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.
**Central African Republic
Earlier today, the Secretary-General met with President [Faustin-Archange] Touadéra and members of his cabinet in Bangui. The President and others briefed the Secretary-General on the national reconstruction and consolidation plan in the Central African Republic. Speaking to the press afterwards, the Secretary-General saluted the Government’s efforts to consolidate peace in the country and pledged the UN’s support to the extension of national institutions. He also pleaded with the international community not to abandon the Central African Republic. Everyone needs to be mobilized to help the country build the future its citizens deserve, he said.
Later in the morning, at the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) headquarters, the Secretary-General met with Ambassadors from the African Union and the Economic Community of Central African States. He then had a separate meeting with local religious leaders and civil society leaders. He told them how much the Central African Republic needs a strong and vibrant civil society. He also reiterated his zero tolerance for any sexual abuse or exploitation by UN personnel. The Secretary-General outlined his new approach, including a closer partnership with troop-contributing countries. He also introduced to them Jane Connors, the new Victims’ Rights Advocate, who is accompanying him.
The Secretary-General then met with representatives of political parties. He told them that the current situation in the country can only be solved with a political solution, which cannot be imposed from the outside. The Secretary-General then received a briefing from the European Union on its training mission of the armed forces of the Central African Republic. He also held a meeting with over 100 members of the UN military and police contingents at M’poko airport. In his discussion, the Secretary-General told them of his pride at being their colleague and for the work they are doing for the people of the Central African Republic. He also stressed that the UN’s conduct in the country had to be exemplary and that as we protect vulnerable populations, we also need to protect their human rights.
Last night, the Secretary-General met with victims of sexual exploitation and abuse by UN personnel. In a tweet, he said he was deeply moved by this meeting. All they seek is justice, and he is determined to fight impunity, he said.
**Syria
Staffan de Mistura, the Special Envoy for Syria, briefed the Security Council by video teleconference this morning on the situation in that country. He stated his intention to resume the negotiations in Geneva on 28 November. He called for an intensified engagement among key players to support the Geneva process and stressed the need for the parties to come to Geneva ready to negotiate. Mr. de Mistura emphasized that after the developments in Raqqa and Deir ez-Zor, it is time to move ahead on the political track. And he said any initiative should be judged on the basis of how it can contribute to the Geneva process. And today, the Syrian Arab Red Crescent delivered humanitarian assistance provided by the UN to the hard‑to-reach towns of Yalda, Babila and Beit Sahem in Rural Damascus.
The aid consisted of food, nutrition, health, hygiene and other emergency supplies for 35,000 people in need. The UN continues to call for safe, unimpeded and sustained access for close to 3 million people in hard-to-reach and besieged areas, including the facilitation of medical evacuations in line with international humanitarian law and international human rights law.
**Yemen
Emergency Relief Coordinator Mark Lowcock today visited the port of Hudaydah in Yemen, where most food items and fuel are imported to the country. Mr. Lowcock visited malnourished children at a hospital in Hudaydah. In all of Yemen, there are some 1.8 million malnourished people, including nearly 500,000 children under the age of 5 who are suffering from severe acute malnutrition. He also met with internally displaced people in the Abs District of Hajjah Governorate, home to nearly 100,000 displaced people. In the entire country, more than 2 million people have been displaced.
**Iraq
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that civilians continue to flee their homes in northern Iraq, with at least 166,000 people currently being displaced, the majority from Kirkuk. Aid workers are helping people in need where they have access, providing food, water, blankets and other supplies. Mobile teams are providing health care. Also in Iraq, the Office estimates that 50,000 people have been affected by military efforts to re-take the Da’esh-held districts of Ru’ua and Ka’im in western Anbar, which began today. Aid agencies are ready to help people fleeing the area.
**Lebanon
The UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon, Sigrid Kaag, has concluded today her assignment in Lebanon, in order to join the Cabinet of the Government of the Netherlands. Ms. Kaag will serve as Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Cooperation. Upon her departure, Ms. Kaag said that Lebanon is a model of coexistence and diversity for the region and she hopes it will continue the path towards sustainable peace, stability, security and development. The Deputy UN Special Coordinator, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Philippe Lazzarini, will serve as Officer-in-Charge of the Office of the UN Special Coordinator until further notice.
