Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary‑General
The following is a near‑verbatim transcript of today’s noon briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary‑General.
Good afternoon. After we’re done here, Brenden [Varma] will brief you on behalf of the PGA [President of the General Assembly].
**Zimbabwe
I have a statement on Zimbabwe: The Secretary‑General is closely following developments in Zimbabwe and calls for continued calm. He underlines the importance of resolving political differences through peaceful means, including through dialogue and in conformity with the country’s Constitution. The Secretary‑General welcomes the efforts initiated by the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to facilitate a peaceful solution to the situation. He remains in contact with the Chairperson of the African Union Commission and regional leaders in support of such efforts. The Secretary‑General reiterates the United Nations’ commitment to continuing to support Zimbabwe’s national efforts to consolidate democratic governance.
**Yemen
And turning to Yemen, in a letter to Saudi Arabia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, the Secretary‑General says that the blockade imposed by the Coalition since 6 November 2017 is already reversing the impact of humanitarian efforts. While he welcomes the reopening of Aden port, the Secretary‑General notes that this alone will not meet the needs of 28 million Yemenis. The United Nations calls on the Coalition to enable the resumption of United Nations Humanitarian Air Service flights to Sana’a and Aden airports, and the reopening of Hudaydah and Saleef ports so that fuel, food and medical supplies can enter Yemen. The Secretary‑General adds that, once the blockade of the ports of Hudaydah and Saleef as well as Sana’a airport is lifted, the United Nations stands ready to send a technical team to Riyadh to discuss the United Nations Verification and Inspection Mechanism, which was instituted with the aim of facilitating the unimpeded flow of commercial goods to Yemen. The United Nations will also then be able to dispatch a senior United Nations team, including humanitarian officials, to discuss arrangements at Hudaydah port and Sana’a airport.
And, also related to Yemen, earlier today, in a joint statement, the heads of the World Food Programme (WFP), United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) urgently called for the immediate lifting of the blockade in Yemen to respond to what is now one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world. While the Saudi‑led military coalition has partially lifted the blockade, the closure of many of the air, sea and land ports is making an already catastrophic situation worse, according to the heads of the three agencies. The space and access they need to deliver humanitarian assistance is being choked off, threatening the lives of millions of vulnerable Yemeni children and families. Even with a partial lifting of the blockade, WFP estimates that an additional 3.2 million people will be pushed into hunger. If left untreated, 150,000 malnourished children could die in the coming months. And there was also a statement along the same lines from the humanitarian community in Yemen.
**United Kingdom
And turning to the Secretary‑General, he is in London, where is just about to deliver a lecture at the School of Oriental and African Studies of the University of London on “Counter‑terrorism and human rights: winning the fight while upholding our values.” The event is being live‑streamed on the university’s Facebook page and will be available on the UN webcast page afterwards. Noting that modern terrorism has become an unprecedented threat to international peace, security and development, the Secretary‑General will say that terrorism is not only different in scale, but in nature. It has grown more complex, with new modus operandi, and is an assault on our security, and our very humanity.
He will add that the fight against terrorism will never succeed by perpetuating the same denial and destruction. Therefore, we must relentlessly fight terrorism to protect human rights, and not allow terrorism to challenge the fundamental principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter, National Constitutions and international law. The power of human rights to bond is stronger than the power of terrorism to divide. While in the UK, the Secretary‑General also held bilateral meetings with the Foreign Secretary, Boris Johnson, and the new Secretary of State for International Development, Penny Mordaunt. And he will be back here in New York at the office tomorrow around lunchtime.
**Russian Federation
The Deputy Secretary-General, meanwhile, attended the First WHO Global Ministerial Conference on Ending TB in a Sustainable Development Era. That conference is taking place in Moscow, co‑hosted by Russia's Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization (WHO). On the margins of the Conference, the Deputy Secretary‑General, accompanied by the head of WHO, had a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss active cooperation in tackling tuberculosis and other health issues. The Deputy Secretary‑General and the President also exchanged perspectives on the ongoing efforts to reposition the UN development system and the broader reform of the UN. A fuller readout will be available in our office.
