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 Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General.
**Cities
Today, the Secretary-General launched his policy brief on “COVID-19 in the Urban World”. The brief says that urban areas are at the epicentre of the pandemic, accounting for an estimated 90 per cent of cases. The brief notes that the pandemic has exposed deep inequalities in how people live in cities, with the pandemic impacting those who are already vulnerable, such as people living in slums and those without access to open public spaces near their homes. However, the brief says that because cities are hubs of resilience and ingenuity, their residents have quickly adapted to new ways of working and functioning and have demonstrated extraordinary solidarity. The brief makes a series of recommendations to tackle the inequalities in cities, including engaging with marginalized groups, avoiding disruptions of essential services, supporting local businesses and including climate-friendly plans in their recovery.
**Climate
Last night, the Secretary-General launched his Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change. The Group will build on the outcome of last year’s Youth Climate Summit and provide young people with the opportunity to be part of the decision‑making process. In a video message, the Secretary-General said that we have seen young people on the front lines of climate action, showing us what bold leadership looks like, and that the new Group will provide perspectives, ideas and solutions that will help scale up climate action. And my guest today, the Secretary-General’s Special Adviser on Climate Action, Selwin Hart, will tell you more about this new Advisory Group.
**Yemen
Martin Griffiths, the Special Envoy for Yemen, informed the Security Council by video teleconference this morning about the progress of negotiations that have been ongoing for four months between the Yemeni parties. He said that both parties have provided feedback on various drafts and proposals, but they have yet to reach agreement on a final text. Mr. Griffiths said that it is important that both parties continue to engage in the process, but the negotiations must be concluded before the window of opportunity closes. He warned that the military situation has not improved over the past month. The Special Envoy noted that, at the beginning of this month, Ansar Allah confirmed in writing that they would authorize a long‑planned UN-supervised technical mission to the FSO Safer tanker. However, he added, we are still awaiting the permissions necessary for this team to deploy.
Mark Lowcock, the Emergency Relief Coordinator, warned that the humanitarian crisis in Yemen has never been worse. He told the Council that famine is again on the horizon, conflict is again escalating, the economy is again in tatters and humanitarian agencies are again nearly broke. Meanwhile, COVID-19 is spreading out of control. He said that there are now 43 active front lines in Yemen — compared to 33 in January. Yemenis need a nationwide ceasefire, Mr. Lowcock said.
This morning, the Security Council also unanimously voted to extend the sanctions regime in the Central African Republic for one year. They extended the mandate of the peacekeeping mission on Cyprus (UNFICYP) for six months and adopted a presidential statement related to the UN Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS).
**Lebanon
I was asked yesterday about the activities of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), during yesterday’s incident along the Blue Line. I can say that the UNIFIL Head of Mission and Force Commander, Major General Stefano Del Col, was immediately in contact with the Israel Defense Forces and Lebanese Armed Forces in order to contain the situation, decrease tension and restore the cessation of hostilities. At this time, calm has returned to the area and UNIFIL is maintaining its presence on the ground. UNIFIL has launched an investigation to determine the facts and circumstances of the incident.
**Sudan
Turning to Sudan, our humanitarian colleagues say that they are extremely concerned about the situation in Darfur, where a recent escalation in violence in different parts of the region has led to the loss of lives and livelihoods, as well as forcing people to flee their homes. Reports say that there have been several serious incidents in South, West and North Darfur States in recent weeks that have left several villages and houses burned, markets and shops looted, and infrastructure damaged. Aid organizations are working with the Government to assess the impact of the clashes and determine what assistance is needed. And the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID) notes with deep concern the recent increase in violent attacks on peaceful protestors, civilians, rural communities and camps of internally displaced persons in various localities in North, South and West Darfur. The mission condemns the loss of life, injuries and displacement resulting from such attacks whose main victims are women and children. It calls on the relevant Government authorities to apprehend the perpetrators and bring them to justice.
