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.
**Democratic Republic of the Congo
Good afternoon. Just to start off, an update on the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The UN Peacekeeping Mission there, MONUSCO, is calling for calm and responsibility as violent protests continue in Beni, in the country’s north-east. The UN peacekeeping office in Beni was damaged after an attack, and staff members have been redeployed to other sites for their safety. At the invitation of the Government, the Secretary‑General’s Special Representative Leila Zerrougui took part today in a meeting of the National Security Council chaired by the President with ministers and military leaders. She stressed that she understood the people’s anger and the frustration of the population after further deadly attacks by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF). The Mission will work closely with the authorities to jointly find solutions for the people of Beni.
The UN Peacekeeping Mission is also concerned about both the dissemination of misinformation and calls for violence that have been seen on social media. The Mission calls on all political, religious and media leaders to support a return to calm, which is necessary both to fight the ADF and to continue the response to Ebola. Just to note that there are 557 UN peacekeepers from Malawi stationed in Beni, as well as a Formed Police Unit from India with about 150 officers. There are also 150 Tanzanian peacekeepers who are stationed at the airport.
**Secretary‑General’s Travels
The Secretary‑General has just arrived in Berlin, and he is getting ready for an informal dinner with the leaders of the Greek Cypriot community and the Turkish Cypriot community. Tomorrow, the Secretary‑General will join Angela Merkel, the German Chancellor, at the opening ceremony for the Internet Governance Forum. The Forum, a gathering of thousands of members of civil society, governments and technology specialists, is held this year under the theme: “One World. One Net. One Vision.”
As we mentioned on Friday, the Secretary‑General is expected to call for universal and affordable access to the Internet by 2030, as well as for a world in which greater access to technology does not give rise to social and political divisions. Also, on Tuesday, the Secretary‑General is expected to visit a school that provides technology training for refugees, and he will also hold several bilateral meetings with Government officials, including Chancellor Angela Merkel.
**International Day to End Violence against Women
And as just mentioned, today is the International Day to End Violence against Women. In a special message, the Secretary‑General reiterated the UN’s commitment to end all forms of violence against women and girls. These abuses are among the world’s most horrific, persistent and widespread human rights violations, affecting one in every three women in the world, he said.
The Secretary‑General also stressed that sexual violence against women and girls is rooted in centuries of male domination. He called on governments, the private sector, civil society and people everywhere to take a firm stand against sexual violence and misogyny. This also marks the first day of the 16 Days of Activism against Gender-Based Violence.
And in a speech delivered in Abuja, in Nigeria, the Deputy Secretary‑General, Amina Mohammed, said this year’s theme is “Generation Equality Stands against Rape”. She called for all to collectively spotlight the pervasiveness of rape and other forms of sexual violence in our societies, and to take urgent actions to stop these crimes.
**Afghanistan
And as you’ve noticed, over the weekend we’ve issued a statement on the attack on the United Nations in Kabul. The Secretary‑General strongly condemned the attack, which killed a UN colleague, an American citizen, and injured two others. He expressed his deepest condolences to the family of the victim and wished a swift recovery to the injured.
The Secretary‑General called on the Afghan authorities to spare no efforts in identifying and swiftly bringing to justice the perpetrators of the attack. He also reaffirmed the United Nations commitment to continue to assist the Government and people of Afghanistan as the country strives for sustainable peace and development. There were also statements from the UN Mission in Kabul, as well as the administrator of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), as our fallen colleague worked for the Development Programme.
**World Meteorological Organization
And in Geneva, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) today said the levels of heat-trapping greenhouse gases in the atmosphere have reached another record high. WMO’s latest Greenhouse Gas Bulletin showed that globally averaged concentrations of carbon dioxide reached 407.8 parts per million in 2018, up from 405.5 parts per million in 2017. In a tweet, the Secretary‑General said this record “shows that we are not doing enough to address the climate emergency. Strong and decisive Climate Action cannot wait.” Concentrations of methane and nitrous oxide also surged by higher amounts than during the past decade, and WMO said there is no sign of a slowdown despite the commitments under the Paris Agreement.
**Colombia
And over the weekend, we also issued a statement in which the Secretary‑General acknowledged the largely peaceful spirit that characterized the 21 November marches in Colombia and welcomed the willingness of the Government to engage in a national conversation. However, he also voiced his concern over the incidents of violence and vandalism and called on all actors to exercise maximum restraint and engage in peaceful dialogue.