**Peacekeeping
Meanwhile in Vancouver, Canada, the UN Peacekeeping Defence Ministerial meeting ended last evening. The event hosted more than 550 delegates from 79 countries and five international organizations. Forty‑eight delegations made new peacekeeping pledges and 54 countries endorsed the Vancouver Principles on the prevention of the recruitment and use of child soldiers in peacekeeping operations. A number of Member States came forward with “smart” pledges to deliver key capabilities to fill gaps in peacekeeping operations, such as engineering units, fixed and rotary wing aviation assets, quick reaction forces, rapidly deployable battalions, and medical capabilities. Commitments also included innovative pledges for better and more sustainable training and capacity‑building. These training efforts will help to ensure that peacekeepers can succeed in the difficult contexts into which they are asked to deploy.
Member States also pledged to increase the deployment of female troops and police officers. Canada has committed approximately $21 million to support the increased deployment of women, alongside technical assistance, the development of a systematic approach to increase women in peacekeeping, and research and monitoring. For details on all pledges made in Vancouver, you can check, there is more information on the Canadian Armed Forces’ Facebook page and a note to correspondents has been sent on our end.
**Syria
And turning to Syria, we continue to be alarmed by the high level of hostilities in besieged eastern Ghouta and Damascus. Yesterday, a building holding UN assistance, which had recently received in Douma, was reportedly impacted by shelling. While damage was reported to be limited and the main warehouse remained intact, such attacks on UN humanitarian stocks [are] inexcusable. At the same time, indiscriminate shelling on different residential neighbourhoods in Damascus resulted in civilian deaths and injuries. We continue to call for safe, unimpeded and sustained access to all people in need, particularly the three million people who live in hard-to-reach and besieged areas.
**Iran
And the World Health Organization (WHO) has airlifted trauma kits and medical supplies to Iran to support the treatment of thousands of people injured as a result of the recent earthquake on the border between Iran and Iraq. The supplies, enough to provide surgical care for up to 4,000 trauma patients, were transported from WHO’s emergency logistical centre in Dubai to Kermanshah province early this morning. They were immediately delivered to hospitals and other health facilities treating the injured. And on the Iraq side of the border, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that all affected areas have now been reached with some form of assistance. A UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination team is in Iraq upon request of the Government and will provide support to the authorities with assessments and coordination.
**Iraq
And staying in Iraq, our OCHA colleagues say that more than 181,000 people remain displaced in northern Iraq since mid-October. Most of these people are from the Touz district of Salah al‑Din governorate and from the Kirkuk and Daquq districts of Kirkuk governorate. Another 172,000 people who had fled their homes have since returned, most of them back to Kirkuk. The Government and aid agencies continue to provide life‑saving aid, including water, shelter, food, household items and medical assistance.
**Afghanistan
And the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) condemned today’s attack in Kabul’s Aspa Square that killed at least nine civilians, including one child, and injured at least 16 others. The head of the Mission, Tadamichi Yamamoto, said the attack is an act of terror and a serious violation of humanitarian law. At a time when Afghanistan is facing so many challenges and with so many Afghans yearning for peace, such attacks simply cannot be justified. The use of explosive weapons in civilian‑populated areas must stop, he added.
**Libya
This morning, the Security Council met on Libya. The Special Representative of the Secretary‑General for the country, Ghassan Salamé, said that two months after its launch, the Action Plan for Libya has made significant headway. The UN convened two sessions of the Joint Drafting Committee to agree on a set of amendments to the Libyan Political Agreement, and Mr. Salamé said he was quite confident that consensus is close. The UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) is also well into the preparations for the National Conference that will take place in February of next year. We put out Mr. Salamé’s statement and he is expected to speak to you at the stakeout after consultations, where he will be joined by the Foreign Minister of Italy.
