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.
**Syria
Good afternoon.
As you know, our colleague Geir Pedersen, the UN Special Envoy for Syria, remains in Damascus today. Earlier today, he went to Sednaya prison, where he met with mothers of disappeared persons, with people who have been recently liberated from the prison, as well as with lawyers handling these cases.
The Special Envoy and his team remain deeply committed to supporting the families and the survivors, and the work of UN specialized organizations that are focused on truth-seeking, accountability, and prosecutions.
He is continuing with further engagements. Also, today he met with a delegation of the Syrian Negotiations Commission (SNC), including military representatives who have taken part in the recent military operations in Syria.
Yesterday, Mr. Pedersen met with the Commander of the New Administration, Ahmed al-Sharaa’, and the Prime Minister of the Caretaker Government, Mohammed al-Bashir.
In all his engagements today and yesterday, Mr. Pedersen briefed on the outcome of the Aqaba International Meeting on Syria that took place on Saturday [14 December], stressing the need for a credible and inclusive Syrian-owned and Syrian-led political transition based on the principles of Security Council resolution 2254 (2015).
The Special Envoy stressed the intention of the United Nations to render all assistance to the Syrian people. The Special Envoy was briefed on their challenges and priorities.
Mr. Pedersen is also scheduled to brief the Security Council tomorrow morning, alongside Tom Fletcher, the head of our Humanitarian Department. Both of them will be briefing from Syria.
Mr. Fletcher is in Syria today as part of a one-week trip to the Middle East.
In Damascus, he met with the transitional authorities and will meet with UN partners to discuss the humanitarian response in Syria, where 7 in 10 people continue to need humanitarian aid.
At a time of such rapid changes and long-standing needs in the region, Mr. Fletcher’s trip will also include stopovers in Lebanon, Türkiye and Jordan. We will share updates as they become available.
Meanwhile, our humanitarian colleagues say that since the escalation of the hostilities and as of yesterday, 880,000 people in Syria have been displaced.
We and our partners are continuing to support the response. We are supplying food, water, cash, tents, blankets. We are also deploying medical teams as well as medical supplies.
And over the weekend, the Syrian Arab Red Crescent (SARC) and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), in collaboration with UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund), conducted a joint mission to the Tishreen Dam’s facility, in Aleppo governorate, to enable urgent and critical repairs to the facilities. UNICEF also secured fuel to power the backup generator, enabling the safe drainage of the dam and safeguarding water supplies.
Hostilities near the dam last week led to extended electricity outages and disrupted water and other key services impacting millions of people in the area who depend on those services.
According to partners, and as of yesterday, over 40,000 displaced people are staying in and around collective centres across north-east Syria.
OCHA (Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) reiterates that those fleeing fighting must be allowed to do so safely and to voluntarily return when the situation allows. Whether they leave or stay, people must be protected and able to access essential supplies for their survival.
**Lebanon
Turning to the humanitarian situation in Lebanon: According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), more than 900,000 people have begun returning to their areas of origin since the announcement of a cessation of hostilities on 27 November.
However, nearly 179,000 people remain displaced. We and our partners continue to support the response across the country, while the situation is fluid and the movements are fluctuating.
Reverse cross-border movements from Syria into Lebanon have also been observed, and some temporary shelters have opened to host those who are coming back.
Meanwhile, we and our partners in Lebanon continue to support the Government-led response and deliver food, shelter supplies, water, and hygiene kits to those who need it.
We are also supporting winterization efforts as temperatures begin to plummet, sharing blankets, winter clothing and cash for people to pay for heating.
**Occupied Palestinian Territory
Turning to the situation in Gaza, which remains grim, our colleagues in the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs say that new evacuation orders have once again triggered large-scale displacement, leaving civilians exposed to hostilities and deprived of access to vital services.
Israeli authorities issued two evacuation orders on Friday and Saturday. The first affected parts of Gaza City and North Gaza governorate — an area spanning over five-and-a-half square kilometres. The second order affected 4.3 square kilometres in the Deir al Balah area.
In the wake of these evacuation orders, our partners on the ground observed about 250 families moving southward from affected areas in northern Gaza. They report that some 450 families fled the areas in Deir al Balah. The UN and our partners are closely monitoring the situation and attending to the needs of those newly displaced with the limited resources available to us.
In Gaza City, our humanitarian partners tell us that hostilities escalated over the weekend — particularly in areas affected by the new evacuation orders — leaving more Palestinians killed and injured. In East Tuffah, there were reports of a direct strike on the Yaffa school, which had been serving as a collective centre for displaced people.
