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.
**Secretary-General’s Travel to Japan
The Secretary-General arrived in Osaka in Japan today, where tomorrow and Saturday, he will take part in a number of meetings related to the G20 (Group of 20).
As you will have seen earlier today, he tweeted out that he is at the G20 Summit because people around the world are demanding immediate action on climate change and inclusive development. He added that the green economy offers countless benefits, but that to reap them, we need rapid transition, deep transformation and of course political will.
Tomorrow morning, he will hold a press conference and take part in G20 sessions on trade and digital innovation.
**Appointments
I [have] interconnected senior personnel announcements to share with you.
The Secretary-General today announced he is appointing David McLachlan-Karr of Australia as his Deputy Special Representative ad interim at the UN Peacekeeping Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), where he will also serve as UN Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator.
He succeeds Kim Bolduc of Canada, to whom the Secretary-General is grateful for her leadership and dedicated commitment in supporting humanitarian and development efforts in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Mr. McLachlan-Karr brings 26 years of experience working at the UN, including on various assignments for UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) and OCHA (Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) in Africa, Asia and Latin America.
The Secretary-General also recently announced, as you will all recall, a strengthened coordination and support mechanism in the epicentre of the Ebola outbreak in the eastern part of the country, and that has been led by David Gressly of the United States of America as UN Emergency Ebola Response Coordinator. Mr. Gressly has more than 20 years of experience with the United Nations system, including as Regional Humanitarian Coordinator for the Sahel, based in Senegal.
In view of Mr. Gressly’s assumption of the role of Emergency Ebola Response Coordinator, the Secretary-General is also announcing today the appointment of François Grignon of France as Deputy Special Representative for Protection and Operations ad interim in the Peacekeeping Mission in the [Democratic Republic of the Congo]. All the relevant biodata is in a press release we are issuing now.
**Deputy Secretary-General
This morning, the Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, spoke at the Forbes 400 Summit on Philanthropy.
She told participants that the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) provide an excellent foundation for informing and guiding ambitious philanthropic strategies, priorities and outcomes.
However, she stressed that the clock is ticking and we need to accelerate efforts to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. For this, a more collaborative model of donors, Governments and businesses working together is needed to address pressing issues.
Ms. Mohammed also issued a call to all present to identify and pursue the most ambitious contribution that philanthropy can make to in achieving the transformation that our planet and its peoples so desperately need. She also reiterated the UN’s commitment to work with them to this end.
And tonight, the Deputy Secretary-General will travel to Abu Dhabi to attend the Climate Meeting in the preparation of the Climate Action Summit that the Secretary-General is convening in September.
She will also travel to Saudi Arabia to engage senior Government officials and the leadership of the Islamic Development Bank on galvanizing support in the region for the Climate Action Summit and sustainable development high-level meetings in September.
She will be back in New York on 2 July.
**Peace Operations
The Under-Secretary General for Peace Operations, Jean-Pierre Lacroix, arrived [in Ghana] today to attend the funeral of Major General Francis Vib-Sanziri, the former Force Commander of the UN Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) in the Golan, who passed away while in active service in April 2019. General Vib-Sanziri will be laid to rest in Accra tomorrow.
While in Ghana, Mr. Lacroix will also hold bilateral meetings with the country’s President and other senior high-level Government officials. He will also visit the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Centre in Accra.
Mr. Lacroix wrapped up his visit to Indonesia yesterday, where he represented the Secretary-General in the Regional Conference on preparing modern armed forces for peacekeeping operations in the twenty-first century. While in Jakarta, he met with the Foreign Minister as well as the Commander of the Armed Forces and the Deputy Chief of Police.
**Sahel
Turning to the Sahel, where a surge in armed violence is generating unprecedented levels of forced displacements and humanitarian emergencies. In the past year, around 1 million people have fled their homes due to violence and insecurity.
In Burkina Faso, Mali and western Niger, there are five times more displaced people compared to a year ago. The Lake Chad Basin is also witnessing a new spike in displacement and attacks.
Our humanitarian colleagues warn that insecurity has never spread so fast, in such a vast area, and affected so many people. They are also concerned by what they describe as a growing risk of spillover beyond the Sahel and into coastal countries.
The violence is disrupting livelihoods and deepening food insecurity, malnutrition and epidemics in affecting communities in Burkina Faso, in the far north of Cameroon, Chad, Mali, Niger and the north-east Nigeria.
Humanitarians are calling for additional support to ensure people’s access to basic services, as well as flexible funding to build resilience and address the root causes of the region’s crises.
