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.
**Guests
All right, good morning. Happy Monday everyone.
In a short while, I will be joined here by José Antonio Ocampo, Chair of the International Commission of Experts (ICE) on Financing for Development and Professor of Professional Practice in International and Public Affairs at Columbia University.
He will brief on the launch of the report entitled “Financing a sustainable future: Proposals for a renewed global development finance agenda”.
Then, tomorrow, our guest will be Bruno Lemarquis, the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General, Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator for the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He will brief reporters virtually on the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
**Secretary-General/France
Earlier today, the Secretary-General arrived in Paris where, tomorrow, he will attend the artificial intelligence summit, co-hosted by French President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India.
We expect him to 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 he 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 during a working dinner later today.
He will also have a bilateral meeting with the French Foreign Minister, Jean-Noël Barrot, prior to attending the AI summit.
The Secretary-General will leave Wednesday evening for the African Union summit in Addis Ababa.
**Yemen
I have a note for you on Yemen.
Following the recent detention by the Houthi de facto authorities of eight additional United Nations personnel, including six working in Sa’ada governorate, which has impacted our ability to operate, the Secretary-General has instructed the agencies, funds and programmes of the United Nations, in the absence of the necessary security conditions and guarantees, to pause all operations and programmes in Sa’ada governorate, Yemen.
This extraordinary and temporary measure seeks to balance the imperative to stay and deliver with the need to have the safety and security of the UN personnel and its partners guaranteed. Such guarantees are ultimately required to ensure the effectiveness and sustainability of our efforts.
This pause is to give time to the de facto authorities and the United Nations to arrange the release of arbitrarily detained UN personnel and ensure that the necessary conditions are in place to deliver critical humanitarian support guided by the principles of impartiality, neutrality, independence and humanity.
The United Nations remains fully committed to assist the millions of people in need across Yemen.
**Lebanon
You will have seen that we issued a statement yesterday, in which the Secretary-General welcomed the formation of a new Government in Lebanon under the leadership of Prime Minister Nawaf Salam.
We look forward to working in close partnership with the new government on its priorities, including the consolidation of the cessation of hostilities and the full implementation of resolution 1701 (2006).
We also reiterate our commitment to support Lebanon’s territorial integrity, sovereignty, and political independence in accordance with the Taif Accords and the Baabda declaration, and the effective implementation of Security Council resolutions 1701 (2006) and 1559 (2004), as well as other relevant resolutions which remain essential to the stability of Lebanon and the region.
For its part, the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) reaffirmed its support for the Lebanese Armed Forces in their re-deployment in southern Lebanon, as well as for Government institutions in their efforts to extend State authority and help people return to their villages to start rebuilding.
The peacekeepers remain committed to supporting stability that will bring a return to normalcy for people living on both sides of the Blue Line.
On the humanitarian front, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says that the situation remains precarious — with ongoing military operations, sustained displacement, and damage to critical infrastructure which impact displaced communities across the country.
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), more than 90,000 people are still displaced in the country. More than 890,000 are back in their communities of origin but are facing damaged homes and challenges to access services. We and our humanitarian partners continue to assist displaced and returning families with essential aid, including shelter and healthcare support, food, hygiene kits, and winter assistance.
We remain concerned about protection risks, particularly for those returning to heavily impacted areas where unexploded ordnance, collapsed structures, and damaged water and sanitation systems pose additional threats.
**Egypt
The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Tom Fletcher, was in Egypt this weekend, following his travels to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory last week.
While in Cairo, he met with the Assistant Secretary-General of the Arab League, Hossam Zaki, to discuss the crises facing the region and the need for bold, creative responses.
Mr. Fletcher also held meetings with Egypt’s Minister of Social Solidarity, Dr. Maya Moursy, as well as with the head of the Egyptian Red Crescent, Dr. Amal Emam.
**Occupied Palestinian Territory
Turning to the situation in Gaza, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that recent winter storms have destroyed at least five child-friendly safe spaces in Khan Younis and the Middle Area.
This will significantly impact the provision of community-based mental health and psychosocial support activities.
The storms also destroyed the Jabalya women and girls' safe space, the largest such site in northern Gaza, serving nearly 500 women and girls each month.
The UN and our partners continue to observe movement across the Netzarim corridor in both directions as people return to their neighbourhoods. At the same time, humanitarians in Gaza continue to re-establish their presence in newly accessible areas across the Strip.