In North Gaza Governorate, more than 1,500 Palestinians were reportedly displaced overnight on Saturday from Izbet Beit Hanoun, forcing them to pass through an Israeli checkpoint toward Gaza City.
Some of those arriving in Gaza City told our humanitarian partners that Israeli forces had surrounded the Khalil Awada schools — which had been turned into shelters housing more than 1,500 people — as well as surrounding homes. Dozens of people were reportedly killed in heavy shelling. We once again condemn all killings of civilians.
OCHA reports that today, three humanitarian missions planning to bring food and water to parts of besieged North Gaza were once again denied by Israeli authorities.
The humanitarian community remains firm in its objection to unilateral designations stipulating where aid work can take place within the Gaza Strip. We are committed to addressing people’s needs whenever and wherever they are and urgently call for unimpeded access for humanitarian organizations to all areas where people require humanitarian assistance.
**Libya
This morning, Stephanie Koury, the officer-in-charge of the UN Political Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), briefed the Security Council to announce the details of the UN-facilitated political process in Libya.
Ms. Koury said that the status quo is unsustainable and has persisted for far too long. Unilateral actions pursued by political elites have deeply eroded Libyan institutions into parallel and competing structures.
She said she presented to the Libyan people UNSMIL’s plan for an inclusive, intra-Libyan political initiative to overcome the current political deadlock and move beyond the status quo, towards national elections and the renewal of the legitimacy of Libyan institutions.
As a first step, as she said in her announcement yesterday to the Libyan people, the UN Mission intends to convene a technical committee of Libyan experts to develop options to overcome contentious issues in the electoral laws and options to reach elections in the shortest possible time, including with proposed guarantees, assurances and a timeframe.
**Sudan
Turning to Sudan, our humanitarian colleagues note with alarm the rising number of civilian casualties due to attacks in and around El Fasher, in North Darfur State.
Attacks include the repeated shelling of the Zamzam displacement camp since the beginning of this month. The camp hosts hundreds of thousands of people and famine conditions were confirmed there earlier this year.
Local sources report that scores of people were killed over the weekend in an alleged missile strike on central El Fasher. Here again, we condemn all killings of civilians, wherever they occur.
WHO (World Health Organization) Director-General, Dr. Tedros [Adhanom Ghebreyesus] also reported nine civilian deaths and 20 injuries following an attack on El Fasher’s main hospital that took place on Friday. The hospital is no longer operational.
This is part of a broader escalation of attacks across Darfur and in other areas of Sudan.
OCHA calls once again for an immediate cessation of hostilities so that emergency relief can be provided, and civilians can move to safer locations.
We reiterate that international humanitarian law must be respected. Civilians and civilian infrastructure, including hospitals, are not targets.
**Tropical Cyclone Chido
Turning to southern Africa, where our humanitarian colleagues are very concerned by the impact of Tropical Cyclone Chido, which made landfall in Mayotte and northern Mozambique over the weekend as a Category 4 cyclone. The cyclone brought heavy rains and destructive winds.
In Mozambique we, along with our humanitarian partners, are working closely with the Government to assess the damage and humanitarian impact. In Cabo Delgado Province, humanitarian partners began helping in the city of Pemba just hours after the cyclone made landfall yesterday.
The World Food Programme (WFP) has already delivered emergency assistance to some 500 cyclone-affected families in temporary accommodation centres in Pemba. Similar distributions are ongoing in Nampula’s Mogincual district under the Anticipatory Action Plan.
For its part, UNICEF and partners are providing water and sanitation supplies to mitigate disease risks as the region is already grappling with a cholera outbreak. Preliminary figures indicate that 140,000 people have been impacted across Cabo Delgado Province where more than 1 million people are already in need of assistance due to the ongoing conflict.
Our humanitarian colleagues tell us that in the most impacted districts — including Mecufi and Metuge — people urgently need shelter, they need water, they need sanitation, hygiene, health and protection assistance. The Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, yesterday allocated $4 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund to support early response efforts — however, obviously, more funding is needed.
**Central African Republic
Our colleagues at the peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) welcome the second trial verdict, rendered on Friday, 13 December, by the Trial Chamber of the Special Criminal Court (SCC) in the Central African Republic.
Four former armed group leaders were convicted of crimes against humanity and war crimes committed in April 2020, in Ndele.
The Mission added that this is a welcome achievement as this Court advances its mandate to fight against impunity in the country and advance transitional justice.