**Libya
The Secretary-General’s Acting Special Representative for Libya, Stephanie Williams, has announced the finalization of the process to initiate an international audit of the two branches of the Central Bank of Libya. The international financial review process is a critical step towards enhancing transparency in the Libyan financial system and creating the conditions for the eventual unification of the Central Bank of Libya. The process is equally important to have an informed dialogue on the equitable distribution of national revenue in Libya and to re-establish national accountability mechanisms.
**Peacekeeping
We have some updates on the response to COVID-19 in our peacekeeping missions. The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), reports that, in an effort to alleviate health concerns in Wau Central Prison, peacekeepers recently donated medications, facemasks, soaps, sanitary napkins, and clothes to the prison’s wing for female inmates. Meanwhile, the UN Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA), is protecting civilians in the Mopti region. More than 200 security patrols have been carried out by the United Nations Police since the start of the pandemic in the region. UN Police are also delivering handwashing kits and t-shirts with educational messages on ways to stop the spread of the virus. And in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO) continues to sensitize actors on responding to COVID-19 in a way that aligns fully with the country’s human rights commitments. For example, in Bunia in Ituri Province, the Mission hosted a three-day workshop on the guiding principles of human rights to security, judicial and health authorities, as well as to representatives of the local media and civil society.
**Libya — Migrants
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said today that three Sudanese migrants were killed and two others injured in a shooting at the Khums disembarkation point last night in Libya, after being intercepted at sea and returned to shore by the coast guard. The shooting occurred after more than 70 people were disembarked from a vessel. Staff from the IOM in Khums said that local authorities started shooting when the migrants attempted to escape from the disembarkation point. The injured migrants were transferred to local hospitals while survivors were moved to detention. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) deplored the tragic loss of lives and called for an urgent investigation following the shooting.
**Sahel
Since the beginning of the year, in the Sahel and Lake Chad region, a growing number of refugees and displaced people have died after hitting landmines or improvised explosive devices. UNHCR is calling for stronger efforts to mitigate the risks posed by these devices. While it appears that the primary targets are security forces, more and more civilians are indiscriminately killed and maimed. Chad and Nigeria top the most affected countries in the Lake Chad Basin, but UNHCR teams on the ground also witness a rising trend in the Sahel. The agency says that, in addition to the death toll, injuries and their aftereffects, the presence of explosive devices hinders access to local livelihoods as well as community infrastructure. They also affect the delivery of humanitarian aid and development activities.
**Central Emergency Response Fund
The UN humanitarian chief, Mark Lowcock, has released $100 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund, otherwise known as CERF, to urgently boost humanitarian response in 10 underfunded emergencies in Africa, the Middle East, South-East Asia and the Americas. The allocation, which places a strong emphasis on mitigating and responding to gender-based violence, will help front-line aid groups deliver life-saving assistance to extremely vulnerable people, as well as support programmes that address greater needs due to COVID-19. The largest single allocation of $35 million was granted to Yemen, the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. The rest of the funds will be distributed among relief organizations in Afghanistan, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Colombia, Haiti, Mozambique, Nigeria, Pakistan and Uganda. So far this year, $225 million have been released as part of CERF’s Underfunded Emergencies to support crisis response in 20 countries. This is the highest annual amount ever provided in the fund’s history. More details are available online.
**COVID-19 — Amazon
Today, our UN teams in Brazil, Colombia and Peru have issued a joint statement calling for increased support and response efforts in the Amazon region as COVID-19 continues to rage in the area. The pandemic is also impacting hundreds of thousands of indigenous people. The UN teams warned that the situation of approximately 170,000 people living in remote areas along the Amazon River, on the border between Brazil, Colombia and Peru, is of particular concern. As a result of the pandemic, and despite the efforts deployed by the three Governments to respond to the crisis, there are growing fears over the ability of health institutions to cope with the situation and save lives.
We are working with national and local authorities to boost support for indigenous populations in the Amazon region. The Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO) is increasing hospital and testing capacity and the UN teams are distributing personal protective equipment and food, as well as disseminating prevention campaigns in indigenous languages. Despite these efforts, response capacities remain limited in the area. Funding shortages are significantly hampering the crucial life-saving response.