Partners report that since the start of the ceasefire, more than 1.5 million people have received food parcels across Gaza. For its part, the World Food Programme (WFP) has distributed food parcels, hot meals and cash to more than 860,000 people since the ceasefire. As community kitchens open in new areas, partners are providing more meals.
Meanwhile, work continues to repair water wells across Gaza. However, the widespread destruction of infrastructure and shortages of spare parts, generators and solar panels are affecting efforts to boost water production.
Nearly 60 health partners provide primary and secondary health services across the Gaza Strip, ensuring access to essential care. The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) has distributed sexual and reproductive health supplies, expected to benefit more than 65,000 people in Gaza over the next three weeks.
With support from UNFPA, another health partner has opened three temporary primary healthcare centres in Gaza and a temporary medical point in Jabalya.
Meanwhile in the West Bank, OCHA reports that ongoing operations by Israeli forces in Jenin, Tulkarm and Tubas continue to cause civilian casualties, with at least 40 people reportedly killed since the beginning of the operations on 21 January.
The UN and partners continue to support Palestinians affected by the ongoing operation in Jenin, which continues to drive displacement. The World Food Programme and its partners have reached nearly 1,200 households with cash assistance.
**Libya
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has expressed shock and concern at the discovery of two mass graves in Libya containing the bodies of dozens of migrants, some with gunshot wounds.
Nineteen bodies were discovered in Jakharrah (around 400 kilometres south of Benghazi), while at least 30 more were found in a mass grave in the Alkufra desert in the south-east. It is believed the second grave may contain as many as 70 bodies.
The circumstance of their death and the nationalities remains unknown. Their graves were both discovered following a police raid, during which hundreds of migrants were rescued from traffickers.
Today, the Advisory Committee for Libya concluded its inaugural two-day meeting in Tripoli. Participants engaged in productive discussions on the committee's rules of procedures and workplan, including plans for the second meeting next week. They also held a structured discussion on the main contentious issues within the existing electoral framework.
And yesterday, Stephanie Koury, the Deputy Special Representative for Libya, spoke at the inaugural meeting of the Libyan Advisory Committee. She told the Committee members that she expects that the outcome of their deliberations will help inform subsequent phases of the political process and support Libyan decision-makers and institutions to overcome the current political deadlock. Her remarks are online.
**Democratic Republic of the Congo
We welcome the holding of the joint Southern African Development Community-East African Community summit held in [the United Republic of] Tanzania on Saturday, which reaffirmed the respect for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
The United Nations remains committed to supporting the immediate measures announced, including an immediate ceasefire, the urgent delivery of humanitarian aid, and measures to ensure the security of Goma and its key infrastructure.
We reiterate our call for the immediate resumption of the Luanda and Nairobi peace processes, which are essential for a lasting resolution to the crisis. The United Nations remains fully engaged alongside the Congolese people and is determined to continue fulfilling its mandate in support of peace initiatives, contributing to a stable and secure future.
**Somalia
Turning to Somalia, our colleagues from the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warn that drought conditions are looming in several areas of the country due to prolonged extreme dry conditions, with hundreds of thousands of families likely to be impacted. Our humanitarian colleagues tell us that water sources are drying up, and pastoralists are abandoning their homes in search of water and pasture. In areas where people rely on commercial water supplies, prices have risen to unaffordable levels for many families. Already, 4.4 million people in Somalia are facing high levels of food insecurity — with conditions projected to worsen, as the April to June rainy season is forecast to start late and fall below normal levels.
Our humanitarian colleagues point out that Somalia faces a protracted crisis fuelled by conflict, poverty, widespread displacement, climate shocks, disease outbreaks, and lack of access to basic services. This year, about one third of the population — nearly 6 million people — are estimated to need humanitarian assistance. Women, girls, and marginalized communities are particularly vulnerable. We, along with our partners, took early action late last year in areas facing expected poor rains, including with support from the Somalia Humanitarian Fund and the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF). However, resources remain limited: This year’s $1.42 billion humanitarian appeal for Somalia — which aims to reach 4.6 million people with critical support — is just 12 per cent funded, with less than $177 million received to date.
**Security Council
This morning, the Security Council held a briefing on the threat posed by Da’esh to international peace and security.