The Court is a national tribunal made up of national and international judges and supported by the international community, including the peacekeeping mission and UNDP (United Nations Development Programme).
In accordance with its Security Council mandate, the peacekeeping mission provides support to the Court through justice, corrections and police expertise.
**Ukraine
Turning to Ukraine, our colleagues at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tell us that hostilities along the front line caused scores of civilian casualties and damage to civilian infrastructure between 13 and 16 December. According to local authorities, 1,200 people were forced to flee for safety.
As fighting intensifies in the Donetsk Region, humanitarian access is severely impacted. Our humanitarian colleagues note that nearly 12,000 residents remain in the towns of Pokrovsk, Kurakhove and Chasiv Yar, just a few kilometres away from the front line. Yesterday, nearly 650 people, including 24 children, fled front line areas of the Donetsk Region.
The local gas operator has suspended services to about 11,000 consumers, including families and businesses, in Pokrovsk due to deteriorating security challenges.
The water utility company has also halted delivering drinking water to distribution points in the area.
In Kurakhove, more than 400 people remain in the town, and around 300 residents continue to live in Chasiv Yar, where fighting is most intense. Humanitarian aid delivery to these towns is currently impossible. More than 315,000 people remain in the Ukraine-controlled parts of the Donetsk region.
Despite the challenges, along with our partners, today we sent a humanitarian convoy to Lyman, a front-line community in Donetsk, with hygiene kits, dignity kits, as well as other medical supplies.
In 2024, 13 humanitarian convoys have delivered critical winter assistance and other supplies to nearly 25,000 people in the front-line areas of the Donetsk.
And just this afternoon, at 3 p.m., there will be a Council meeting on Ukraine.
Lisa Doughten, the Director of the Financing and partnership division at OCHA, will brief the Council members.
**Haiti
Turning to Haiti, the UN political Mission — BINUH (United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti) — reiterates its call on all political actors to redouble efforts to keep their commitments to move towards the restoration of social peace and the organization of elections for the Haitian people.
The Mission adds that efforts to improve security in the country will only generate lasting progress if they are also accompanied by progress towards the organization of credible, participatory and inclusive elections.
In this period of major uncertainty and emergency, the political mission says, political stability is necessary to improve the overall situation in the country.
In this regard, the UN Mission in Haiti welcomes the continued efforts of CARICOM’s (Caribbean Community) Eminent Personalities and hopes all those involved in the transition will play their full role to ensure its success. This is in accordance with the aspirations, needs and the interests of the Haitian people.
Our mission in Haiti reiterates its firm commitment to support any effort aimed at restoring the confidence of the Haitian people in their authorities, in complete freedom and independence.
**Internet Governance Forum
I have a couple more things to flag. Two recent events took place in Riyadh, in Saudi Arabia, on different topics.
The first is today’s opening of the Internet Governance Forum. In a video message for the event, the Secretary-General said that digital technology has fundamentally reshaped our world and holds enormous potential to accelerate human progress.
But unlocking this potential for all people requires guardrails, and a collaborative approach to governance, he warned. He also asked countries to work together to keep building an open, free and safe Internet for all.
**Desertification
And the second event was the conclusion over the weekend of the sixteenth COP [Conference of the Parties] of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification. After two weeks of intense negotiations, countries committed to prioritize land restoration and drought resilience in national policies and international cooperation.
They also made significant progress in laying the groundwork for a future global drought regime, which they intend to complete at COP17, that will take place in Mongolia in 2026. In addition, more than $12 billion was pledged to tackle desertification, land degradation and drought around the world, especially in the most vulnerable countries.
Other agreements reached at the conference include the creation of a Caucus for Indigenous Peoples and a Caucus for Local Communities.
These should ensure that their unique perspectives are represented and the mobilization of private sector engagement under the Business4Land initiative.
More information online.
**Senior Personnel Appointment
Senior personnel announcement: Our dear friend, Michelle Gyles-McDonnough of Jamaica, is being appointed by the Secretary-General as the Executive Director of the United Nations Institute for Training and Research, otherwise known as UNITAR.
She will succeed Nikhil Seth, to whom the Secretary-General expressed his utmost gratitude for his dedication and commitment to the United Nations. Nikhil is also our good friend.
Over the past 30 years, Ms. Gyles-McDonnough has held multiple leadership roles within the United Nations system. She is currently the Director of the Sustainable Development Unit in the Secretary-General’s office.
We congratulate Michelle on her new adventures.
