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.
**Briefing Schedule
Speaking of time off, just a programming note. We will of course be briefing here tomorrow. On Wednesday, Farhan [Haq] will brief. Thursday, we will be eating. Friday, we will be open remotely and not brief, unless there is breaking news, in which case, you will all rush back here. We’ll bring in some food for Betul, if she’s here on Friday, and we will resume briefings on Monday.
**Noon Briefing Guests
Today, in just a short while, I will be joined by the Under-Secretaries-General Jean-Pierre Lacroix, Atul Khare and Catherine Pollard, the heads of the departments of Peacekeeping, Operational Support and Management. They will be joined by the Permanent Representative of the Republic of Korea, Ambassador Cho Hyun. They will brief you on the 2021 Seoul UN Peacekeeping Ministerial Meeting, which will be held from 7 to 8 December. Under-Secretary-General Lacroix and Ambassador Cho Hyun will be here in the room while Under-Secretaries-General Pollard and Khare will join us virtually.
**Colombia
The Secretary-General is on a plane heading to Colombia as we speak, to participate in celebrations of the fifth Anniversary of the signing of the 2016 Final Peace Agreement between the Government of Colombia and the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC-EP). Tomorrow, he will make a field trip to the Department of Antioquia, where he will visit an area for training and reintegration in Llano Grande. In the afternoon, he will also attend the fifth Anniversary Ceremony organized by the Government in the town of Apartadó and later, he will have a meeting with members of civil society, including women, indigenous groups and youth.
**Trafficking in Persons
Meanwhile, the Deputy Secretary-General spoke at a General Assembly meeting on the UN Global Plan of Action to Combat Trafficking in Persons, I think as you heard from Paulina [Kubiak]. She said that renewed and reinvigorated global action against this crime is needed more than ever. Global crises, including the pandemic, have set back progress on the issue, she said, adding that survivors of trafficking in many countries have encountered greater difficulties in accessing essential services. To end this suffering and injustice, Ms. [Amina] Mohammed said that we need to support all countries to build strong legal institutions and frameworks to respond to this crime, with survivors at the centre of our policies. Today’s General Assembly meeting can reinforce the need for greater cooperation and action against human trafficking, she said. Those remarks were shared with you.
**Afghanistan
A couple of Afghanistan notes: The UN Development Programme (UNDP), in an alarming report about the banking and financial systems in Afghanistan, says that non-performing loans in the credit market have increased from around 30 per cent at the end of 2020 to 57 per cent in September of this year. As the run on banks to withdraw savings continues, UNDP projects that the deposits’ base would shrink by as much as 40 per cent by the end of the year. The indicators in the report serve as a warning that the Afghan banking and financial systems are on the brink of collapse. The document also outlines a series of solutions to the crisis, which include deposit insurance for depositors; adequate liquidity for the banking system; and credit guarantees and loan repayment delay options for the real economy. More information on the UNDP Afghanistan website.
Also on Afghanistan, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that the humanitarian response in Afghanistan is scaling up with improved funding and access to life-saving aid. However, needs and vulnerabilities are increasing and outpacing the capacity of humanitarians to reach people in crisis. One in four pregnant women and 1 in 2 children are malnourished. One in two people do not know where their next meal is coming from. And 1 in 2 people now need humanitarian aid to survive. Between 1 [September] and 15 November, UN and non-governmental organization (NGO) partners provided 7.2 million people with food assistance; reached more than 880,000 people with primary and secondary health-care consultations; they assisted almost 199,000 drought-affected people through water trucking; and treated more than 178,000 children under five for acute malnutrition. Afghanistan’s Flash Appeal seeking $606 million to help 11 million people most in need in the last four months of 2021 is 100 per cent funded. We are grateful for the generous contributions of the donor community. However, all financial commitments have not been translated into actions on the ground, due to financial system challenges amid the cash and liquidity crisis.