**Democratic Republic of the Congo
I also wanted to flag that at 3 p.m., the Under‑Secretary‑General for Humanitarian Affairs, Mark Lowcock, will brief Member States on the humanitarian situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. And the briefing will be open.
**Climate Change
And in Bonn at the Climate Change Conference, the Secretary‑General spoke to the press yesterday and stressed that this is the moment to ask for more ambition and more urgency in the way that countries implement the Paris Agreement. He added that it is crucial that developing countries have access to the funding that was committed in Paris two years ago. Our colleagues at the Conference tell us that parties have reported significant progress on negotiations before COP23 wraps up tomorrow. Progress has been reported on the “rulebook” for the Paris Agreement, as well as the creation of a platform for indigenous peoples to exchange knowledge and practices regarding adaptation. On the margins of the Conference, the World Food Programme (WFP) released a report revealing [how] climate change is driving hunger. The report says that the risk of hunger could increase by up to 20 per cent due to climate change by 2050 unless increased efforts are made to enable the world’s most vulnerable communities to better adapt to extreme weather events such as drought and flooding.
**Tolerance
And we have to two competing International Days today, my two favourite days. One is the International Day for Tolerance. This year, the Day is highlighting the UN’s TOGETHER campaign, which aims to reduce negative perceptions and attitudes towards refugees and migrants, and to strengthen the social contract between host countries and communities, and refugees and migrants.
**Philosophy
And the second is World Philosophy Day, which highlights the enduring value of philosophy for the development of human thought, for each culture and for each individual. To mark the Day, UNESCO [United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization] is organizing a series of debates, workshops and discussions with philosophers, thinkers, scientists and educators to encourage critical and independent thought as a way to achieve a more tolerant and peaceful society.
**Press Briefings
And lastly, at 2:30 p.m., here in this room, there will be a briefing sponsored by the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea on the "PyeongChang Olympics as a Peace Olympics". Think before you ask today. Mr. Bays?
**Questions and Answers
Question: For a very long time, the UN has been demanding full humanitarian access to Yemen. It's now over a week since the UN warned of a massive famine unlike anything that has been seen in recent years. The Secretary‑General has now taken the unusual step of writing to the Saudi ambassador. Is the Secretary‑General angry and frustrated at the Saudis' refusal to allow full access?
Spokesman: I think the Secretary‑General is very much disappointed we've not seen a lifting of the blockade. The Secretary‑General and his humanitarian team, I think, are heartbroken at the scenes we're seeing from Yemen and the risk of continuing suffering of the Yemeni people. As we've been saying from the beginning, this is a man‑made crisis. All of the parties that are involved in Yemen, all of the people who have their fingers on a trigger, need to recommit to a political solution. There is no other way. There is no military solution. As the Secretary‑General has said recently, this is a stupid war. The people, the children, and the families are suffering day to day. The solution is a political one. Our envoy is working hard at it, but the parties need to recommit and to join him at the table.
Question: May I follow up on the same question, please? Thank you so much. On Monday, the Saudi Permanent Representative, Ambassador Abdallah al‑Mouallimi, stood in the front of us and said, within 24 hours, the three ports will be open. Can you verify if… verify if these three ports were open as he promised?
Spokesman: Well, I think we've just said that. We understand that there may be some movement at the port of Aden. The ports of Hudaydah and Saleef have so far not seen any humanitarian cargo being allowed in. As we've said from the beginning, even a partial closure will not solve the problem. Even a partial… excuse me, a partial reopening will not solve the problem. Even a partial reopening may just lead to more people facing hunger. The issue is that the greatest humanitarian needs are near Hudaydah and Saleef, and that's where we need to have the aid come into. Having open ports in other places is obviously a positive thing, but we can't that be… we can't allow for that to be the only way to… for aid to come into Yemen. We don't want to see a situation where humanitarian aid comes into the country and has to go through what are essentially front lines, combat lines. We see the difficulties every day that that brings us in Syria. We've told you about convoys in Syria that need to go through multiple checkpoints where they take six hours to go 100 kilometres or less. We need these ports to be open. Mr. Klein, you've been patient on this day of philosophy.
