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.
**Algeria
I am starting off with a statement on the accident that took place in Algeria earlier today: It is with great sadness that the Secretary-General learned of the tragic accident involving a military plane this morning near Algiers, in which more than 250 passengers and crew members lost their lives. The Secretary-General conveys his heartfelt condolences to the family of the victims and to the people and Government of the People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria. That statement is now online.
**Central African Republic
Yesterday evening, as you will have seen, we issued a statement in which the Secretary-General condemned the killing of a Rwandan peacekeeper and the wounding of eight others in the Central African Republic. The incident follows a joint operation launched on 8 April by the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) and the Central African forces and police to disarm and arrest heavily armed criminal groups. The Secretary-General offered his deepest condolences to the family of the bereaved, as well as to the Government of Rwanda, and wishes a swift recovery to the injured. He recalls that attacks against United Nations peacekeepers may constitute a war crime and calls on the Central African Republic authorities to investigate them and swiftly bring those responsible to justice. The Secretary-General reiterated the determination of the United Nations peacekeeping force to protect civilians and contribute to the stabilization of the Central African Republic.
And today, in a joint statement, the African Union and the United Nations stressed their total unity and their common determination to support the people of the Central African Republic and the peace process in the country. As you know, Under Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Jean-Pierre Lacroix and his counterpart for the African Union, the Commissioner for peace and security, Smail Chergui, are currently in Bangui. They called for calm and warned the population against rumours and manipulations. Authorities are working with the peacekeeping mission to restore public order and guarantee the protection of all civilians, without distinction, they said. As part of their visit, Mr. Lacroix and Mr. Chergui today met President [Archange-Felix] Touadera, the President of the Republic, as well as with the President of the National Assembly and the Prime Minister. The United Nations and African Union officials expressed solidarity and full support for the Central African people and the peace process in the Central African Republic. They conveyed a message of total unity and common resolve of both Organizations.
**Mali
The Security Council heard a briefing by Mahamat Saleh Annadif, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA). He said that, over the past three months, trust between the signatories to the Peace Agreement had improved, a few months before both presidential and legislative elections. However, he stressed that the security situation, particularly in the centre of the country, had deteriorated, with a number of victims, including peacekeepers, on the rise. Mr. Annadif highlighted the need for the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali — for its soldiers — to be adequately equipped to face the challenges of the situation in the country. He will brief you this afternoon in this room at 3 p.m.
And our humanitarian colleagues today told us that needs in the country are increasing as a result of conflict and insecurity spreading from the north to the more populated central regions of the country, as well as severe rainfall deficits [last] year. Some 4.3 million people are now estimated to need food assistance compared to 4.1 million in late 2017. This is the highest level of need in Mali since the 2011/2012 food insecurity crisis throughout the Sahel region.
**Syria
Turning to Syria, earlier today, close to 4,000 people, more than half of them women and children, left the besieged town of Douma for Al-Bab City in rural Aleppo Governorate. An earlier convoy from Douma, carrying 4,395 people, mostly civilians and some fighters, arrived in rural Aleppo Governorate yesterday, where they were directed to the Al-Bil internally displaced persons (IDP) camp, east of Azaz. In eastern Ghouta, some 150,000 people are estimated to have left the enclave since 9 March. Of the 91,000 people who have arrived at IDP sites in Rural Damascus, about half remained in the sites as of 11 April. In addition, more than 58,000 people, the majority of them civilians, were evacuated to north-western Syria in recent weeks.
We once more underscore that the evacuation of civilians must be safe, voluntary, and in strict accordance with protection standards under international humanitarian and human rights law. It is also imperative that all those displaced are allowed to return voluntarily, in safety and in dignity, to their homes as soon as the situation allows it. Meanwhile, we are alarmed by reports of increased violence in Idleb. On 10 April, local sources reported that several people were killed and injured by shelling on Jisr Ash-Shugur town. The United Nations calls on all parties to the conflict, and those with influence over them, to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, to ensure freedom of movement and to allow for safe, sustained and unhindered access by all humanitarian parties.
**Gaza
Turning to Gaza, our colleagues at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tell us that, in the last 24 to 48 hours, the largest United Nations medical shipment to have entered Gaza since the beginning of the year has provided hospitals in Gaza with essential life-saving drugs and other supplies to meet urgent medical needs. It will help respond to the needs of 100,000 children and mothers in Gaza. So far, $3 million of the $27 million needed for emergency health support in the occupied Palestinian territory has been received.