**Myanmar
Quick update from Myanmar: I can tell you that we are deeply concerned by the intensification of arbitrary arrests in Myanmar. The targeting of members of the National League for Democracy, affiliates and others promoting a return to Myanmar's democratic path, and those exercising their most basic rights to peaceful assembly. These arbitrary arrests must stop. We also remain concerned over recent attacks on National League for Democracy offices and recall the Security Council's Presidential Statement of March of this year, expressing concern over arbitrary detentions of Members of Government, including the President and State Counsellor. We are expressing our continued concern over the intensifying crackdown and treatment of detainees by the military, including increased reports of sexual violence. Credible reports indicate that at least 175 people have died while in custody since February of this year. That includes 50 deaths in custody reported since the beginning of October alone, and many of the bodies showed signs of mistreatment or torture. We reiterate our call for the release of all detainees and for the cessation of violence on all sides.
**Security Council
This morning, the Security Council held an open debate on the impact of Trafficking of Arms on Peace and Security. At this briefing, Robin Geiss, the Head of the UN Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR), reiterated that the diversion and trafficking in arms, including small arms, light weapons and ammunitions, is a defining factor undermining peace and security. He urged States to adopt a more inclusive approach to strengthening weapons and ammunitions management.
**Federated States of Micronesia
Quick update from the Federated States of Micronesia, where the Secretary-General’s Representative in the Federated States of Micronesia, Resident Coordinator Jaap van Hierden, presented his credentials to authorities today. We now have more on-the-ground presence of the UN family, as requested by Member States, to support authorities and all people in the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati, Nauru, Palau and the Republic of the Marshall Islands. Mr. van Hierden confirmed that the UN will strengthen its support across all national priorities, leveraging partnerships and innovation in support of climate change adaptation, social development and inclusive, sustainable economic growth. The UN team will also support the authorities to address and recover better from the pandemic to advance the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It is anticipated that the UN presence in Micronesia will be gradually reinforced with this newly established multi-country office.
**Senior Personnel Appointment
And lastly, as you may have seen on Friday afternoon, the Secretary-General appointed Caroline Ziadeh of Lebanon as his new Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK). Ms. Ziadeh succeeds Zahir Tanin of Afghanistan to whom the Secretary-General is grateful for his dedicated efforts to further peace and stability in Kosovo and the region, and his effective leadership of the Mission. As you may recall, some of you who have been here for a bit, Caroline was for a long time Deputy Permanent Representative of Lebanon at the UN, and she has diplomatic experience of over 30 years, most recently as a Director in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants in Lebanon. James?
**Questions and Answers
Question: What's the Secretary‑General's reaction to developments in Sudan?
Spokesman: Well, you will have seen that the Mission itself issued a statement over the weekend. I mean, for us, it is also important… we also feel it's very important to stress the need to protect the constitutional order, to safeguard basic freedoms of political action, freedom of speech and peaceful assembly. The transition partners will need to urgently address unresolved issues to complete the political transition in an inclusive manner with respect for human rights and the rule of law. We also, of course, reiterate our call for independent investigations into the deaths that we saw over the last few weeks and accountability for justice.
Question: In the last hour, the Sudanese Foreign Minister, Mariam al‑Mahdi, has said that she has resigned. She says that she was not… the ministers were not consulted about the agreement involving Prime Minister [Abdalla] Hamdok, and she says: "We are against the agreement because it supports the coup." Any reaction to those comments?
Spokesman: Well, listen, I haven't seen those particular comments, but I think it just underscores the need to protect the transitional process. Betul?
Question: Thank you, Steph. I know it's been asked before, but I was wondering what the SG thinks about [Muammar al‑]Qadhafi's son, who's wanted for war crimes, is running for President in Libya. Does the SG think that he should run for the elections? Someone who's wanted for war crimes?