**Financial Contribution
Speaking of adventures, we got money. If you stand on the highest point of the country, you can see the sun rise on one ocean, and the sun set over another ocean.
Panama. You can also see the sun rise on one ocean, get on a boat to see the sun set on the other ocean.
So hats off to Panama; get it? One more good quiz for Panama. It’s one of our favourite palindromes, which works like this: “A man, a plan, a canal; Panama”, which is a palindrome.
Anyway, we say thank you very much to our friends in Panama City, and they bring us up to 149 [fully paid-up Member States]. Do we have 150? No.
**Questions and Answers
Spokesman: Okay. Edie and then Benno.
Question: Thank you, Steph. Can we get any more details on Geir Pedersen’s meetings with particularly the new transitional government people and the military in Damascus?
Spokesman: You will get that tomorrow, when he briefs the Council. I think he still… they’re still going through a lot of meetings. I wish I had more information to share, but I think he will update both you and the global community tomorrow in a more holistic way on all the meetings he’s had in Damascus.
Question: And that’s going to be an open briefing?
Spokesman: Yes, ma’am.
Question: Okay. And following up on Sudan, has any food gotten into El Fasher in recent weeks, months?
Spokesman: Not until, not that I’m aware of in El Fasher itself. We had some, if I’m not mistaken, some food go into Zamzam, but not into the city itself. Benno?
Question: Thank you, Steph. I want to follow-up with Geir Pedersen, actually. HTS (Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham) leader Ahmed al Sharaa said, obviously, that he wanted to change in the resolution 2254. Do you have any understanding what he meant by this?
Spokesman: Well, I mean, I think there’s certain things in that resolution which are still valid today. Obviously, the fact that we need to have a Syrian-led, Syrian-owned political transition; the things need to be inclusive. Now, obviously, the circumstances in which this resolution was drafted have clearly changed. Right? So, this will be an issue for Security Council members to take up. But I think it’s to… I mean, and I’m not speaking for him, just for our part, to reflect, the new reality while not changing the underlying message.
Correspondent: I will have another question, but it’s more like a soft topic, so maybe I go for…
Spokesman: Alright. Let’s go to Dezhi and then we’ll go down.
Question: Follow up on Geir Pedersen’s visit in Damascus. In the statement, it says that the Special Envoy was briefed on their challenges and priorities. What priorities particularly has the prime minister of this current transitional government said…?
Spokesman: I can’t speak for him.
Question: Will we have more details tomorrow?
Spokesman: We may have a few more details, obviously, for Mr. Pedersen tomorrow. I mean, listen. The challenges are clear in a country where more probably than 7 in 10 people need humanitarian aid, where millions of its citizens have fled abroad, during the civil war. And very often the people who have fled are those who had the money and the skills to go, who are critical to rebuilding their own country, the fact that they’re in a severe economic crisis. I mean, the challenges are pretty, I think, obvious for anyone to see.
Question: So do you have any idea how long will Geir Pedersen stay in Damascus?
Spokesman: I think probably through midweek or so. But, you know, I think it’s also important to note that, his office, the Office of the Special Envoy, has always had a presence in Damascus, and one of his deputies has always sat in Damascus.
Question: Okay. A similar issue here. Israel’s Government has proved a plan to encourage expansion of settlements in occupied Golan Heights. Does the Secretary-General worry about this, and what is his position?
Spokesman: I mean, our position is easy. It has not changed. Right? That the occupied Golan Heights remains occupied territory. We reiterate our call on the Israelis to cease all settlement activities, whether it’s in the occupied Golan or the occupied Palestinian territories. Any such settlements are illegal under international law and obviously an obstacle to peace and economic development.
Correspondent: To put it simply, it’s illegal.
Spokesman: Yeah. But if you’d asked me that question 10 days ago today or a year ago, the answer would have been the same.
Question: Okay. One last thing. Does the Secretary-General have anything to say on the impeachment process in South Korea?
Spokesman: Well we’ve seen the vote taken by the parliament. As we’d said before, we were happy to see the restoration — or let’s say happy to see that the martial law declaration did not go through, at least just lasted a few hours. And the constitutional process in the Republic of Korea is playing out. Right? And…
Question: Did you worry that this might affect the stability of the region?
Spokesman: Listen, we have no doubt in the strength of the constitutional institutions in the Republic of Korea. Gabriel, and then we’ll go down the line.
Question: Thanks, Steph. I think you would have mentioned this if it happened, but I’ll double check anyway. Did the Secretary-General speak to Mr. Al-Sharaa or Al-Bashir at all over the weekend?