Question: Thank you. In your statement that you read out regarding Zimbabwe, you referred, if I recall the exact words, the encouragement of the consolidation of democratic forces and upholding of the Constitution of the country. But, isn't it true that, really, there hasn't been any democracy since Zimbabwe's founding. [Robert] Mugabe has been a long-time dictator there. He summarily removed the Vice President, and now reports are that the Vice President has been restored, at least temporarily, to a leadership position. So, I guess what I'm asking is, why has the UN been silent all of these years, including in the last few weeks, when Mugabe seemed to be violating these very principles of democracy and any sort of constitutional order and just now, of course, the military has temporarily intervened is… is… is the UN taking this, you know, pronounced position, raising concerns about democratic order and cons… and the Constitution?
Spokesman: I think, if you look back over the years, there have been times when the UN, different parts of the UN, have spoken up with concern about the situation in Zimbabwe. We are very concerned at the situation as it is today. Things are not clear. We would like to see… we would not like to see any more destabilisation. I think it's important for… we support the efforts of SADC and others to open dialogue. And I think whatever political differences there currently exists in Zimbabwe need to be resolved through peaceful means, including through dialogue and in conformity with the Constitution. If there are elections to be held, those would need to be free and fair.
Question: But, wouldn't you acknowledge that that hasn't really ever taken place and it was Mugabe who actually took the actions to clear the path for his wife to succeed him that created the unstable conditions in the first place? Also, there haven’t been any reports of violence so far…
Spokesman: I think we're worried about situation as it is, and I think I answered the first part of your question. Masood and then Mr. Lee.
Question: Thank you. I mean, is the Secretary‑General you said was very up… I mean, was really concerned about what's happening in Yemen. is he… does he deem that this situation in Yemen constitutes a crime against humanity and that, hence, such action should be taken, that it should be declared crime against humanity, and that Saudis and the Coalition party should be held responsible…
Spokesman: I will leave the legal terminology to others. I think the Secretary‑General and many parts of the UN system have been extremely vocal over the past year since the beginning of this conflict for the need for an end to the conflict and for a political solution. I think just by what I read out today, there can be no question as to where the Secretary‑General stands on this and the way forward to solve the issue. There is and there will be a need for accountability for what has happened to the people of Yemen, and there are different mechanisms within the UN system to ensure that accountability. Mr. Lee?
Question: Sure. Follow‑up on… on Zimbabwe and safe passage, then something on the Deputy Secretary‑General. Is the UN aware of any… of any… or involved in any discussions for safe passage for Mr. Mugabe or his family? And, separately, do you have any comment on reports that Saad Hariri would be… would be travelling to France in order to go into exile there?
Spokesman: On your first question, I've read the press reports of various negotiations that may [be] going on. I'm not aware at all of any United Nations involvement in those discussions.
Question: And on the Lebanon report…?
Spokesman: On Mr. Hariri, that is what the… President [Emmanuel] Macron, I think, had a conversation with Secretary‑General when they were in Bonn, and we were advised of this plan as it's being reported in the press.
Question: Okay. Thanks a lot. I wanted to ask you, I… anyway, I want to ask you about, again, this rosewood situation. I'd… yesterday I'd asked what I think is a simple question, whether the certificates, the thousands of certificates, that the Deputy Secretary‑General signed were filed at the… in real time with CITES [Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Flora and Fauna] as seems to be required. I don't know if I'm going to get an answer to that, but I have a different, I guess, superseding question, which is that there's now online, launched by a group called Rainforest Rescue, a petition to Secretary‑General António Manuel de Oliveira Guterres to investigate the allegations against Amina J. Mohammed. The international community must prosecute criminals between timber trafficking. And it has 46,000 signatures so far. So what's this procedure… can I just finish the question? What is the procedure in the United Nations for a civil society petition such as this which has garnered 46,000 requests in a very short period of time? Will the Secretary‑General actually look… compare the report to what's been said publicly by… by… by Amina J. Mohammed and consider these environmental people's deep concern about it?