**Afghanistan
And I want to flag that Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Miroslav Jenèa visited Afghanistan from 24 to 25 October. He met with Chief Executive Abdullah and Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani, among other senior officials. Assistant Secretary-General Jenèa assured the Government that the UN is ready to assist, if requested, in any renewed efforts to support an Afghan-owned and Afghan-led peace process. Preparations for the second meeting for the Kabul process on peace and security is set to take place in January 2018.
**Human Rights
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights launched in Montevideo a new and deeper cooperation plan to address the protection of human rights defenders. In 2016, 3 out of every 4 recorded murders of human rights defenders worldwide took place in the Americas, and 41 per cent of these killings were of people standing up against extractive or development projects, or defending the right to land and natural resources of indigenous peoples. The joint action plan includes a study of the measures countries in the region have in place and the production of a manual of best practices to protect human rights defenders.
**Migration
In Ethiopia, the intergovernmental process to adopt a global compact for safe, orderly and regular migration continued today in the capital, Addis Ababa. In her remarks to the regional forum, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for International Migration, Louise Arbour, said that we must recognize that today, most States are at once countries of origin, transit and destination. She used the example of Africa, where 52 per cent of migrants from African countries moved to other African countries, with most of this migration occurring between neighbouring countries. She also emphasized the importance of an increased variety and scope of legal pathways for non-refugee migrants to access labour markets, which will help achieve the New York Declaration on Migrants and Refugees, as well as the Sustainable Development Goals.
**Press Briefings
In a short while, I will be joined by Manos Antoninis, Director of the Global Education Monitoring Report of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and Professor Jeffrey Sachs, Director of the Earth Institute at Columbia University and Sustainable Development Goals Advocate. They will brief you on the global launch of UNESCO’s flagship annual education report. Before that, of course, we will have Brenden Varma, Spokesperson for the President of the General Assembly. Afterwards, at 1:15 p.m., there will be a briefing here by Michael Lynk, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967. Then at 2 p.m., there will be a briefing by the Commission of Inquiry on Burundi.
Then tomorrow at 9:45 a.m., Ambassador Matthew Rycroft of the United Kingdom will speak to press at the Security Council stakeout. Then, at 10:30 a.m., there will be press briefing by Tomas Ojea Quintana, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. And at 12:30 p.m., there will be a press briefing by Agnes Callamard, Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions. And at 2 p.m., there will be a press briefing by Vitit Muntarbhorn, Independent Expert on protection against violence and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. And that’s quite a lot. Before we get to Brenden and our guests, is there anything for me? Yes?
**Questions and Answers
Question: Sure. I wanted to ask you, on… on Myanmar and the UN's presence there, the Special Rapporteur, Yanghee Lee, in a press conference this morning, you know, acknowledged that the UN had asked for an Assistant Secretary‑General to replace Ms. [Renata] Lok‑Dessallien and had been rejected by the Government. She's… would be in a position to know. So, I take… given that, can you say, one, why hasn't… why… you know, can… will you confirm it as a Secretariat representative? And where does it stand… given that we're now 26 October and the… the Resident Coordinator is leaving by the end of the month, where does it stand in terms of having a replacement? What did Mr. [Jeffrey] Feltman leave the country… what was his understanding in terms of who would be running the country team in less than a week?
Deputy Spokesman: I do expect, in the coming days, we'll be able to have an announcement about who will be the Officer-in-Charge of our operations in Myanmar. We're not at that stage yet, but, like I said, I do expect to have an announcement shortly, and we'll have the details at this point.
Question: Given that she's now said that an ASG [Assistant Secretary-General] was proposed… I'd asked you about Mr. Magdy of… of UNDP [United Nations Development Programme], whether he was the one, but it seems like… do you have a problem confirming that? She's also a UN system official or Special Rapporteur. Is she wrong?