**Syria
Geir Pedersen, the Special Envoy for Syria, briefed the Security Council by VTC this morning — he was in Geneva, while Council members were obviously here. He told Council members there is a worrying situation in and around the Idlib area. He said that civilians continue to be killed and hundreds of thousands have been displaced in the de-escalation areas in the north-west of Syria. All due protection must be afforded to 3 million civilians in Idlib, he said.
The Special Envoy added that both Turkey and Russia have reassured him that they remain committed to the September 2018 memorandum of understanding, but he added that we need to see this implemented on the ground.
Mr. Pedersen provided details of recent dialogue between the two parties and other officials, saying that he looks forward to consultations in Damascus in the near future.
Also today, eleven chiefs of global humanitarian organizations spearheaded the launch of a worldwide campaign in solidarity with civilians under fire in Idlib. “Idlib is on the brink of a humanitarian nightmare unlike anything we have seen this century,” they warned.
Senior humanitarian adviser Najat Rochdi, in a press statement today, also warned of the need to respond to the violence in the de-escalation area in north-western Syria, saying that actions must be taken to ensure protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure in the midst of military conflict. More than 300 civilians have been killed, including many women and children, she said.
**Darfur
This morning, the Security Council also adopted a resolution to extend the mandate of the joint African Union-UN Peacekeeping Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) until 31 October.
**Afghanistan
Tadimichi Yamamoto, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan, condemned the threat from the Taliban this week to turn media outlets into military targets. He called for it to be rescinded, as words must never be met with violence. The only acceptable challenge to words is to advance a better argument, Mr. Yamamoto said.
Meanwhile, since 16 June, more than 28,000 Afghans have been displaced in Takhar province, in the north-east, following military operations by the Afghan National Security Forces and the Afghan National Army against non-State armed groups in Baharak and Namak-ab districts; that’s according to provincial Government authorities.
Initial reports indicate that most of the displaced people are living with host families in the provincial capital and assessment teams have verified 11,000 people as displaced, with assessment continuing.
As of today, humanitarian assistance has been provided to over 5,200 people by the World Food Programme (WFP), UNHCR (United Nations refugee agency), the Afghan Red Crescent Society and Concern Worldwide.
**Trachoma
A couple more notes, these from the World Health Organization (WHO), which announced sustained progress on the number of trachoma infections. The number of people at risk of the world’s leading infectious cause of blindness has fallen from 1.5 billion in 2002 to just over 142 million in 2019. That’s a reduction of 91 per cent since 2002.
New data presented today also show that the number of people requiring surgery for trachomatous trichiasis, the late, blinding stage of trachoma, has dropped by 68 per cent.
Nevertheless, Trachoma remains endemic in 44 countries and has blinded or visually impaired almost 2 million people worldwide.
**Measles
And today, the World Health Organization also issued a travel-related recommendation to prevent international spread of measles.
The Organization recommends that all travellers check their vaccination status and ensure that have received two doses of the vaccines. You can check all recommendations online.
According to UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund), global cases of measles have surged to alarmingly high levels in 2019.
In low and middle-income countries, large numbers of children go unvaccinated mainly because of limited availability of the vaccine and access to services. But in some countries, including developed countries, anti-vaccine groups have effectively exploited social media, creating confusion and stoking fears among parents.
Tomorrow afternoon, here in Headquarters, UNICEF and the Permanent Mission of Japan will be hosting an event on vaccine hesitancy and online misinformation.
Experts will analyse how to improve stagnating or declining vaccination and champion children’s right to immunization. I think that event is taking place around 1:15; you are all invited.
**Death Penalty
[The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime reiterated that it does not support the use of the death penalty.
UNODC issued a statement in response to enquiries regarding reports from Sri Lanka on the application of the death penalty for four individuals convicted of drug-related offences.
Just last December, more countries than ever before, 121 Member States, supported a General Assembly resolution calling for a moratorium on the use of the death penalty.
UNODC recalls that the three international drug control conventions, which form the foundation of the global drug control system that has been agreed by nearly every country in the world, cannot be used to justify the use of the death penalty for drug-related offences alone.]
**Small Business Day
Today is Micro-, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Day. This year’s theme is “Big Money for Small Business: Financing the SDGs”, and it focuses on how small businesses can help achieve the goals, in particular those related to promoting innovation, creativity and decent work for all.
**Press Encounters
Finally, tomorrow at 11, there will be a briefing here by the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights with Chairpersons of the Human Rights treaty bodies.
Then by noon, my guest will be Frank Laczko, Director of Global Migration Data Analysis Centre at IOM (International Organization for Migration). He will brief you on the launch of a new report entitled “Fatal Journeys”, as it relates to migrants.