Vladimir Voronkov, the Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations Office of Counter-Terrorism, told Council members that terrorism remains a significant and evolving threat to global peace and security, one that no State can confront in isolation.
He noted that Member States must prioritize comprehensive, long-term responses that address the conditions conducive to terrorism while strengthening the rule of law and upholding international human rights and humanitarian law.
Also, addressing the Security Council on the twentieth report of the Secretary-General on the threat posed by Da’esh to international peace and security, Natalia Gherman, the Assistant Secretary-General and Executive Director of the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate, highlighted the UN’s efforts to support Member States in addressing the challenges.
She said that facilitating accountability for terrorism offenses and promoting human rights in counter-terrorism efforts remain priorities.
**Cyprus
Turning to Cyprus. As you know, Rosemary DiCarlo, the head of the Political and Peacebuilding Department, is visiting the country.
Today, Ms. DiCarlo met with the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders, Mr. Nikos Christodoulides and Mr. Ersin Tatar, respectively, to discuss the way forward on the Cyprus issue in preparation for an informal meeting in a broader format. In both meetings, Ms. DiCarlo reiterated the UN’s continued commitment to peace on the island. While in Cyprus, Ms. DiCarlo also met with women’s groups. She stressed that women’s participation in peacemaking efforts is not just a matter of fairness and equality, it is smart peacemaking.
Ms. DiCarlo urged the leaders to engage with them and other civil society representatives and incorporate their views.
**UN Conference on Trade and Development
A report released today by the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) warns that Africa is at the epicentre of overlapping global crises — economic shocks, climate disruptions and geopolitical tensions — that compound vulnerabilities.
The report calls for stronger regional trade networks to reduce dependence on external markets, enhance stability, mitigate global shocks and unlock the $3.4 trillion potential of the continental free trade area.
The full report is available online.
**International Days
Today is World Pulses Day. For centuries, pulses — also known as legumes — have been vital to sustainable agriculture and nutrition.
Today is also the International Day of the Arabian Leopard.
The rapid disappearance of this animal represents a major setback for biodiversity conservation in its native region, underscoring the urgency of addressing the nature crisis that threatens ecosystems worldwide.
**Financial Contributions
And I’m happy to report that full payments to the regular budget continue.
Most recently, Poland and Tonga are taking us to a total of 51 fully paid-up Member States. So, thank you to those two countries.
**Questions and Answers
Deputy Spokesman: And I'm now ready for your questions. Amelie?
Question: Thanks, Farhan. Follow ups on Yemen. You said eight UN employees recently detained. Is that the same one that were announced at the end of January or they are eight additional ones?
Deputy Spokesman: No. These were the ones that were detained last month in January.
Question: Okay.
Deputy Spokesman: So these were additional personnel following the issues we had over the previous years.
Question: Okay. And the second follow-up on that, can you tell us a little bit more about, what was the activities of the UN in this communal rights, where the activities are paused? I mean, how big it was, how many people, inhabitants are going to be affected by the end of, I don't know, food distribution or what?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, the governorate isn’t the entire region of Yemen. So, obviously, it's a larger area but our activities in the parts of Yemen controlled by the de facto authorities are larger than that still. So what we've been trying to do is balance our desire to serve the people of Yemen with our concerns about the security and safety of our staff, so we've limited it to just the governorate itself.
Question: I understand that you limited it to one governorate. But I just wanted to know, if you can tell us a little bit more about, you know, how many people living there is going to have an impact on that UN is stopping its activity in this governorate?
Deputy Spokesman: Yeah. I’ll try to get the humanitarian numbers of the people we're helping inside the governorate for you.
Sherwin?
Question: Farhan, thanks. On Friday, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order freezing all aid, US aid to South Africa, accusing the Government of human rights violations as it relates to land expropriation and the alleged discriminatory targeting of South Africa's white minority Afrikaner population. He also has created a pathway to refugee status for this white Afrikaner group. Is the Secretary-General aware of these human rights violations that the US President alleges? What's his estimation about what the US President has done to South Africa here?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, I would just refer you to the work that our own human rights bodies have been doing, which do not find this particular information. And, you know, obviously, there are human rights concerns about South Africa that the human rights office has expressed, but these are not part of what we've been talking about.
