Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General
The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today’s briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General.
**Secretary-General’s Travel
Good afternoon.
The Secretary-General will be in Paris, France, on Monday to attend the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit. He will speak at one of the sessions on Tuesday, and he will tell leaders gathered there that the growing concentration of AI capabilities in the hands of a few companies and countries risks widening global inequalities and deepening geopolitical divides.
He will underscore that we must prevent a world of AI “haves” and “have-nots” and will call on AI leaders to pool expertise and cooperate with each other. He will emphasize that it is in the interests of government and technology leaders to commit to global guardrails.
While in Paris, he is also expected to meet with President Emmanuel Macron and other world leaders.
The Secretary-General will leave France on Wednesday.
**International Criminal Court
We have been asked about our response to the US Government’s executive order regarding the International Criminal Court (ICC), and I can say the following:
International criminal law is an essential element to fighting impunity, which is unfortunately widespread in today’s world. The International Criminal Court is its essential element, and it must be allowed to work in full independence.
**Democratic Republic of the Congo
This morning in Geneva, the Human Rights Council held a special session on the situation in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
The High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, said that if nothing is done to end the offensive of the M23, supported by the Rwanda Defense Forces, the worst may be yet to come, for the people of eastern DRC, but also beyond the country’s borders.
He said that he is horrified by the spread of sexual violence, adding that his team in the DRC is currently verifying multiple allegations of rape, gang rape and sexual slavery, throughout the conflict zones.
Mr. Türk also said that hundreds of human rights defenders, journalists and members of civil society have reported to his Office that they have been threatened or are being pursued by the M23 and Rwandan forces. Our human rights colleagues have also facilitated the protection of judicial authorities who were in danger.
And to note that this morning, the Human Rights Council adopted by consensus a resolution establishing a fact-finding mission by the UN Human Rights Office and an Independent Commission of Inquiry on the DRC. Both will examine violations of international humanitarian law and human rights law committed in North and South Kivu Provinces of the DRC since January 2022.
Bintou Keita, the head of our peacekeeping mission in the DRC — MONUSCO — also spoke in Geneva this morning.
She said that hundreds of thousands of displaced people are being forced by M23 to return to their places of origin, without any guarantee or humanitarian assistance on their safe and dignified return.
She also expressed her concerns about the use of misinformation and disinformation, adding that the suspension of social networks such as X and TikTok by the Congolese authorities is a serious infringement of the right to information and must be swiftly lifted. In a region with a sensitive history, Ms. Keita added, ethnically motivated attacks remain a serious concern.
And concerning correct information, we have the following update from our peacekeeping colleagues in the DRC.
We want to share precise information following press reports about civilians and disarmed personnel sheltering in MONUSCO bases.
The peacekeeping mission is providing protection to unarmed individuals who sought refuge within its premises, in strict accordance with international humanitarian law and human rights law. No individual under MONUSCO protection left its premises while bearing arms.
**Democratic Republic of the Congo — Humanitarian
And meanwhile on the humanitarian front, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that continued clashes in South Kivu are triggering mass displacement of people and causing civilian casualties.
OCHA says that thousands of people are now on the move in South Kivu, with many fleeing active combat zones towards Bukavu.
Yesterday, according to our local humanitarian partners, a bombing resulted in three civilians being injured and power infrastructure damaged in the town of Nyabibwe, about 60 kilometres north of the provincial capital, Bukavu.
Meanwhile, in North Kivu, three non-governmental workers were killed on Wednesday under circumstances that remain unclear. This incident is a reminder of the unacceptable risks facing aid workers. The non-governmental organization (NGO) has had to suspend food and agriculture assistance in the area, affecting 36,000 people.
Elsewhere in North Kivu, OCHA and our humanitarian partners are continuing to assess conditions in and around Goma, where hundreds of thousands of people are still on the move.
An assessment this week estimates that nearly 33,000 people have returned to villages in Nyiragongo Territory, immediately north-east of Goma.
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) says that health facilities in North Kivu have been affected by recent violence; many are destroyed while some others struggle to restart operations.
Cancer, diabetes, hypertension, mental health and other routine services are also affected as medicines have run out, and health workers are either absent or overburdened.
WHO adds that the threat of infectious diseases has multiplied. Cholera, malaria, measles, meningitis, mpox and tuberculosis are among the infectious threats in the area. The water supply in Goma was disrupted and has been partially restored in some areas, leading people to rely on water from the lake and heightening the risk of cholera. Nearly 600 suspected cases of cholera and 14 deaths were reported in North Kivu between the 1 and 27 of January.