Deputy Spokesman: I'm not going to dispute the words of the Special Rapporteur. We don't go into the discussions that we're having on various positions. Once we have an announcement to make, like I said, we'll make it. We're not at that point just yet. Yes. Carla?
Question: Thank you. Do you have any information… according to Associated Press reports, the DPRK [Democratic People’s Republic of Korea] sent a letter to Ambassador [François] Delattre requesting that the Security Council hold a meeting on an urgent basis because of the enormous amount of military ships, planes and evidently tactical nuclear weapons that are being sent to the vicinity of North Korea. They regard this as a… a very great threat, that they are about to be invaded. And as a follow‑up, there are also reports that the accrue… children's hospital in Pyongyang, as a result of the sanctions, is being denied medical equipment and medications, and what would the Secretary‑General have to say about that?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, regarding your first question, I'll leave it to Ambassador Delattre to confirm any letters that are going to him. If there's any request for us to circulate letters to the President of the Security Council, of course, we'll circulate it in due course. Regarding the question of sanctions, that's really something that's being monitored, as you know, by the Sanctions Committee dealing with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, which I believe is led by Italy. And so, it would be up to them to comment on that. Yes, Margaret?
Question: Farhan, last night, the US Vice-President said at a dinner for In Defense of Christians that the US is looking to shift some of its funding away from the UN to USAID. He called it in… ineffective UN relief efforts for persecuted and religious minorities in the Middle East and that… I guess the idea is, like, the Christians have left the areas where they're giving the money to you to take care of them. So, do you have any idea how much money this would be to UN operations? And other than maybe Iraq, what other operations would be affected, what other details you have?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, we're getting further details on this ourselves, but we're aware of these remarks, and regarding Iraq, what I would like to point out is that humanitarian assistance in Iraq, as in other contexts, is provided in an impartial manner on the basis of greatest need. The UN system maintains that humanitarian work will continue to provide assistance in Iraq on this basis and in line with humanitarian principles. So, that's where we stand as our point of principle. Yes?
Question: Want to ask about the Secretary‑General's trip and something on Kenya. On the trip, you'd used this phrase, you know, that he met with the victims, all to the good, and that he plans to end impunity. I wanted to ask now… this is the third time, and it seems like it should be pretty straightforward. Mr. Renner Onana was named in the UN's own report and in multiple press reports about it as having… being he was criticized in the report for the cover‑up, what was called… viewed as the cover‑up of sexual abuse. So, I wanted to know, given that there's a photograph that he got a promotion, is he still at the mission? And how do you explain it with the idea of… this is not about a Member State disciplining or not disciplining a peacekeeper. Was there some other finding outside of the UN's own report about what happened that exonerated him? What… what was done in terms of accountability?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, we're… like I said before, we're checking up on this. I don't have the details for you yet, but we've asked our colleagues for details about this particular situation. As you know, when we pursue accountability in cases involving staff, we do that also in line with following due process, which is also one of our standards.
Question: But, how can… you'd said yesterday that maybe he was still, I guess, on the payroll, but not in the country. Do they not know where he is? Was he given a promotion?
Deputy Spokesman: I'm trying to get details about what his precise status is. I don't have that yet. Yes?
Question: Thank you, Farhan. At the… Ms. Lee's press conference on Myanmar, she said China, above all other countries, has the most political and economic influence and ties with the general. Has the SG [Secretary-General], by any… has the SG, at any time, reached out to China on this?
Deputy Spokesman: The Secretary‑General has reached out to a wide range of interlocutors who he believes can be helpful in dealing with the situation in Myanmar and in Rakhine State. Yes, Linda?
Question: Thank you, Farhan. Following up on the Christian issue, I was wondering, given the UN's policy, what percentage of the people, for example, in… you know, out of the Syrian war, are Christian, you know, those have been… who have been referred for asylum?
