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 afternoon, everyone
**London
We have been asked about yesterday’s London attack, and I can say that we condemn the terrorist attack in the vicinity of the Palace of Westminster. We extend our sincere condolences to the victims and their families, and express our solidarity with the people and the Government of the United Kingdom. We wish a speedy recovery to those injured.
**Climate Change
The Secretary-General spoke this morning at the high-level General Assembly meeting on climate change and the sustainable development agenda.
He said that climate change is an unprecedented and growing threat to peace, prosperity and to all of the Sustainable Development Goals.
The Secretary-General underlined that human activity is causing dangerous global warming, stressing that we are dealing with scientific facts, not politics.
He also spotlighted how addressing climate change is a massive opportunity that we cannot afford to reject. Not only is action now far cheaper than the cost of inaction, but the Secretary-General said that it can unlock vast potential economic growth in all regions and for all people. His full remarks are available online.
**Syria
The UN Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, is pleased to note that all invitees to the fifth round of intra-Syrian talks have arrived in Geneva. The Deputy Special Envoy, Ramzy Ezzeldin Ramzy, has begun preliminary informal consultations with them today.
The Special Envoy is returning later today to Geneva, having completed a series of consultations with international and regional stakeholders. He looks forward to formally engaging the invitees to the talks starting tomorrow.
The Special Envoy will be addressing the media at an early opportunity in the days ahead.
**Somalia
The Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Somalia, Michael Keating, briefed the Security Council this morning on the humanitarian crisis and risk of imminent famine engulfing Somalia.
Despite the persistent drought in the country, scaled-up humanitarian efforts meant that more people were being reached with food aid, nutritional support, health-care services and access to safe water, said Mr. Keating.
One of the most urgent challenges included the need for funding for immediate life-saving action, in particular for cholera response, which now affects 11 of the 18 regions.
Mr. Keating noted that there was optimism in the country, however, following the recent electoral process, which had created momentum for fresh political engagement amongst Somalis.
I also want to flag that later this afternoon the Secretary-General will deliver remarks at the Security Council when it meets on the situation in South Sudan.
**South Sudan
The head of the UN peacekeeping mission in South Sudan, David Shearer, visited Torit in Imatong State on Thursday. Community leaders reported to him that up to 75 per cent of people living in the state may have left their homes because they cannot get enough to eat.
Since July 2016, Torit has been considered a flashpoint by the UN after heavy fighting between Government and opposition forces . A combination of insecurity, armed robbery on state roads, a deteriorating economy and a lack of fuel has meant that subsistence farmers cannot grow the crops they need to survive, and other farmers cannot get their food to the market.
Mr. Shearer said that UN peacekeepers are mounting patrols in the state and are doing what they can to provide security and build confidence so farmers can return to their land. However, he said, unless all warring factions lay down their arms, peace will not be possible and the people of South Sudan will continue to suffer.
**Central African Republic
The UN Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) has received reports of heavy fighting between the FPRC [Front Populaire pour la Renaissance de la Centrafrique] and the UPC [Union pour la Paix en Centrafrique] in Nzako, some 50 km north of Bakouma in Mbomou prefecture yesterday.
The Mission conducted an aerial reconnaissance flight over Nzako and the surrounding areas, but was not able to locate the presence of armed elements. UN peacekeepers also conducted a patrol from Bria to Bakouma earlier today, after being unable to access the town earlier in the week following the deliberate destruction of a bridge. The UN Mission denounces the actions of armed groups which continue to cause instability in the country.
Separately, in Ndélé, the UN Mine Action Service (UNMAS) yesterday destroyed the entire stock of explosive ammunition collected since the onset of the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration programme in June 2016. The materials included some 60 grenades, 40 rockets and 1,000 ammunition clips.
**Refugees
UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi and the Government of Uganda today jointly appealed for urgent and massive support for the thousands of refugees from South Sudan who continue to arrive into Uganda every day; fleeing brutal conflict, compounded by the limited availability of food.
Uganda currently hosts more than 800,000 South Sudan refugees. Among them are some 572,000 new arrivals who have poured into Uganda in desperate need of safety and help since early July 2016. At the current arrival rate, that figure is expected surpass a million before mid-2017.
This month alone, more than 2,800 refugees have arrived in Uganda from South Sudan daily.
**Madagascar
The UN and humanitarian partners are appealing for $20 million to address the devastating consequences of Cyclone Enawo that struck Madagascar earlier this month.
At least 250,000 people in the worst-affected areas require urgent life-saving humanitarian assistance and protection.
Among them, some 20,000 families who lost their homes need emergency shelter and more than 100,000 children whose schooling has been disrupted need temporary learning spaces.