**Sudan
And in Sudan, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, Mark Lowcock, wrapped up a two-day visit to the country yesterday, calling on the international community to act faster to scale up humanitarian support in the country. The deepening economic crisis, the climate crisis and violence have led to more than 8.5 million people needing food, protection and another humanitarian assistance just to survive. Millions more struggle to make ends meet, and these numbers are projected to rise. Years of conflict have left nearly 2 million people displaced in Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile areas of Sudan. There is a press release available with more details.
**South Sudan
Turning to South Sudan, our peacekeeping colleagues tell us that community leaders have apologized after drunken youths rioted last week in a UN Protection of Civilians site in Bentiu, which resulted in the deaths of two civilians and injury to eight UN staff members. The leaders have urged young people to refrain from violence against other displaced people and UN personnel, and have also promised to help with the efforts to hold the perpetrators of the violence to account. United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) is investigating the rioting.
Protection of Civilians sites were set up in 2013 to provide sanctuary to civilians fleeing violence. The Mission stresses that it is unacceptable for community members to attack each other or peacekeepers who are trying to protect the most vulnerable displaced families.
**Rwanda/Libya
And more than 100 vulnerable refugees — including some babies born in detention centres in Libya — have now arrived in Rwanda on a humanitarian evacuation flight organized by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Most of these refugees are under the age of 18 and have been separated from their families, with most from Eritrea and some coming from Somalia, Ethiopia, Sudan and South Sudan. More information online.
**Syria
Turning to Syria, the humanitarian situation throughout Syria remains dire, with more than 11 million people in need of assistance and over 6 million people displaced, according to our humanitarian colleagues. We are particularly concerned over the safety and protection of some 3 million people in Idlib and surrounding areas of north-west Syria, including 1.6 million internally displaced people.
Over this weekend, air strikes and shelling were reported in at least 20 communities in Idlib, Aleppo and Hama governorates. At least eight people, including two children, were reportedly killed and six others reportedly injured by the hostilities. In addition, a medical facility in Kansafra town in Idlib governorate was reportedly damaged due to the hostilities. The UN calls on all parties to the conflict to take necessary measures to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure in line with their obligations under international humanitarian law and international human rights law.
**Bolivia
And I just want to inform you that we do expect a statement on Bolivia a bit later today. In the meantime, we do welcome recent positive developments in the search for a peaceful and democratic solution to the crisis in Bolivia.
**Press Briefing
Tomorrow, I will be joined by Ninan Varughese, Director ad interim of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) New York Office, who will be here to brief you on the launch of the World AIDS Day Report. And I will leave it there. Carrie?
**Questions and Answers
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. Just to come back to what happened in Beni, do you have more details about the circumstances? Because it seems that people were really angry against MONUSCO not having intervened during the attack. Can you confirm that MONUSCO soldiers were not involved at all, didn’t come to help during the attack, or do you have more details about that?
Spokesman: No, I don’t have… unfortunately, do not have any more operational details at this point, but we’re trying to get some more from the Mission. Yeah, Sato‑san?
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. Michael Bloomberg is now running for the 2020 US presidential election. He’s a UN Envoy for Climate Action. What will happen with his title from the UN? And what does the Secretary‑General say to one of the strong advocates of climate change action becoming the candidate for 2020?
Spokesman: Mr. Bloomberg informed the Secretary‑General in a letter of 11 November that he was stepping down, resigning, from his role as a UN climate envoy. So as of 11 November, he was no longer a UN envoy. The Secretary‑General… I mean, Mr. Bloomberg thanked the Secretary‑General for his leadership on climate in the letter, and we thank Mr. Bloomberg for the work he has done on climate. It may not surprise you that I will refrain from commenting on anything having to do with the ongoing presidential elections in this country. Yes, sir?
Question: Okay, sir. Harris here, News Agency of Nigeria. You just talked about the unrest in the DRC being fostered by misinformation on social media. So, I want to know, how do we tackle this abuse of the social media, especially with the spread of fake news and misinformation? Now, do you subscribe to the idea of social media regulation as being proposed in my country, Nigeria?
Spokesman: What… two things. I mean, one, obviously, it is the responsibility of individuals not to spread hate language or disinformation. On the broader issue, the Secretary‑General will speak partly to this tomorrow at the Internet Governance Forum, and the idea is to bring the different stakeholders, governments, technology experts, UN experts in one room to come up with guidelines, with what we would consider red lines, but there is a debate to be had on how the issue of misinformation and hate speech is disseminated by technology companies. Yes, ma’am?
Question: Thank you, Steph. Two questions. First a follow‑up on Michael Bloomberg. I know you’re not talking about the future, but can you tell us what he accomplished in his role as the UN envoy?