Deputy Spokesman: I don't have the precise numbers on that. I believe our colleagues in Iraq would know some of the rough details, but we've been tending to groups from various minority communities, including Christians and Yazidi, and we've… and you've seen from the details we've given in recent years about the amount of aid we've given to those communities. And we're continuing to provide them, again, as I pointed out, on the basis of those most in need. Yes?
Question: Sure. I'll still… on… on the Secretary‑General's trip, I've seen a UN News Centre story, kind of a profile piece, very well… well put together about a UN police officer from Cameroon, and it's… it describes a day in the life and helping rape victims and stuff. But, I guess I wanted to know, given the issues that have actually taken place by the… the security forces of Cameroon this year, what vetting is in place by… by the UN in terms of these deployments? And I ask because, in the case of at least Burundi, it's said that there is… or was a staff member in Geneva that would actually, you know, go over the record of the individuals coming forward. Was this vetted? And, secondarily, I'm just going to ask again since tomorrow is Friday, is there any… is it a secure… is it… or do you know whether or not he's stopping in Cameroon? And if so, why wouldn't you say it given the interest there in it? Is it that there's some… is it… it's an Air France flight, so it doesn't seem to be a security issue. Is it that you… is it that he's not going to go? Is it that you don't know if he's going to go, or is there something that I'm missing here?
Deputy Spokesman: Until we're sure of what the Secretary[-General]'s schedule is, we don't announce things. So, we'll see… when there's something to announce, like I said, we'll make that announcement. We're not at that stage at this point. Regarding vetting, it's the same for Cameroon as it is for other contingents. We have vetting, including regarding human rights due diligence, that's done prior to the deployment of troops.
Question: Roselyn Akombe… this is the thing I wanted to ask on Kenya because it's about… so, I understand she doesn't currently… she was on leave of absence. Her Twitter page identifies her as UN Secretariat, New York. And my question is… although I don't necessarily… it's not a question of agreeing or disagreeing with the sentiment. She's tweeted "Boycott election KE", which is obviously… it's a well‑known hashtag in Kenya. It's… it's… it seems to be, pretty clearly, contrary to the staff rules or contrary to… I can't imagine an Ethics Office ruling that would say, while you're on special leave from DPA [Department of Political Affairs], you can tweet: boycott the election in Kenya. So, what I wanted to know is, one, while she's on special leave, is she supposed to identify herself as UN Secretariat? And two, is this consistent with whatever ethics exception was made at the request of Jeffrey Feltman to be tweeting "Boycott election KE" on the day of the election?
Deputy Spokesman: I wouldn't pronounce myself on anything that's an action by someone who is on leave. If there's an issue for them upon their re‑entry, we would have to resolve it with that staff member upon that point. At this stage, like I said, she's on leave until the end of this year. She… and so she does not act in UN capacity and shouldn't be identified as acting in a UN capacity.
Question: So, she should… that should be removed… I mean, I'm wondering… can you see why the public sees UN Secretariat boycott election…?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, what I'm saying, clearly, from here is that, at this point, she's not acting in a UN capacity. You know, she is on special leave without pay, and that's been clear. If… like I said, if there are any issues that the Ethics Office needs to deal with, I will leave it to them to handle that. All right. Yes, one more.
Question: Quick housekeeping question. The JIM [Joint Investigative Mechanism] report is due today. Has it, by any chance, crossed your desk or your office?
Deputy Spokesman: It has not. I normally see it after you guys get the leaks from the members of the Security Council. I'm told that it will go to them sometime this afternoon. Yes?
Question: Thank you, Farhan. This… Saudi Arabia and Yemen and death of the children in Yemen on… because of the… the Coalition attacks inside the Yemen, on death, of cholera, do you have… had any talks with the Saudi authorities about giving a respite to the people in Yemen on this latest talks?
Deputy Spokesman: Yes, in fact, we announced earlier this week that our envoy, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, was in Riyadh, where he raised up questions including the humanitarian conditions in Yemen with Saudi authorities. He met, among other people, with the Foreign Minister, Adel al‑Jubeir. And with that, let us go first to Brenden Varma and then to our guests.