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.
**Kofi Annan
Good afternoon. Earlier today as you saw, the Secretary‑General signed the book of condolences that was open to honour the memory of former Secretary‑General Kofi Annan. In his tribute, the Secretary‑General said Mr. Annan was one of the best of us, a man who embodied United Nations values and made us all proud to call ourselves colleagues. He added that during his years in office, Mr. Annan had created a renewed sense of possibility both inside and outside our Organization about what the UN could do and could be for to the world’s people.
The Secretary‑General added that Kofi Annan was a true voice for the voiceless who did not shy away from the most challenging issues and who worked creatively to bridge differences and protect the most vulnerable. He stood his ground without antagonizing others; his humility, good humour, courtesy and charm went hand in hand with his enormous wisdom and strength.
In these times of growing political divides and intractable conflicts, we need the peacemaking spirit of Kofi Annan more than ever, the Secretary‑General said. And Mr. Guterres was also accompanied by the Permanent Representative of Ghana, who also spoke at the ceremony. And the book of condolences is open to all staff, journalists and anyone who has a pass to get into this building by the Visitors’ entrance and it is open until Friday at least.
**Security Council
Back here, the Security Council met on the situation in the Middle East, and was briefed in an open session by Rosemary DiCarlo, the Under‑Secretary‑General for Political Affairs. They are now in consultations in the Consultations Room on the same issue.
**Myanmar
This coming Saturday, 25 August, marks one year since the most recent outbreak of violence in Rakhine State in Myanmar forced more than 700,000 Rohingya to flee to Bangladesh. Our humanitarian colleagues say that, despite some encouraging signs by the Government of Myanmar, substantial progress is urgently needed in granting effective access for aid organizations and addressing the root causes of the crisis, including freedom of movement, safety and a pathway to citizenship for all communities.
Humanitarian access in northern Rakhine remains severely limited, denying life‑saving support to those in desperate need. As stated by the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Myanmar, Knut Ostby, the UN is “standing ready to go [when] we have effective access,” but this has not yet been granted by the Government. The United Nations remains deeply worried about the humanitarian situation in Rakhine — with some 660,000 people in need across Rakhine State, including more than 176,000 in northern Rakhine. Most humanitarian organizations that had been working in northern Rakhine State for years have still not been able to resume programmes and services for this population — some of the most vulnerable people in the world. We continue to receive reports of violence. More than 11,000 new refugees arrived in Bangladesh between January and June of this year.
**Yemen
Our humanitarian colleagues tell us that the number of suspected cholera cases in Yemen is reportedly increasing, raising concerns of a possible “third wave” of the epidemic. Since April 2017, more than 1.1 million suspected cases and more than 2,300 associated deaths have been reported, making it the largest outbreak on record. Humanitarian partners are responding to avoid a large‑scale resurgence. This month, our partners have vaccinated more than 385,000 people against cholera in the high‑risk districts of Hodeidah and Ibb.
Our humanitarian colleagues are also disturbed by damage to health and water, sanitation and hygiene infrastructure due to the conflict. Access to these services is crucial to prevent another cholera epidemic. All parties to the conflict must meet their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure.
**Department of Public Information/NGO Conference
I want to flag that the sixty‑seventh DPI/NGO [non‑governmental organizations] Conference got under way today. The theme of this year is “We the Peoples… Together Finding Global Solutions for Global Problems”, and it will focus on the value of multilateralism to solve global problems, and on the opportunities for closer partnership between the UN and civil society in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. More information about the conference at: https://www.un.org/ngo2018 and by following the hashtag #unngo2018 on Twitter.
**Statements from Monday
And just to flag that just before the holiday, we issued two statements — one on the Korean Peninsula in which the Secretary‑General said he looked forward to discussing how he can further support the parties in their diplomatic efforts to bring sustainable peace, security and complete the verifiable denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula during the forthcoming General Assembly.
In another statement, the Secretary-General also condemned the killings earlier this week in north‑eastern Nigeria and said he remained deeply concerned about the persisting violence in the Lake Chad Basin region. Khalas. Question time. Ms. Lederer.
**Questions and Answers
Question: Thank you, Stéph. The United States, Britain and France issued a statement yesterday on warning about chemical weapons attacks in Syria, including the possibility of an attack in Idlib as the military offensive appears to be gaining steam. Is this also a concern of the Secretary‑General?
Spokesman: The continuing violence that we have seen in Syria is a concern of the Secretary‑General. He feels that all parties involved should redouble their efforts in supporting the work of Mr. [Staffan] de Mistura. Yes, and then Evelyn.
Question: Talking… thank you. Talking about Mr. de Mistura, there are rumours that he wants to leave the job and that Mr. [Nickolay] Mladenov is seeking to be… to take the… to take the job.
Spokesman: We’ve seen — first of all, as you know, we don’t comment on personnel announcements and on rumours, and I think this is exactly that, just a rumour. Mr. Mladenov is in his job and so is Mr. de Mistura.
Question: Can… can I ask my…?
Spokesman: I thought that was a question, but you can ask a second question if you’d like.
Question: Yeah, yeah. To my knowledge, you’ve never responded to what [Russian Minister for Foreign Affairs] Mr. [Sergey] Lavrov said last week regarding the reconstruction of Syria and the secret directives that… that…
Spokesman: What I can tell you is that there is no “secret directive” issued by DPA [Department of Political Affairs] or any other UN entity. There are internal UN policies and guidelines formulated through a consultative process and shared within the UN system to ensure support and assistance is provided to all those in need in Syria in an equitable and non‑discriminatory manner with a needs‑based approach, upholding neutrality and impartiality. The parameters and principles in these guidelines are consistent with the principles of the Charter of the UN and relevant Security Council resolutions. A durable and lasting solution to the conflict in Syria can only be achieved on the basis of a political process, and the UN continues its efforts to advance this political process. The UN continuously discusses priorities and approaches to the Syrian conflict to respond to evolving realities.