Spokesman: Well, I think Mr. Bloomberg, who was named by… to his first post by then‑Secretary‑General Ban Ki‑moon was a catalyst in his role as a UN envoy to bring cities together under the UN umbrella and under their own umbrella to mobilize in the fight against climate change, and the Secretary‑General has often lauded the role of municipalities in being on… in their fight against climate change, as they are often on the front lines of its impact.
Question: And a second question. On the Secretary‑General’s dinner tonight with the Greek and Turkish Cypriot leaders, is there going to be press availability afterwards? Are they going to come out…?
Spokesman: At this point, what I do know is that we will issue a photo at the start of the dinner. And then let’s see what the dinner… what will come out of the dinner. We may have a statement from our end. Obviously, the leaders may do whatever they wish to do. Michelle, then James, then Madame Fasulo.
Question: Why did the United Nations wait nearly two weeks to announce that Michael Bloomberg had stepped down?
Spokesman: We were asked, so we just decided to confirm it.
Question: Did he ask, though, for the UN not to announce it? [Cross talk]
Spokesman: No, he did not. He did not.
Question: I have two new questions, but I want to go back to one from Friday, which was about Egypt being chosen to… a lot of the countries… [Cross talk]
Spokesman: I actually did some research. That was handled by the General Assembly, so it’s not something that involved the Secretary‑General at all…
Question: Does the Secretary‑General, though, have a view on it…? It’s being condemned by human rights groups as a country that uses the pretext of counter‑terrorism as a tool for oppression.
Spokesman: There are processes… Member State‑led processes through which countries are named as facilitators for different issues. This was one such process, and it is not for the Secretary‑General to comment.
Question: Okay. New question, again, on human rights. The Human Rights Watch director for Israel and Palestine has now… I know we talked about this before, before it happened, but has now been expelled by the Israeli authorities. What is the UN’s response?
Spokesman: I would refer… I mean, our response remains the same, that we would very much regret the decision that had been taken by the Israeli authorities to allow to deport him. The Secretary‑General, as he has often said, supports the important work done by human rights defenders around the world and wants… and that work should be allowed by Member States to continue.
Question: And another question, if I may, an Al Jazeera investigation called “Diplomats for Sale” has uncovered that diplomatic passports are being misused and sold by Caribbean Member States. Is the Secretary‑General concerned about the misuse of diplomatic passports and possible contraventions of the Vienna Convention?
Spokesman: Whatever misuse, criminal or otherwise, has been done should be thoroughly investigated. I mean, the privileges afforded to diplomatic passport‑holders or UN laissez‑passers are very important and they should be protected in their integrity. Linda. You already asked a question, Michelle, no? Yes, Linda, go ahead, and then you can ask another one.
Question: A completely different issue: Ukraine. I was wondering if there are any new developments or further developments regarding the situation there, and also what the status of the UN’s role is at this point.
Spokesman: On the UN’s role, our work continues on the humanitarian front. I can get us… try to get us a humanitarian update for tomorrow. On the political end, if I’m not mistaken, there are a number of meetings, I think, scheduled to be held soon between the Ukrainian and Russian leaders and others within various political… various structures, but that’s it as far as I know. Michelle?
Question: Just a follow‑up on the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) from a few weeks ago. When the statement announcing the Commissioner‑General’s resignation was put out, it made reference to preliminary findings of a report. Are there any plans for a final report to be released or issued, or what can you tell us?
Spokesman: At this point, it’s somewhat ongoing, but what I can tell you is that the Secretary‑General wrote to Member States last week to inform them that, in its investigation into the allegations concerning UNRWA, the Office of Internal Oversight Services (OIOS) recently submitted four investigation reports. Those reports are currently under review, with a view to [taking] a possible managerial, administrative and/or disciplinary action as appropriate. The Secretary‑General confirmed to Member States that the investigation reports do not find that there was any fraud involving donor funds. And he said he and the acting Commissioner‑General, Christian Saunders, are personally committed to ensuring UNRWA practises the highest standards of professionalism, transparency and efficiency. And Mr. Saunders is taking immediate steps to implement a management plan to strengthen the administration of UNRWA in general, particularly in the areas of oversight and accountability.
Question: Just a quick follow‑up. You said four reports. Are there any more reports to come?
Spokesman: That’s what I have at this point.
Question: Any more to come?
Spokesman: I will share more information as I…
Question: And any plans to release these publicly, or at least the findings?
Spokesman: They will go through the usual OIOS processes for these kinds of reports where, after a certain amount of time, they’re available on request to Member States, which is the usual procedure. Yes, ma’am?
Question: I don’t understand whether this is the end of the OIOS investigation or whether there is still further investigation to be done.
Spokesman: When I have an update to share with you, I will share it with you. On that note, I wish you all a pleasant Monday.