**Refugees
A new report released today by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) says that, while the number of migrants trying to reach Europe has decreased in recent months, their journey has become increasingly dangerous. The Desperate Journeys report found that, during the first three months of this year, there was a 74 per cent drop in the number of people arriving by sea to Italy. However, the death rate increased drastically, with 1 in every 14 migrants dying during the journey, compared to 1 in every 29 during the same period last year. The report also notes that migrants are looking for alternate routes to reach Europe and this is reflected by the spike of migrants arriving to Spain and Greece, with most of them coming from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. In addition to deaths at sea, the report stresses that migrants also endure abuse and extortion at the hands of traffickers, smugglers and armed groups along various routes to Europe and it gives recommendations for States to ensure their safety.
**Breastfeeding
I also want to flag the World Health Organization (WHO) and United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) joint report on new 10-step guidance to increase support for breastfeeding in health facilities that provide maternity and newborn services. The Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding underpin the Baby-friendly Hospital Initiative, which both organizations launched in 1991. It encourages new mothers to breastfeed and informs health workers how best to support breastfeeding. Breastfeeding is vital to a child’s life-long health, and reduces costs for health facilities, families and Governments. It also improves IQ, school readiness and attendance. Breastfeeding all babies for the first 2 years would save the lives of more than 820,000 children under 5 every year, according to the report.
**Press Briefings
Lastly, press briefings: I will be joined in just a few minutes by the Head of the Counterterrorism Executive Directorate. And tomorrow, at 11 am, there will be a briefing here on the launch of Amnesty International’s annual report on Death Sentences and Executions for 2017. This briefing is sponsored by the Permanent Mission of Chile to the United Nations. My guest at noon will be Jean Todt, the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Road Safety. There is a General Assembly meeting going on right now on this issue. And lastly, don’t forget, at 3 p.m., Mr. Annadif will speak to you on Mali. Ali?
**Questions and Answers
Question: Thank you, Steph. There have been some calls for the Secretary‑General to step in regarding preserving the safeguards of the… on the use of the chemical weapons after the failure of the Security Council. Is the SG [Secretary-General] thinking about stepping in? This is one question. My other question is on the latest attacks on Saudi Arabia from… from the Houthis by missiles. Thank you.
Spokesman: We continue to condemn all violence in Yemen, including the firing, which is often indiscriminate firing of missiles from Yemen to Saudi Arabia, and that's a principled position which stands. I think the Secretary‑General was very clear yesterday in his call for unity in the Security Council to come up with the right kind of mechanism, which could ensure accountability. As I said yesterday, we have half of the issue. We have a fact‑finding mission led by the OPCW [Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons], which is going… starting to do its work. We hope they will arrive in Syria soon, but that doesn't solve the accountability problem. It doesn't solve the issue of basically saying who may be responsible for these attacks, so they need to… so they can be held accountable. The Secretary‑General and his staff continue to have contacts at various levels on this issue. Mr. Abbadi? I will come back to you. Mr. Abbadi?
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. Yesterday, I asked two questions, one on the meeting… you answered, but none of them is… are reflected in the transcript, and I would like to know why.
Spokesman: I will check. Our transcripts are usually pretty precise, but I will check. Erol? Especially if I answered them, I would want them in there. [He later said that the comments had been made and transcribed on 9 April.]
Question: Just to follow up on Ali's question, does that… on your answer actually, does that mean that the Secretary‑General would support any kind of military action against the Syrian Government or Syrian regime, how…?
Spokesman: That's not at all what I said.
Question: Actually, you said you are supporting that those who are responsible and there are a lot of talks…?
Spokesman: No, no, no, no, no. What I said was that the Secretary‑General is very keen on seeing the unity of the Security Council to ensure that the Council comes up with a mechanism that ensures accountability. We had such a mechanism. Right? The Joint Investigative Mechanism. The mandate of that mechanism lapsed. There needs to be a mechanism through which accountability can be served, and that's where we stand.
Question: What is considered for the Secretary‑General to step in more than what he's involved…?
Spokesman: Every constituent part of the international community has its responsibility. The Security Council has a responsibility. It has an authority, and the Secretary‑General is very keen on seeing a unity of the Council. We have seen what unity on the Council in the past on Syria, and it has led to critical movements. We need to see that unity again. Mr. Klein?
Question: Follow‑up on that? Okay. Thank you. Years ago, Secretary‑General Kofi Annan took it upon himself to declare the US intervention in Iraq without Security Council authorisation illegal. Does Secretary… would Secretary‑General [António] Guterres consider Security Council authorization for any military strike as a reprisal for the reported chemical attack by Syria to be required?