**Questions and Answers
Masood?
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. Now that the Secretary‑General is also in Japan along with President [Donald] Trump and all the other world leaders, will the Secretary‑General have a conversation with President Trump about lowering the so‑called temperature in the… in the Gulf region, where it seems as imminent threat of war is still hanging…
Spokesman: I will… we will brief you as these conversations happen with readouts.
Question: So… so, he will…
Spokesman: I said I will brief… I don't want to prejudge the meetings. The bilaterals are still being worked out. As they happen, we will brief you. Yes, sir?
Question: Yes. We just had an informative press conference by the PGA (President of the General Assembly). So, my question is to you is, when can we expect a full‑fledged press conference in this room by the Secretary‑General?
Spokesman: We will try to schedule one hopefully… maybe before the summer. Yes, Erol?
Question: Stéphane, just to… I'm struggling with this question, but I hope I will ask you…
Spokesman: Hopefully, I won't struggle with the answer.
Question: All right. Thank you. What is the most important thing that the Secretary‑General would like to achieve during his presence at the G20 summit? Or what is the significance of his presence in Japan right now?
Spokesman: Well, his significance, I think, and he said it himself, that he is there because he feels people around the world are demanding action on climate change. They are demanding action on inclusive development, and he is there to represent those voices, in a sense, and to try to galvanise the G20, the group of the 20 largest economies, into action on these issues.
Question: Yeah, when you say galvanise, which is… when you say galvanise, which is, obviously, the very noble task, bearing in mind that the US is already asking for watering down some kind of document on the climate change, what would be the action of the Secretary‑General to…
Spokesman: This is part of his preparation for his climate action summit, where he wants… he would like to see increased political will. I think this is a message that he has repeatedly said is the lack of political will to move on greening the economy — on green investments, on transformative change, and that's where he will try to push and convince leaders that he meets with. Mr. Abbadi?
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. What's the reaction of the Secretary-General regarding the terrorist attack this morning in Tunis that left one dead and several injured?
Spokesman: The Secretary-General strongly condemns the terrorist attacks that we saw in Tunis today. He expresses his sympathy and support to families of all those affected and to the people and Government of Tunisia. Madame and then… yes.
Question: Sabrina Ferrisi, EWTN Nightly News. I have a question on Iran. Iran could reach the maximum amount of enriched uranium it is allowed to have by this weekend. Can you comment on this? And what would be the response here at the UN if Iran exceeds the limit?
Spokesman: Well, I don't want to speculate on things that have not yet happened. I think the Secretary‑General, through Ms. [Rosemary] DiCarlo yesterday, in an open meeting of the Security Council, expressed his concern at the statements made by Iran on that… on their intention. He is a firm believer in the usefulness of the JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action) as a major diplomatic achievement and would hope that all those parties still abide by it. It’s a very strong instrument in terms of nuclear non‑proliferation.
Question: Stéphane, do you have any comment on the news in the last ten days regarding the… in the US detention centres and how immigrants are treated and children and whether there was also anyone from the UN who was able to go into these centres and see the situation? Did you ask at all to…
Spokesman: I'm not aware that anyone from the UN went, but I would refer you to the statement released yesterday by Henrietta Fore of UNICEF on this issue. The need for every country to treat migrants and refugees with respect and with the due… especially for refugees with the due rights that are accorded to them under international [law] is extremely important, and we will continue to call for that by all Member States. Yes, Masood?
Question: Yes. Stéphane, on this Gaza… Gaza crossings, which are being… intermittently being shut down by Israel, can you tell us the update on the latest, whether Gaza crossings are open…
Spokesman: I don't have any update today beyond what Mr. [Nickolay] Mladenov said earlier this week, but I… we can try to get some updates for tomorrow for you.
Question: So, a follow‑up. I mean, do you think, given the media report that we have been seeing, that an investigation should be done regarding what's happening in these detention centres in the US?
Spokesman: Look, I think what we… you know, I'll give you an example, is the photo that, I think, everyone saw of Oscar Ramirez and his daughter Valeria, having drowned in the Rio Grande. I think that singular photo, for the Secretary‑General, tragically symbolizes the desperation faced by so many individuals and families as they go about searching for a better life. It's yet another reminder, as if we needed another reminder, that the flow of refugees and migrants must be managed by countries of destination, countries of transit and countries of origin and, above all, [with] respect for human rights and human dignity.
On that note, I wish you… I was going to wish you a happy weekend, but, unfortunately, for all of us, we will see each other tomorrow.