Our humanitarian colleagues stress that up to 85 per cent of planted subsistence crops were lost in some areas, while more than 1,300 wells — the major source of household water — are flooded and contaminated.
**Peru
Regarding flooding in Peru, an 11-member UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination team has been fully deployed to five locations in the three main affected provinces of La Libertad, Lambayeque and Piura.
Peruvian authorities are concerned about possible new floods and landslides and have asked the population in at-risk areas to be on alert for possible evacuation orders.
**Tuberculosis
Tomorrow is World Tuberculosis Day, and on that occasion, the World Health Organization (WHO) is launching new ethics guidance to help ensure that countries implementing the End TB Strategy adhere to sound ethical standards to protect the rights of all affected.
TB, the world’s top infectious disease killer, claims 5,000 lives each day.
The heaviest burden is carried by communities which already face socioeconomic challenges: migrants, refugees, prisoners, ethnic minorities, miners and others working and living in risk-prone settings, as well as marginalized women, children and older people.
More than a third of people with TB — that’s 4.3 million people — go undiagnosed or unreported. More information is available on WHO’s website.
**Cyprus
I have an update on the investigation into an allegation of theft by UN peacekeepers with the force in Cyprus, UNFICYP:
UNFICYP has completed its investigation into this matter. Based on the findings, one member of the mission's military component has been repatriated on 11 March and referred for court-martial in his home country. The UN holds its personnel to the highest standards, and has a zero-tolerance policy concerning criminal misconduct.
**Honour Roll
Romania is today joining the Honour Roll, becoming the sixty-sixth Member State to have paid its dues in full.
**Press Briefing
And for briefings, tomorrow, Mr. Hervé Ladsous, Under Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, is going to be our guest at noon for his farewell press conference.
**Questions and Answers
And that is it for me. Yes, Oleg?
Question: Thank you, Farhan. On the Cyprus incident, what happened with the other three members of the mission over there? I believe there were three of them.
Deputy Spokesman: Yes. And the information I have is simply this: that, like I said, one person was repatriated and has been recommended for court‑martial.
Question: And what is the country… just follow‑up. What's the country?
Deputy Spokesman: You'd have to check with my peacekeeping colleagues. They have not shared that name.
Question: Can I follow up? What is the reason that you cannot say what is the country? We are talking here about transparency. This kind of secret, State secret, UN secret, what?
Deputy Spokesman: No, it's not a State secret. They've dealt with the country concerned. I'll check with my colleagues in DPKO [Department of Peacekeeping Operations], but they have not provided that in the note they gave me. Yes?
Question: Yes, Farhan. On this climate change the Secretary‑General was speaking about in the General Assembly, again, has the climate… has the Secretary‑General decided what kind of messages he can… going to take to the… if he meets the President of the United States, Donald Trump, who has basically suggested that he does not really think there is something like the climate change going on? So what is it that he can do to change his mind or change the mind of the Trump Administration?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, I'd just refer you to the full text of his speech. I think it's a very clear argument about the need to deal with climate change. And, by the way, one of the points he's making is that dealing with climate change now can help to unlock vast potential economic growth in all regions, and that is something that all Governments and all businesses will be interested in. Yes, Joe?
Question: Yes I'd like to ask you questions relating to the budget. First of all, if you can give us now or provide to us, if there's any net increase in personnel hired or engaged by the UN since the new Secretary‑General took office and, if so, what the dollar amount of that would be. Secondly, I think an issue arose in the last couple of days about some individuals, senior management of the 38th Floor, who are… either have been engaged or shortly will be engaged even prior to the regular budget approval. I'd like to get some more information about that. And the context in which I'm asking the question is: The UN is making various appeals, humanitarian appeals. The cholera appeal in Haiti, apparently, only has a couple million dollars, if that, very far short of the goals. So my question is, if there's additional hiring, why can't some of that money, instead, from the UN's existing budget, be applied to help out with the relief of the cholera epidemic that the UN has now admitted it was at least partly responsible for? Thank you.
Deputy Spokesman: Well, first of all, as you know, all of our money, all of the UN's money, is provided to us by Member States. And when they provide it, they provide it for specific purposes. So, ultimately, how we dispatch that money and for what particular causes or purposes it's put to use is part of the process that we have to get approved from the Member States. Regarding any of the expenses of the Executive Office, the Executive Office will be in dialogue with the relevant budgetary committees to make sure that they're paid for. There's no intention to have a net increase in UN Secretariat expenses as a result of this, though.