Spokesman: No. He has not. He has been, first of all he’s been in constant touch with Mr. Pedersen. I think it’s important to note that Mr. Pedersen’s efforts, what he’s doing, what he’s saying is being done with the full support of the Secretary-General. The Secretary-General did have a conversation with the new President of the European Union, Mr. Antonio Costa, today, where they discussed not only Syria, but the broader situation in the Middle East, Ukraine, and Cyprus.
Question: Thanks. And one other question on Gaza. Over the weekend, Cindy McCain from the WFP gave an interview to a US media outlet that aired on Sunday, and she said we’re very close to famine in Gaza, and she said we can no longer sit by and just allow these people to starve to death. I guess my question to you is from the Secretary-General’s standpoint, what more can he do to keep Gaza at the forefront in the international community?
Spokesman: I mean I think we, from our part, we’re all doing whatever we can. I mean, every day we talk about Gaza. I think on Thursday, we’ll have OCHA’s director of operations in Gaza briefly. We’re doing it through public awareness, through public advocacy and also through messages passed on to meetings. I think Sigrid Kaag was very clear when she spoke to you last week, and that’s one of the things she’s talking about to the Israeli authorities that she meets. Stefano?
Question: Thank you. It’s a follow-up on Pedersen. Did the Special Envoy had any kind of authorization or similar from the Security Council to meet with who is in charge at the moment in Damascus? Because we know that he’s in the list, his organization is on the list of…
Spokesman: No. He doesn’t. Let’s be clear. When we meet, we do not need special permission to meet with representatives of groups who may be under listing by the Security Council. We do so for operational reasons. We do so in the fulfilment of our mandate given to us, clearly, by the Security Council, whether it’s Mr. Pedersen or Ms. [Rosa] Otunbayeva in Kabul. These are contacts to be had so we can fulfil our mission, so we can move forward on the humanitarian and on the political and the development tracks.
Correspondent: And comment on, for the first time, former President [Bashar al-] Assad of Syria, he, on the social, he wrote basically what happened, how he left the capital, and he said that, you know, with the Russians, basically that they took him away. But he says again that the people that took control are terrorists.
Spokesman: Well, I mean, we’re aware of what the letter says. I mean, we’ve seen it like you. I have no more information about the letter than you do. Our focus right now is on the people of Syria and how to move forward in a positive way for them and for their future. And that’s our only focus.
Question: And then the last thing he said, in another subject, organizations, just today, calculated that in the Central Mediterranean from Tunisia and Libya trying to reach Europe, about 1,600 people died since the beginning of the year. Any comment on that? Where, like, this step could be could have been prevented?
Spokesman: Of course it could have been prevented. It could have been prevented if Member States worked cooperatively on managing what is a fact of life, that people will move, that people are always, have always been migrating in search of a better future. And one has to address not only the way migration is managed and not leave it in the hands of criminal enterprises like it is now. But as we’ve said 1,000 times before, that this working dialogue between countries of origin, countries of transit, countries of destination, how to… preventing wars, preventing the impact of climate change. What are the things that are driving people to take humongous risks and putting their families on a boat which they know maybe has only a 50 per cent chance of making it. What is driving those people? Those problems can be fixed. Yes, sir. Jordan, and then Adla.
Question: Thank you, sir. My question on Mr. Fletcher’s visit to Syria. When did he go? How long he will stay in Syria? When he’s going to Türkiye and Jordan? And how did he go there? Did he use road or by plane? And was it commercial plane or a UN plane, please? If you can clarify.
Spokesman: My understanding is that all movements of any UN officials is done by road, into Damascus. He will be there a few days, and he’s going to Türkiye. He’s going to Lebanon. So I don’t… we can get you his exact date so you can reach our colleagues at OCHA, but he’s there right now. Adla?
Question: Question on Syria. Why is it taking so long for the SG to appoint a head to the independent institution on missing persons?
Spokesman: Those discussions are ongoing. The work, as far as I understand it, is ongoing, but I will see if I can get you a time frame, I will. Benno, then Edie. Then we’ll go to the screen. Sorry.
Question: Thank you. Just a technical question about Geir Pedersen. Do you think you can work your magic and bring him to this room — if virtually or not, or, like, in person in the next days?
Spokesman: Challenges. Challenges. I will try.