**COVID-19 — Tourism
The World Tourism Organization said today that the near-complete lockdown imposed in response to the pandemic led to a 98 per cent fall in international tourist numbers in May when compared to 2019. The latest edition of the World Tourism Barometer shows a 56 per cent year-on-year drop in tourist arrivals between January and May. This translates into a fall of 300 million tourists and $320 billion lost in international tourism receipts, which is more than three times the loss during the economic crisis of 2009.
**Financial Contribution
And I am delighted to announce that the Solomon Islands has paid its regular budget dues in full. We are now at 107 fully paid-up Member States. And that is it for me. And once you’re done with me, we will turn to our guest, Selwin Hart. Please let me know whether you have any hands raised in the chat function and we can take some questions before we turn to Selwin. Let's go to chat. Hold on one second, please. Okay, I have a note from James Reinl saying that he couldn't hear me. I hope you can hear me now. And I have a question from Stefano Vaccara. Stefano, you are on.
**Questions and Answers
Question: Thank you very much, Farhan. Again, the same question of yesterday about the investigation of Mario Paciolla's death in Colombia. I asked you yesterday if you had any news about the, you know, the autopsy, whatever has come up with the investigation because it's been very, very hard to find information. I wrote and my colleague have been written to… we wrote to the Mission there in Colombia. But, we did not receive the… some, and now last week, but they’re dealing anymore with anything. We would like to know if you have any update or what you are doing to find out more that you can share with us? Thank you.
Deputy Spokesman: Well, at this stage, I don't have anything further than what I told you yesterday. As you know, the Mission in Colombia has expressed its condolences to his family, and they have also said that they are looking into the situation. We are aware, of course, that the Colombian authorities are looking into this. And our Mission is in touch with them. So, that is where we stand. And if we have any further updates down the line, I'll let you know at that point. Okay, Abdelhamid, do you have a question?
Question: Thank you, Farhan. Recently the Syrian Government declared that it is rezoning the Yarmouk refugee camp to be part of Damascus. So, I want to ask if UNRWA [United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East] was notified, if you have any news about that? And if you don't, could you please ask this question — if UNRWA was consulted and this which will abolish the Yarmouk refugee camp and disperse 250,000 Palestinian refugees from the area? Thank you.
Deputy Spokesman: I don't have any information so far from the UN Relief and Works Agency, UNRWA, about this. But, I will check with them and see whether they have anything. And with that, Toby from NHK, you are on.
Question: Hi there, Farhan. Can you hear me?
Deputy Spokesman: Yes, I can.
Question: I just wanted to ask regarding Yemen. You said that the mission there is waiting for permissions from the authorities to get on to the Safer oil tanker. What are those particular permissions? What needs to happen for the next steps to take place? Thank you.
Deputy Spokesman: I believe that Mr. Lowcock, both in his briefing today and in his briefing last month, discussed, somewhat at length, the difference between the initial oral and written permissions we have gotten sometimes and the actual paperwork that we would need to make sure that our personnel could get to areas. This has happened in the past. He expressed his hope today to the Security Council that we don't have any similar difficulties as we faced in the past this time around, because we do believe that we are at a very serious point in terms of the safety of this vessel. But, both Mr. Griffiths and Mr. Lowcock did point out that we will continue to need the follow‑up paperwork and permissions, and so we are working on that. We don't have it yet. As we explained a few weeks ago, we expect the deployment to proceed within about three weeks once we have the permissions we need. But, we are not there yet. Okay, and…?
Question: I have another question.
Deputy Spokesman: Okay, sure, back to you, then.
Question: Thank you, Farhan. On 20 July the Israeli occupation authorities came to the village of Pepkor, next to Bethlehem. And in midday, they stole a huge stone which is from the Byzantine period. It used to be used for baptizing. And took it in a midday robbery. So, I want to ask also this question to UNESCO [United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization], if it is aware of this theft of Palestinian historic stone, which weighs seven [metric tons]? Thank you.
Deputy Spokesman: Thanks for saying. I'll leave it, of course, to my colleagues in the UN Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization, UNESCO, to deal with any issues. At this stage, they have not made any comments on this. And with that, if Selwin Hart is ready, I will turn the floor over to him. Thank you all and now let's hear from Mr. Hart.