Spokesman: First of all, we receive petitions all the time, and they're looked at and…
Question: Is there a threshold?
Spokesman: We value as a matter of principle our engagement with civil society. We have spoken and have said what we've had to say on behalf of the Deputy Secretary‑General, including the fact that she has… she followed all the rules. If there are questions about CITES and the workings of the Nigerian Ministry of Environment, I would encourage you to talk to the Nigerian Ministry of Environment. The Secretary‑General has full confidence and continues to have full confidence in the Deputy Secretary‑General.
Question: Separate question. Separate question. Was she aware… this is not about CITES. Was she aware… the report says that much of the timber that was actually exported comes from Boko Haram territories, i.e., money would go to Boko Haram. And some of it was illegally smuggled from Cameroon, so it's a question that's not addressed by any…
Spokesman: I think it is addressed… it's addressed in the statement. I would also encourage you to read the lengthy Q&A she did with Le Monde. Yes, sir?
Question: Thank you. I've been asking this question long time as you will recollect about the Palestinian children in Israeli jail, and that continues to simmer on and no… no resolution. Has there been any sort of a movement towards a resolution at all that you can tell me about?
Spokesman: I've no update for you on this… if I have an update for you, I would share it with you. I have no update. Evelyn?
Question: Yes. And Myanmar, there's a lot of condemnation of what the Government… or the army is doing to the Rohingyas. But, aside from condemnation, do you see any action? The Security Council's obviously blocked by China. Do you see any action elsewhere to really distribute a list of the guilty ones to put more pressure on the country, aside from statements?
Spokesman: I think the Secretary‑General has been very forceful in speaking his mind what needs to be done both publicly and privately with Myanmar leaders. We, obviously, feel that the unity of the Security Council and the international community is very important to push a message through. Mr. Lee?
Question: Excuse me. Just a follow‑up. Do you have an update on the numbers? Are they the same as yesterday?
Spokesman: I've not been given an update.
Question: Sure. The Third Committee passed this resolution, which is encouraging or urging the Secretary‑General to appoint a Special Envoy. The PBI's… Programme Budget Implication says it would cost $1.5 million. How fast would the Secretary‑General actually appoint such a person after a General Assembly vote? Has he… is he aware of the Third Committee vote? Is he beginning to…?
Spokesman: Yeah, we're aware of the vote, which my colleague will correct me, still has to go through the actual General Assembly. We're aware of what's been said in the Security Council, and as always, when given mandates, we can act very quickly.
Question: And in Cambodia, the lead main opposition party, the CNRP, has been dissolved by the court. And I know that the Secretary‑General met with Hun Sen. I don't know if this particular issue ‑ Is there a UN response to the main, in fact, the only opposition party being dissolved…?
Spokesman: The issue of the need for a democratic space in elections came up in the discussion, and it was underscored in the readout. We're, obviously, following the developments in Cambodia closely. I think the latest ones, including the ones you allude to, is one that raises great concern, to dissolve the main opposition party. As the country heads to general election next year, it's incumbent upon the Government of Cambodia to secure an even ground for all political forces to compete and provide an environment free of fear and intimidation to enable all Cambodians to express their political preferences.
Question: And can I ask one… on the issue of Michael Sharp and Zaida Catalan, the… the Swedish public prosecutor, Sara Nilsson, has said that the DRC [Democratic Republic of the Congo] authority are not cooperating with her office, that they have not shared the video of the murder. And she says that there may be… those involved in the killing may be closely related to the regime in the DRC. And so I wanted to know, what's the status of the Secretary‑General's moves to… to collaborate or work with this DRC?
Spokesman: As the… I think as the SG said in his letter to the Security Council, there will be a UN team, I think, travelling in the first half of December. When I have more…
Question: Would they expect to see this video that the Swedish prosecutors have said…?
Spokesman: They have their mandate as laid out in their letter to the Council. Thank you. Mr. Varma.