Spokesman: Yes, I was there. We deal with a lot of things here, and we try not to deal in hypotheticals. There have been strikes in the past. We can refer you to what we've said in those times, but I'm not going… you know, it's an academic hypothetical…
Correspondent: Well, I… no, it's not academic in light of this morning's tweets by President [Donald] Trump…
Spokesman: To me, it's… things that have not yet happened, I will not comment on. Yes, ma'am?
Question: Thank you Stéphane. I guess that would be a follow‑up question. I was wondering if the SG's concerned about the increasing tension between the US and Russia over President Trump's tweets on the alleged use of chemical attacks.
Spokesman: I think the Secretary‑General is, first and foremost, concerned about the fate of the civilian population in Syria. He is concerned about the lack of political progress that can bring peace and solace to the people of Syria. He would like to see the Security Council and the international community united in finding a political solution to the current conflict in Syria. Yes?
Question: Also on Syria, yeah, the… the tweets threatened military action in Syria, and Russia had warned of retaliation. Is the Secretary‑General doing anything to help prevent a confrontation between the two Powers?
Spokesman: As I said, the Secretary‑General and his staff have been in contact with various parties at various levels. Mr. Avni?
Question: You were saying before… on accountability, you were saying… you mentioned international community. There's a initiative by President [Emmanuel] Macron of France to have accountability for chemical attacks, specifically on WMDs [weapons of mass destruction], which incorporates many members but not necessarily all UN members, certainly not, say, Russia. And there's contemplation to go to that forum rather than the Security Council. Are you concerned that… that the… the… the centre of gravity goes away from the UN to other forums?
Spokesman: Look, it's not about whether others go to other places. What is clear is that there's a Charter for this organization, that every… all 193 members have signed on to the Charter. The Security Council has responsibilities. Unity of the Council is critical in protecting peace and ensuring stability.
Question: Critical, but doesn't exist, so, I mean, what happens when you have, like, in this case, 12…?
Spokesman: I'm not going into what happens when questions…
Question: Another question on another topic, Libya. There are reports that [Khalifa] Haftar has been hospitalised in Paris.
Spokesman: I hadn't seen those reports. I will check, inasmuch as I can check who's in the hospitals. Yes, sir?
Question: Yeah. Bonjour, monsieur. Deepak Arora from the Tribune Online. If you see in the past 28… 48 hours, the developments at South China Sea, situation is deteriorating. So, would you like to comment on that? How do you prevent…?
Spokesman: I don't have any comment off the top of my head on South China Sea at this point. Yes, sir?
Question: Thank you, Mr. Stéphane. Bangladeshi media reported that last Friday, Secretary‑General made a phone call to the ruling Prime Minister of Bangladesh, and they discussed about Rohingya issues. Has Secretary‑General discussed anything about current political situation of Bangladesh, as the main opposition leader is in jail and she's struggling for democracy in…?
Spokesman: I think we've expressed our concern about the current political situation, the political space in Bangladesh. The Secretary‑General did speak… did have that phone call. It did focus on the Rohingyas. And again, I think the Secretary‑General thanked the people of Bangladesh and its Government for hosting hundreds of thousands of people. There is a concern, as the monsoon season approaches, that the shelter in the camps that they may have… that they have may not be adequate, and there's an effort by the international community with the support of Bangladesh to ensure that safer shelter is found. Masood?
Question: Yeah. Thank you, Stéphane. On this repatriation of Rohingya Muslims from Bangladesh to… back to Myanmar and their reluctance to go back because of these security conditions over there. Do you have anything that United Nations has since the visit of the Myanmar minister over there…?
Spokesman: No, I mean, we've seen the reports. Our position is unchanged, that any return of refugees needs to be voluntary. It needs to be dignified. They need to be able to choose to go home to where they came from, not into any other place that they're forced to go into. That's a position of principle that is unchanged. Mr. Abbadi and then… Sorry?
Question: In that regard… I just wanted to ask, in that regard, has the United Nations talked to the Myanmar authorities about giving the Rohing… the Muslims statehood, which they have been denied forever?
Spokesman: The… our position has been for the Government to implement the conclusions of the Annan commission. Mr. Abbadi, then Ali, then Richard.
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. The… Mr. Stewart… Colin Stewart, is seeing the Secretary‑General this afternoon. What is the subject matter?
Spokesman: Western Sahara.
Question: What in Western Sahara?
Spokesman: He's the head of the mission. It's only normal that they periodically see each other, as the Secretary‑General sees… periodically sees the head of all the field missions. Ali?
Question: Steph, just back to Syria, is the SG raising, during his contacts with various leaders or whoever, the legality of any potential strike against the Syrian forces?