WHO has deployed emergency medical supplies, hygiene and water treatment supplies, and tents to increase hospital capacity by 1,000 beds. Supplies are being depleted rapidly, and more resources are urgently needed.
**Cyprus
I have another travel note for you. Our Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, Rosemary DiCarlo, will travel to Cyprus over the weekend. On 10 February, she will meet with the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders, Mr. Nikos Christodoulides and Mr. Ersin Tatar, respectively. They will discuss the way forward on the Cyprus issue in preparation of an informal meeting in a broader format. In addition, Ms. DiCarlo will be focusing on the work of the Secretary-General’s good offices mission and meeting with representatives of civil society, including youth and women’s groups.
Following her visit to Cyprus, she will hold meetings in Athens, Greece, on 12 February and Ankara, Türkiye, on 13 February, for discussions on the Cyprus issue, as well as other key regional and global developments.
**Occupied Palestinian Territory
Turning to Gaza, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Tom Fletcher, visited a UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA)-run shelter for internally displaced people in Deir al Balah today, before heading to Jerusalem via the Kerem Shalom crossing.
Mr. Fletcher met with displaced families, who spoke of the hardships they have endured over the past 16 months. He also heard from staff managing the shelter about the ongoing response and challenges they face in providing critical support.
The UNRWA site is one of the many schools in Gaza that were turned into shelters for displaced families. Mr. Fletcher met children who are missing out on their education, stressing the need to re-open schools in Gaza as soon as possible.
In Jerusalem, the Under-Secretary-General met with heads of UN aid agencies and other humanitarian organizations. They discussed ways to sustain the humanitarian scale-up in Gaza, as well as continue critical support across the West Bank.
In a social media post today, the World Health Organization says its team has supported the medical evacuation of 178 patients this month, including 115 children from Gaza via the Rafah crossing.
WHO notes that between 12,000 and 14,000 people still require medical evacuation from Gaza.
Meanwhile, the World Food Programme (WFP) says it has sent more than 15,000 tons of food into the Gaza Strip since the start of the ceasefire, reaching more than 525,000 people with food parcels, hot meals and cash.
With flour and fuel, WFP is now operating 22 bakeries across Gaza and is providing cash so that families can decide for themselves how to meet their most basic needs beyond food.
UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) reports that since the ceasefire took effect, the agency has reached more than 10,000 infants across Gaza with ready-to-use complementary foods to improve their dietary diversity.
This week, our partners working on shelter have been assessing the impact of a winter storm on shelters in different locations. In northern Gaza, partners are also preparing to distribute 1,500 tents to returnees in Gaza and the North Gaza governorates.
Although shelter support is scaling up, our partners note that nearly 1 million displaced Palestinians are living in substandard tents or makeshift shelters, with families resorting to sewing old rice sacks together for basic cover. Many more are living in crowded shelters in unsafe conditions.
And turning to the West Bank, OCHA reports that Israeli forces’ ongoing operations in Jenin, Tulkarm and Tubas continue to displace Palestinians, severely restricting their access to essential services and causing widespread destruction. Our humanitarian partners estimate that 82 per cent of displaced families in the northern West Bank are currently living in rented accommodations.
**Syria
Turning to Syria, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that we and our partners continue to deliver critical cross-border assistance from Türkiye.
This week, 19 trucks crossed into north-west Syria carrying nearly 300 tons of food aid from the World Food Programme for 90,000 people, as well as medical supplies from the World Health Organization and education kits from UNICEF to reach 450,000 people.
OCHA welcomes the extension by the caretaker authorities for the UN to deliver humanitarian assistance through the Bab al-Hawa crossing for an additional six months, until 7 August of this year.
Bab Al-Hawa remains the most-used border crossing into Syria due to its direct route to Idleb, where 2.8 million people are in need of humanitarian aid, with over half of those living in displacement camps. The cross-border operation also enables regular UN missions to north-west Syria to support and monitor projects and services in Idleb and Aleppo, ensuring that critical aid gets to the people it needs to reach.
Meanwhile, hostilities continue to affect the north-east of the country, with incidents reported this week in eastern Aleppo, in the vicinity of the Tishreen Dam, as well as Al-Hasakeh and Ar-Raqqa governorates.
**Haiti
On Haiti, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that gender-based violence affected thousands of people across the country last year.
Our partners reported nearly 6,500 incidents, with actual figures likely much higher. Nearly two thirds of cases are related to cases of rape and sexual assault.
In December alone, more than 630 incidents were recorded — a 38 per cent increase compared to the combined total recorded in October and November.
Almost two thirds of cases are reported to have been perpetrated by members of armed groups.
Children have not been spared and UNICEF announced today a staggering 1,000 per cent rise in sexual violence against children between 2023 and last year.