Question: Okay. Thank you. And then, there is one story that is captivating the tri-State area right now. It’s drones that were observed several times, and some people are irritated. Authorities say they don’t know the origins of the drones. Is that a concern for you guys, as well? Are you seeing the…
Spokesman: I think adding the United Nations’ voice to this story will not move it forward in a positive manner.
Correspondent: Depends on what you say.
Spokesman: Edie, then will go to the screen.
Correspondent: On another long-standing issue, it’s been many months since there has been a Special Representative for Libya.
Spokesman: That is a fact.
Question: Is there any indication of when this might happen?
Spokesman: First of all, our friend Stephanie Koury is in charge and well in charge. And as you can see she is moving forward on a number of initiatives. So it’s not just dealing with what is in front of her plate. It’s actually moving the process forward. So I think that’s an important thing to say. As to when a full, as well as an official SRSG [Special Representative for the Secretary-General] will be appointed. Chi lo sai, as my wife would say. But we’re work… but joking aside, I know this is something that we are working on. It’s not an easy job to fill. Abdelhamid?
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. I have a few questions, of course, interrelated. First, in the last 24 hours, seven massacres were committed and 52 Palestinians were killed, 203 were wounded. Again, I will keep asking about the numbers, and I would ask you if these numbers killed, if any nationality in the world, 52 people were killed, wouldn’t show in your briefing.
Spokesman: Well, first of all, if I’m not mistaken, I condemned the killings of civilians in Gaza. In what I read out today, I mentioned that people who had been killed. So…
Correspondent: Yes, but if the two…
Spokesman: I mean, I think… listen, that just happens to be a fact. What is your other question?
Question: My other question. The Al Jazeera cameraman, Ahmed Al Louh, was killed also in Sunday morning. Are you aware of that?
Spokesman: We’ve seen the reports which only reiterate the life dangers that journalists in Gaza are taking every day to bring the story forward. And I think our colleagues at UNESCO [United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization], in the report they put out on Friday, were very clear that Gaza is the most dangerous place to be a journalist. Your other question?
Question: The mayor of Rafah was assassinated. Do you have any information on that?
Spokesman: No. I have not seen those reports.
Question: And the last, it’s also short. Sheikh Khaled Nabhan, if you remember the grandfather who raised his granddaughter and said this, the soul of my soul, and her picture… that picture became the one of the pictures of the year. He was also assassinated… killed by Israel yesterday. Are you aware of that?
Spokesman: I personally have not seen that story, but it doesn’t mean that others, in the UN, have not. Celia?
Question: Thank you, Steph. Just a follow-up on Syria. So, you mentioned that Mr. Pedersen is in contact with the Secretary-General and in full support. He has made a call for the Security Council to remove the sanctions of the 2254 resolution because, according to what he said on the ground, this will help the people of Syria to have their economy back to try to work in this transition process. Is there a possibility to see any efforts, ongoing, in coordination?
Spokesman: You know, I think looking at what Mr. Pedersen said, I think his main focus was on the issue of unilateral economic sanctions. Right? By the United States, by the European Union. And he said it’s time to start thinking about lifting those sanctions, because those are the ones that are against Syria as a country, that prevents the import of a lot of critical goods. So that was his, I think that was the intent of his focus. Obviously, there’s an issue regarding the Security Council and the listing of a group in a sense. That will be a decision to be made by Security Council members.
Question: Just a follow-up. So we understand Secretary [Antony] Blinken will be visiting, this week, New York. Is there a possibility that he might have a briefing beyond the Secretary-General with Mr. Pedersen to talk about coordinating efforts? We know the Secretary-General has called international community to rely in Mr. Pedersen as an asset within that possibility of coordination, because many of the governments cannot deal directly with Golani and any of the members. But Mr. Pedersen, this weekend, sat down with Mr. Golani. So is there any timeline or any coordination efforts or something that we can have to understand how the nations are working together to try to get that process and provide the support?
Spokesman: Well, you know, Mr. Pedersen attended the Aqaba meeting. He is obviously in touch and had discussions with all the foreign ministers present, including Mr. Blinken. And, you know, we need to remember that Mr. Pedersen is not a loose atom, so to speak. Right? He has a very clear mandate given to him by the Security Council, by the international community, by the Member States. That’s on whose behalf he’s working, and his focus is on the Syrian people, trying to get them on a better path, which includes a Syrian-led, Syrian-owned political transition, which includes building a society where people are free, where minorities are protected and people can be… and the government there can represent the will of the people. Thank you.
Correspondent: Yeah.
Spokesman: I shall see you Tuesday. That would be tomorrow, too. That has the advantage of being both.