Spokesman: I'm not going into the details of the conversations the Secretary‑General or any other UN official may have in speaking to the various parties. Our overall concerns are well known, and I've elaborated them already. Richard Roth?
Question: Two quickies. You may have said this. I know it's been busy the last few days. Is the Secretary‑General back in New York or if not, when is he getting back? Is he going to be here all week?
Spokesman: Yes, he's back. He's landed late last night from China, and he is on his way into the office, I think, as we speak.
Question: Will he be here all week?
Spokesman: Yes. I'll be here all week.
Question: He… how about him?
Spokesman: Yes, yes, he will be here all week. UN travel… sorry.
Question: All right. And has the Secretary‑General had any conversations with John Bolton yet, or would we be told if…?
Spokesman: Not that I've been… not since… I don't think any since Mr. Bolton assumes his official responsibility. As I said, the Secretary‑General was in China and has been in transit, but I'm not aware of any conversations that have taken place.
Question: And in the past?
Spokesman: In past lives? Yes, they've met before. Yeah? When he was High Commissioner for Refugees.
Question: Mark Zuckerberg acknowledged yesterday the role that Facebook had played in the hate speech in… with the genocide of the Rohingyas in Myanmar. I wonder if the UN has any thoughts about that and what can be done.
Spokesman: Look, the issue of hate speech is one that we have repeatedly condemned. That being said, we are on… and we have been, should we say for a few years now, on a new frontier involving communications and social media, how these platforms that bring a lot of positive things… if somebody could answer that phone, that would be great. Sorry. Gives me time to think. Okay. There we go. What was I saying? You know, we've been, for a few years, on a new frontier. And I think these are issues the Secretary‑General has addressed in the past, at the web summit in Lisbon, and I think it's one these issues where the UN… and I don't mean about hate speech in social media but just in general about the cyberworld, that the UN could be a platform to bring not only Member States, but all stakeholders, technology companies, users, to discuss all these new challenges that we face, where it's… sometimes often Government and even international institutions are not in a position to really tackle them because they are issues that are so new to us.
Correspondent: [Inaudible] some people calling it the… the… the radio Rwanda of that genocide. That's very familiar for the UN.
Spokesman: It is… you know, hate speech has used platforms before, whether it's radio, whether it's newspapers. I mean, like you said, we've seen it in Rwanda. We've seen it in the run‑up to the Holocaust. Communications tools have often been used to spew hate speech. So, that's… in a sense, it's tragic, but it's not new into itself. But, the proliferation of social media and a lot of issues around the cyberworld has brought a lot of great things, but also brought new challenges that need to be tackled. Mr. Klein? I'll be here all week, Richard.
Question: I'm going to try my previous question in a different way so that it will not be a hypothetical, because, last year, just about a year ago, President Trump decided to launch a unilateral missile strike against an air base in Syria in response to the previous reported chemical attack there. Does the Secretary‑General have an opinion as to the legality of that missile strike without Security Council authorisation?
Spokesman: I would urge you to read the statement that he issued after that strike.
Question: What did he say?
Spokesman: I would urge you to read it for yourself. I don't want to paraphrase his words.
Question: But… but, was it comparable to what Secretary‑General Kofi Annan, as you well know, said when he used the word "illegal" for the Iraqi intervention?
Spokesman: You know, Mr. Klein, I'm not your editor. You're free… this is all words in the public domain. You could read both and do a compare‑and‑contrast exercise. Yes, sir?
Question: Yes, Steph. Talking about the hate speech and the champions of the hate speech, today, actually, in The Hague, the ICTY [International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia] residual mechanism delivered a 10-year sentence for Mr. Vojislav Šešelj, who was one of the champion of the hate speech. I know that you are not commenting on the sentences and the… actually the work of the Tribunal and the residual mechanism, but what would be the Secretary‑General message on this occasion in regard of that topic?
Spokesman: That this international mechanism has delivered its verdict. It is very important in terms of accountability of crimes that have been committed.
Question: That's all?
Spokesman: For now, yes. Masood?
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. I just wanted to ask, is there any reaction from the Secretary‑General or the United Nations on the Israeli attack during the… this crisis in Douma that was going on and Israel planes attack inside Syria? Do you have any…?
Spokesman: I have no way to verify what you're implying in your question. Mr. Abbadi?
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. When would the Secretary‑General give a general press conference?
Spokesman: As soon as we can convince him. Yes, sir? And then we'll go to our guest.
Question: I guess I got the same question. You know what I'm saying?
Spokesman: Well, then I'll give you the same answer.
Correspondent: Yeah, the same answer. Right.
Spokesman: Okay. I'll go get our guests. Thank you.