Question: Well, just to follow up, are you saying that there is no discretion within the UN's regular budget to move money around? I thought you had said yesterday that before the regular budget is approved by the appropriate committee that the UN will be able to find some money to pay these individuals on the 38th Floor in the interim. My point is and then why wouldn't the Secretary‑General go to the Member States and ask for permission if there is no such discretion to take money already… already provided to the UN and, rather than add personnel, to help alleviate crises like in Haiti? That's what I'm asking.
Deputy Spokesman: Well, that's part of a dialogue that he would have with the Member States. If we cannot find member… money one way, we would have to find it in a different way. You'll have seen the letter he wrote to the Member States concerning that. Right now, of course, what we are looking for is voluntary contributions. If those do not come in, we'll have to reassess the situation at that point. But all of our… all of the budgetary expenses that the UN has are expenses that have to be approved through a process that involves, as you know, the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ) and then, ultimately, the Fifth Committee, which is the committee of all the Member States. Yes?
Question: Sure. I have a follow‑up on that, but I wanted to ask you first about the… this report that the UN peacekeepers in the Central African Republic of MINUSCA used schools as military bases in… contrary to everything that's been called for, both by Gordon Brown and others. Is it true? And, if so, why did they use it? And who… what are going to be the accountability repercussions for those who, in the name of the UN, used schools as a military base?
Deputy Spokesman: Okay. First of all, as of now… since the end of January 2017, no MINUSCA peacekeepers occupy any schools as barracks or bases. What did happen is that, in 2016 and early 2017, UN peacekeepers occupied two schools for a short period of time in the west and the centre of the Central African Republic while implementing protection of civilians operations. The schools were located in De Gaulle in the Ouham‑Pendé prefecture and Mourouba in the Ouaka prefecture. At that time, MINUSCA peacekeepers settled in De Gaulle while separating 3 R and anti‑Balakas armed elements. In Mourouba, the school was no longer in use, and the community had fled due to clashes between ex‑Seleka UPC and FPRC in the area. MINUSCA troops vacated the school of De Gaulle in November 2016 and Mourouba in January 2017. On both occasions, MINUSCA command force ordered the immediate evacuation of the schools once it was observed that troops had located bases in the schools.
Question: But when… I mean, it sounds from the first one… the way you described the first one you're sort of saying, because they were engaged in protection of civilians, somehow it was okay. How did the commanders not know where their soldiers were… were operating from? And… and is the UN saying it is okay if your motives are pure to use a school as a military base?
Deputy Spokesman: No; in fact, we have a directive on the protection of schools and universities against military use. And as a result of that and as a result of other things, including, by the way, the Conventions on the Rights of the Child, we have made it clear that no MINUSCA peacekeepers are to occupy schools and barracks or bases and none of them are doing that.
Question: But who decided to go in… in the first instance, it was actually a school that was in use. Who… at what level of command did they decide to use it as a base? How long did it take for MINUSCA to understand where its troops were operating from? And what's going to happen to the person who… presumably, they didn't just wander in disorganized and start using it.
Deputy Spokesman: The point to be made is that all troops have been advised about the directives. It's… we've tried to make it clear that anyone when… including, by the way, when armed groups are occupying schools, they're also requested to leave. And we have a directive out now that is… makes it very clear that MINUSCA forces are requested not to use schools for any purpose and that abandoned schools which are occupied should be liberated without delay in order to allow educational authorities to reopen them as soon as possible. Masood?
Question: Yes, Farhan. In the aftermath of this London attack by this Islamic terrorist, does the Secretary‑General has any ideas or anything that can be done to somehow promote a culture of understanding or the re… interreligious dialogue even more, under more urgent basis? Because it seems that we keep on having this interfaith dialogue. Nothing's going to… nothing's working. What is it that can be done? Can the Secretary‑General himself come up or appoint a panel to somehow bridge the gap and these contradictions between the religions, can be somehow bridged in order to make sure that these kind of attacks do not take place? Although, I mean, that's… that's the dream or a fantasy, but I mean, it seems that it can be worked on.
Deputy Spokesman: On that, as you know, we do have an initiative and an office in the UN concerning the Alliance of Civilizations. And we have a High Representative for the Alliance of Civilizations who tries to bring different cultures together, and we hold different events throughout the year, also trying to encourage tolerance and understanding among different communities.
Question: But the thing is that these sorts of attacks that are happening are now going above the purview of this Alliance of Civilization. It seems that they… it is still sharpening the contradictions between the West and the so‑called Islamic radical… radical Islam.