Spokesman: No, no, I understand. I understand. The question of eligibility for the election will have to be decided by the Libyan electoral institutions themselves, as it was designed. Separate from that, I think people who face questioning by judicial institutions for crimes committed also need to be held accountable. Señor?
Correspondent: Stéphane, there's been a joint statement today by Amnesty Human Rights Watch and a Cairo NGO which strongly criticises the UNDP report in September, saying, I quote…
Spokesman: Which UNDP report?
Correspondent: September, September report on Egypt.
Spokesman: On Egypt. Oh, okay. Okay.
Question: Yes. Saying that it… it's… it aims at white-washing grave violations of international human rights law committed by the Egyptian Government. There has been a letter addressed to the Secretary‑General and the UNDP Coordinator in Egypt, but so far, no answer.
Spokesman: Okay. I will look. It's the first I've heard of it. Let me see if I can find the letter. I would also encourage you in the immediate to ask our UNDP colleagues, but I will look on our end, as well. Evelyn?
Question: Thank you, Steph. Couple quick questions of the… on Col… on the Secretary‑General, how long will he be in Colombia? And secondly, on Kosovo, Lebanon's not around the corner. Is the UN going to coordinate with EU?
Spokesman: Sorry. I don't understand your second question.
Question: Yeah, is the UN coordinating with the European Union on Kosovo, or is the UN handling what needs to be handled alone, since there's a problem with the Dayton Agreement?
Spokesman: Well, on… I mean, on Kosovo, we operate within the perimeters of the mandate given to us by the Security Council. That… those are our operating guidelines, and that's how we work in the administration in Kosovo. Of course, we are in discussions with a lot of relevant parties, whether it's the neighbours or others. On your second question, the Secretary‑General lands tonight. He will have full programmes Tuesday and Wednesday and then leaves late Wednesday night and will be back in New York on Thursday, in time to carve up a bird. Okay. Abdelhamid?
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. Since Saudi Arabia withdrew from the vicinity of Al-Hudaydah and the UN said that is a major change in the dynamics of the conflict, we have not heard more reports about the situation over there. Can you update us what's going on…?
Spokesman: Which… sorry. The situation where? Sorry. The situation where? I didn't hear…
Correspondent: In Hudaydah.
Spokesman: I will see if we can get an update. I have nothing more than what was given to the Security Council not… and publicly not too long ago, but I will get you something. Okay? Ephrem, please.
Question: Thank you very much. I have a question about Lebanon and, in particular, about the stalling investigation into the 4 August [2020] port explosion. The Beirut Bar Association has recently revealed that they have sent the United Nations three letters during the past year, asking for different kinds of help, and they're saying that the letters have been left unanswered so far. So, why have the letters… have been unanswered? One. And second, one of the things they asked for, for example, in terms of help is for Member States or the UN to provide satellite images from the moment prior to the explosion, trying to investigate how it happened. Like, that's one of the things they asked for. Is this something that the UN or Member States can provide? Thank you very much.
Spokesman: Well, first of all, I will say that, since this tragic explosion took place, the UN system as a whole and especially in Lebanon, as we updated you at the time, was mobilized to help the victims and all those impacted, and we provided assistance. And we remain fully committed to supporting the Lebanese people at this difficult time. On the issue of satellite images, Member States that have the capacity to do so can do so. And I saw press reports today that, I think, one Member State, in fact, had done so. We have repeatedly encouraged the Lebanese authorities to conduct a swift investigation into the port explosion, and we, in fact, have responded with information to requests from Lebanon's judicial authorities investigating the Beirut Port explosion. At this point, I can't give you any more details, given that there are relevant legal proceedings ongoing. Okay?
Question: Sorry, Stéphane. And for the letters, did you receive them? And why… and why have they not been answered, the letters from the Bar Association?
Spokesman: Letters were, in fact, received. As far as I know at this point, but I'm… we're continuing to check, we responded with information received from the judicial authorities investigating the port explosion. Okay. Let me get our guests, and I will be right back.