And also today, our colleagues in Haiti are drawing attention to a funding shortfall threatening the continuation of the UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) in the country. As you know, UNHAS, which is managed by the World Food Programme, is a lifeline for the humanitarian community, providing safe and reliable access to remote, hard-to-reach areas across Haiti. $3.9 million is urgently needed to sustain operations over the next three months.
**Food Price Index
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) today reported that its Food Price Index declined in January, averaging 124.9 points during the month. This is down 1.6 per cent from its December level. FAO says the drop was driven by significant decreases in the international quotations for vegetable oils and sugar.
The index was 6.2 per cent higher than its corresponding level one year ago but remained 22.0 per cent below its peak reached in March 2022.
**Financial Contributions
And last, we would like to say thank you to Austria, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Eswatini, Georgia, Malta and the Republic of Korea for their full payments to the regular budget. This brings the final number of Member States on the Honour Roll to 49.
**Questions and Answers
Deputy Spokesman: And with that, I’m free to take your questions. If there’s no questions, then… yes. Okay. Biesan?
Question: So, the Egyptian presidency have issued a statement that the SG has spoken with the Egyptian President. I don’t know if you have anything on that that you can share with us.
Deputy Spokesman: I don’t have anything to confirm about a call with the Egyptian President. If I have anything, I’ll let you know later. [He later confirmed that the Secretary-General had spoken by phone with the Egyptian President.]
Jordan? If Jordan’s not there, then Michelle Nichols?
Correspondent: No. I am here. I am here, Farhan.
Deputy Spokesman: All right. Okay.
Question: Can you hear me?
Deputy Spokesman: Yeah. Now I can.
Question: Yeah. I said, “Happy Friday.” I have two questions, Farhan. I’m going to ask them together, so in case we get disconnected. My first question, if you can tell me who owns the land where the UN Secretariat is located currently? And does the SG have any plan B for relocation, in case the United States decided to pull out of the United Nations? This is maybe a strange question. The other issue, I’m sure you were asked this question for many times in your 25 years working for United Nations: Do the Palestine refugees have the right to return home? And where is home? Thank you.
Deputy Spokesman: The question of the Palestinian refugees is one that needs to be resolved in negotiations regarding the status of Palestine. And, of course, those negotiations are meant to be held between the Palestinians and Israelis. Regarding the land, this land was given to the United Nations and is owned by the United Nations. I don’t want to indulge in any speculation about the somewhat bizarre scenario you depicted.
Dezhi? Oh, yeah. Michelle first, and then Dezhi.
Question: Thanks, Farhan. I know you responded yesterday on the ICC and the US imposing sanctions, but I just wanted to follow-up to ask you for a comment with regard to the UN Headquarters Agreement and, you know, if and when these sanctions might be targeting senior officials who need to come to the UN. Could we get a comment on that?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, we trust that any restrictions taken against individuals would be implemented consistently with the host country’s obligations under the UN Headquarters Agreement. Obviously, the Headquarters Agreement entails certain obligations on the host country, and we expect them to follow through on those.
Okay. Dezhi?
Question: Yes. Farhan, first, I want to show you a map of Syria. This is a map that Ministry of Interior of Syria just released. In this map, two parts are significantly reduced. One is adjacent to Türkiye. Another one is Golan Heights. So, if the Syrian Government, they don’t insist on the sovereignty of Golan Heights, what would be the result of that part of the land? Would that be a sovereign land for Israel now?
Deputy Spokesman: That’s a speculative question. On the question of Golan Heights and how that matters to be resolved, there’s a series of UN resolutions dating back to the 1970s about Golan Heights, and I would just refer you back to those.
Question: Actually, that’s why I asked this question. I mean, if the Syrian Government, they no longer insist that that it’s part of the Syrian sovereignty, what would happen to all those resolutions?
Deputy Spokesman: That’s a question based on a hypothesis that I… [cross talk]
Correspondent: That’s the map they just released.
Deputy Spokesman: The formal position of the Syrian Government is one that would need to be conveyed.
Question: Okay. Another question, also concerning UN, today President [Donald] Trump said that he’s going to sign an executive order to push back [Joseph] Biden’s push for the paper straw.
Deputy Spokesman: The what?
Correspondent: The paper straw. The straw made by papers, not by plastics.
Deputy Spokesman: Oh, yes.
Question: So, I noticed that in the UN Headquarters, it’s all paper straws. Would the UN Headquarters consider changing the paper ones to plastic ones?
Deputy Spokesman: No. We had reasons for environmental sustainability to change all the implements that had been plastic to either paper or to wood, and we’re sticking with the reasoning behind that. And with that, I wish you all a good weekend.