Deputy Spokesman: What… one of the things we think is important is to dissociate the acts of extremists from the people of all the religions and cultures of the world. Ultimately, there is a UN Plan of Action for dealing with and preventing violent extremism, and we want the nation‑states of the world to focus on that while, at the same time, maintaining the dialogue among cultures and among civilizations that can keep the broader public in communication with each other. Yes?
Question: Sure. I wanted to ask, yesterday, the Secretary‑General had two… had a meeting with the bureaus of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People Committee and also of the OIC [Organization of the Islamic Conference], and I wanted to know, can you give a readout of either of the two meetings, particularly the latter one?
Deputy Spokesman: It's just part of his dialogue with Member States. They discussed many of the recent issues that you're aware of.
Question: On the way up, the OIC contingent told me that they were going to raise Rohingya and Myanmar. Is that… was that raised? And what is the plan of the Secretary‑General on the issue of the Rohingya?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, I think you're aware of the work that we've been doing regarding that, and we have… and we continue to pursue that issue with the Government of Myanmar, and we'll continue to keep you updated as that progresses.
Question: Did the issue of the… of the ESCWA [Economic and Social Commission for West Asia] report… I wanted to ask you two things. One, there's an N… 21 NGOs have issued a letter that they say was delivered to the Secretariat. Has that been received? And, if so, are you going to be responding to it? And, two, I may have missed it at the beginning of the… of the… of the briefing, given the Boris Johnson stakeout, but did you announce a trip by the Secretary‑General to Jordan?
Deputy Spokesman: I announced a trip to Jordan yesterday. So you missed it by a day.
Question: Okay. That's great. Well, then let's get back to this. Have you received the letter from the NGO… the NGO groups? And did either of the two meetings touch on the ESCWA report?
Deputy Spokesman: Yes, there's been some discussion on that. You're aware of what our views are. There's nothing new to say about that particular report since last week.
Question: Okay. And I… on a budget question, what I wanted to know is… I actually have a brand‑new question, but in your response earlier, you said that all money has a purpose. So I wanted to know, yesterday, you said that a UNOPS (United Nations Office for Project Services) fund was used for somebody on the 38th Floor. What fund of UNOPS was that… did that come from? And was the donors to that fund… did they say use it on the 38th Floor, or was it some type of an open‑ended fund? Can you find that out?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, that's all the information… the information I provided yesterday was all the information I got from the Office of Project Services. If they provide anything more, I'll let you know.
Question: And the other question is this…
Deputy Spokesman: Hold on. Yeah?
Question: Farhan, I… I… sorry. I'd asked you about this Israeli attack inside Syria, and you had said that you still don't have… do not have any details as to what happened. But that seems to now expanding, that attack and its ramifications are expanding. Has the Secretary‑General's representative or United Nations thought about that?
Deputy Spokesman: We have no further comment. Obviously, we want to see an end to all military activities in Syria, and that's what we're striving for, including with the Geneva talks, but there's no specific comment on that, no. Yeah?
Question: Sure. So I wanted… you said that these… these new posts are all discussed with budgetary bodies, meaning, I guess, the Fifth Committee or ACABQ. And I've checked, and my understanding is, with ACABQ, they're only told of extra budgetary, meaning non‑regular budget posts if they're at the USG [Under-Secretary-General] or D [Director] level. They're not told of the P [Professional]. They're not… if… if… if the 38th Floor is able to get funds, whether from UNDP [United Nations Development Programme] or UNOPS or UNEP [United Nations Environment Programme] or any other fund, ACABQ is not told. So I'm… I'm wondering, you seem to indicate that they… they had all the information. Also, they don't share the information with Member State. They don't represent Member States. They're an advisory committee that issues reports down the road. So how would you explain this… this seeming kind of… have you disclosed the… the P staff on 38 paid by extra budgetary resources to any budgetary body?
Deputy Spokesman: No, no, all of the relevant information for all UN staff, by the way, not just Executive Office, but throughout the system, all that goes through both… either the Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions or the Fifth Committee. So they get the relevant documents.
Question: Is the UNOPS‑funded person a UN staff member?
Deputy Spokesman: I just told you what information they had yesterday. I don't have anything further on that.
Question: And the last one's a bigger question. I've heard…
Deputy Spokesman: Hold on. Linda?
Question: Thank you, Farhan. This is also a money issue, so to speak. Regarding the proliferation of appeals for aid — you know, the growth of it is amazing — I was wondering if the UN has put in place or how it evaluates the costs of various projects, such as, you know, the cost of humanitarian goods, hiring of staff and their… you know, their fees, reconstruction costs, because some critics, you know, complain that, number one, there's tremendous corruption in many of these conflict areas and, number two, are there… is there special personnel who really can evaluate and help bring down the costs, you know, basically try to get good deals because the UN buys so much?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, that is, in fact, what our procurement officials try to do — is that they try to make sure that they can get the most cost‑effective supplies and services whenever we are undertaking these. But, in all of our operations, including humanitarian operations, there are trained procurement people who look into this and try to see what savings we can have.
