyond that, I wouldn't have anything to say about the sentencing. I am aware that different groups are concerned about disparities, and we hope that, in countries as a whole, steps are taken to avoid the perception of disparities in sentencing.
Question: My second question, there was a photo exhibit in the corridor between the Viennese Café and the bookstore. It was posted by the Israeli Mission. There are some photos which is listed under Israel that are taken and shot from the West Bank… occupied West Bank — Palestinian territories. How could the UN tolerate having a photo that is shot from the West Bank and be classified under Israel?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, regarding that, it's… that language for the exhibit is the language of the Member State involved, not the language of the UN. I believe that matter was raised to the attention of the Member State. And certainly, our policies regarding the occupation of the West Bank are unchanged by the language used by the Member State. But, it's… but with all these exhibits, the language ultimately is not our responsibility. It's used by the Member States itself. When there are issues, we raise them up, and we did so in this case. Yes, Mr. Abbadi?
Question: Thank you, Farhan. The Secretary‑General keeps emphasizing multilateralism as a major trend in the world. How does he see Brexit? Does he see that as a movement contrary to this general trend?
Deputy Spokesman: Obviously, there [are] a number of different forces in the world, and so multilateralism is not the only dynamic in the world. There are other dynamics at play. Regarding the situation in the United Kingdom, of course, this was a question of a vote taken by the UK population, and so we would not be… we would not have any further comment on what they themselves have decided. Yes?
Question: Thanks, Farhan. Going back to the campaign to liberate Western Mosul, it had been mentioned from the podium a few weeks ago that there was pre‑positioning of assets to help relieve some of the stress that civilians may encounter during this campaign. Can you give a more detailed update on the resources that have been pre‑positioned, whether any people to your knowledge have taken advantage of those resources, beyond the housing that you just mentioned?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, regarding that, yes, we did… we have pre‑positioned aid to different areas including… and we continue to try to have more than 2,300 cubic metres of water per day going to 30 different neighbourhoods in Eastern Mosul City. We've also got different camps located and being set up to provide refuge for the people who are leaving. The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, has eight camps open or completed at present and one under construction. The refugee agency is also planning for the start of work at another site south of Mosul, and there's some extensive details in today's UNHCR briefing notes about the facilities that they're providing for those who are fleeing the fighting. Yes?
Question: Sure. Two questions or at least to start with. Burundi and Cyprus. On Burundi, thanks for the… the… the answer… I guess this is… would be Mr. [Nicolas] Budigi. Can you confirm that the reason he's being repatriated has to do with his role in burning down Radio Publique Africaine? And what explains his… this wasn't caught during the first screening?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, I don't know why it was not caught at the initial screening. There have been some further look into the allegations against Mr. Budigi, and, as a result of that, he's being repatriated.
Question: So, he's… oh, he's there already. And he's being sent back?
Deputy Spokesman: Yeah. I believe that's happening. That's in course right now.
Question: And I wanted to ask you on Cyprus a general question and then something very specific. One is, where does it stand on the talks? It was the last… as of at least the last reporting, it may not restart because of the request by the Turkish Cypriots that the Cyprus President denounced this new law or… or get it repealed. So, want just an update on that. And the other one has to do with it's a very specific story in the press there that the… the Chief Financial Officer of UNFICYP [United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus] has been recently granted citizenship of Cyprus. And so the Turkish Cypriot side finds that strange and says this… I understand that… I guess he's an international civil servant but that what… what explains… what… is there any policy on… on host countries of peacekeeping missions giving citizenship to internationals that are based there? Thanks.
Deputy Spokesman: Well, I'd have to check about that. I'm not aware of someone taking… from UNFICYP taking Cypriot nationality, but I'll check on that. Regarding your initial question, our envoy, Espen Barth Eide, did meet with the parties late last week to continue discussions in terms of finding a way to bring them back together for talks. We don't have any new date for talks between the leaders to announce at this point. Yes, Mr. Abbadi?
Question: Thank you, Farhan. The body of Ambassador Churkin is being examined by the medical examiner here in New York City. Are there any suspicions about the cause of his death?
Deputy Spokesman: I wouldn't have any comment on that. That's really a question for the Russian Mission. We're not aware of the details about the cause of death, but some of this, I imagine, is standard procedure. Yes?
Question: Sure. Thanks a lot. There are two kind of interrelated questions. One is just, I guess… I remember I think it was about a week ago that you'd said that you don't speak for Ban Ki‑moon and et cetera. So, yesterday, I obviously couldn't help notice that you issued… you did speak for Ban Ki‑moon. So, what's the status of you speaking for Ban Ki‑moon?
Deputy Spokesman: No, no, we didn't. We were asked to transmit to the journalists a message that he had prepared just because of his long-time experience with Ambassador Churkin. This is not something that goes out as a statement of… by the UN. But, it was something where, given his experience with Churkin and given the fact that he knew that the reporters here knew that, he wanted to find some means of transmitting his condolences.
Question: Okay. And the other question has to do with this Ng Lap Seng case, which is moving towards trial. There was a letter filed yesterday by the… by the defence, by the lawyer for Ng Lap Seng, saying that they… they… they are disputing both that the UN has fully complied with the discovery request, and they're questioning why the discovery wasn't given to them as the defendant, but was instead given to the Government, whereas prior documents had been given directly to the defence. And they say they don't… it hasn't been explained to them. So, I guess I… what I'm wondering is, given that the UN talks about due process, et cetera, can you… I'm not assuming necessarily you'll know right now, but can you ask OLA [Office for Legal Affairs], given this public disputing of the UN complying and cooperating with the bribery case and giving the documents to the defendant that has requested them, what explains this change?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, I wouldn't have any comment about what other lawyers are saying on this, beyond saying that the United Nations has been complying with the requests made in this case.
Question: But, how about just… I guess… I guess you're saying… forget what they said. Is… can you confirm that the UN was providing in the past, it's the documents requested to the defence and has now changed policies and is only providing them to the Government, and what explains that?
Deputy Spokesman: What I can say is, on this matter, as we've been stating in the past and I'll reiterate it, that the requests that come from the judicial authorities in this case are ones that we are complying with. Yes?
Question: Sorry. Thank you, Farhan. There's a new story that President [Donald] Trump intends to roll back former President [Barack] Obama's regulations on climate change and water pollution. How is this going to affect this entire process?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, I don't want to speculate on what happens until it's happened. What we're hoping for is that all the Member States who have signed on to the Paris Agreement abide by its terms, and we certainly will work with all of the various Member States to make sure that the climate change agreements that have been reached are adhered to. Have a good afternoon… oh, wait. One more? Yeah. And then we'll…
Question: Just briefly. Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe has publicly expressed support for President Trump. Considering they run ECOSOC [Economic and Social Council] now, Zimbabwe, does this have any tie‑in there?
Deputy Spokesman: That's not something I'd have any comment on. Have a good afternoon, all.