Question: So… sorry, a follow‑up. It’s still the conviction at the UN that the political process is the top priority for now on, regarding the situation in Syria?
Spokesman: Look, the only way to a lasting and durable solution is the political process, which we’re focusing on, and, obviously, other parts of the Organization, as we update you almost every day, are focusing on the humanitarian aspect. Evelyn.
Question: Yes, to follow up on Edie’s question, has the SG done anything or anyone else at the high level in this — at the UN — done anything specifically to warn Damascus against chem weapons since, whenever there seems to be a major battle, chlorine or CW gets tossed?
Spokesman: I think the Secretary‑General’s position against the use of chemical weapons has been made clear over and over again, and we would hope that no country or no group ever uses chemical weapons. Yes?
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. You just said about Secretary‑General’s effort to push forward North Korea’s denuclearization in upcoming GA [General Assembly]. So, what does Secretary‑General have spec… particular in his mind to push forward that denuclearization during the GA?
Spokesman: Obviously, the General Assembly is always a good time to meet with visiting leaders, heads of delegations. We’ll see which country sends what sort of — what level they’re represented. But the Secretary‑General always uses this time to engage in dialogue as he did, if I don’t, if I’m not mistaken, with the Foreign Minister of the DPRK [Democratic People’s Republic of Korea] last September. He will continue to encourage the parties for dialogue and to underscore the fact that the UN and various parts of the UN are able and willing to assist should they be asked to on this issue especially on technical aspects of denuclearization.
Question: One more question about North Korea. Some report said director of the UNEP, [United Nations] Environment Programme, has now just arrived at the Pyongyang…
Spokesman: We’ll check. I was not told, but that doesn’t mean much. I will check. Ben.
Question: Yeah. Last night, President Trump said in a speech that he took Jerusalem off the table. Does the Secretary‑General agree with that statement?
Spokesman: I think the Secretary‑General’s position on Jerusalem has been stated often and clearly, as he did, I think, about a year ago when there were announcements by the US Mission… by the US Government. The final status of Jerusalem is one that needs to be negotiated by the parties. Linda.
Question: Thank you, Stéph. Following up on the Syrian political process, I was just wondering if there’s any update in terms of the participants, you know, which groups are talking, and specifically what I’m interested in is, we know that there are jihadists, Al‑Qaida‑linked terrorist fighters. Are any of them actually participating in these political discussions…?
Spokesman: No, terrorist groups are not participating in any of the official discussions.
Question: So… so, is there a sense of… you could work out a peace arrangement, but if you don’t have everyone on board…
Spokesman: I think it’s important that…
Question: … what will happen to them?
Spokesman: … that all the parties directly involved and all those who have influence over the parties involved bear as much pressure as they can to ensure that the fighting stops and that they come to the table. Yes, sir.
Question: Regarding the situation in Yemen, at the moment, are there any UN humanitarian organizations or agencies active or helping in Yemen? And do they have access to the cholera‑affected area?
Spokesman: Yes. The UN is very much present in Yemen through our various humanitarian organizations, including on cholera, first and foremost, the World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF [United Nations Children’s Fund]. The work is done, as in many countries, mostly through the courageous efforts of national staff and local NGO partners. The challenge with cholera is, obviously, one of access, but more importantly, I would say, is one of the continuous destruction of the health infrastructure that we have seen since this conflict started — not only the destruction of hospitals and health centres, but the destruction of… that has an impact on the water treatment plants, on access to fresh water. As you know, cholera is a waterborne disease. Anything that impacts people’s ability to access clean water will have a negative impact in terms of the fight against cholera. Yeah.
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. Yesterday, Trump Administration announced the new measure to ease the CO2 emission, and does Secretary‑General think this will be the backlash to the global warming?
Spokesman: Look, I think a couple of points to make, as a matter of principle and as we’ve said clearly, the science on climate is clear. Climate change is real and must be addressed. I think, this summer alone, if you look throughout the world, we’ve seen some of the highest temperatures ever reached. We have seen forest fires in Sweden. We have seen forest fires in California, causing tremendous — tremendous damage. So, I think the facts, as far as we’re concerned, are clear.
You know, and throughout the world, it’s not just national Governments that have helped in terms of putting forward policies to mitigate the impact of climate change. The Secretary‑General’s Special Envoy, Michael Bloomberg, has, for one, been working tirelessly to galvanize all sorts of other actors, including local governments, cities, to take concrete steps to impact climate change. The private sector, which is something we’ve been working with closely in this country and in other countries, I think, has clearly come on board.
I think, if we are to do… if we are to… I think, looking around, there is no time to waste in working to mitigate the impact of climate change and to avoid what is really, could be a runaway climate change if we’re ever going to meet the goals of the Paris Agreement. Yes, Dulcie.
Question: Yeah, is the Secretary‑General still calling for an independent investigation into the Saudi bombing of the school bus in Yemen earlier this month?
Spokesman: Yes, that has not changed.
Question: What is the status of that call…?
Spokesman: I have no update to… to receive, but I think that’s also a question you should ask the Saudis. The Saud… a question you should ask the…
Question: Has he been in…?
Spokesman: That’s a question you should ask the Coalition. Yes, we have been…
Question: Has he been in touch with the Saudis…?
Spokesman: Yes, we have been in, we have been in touch with them.
Question: When?
Spokesman: We’re in regular touch with all the players and all the actors, I should say, involved in the conflict.
Question: And what is their response, the Saudis…?
Spokesman: I have nothing to share with you at this point. Thank you. Mr. Varma, up to you.