Question: Can I ask a follow‑up on that? because… and correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe several years ago, there was a division within the procurement group that had pretty expansive audit powers, and they did uncover a number of instances of corruption, but that… that group, from what I was told, was mostly disbanded. So…
Deputy Spokesman: The functions of that group were then folded into the Office of Internal Oversight Services [OIOS].
Question: Not… not… not… not completely, as far as the information I have. It was pretty much curtailed and diffused. So are you saying that… on the record, that that entire division's function has now been re… replaced, replenished, same level of funding, same staffing, same authority?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, what happened, if you look back to the decisions by the Member States, the General Assembly chose not to extend the Procurement Task Force. But, instead, they authorized the Office of Internal Oversight Services to take over its functions. This happened some years back.
Question: But, again, what I've been told is that conditions on procurement have worsened since that decision. So has the Secretariat gone back to see if… whether it can revive that task force? I mean, it just goes to Linda's question and also my prior question that, you know, if there's a fair amount of waste inside the UN or budgets that continue to increase for staffing and then you go around… the UN goes around, not you personally, you know, with a tin cup in hand and keeps asking Member States to… to… to come up with more money for Haiti and so forth, there seems to be a disconnect. And that's one of the issues, I believe, that the Trump Administration has… has zeroed in on. So could you just comment on that?
Deputy Spokesman: The UN's operations, including its humanitarian operations, are frequently audited and well audited. Our performance, I would say, ranks with the highest standards of organizations. When there are findings of fault, including some years back by the Procurement Task Force, we follow up on that immediately, because it's very important to us that our operations have credibility. The decision on the Procurement Task Force, mind you, if you look back on that, that was a decision taken by the Member States of the General Assembly. So I'd refer you back to that. It's… ultimately, all of our operations rely on having the approval of the Member States.
Question: But with the new Secretary‑General's focus on transparency and on rooting out waste and… and potential corruption and… and… and dedication to reform of the UN, wouldn't he have the authority and, I would… and responsibility if he sees it necessary to go back to the Member States in some manner and… and ask for reconsideration of the disbanding of that task force?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, that's an evaluation he would have to make depending upon whether the existing oversight bodies function properly or not. And he is examining the way the UN system works. If there's any need for further reforms or further steps, he'll take that in… you know, he'll take that into consideration. But, ultimately, the point right now is to see how the existing systems work. Yes?
Question: Sure. I have something on that, but first, I just… I wanted to ask you, in Zimbabwe, various opposition parties, including MDC (Movement for Democratic Change), Morgan Tsvangirai, called for a UN role in the upcoming elections having some… forming some type of election management body. Is the UN aware of that call, and is the UN… what's their thought on it? Could they do it?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, as you know, our electoral role depends upon requests from Member States. We'll have to see what sort of requests we get.
Question: And I wanted to ask you, overall, I've heard that there's a proposal by the Secretary‑General to begin getting funding currently that goes to UNDP for the resident coordinator system to get some of it devoted to the Secretariat itself given its… the work it expands, in any case, to take an income stream that currently goes through UNDP and bring it to the Secretariat… to the Secretariat. And I'd like you… maybe you know or don't know. Can you get an answer and… and… I guess you might wait until tomorrow, but it seems like it's a major proposal. You're talking about, you know, he's thinking of reforms. If he's trying to get in money by changing the way the resident coordinator system works, can you confirm that that is the plan?
Deputy Spokesman: No, I cannot confirm that.
Question: So he's not… meaning it's not happening or you refuse to confirm or deny this reform…?
Deputy Spokesman: No I don't have any details to share on that. There's any number of different proposals that may or may not be considered. But I don't have any confirmation of whether that's… that's…
Question: QCPR… [Quarterly Comprehensive Periodic Review]
Deputy Spokesman: Yes, but different things may be up for discussion. Whether they advance or not, it's too early to tell. I don't have any confirmation of that. It's certainly not policy right now.
Question: But wouldn't you want to say why you would want to do it? I mean, that's what I'm asking… I'm sort of asking you, if that's the proposal, why does he want to do it?
Deputy Spokesman: When these discussions take place, they take place among different Member States. I wouldn't have anything to say at this stage about them. Ultimately, it… ultimately, what I get to announce is what's resolved. Have a good afternoon, everyone.