Question: The Secretary-General, of course, late last year was in South Africa, soon after South Africa ascended to the presidency of the G20. They have a foreign ministers meeting at the end of February, which the US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, over these similar issues has declined to attend. Are you concerned that given the US posture towards the incumbent presidency of the G20 is going to affect the consensus-driven approach of this organization, in terms of development, climate change, and the like?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, the Secretary-General believes that the G20 is an important group in terms of dealing with international crises. He's worked very well with them, and he encourages all efforts to strengthen the work of this group. And he doesn't want anything, any detrimental activity to disrupt the group's work. It's important that it be able to work in a unified manner as much as possible.
Yes, Stefano and then Tony.
Question: Thank you, Farhan. About what you read before about in Libya, the mass grave of migrants… just found it. My question here is, you say that the police or the authorities in Libya were in an operation against the traffickers. Can you specify which one? I mean, what forces of Libya were?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, I mean, that that's really a question for the Libyan authorities, but this is something that the International Organization for Migration was aware of. And so they've also reacted and have been supportive of efforts to find out exactly the nature of the trafficking operations and what happened with these mass graves.
Question: The question is, I mean, as a follow-up in this is, because for years now, the problem with this death and abuse and so on there has been that those traffickers often work along with certain part of Libyan authorities, and this has been proven before. So it will be very interesting and useful to know what kind of, which one of the Libyan government changed now, you know, approach to this crisis.
Deputy Spokesman: Well, I mean, obviously, that is something that you can follow up with the Libyans to make sure that happens. What I can tell you from the IOM's perspective is that they acknowledge the efforts of the Libyan authorities in investigating these deaths. And IOM urges them to ensure a dignified recovery, identification, and transfer of the remains of the deceased migrants, while notifying and assisting their families.
Tony?
Question: Thank you, Farhan. President Trump says today that Palestinians won't have the right to return to Gaza under his plan for the territory. I wonder if you have any comment on this, and also if you can give us an idea about the work of Sigrid Kaag at this point. Is she in contact with the US Administration in terms to figure out maybe a role for the UN in this highly anticipated plan?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, I don't have anything specific to the plan to say regarding her role, but she does of course deal with all key interlocutors, including Israeli and Palestinian officials and those in the region, including the US. What I can tell you about our concerns is the same thing that Stéphane [Dujarric] has been telling you over the past week — that obviously the Secretary-General does not agree with anything that would involve the forced displacement of the population. And the Secretary-General in his remarks last week made clear his concerns that no approach for dealing with the Palestinians involve ethnic cleansing.
Pam?
Question: On that front, Hamas today said it would delay release of more Israeli hostages, claiming some violations. Can you tell me what that's about? And has the UN done anything or spoken with anyone on this? Thanks.
Deputy Spokesman: On this, we want to make sure that all parties abide by their stated agreements under the ceasefire. And it's crucial that they uphold all of the relevant aspects of the agreement and all the relevant timelines.
Question: Are you implying that there was a violation or what was?
Deputy Spokesman: No. What I'm implying is that all parties, including Hamas and the Israeli side, have to have to adhere to what they've been agreeing. And so we want the ceasefire agreement to be implemented fully.
Question: I'm sorry to kick this one step further. Has there been a violation?
Deputy Spokesman: If… obviously, if there's any delays or any holdups in any aspects of that, that would be an issue. We want to make sure that there are no delays, no holdups, and all of the implementation of the agreement goes ahead as previously planned. And with that… oh, Gabriel, and then we'll turn to our guest.
Question: Thanks, Farhan. On Gaza, two questions. One on Gaza. Are enough temporary shelters or tents getting into Gaza that is what is needed?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, towards the end of last week, we expressed our concerns that we need to be able to expedite the flow of shelters, particularly given the weather conditions in Gaza. So we're going with that, but obviously we want to make sure that the flow of solid shelters can be improved.
Question: And just one on East Jerusalem. The educational bookshop, which you might know of or the Secretary-General might know of, is a cultural institution there for decades now. It was raided by Israeli authorities, and the two proprietors, Mahmoud and Ahmed Muna, were taken into custody by Israeli authorities. Does Secretary-General have any thoughts on this, in relation to free speech?
Deputy Spokesman: We just want to make sure that the population has the ability to have access to information freely and that there are no actions that would impede people's access to freedom of information. Obviously, regarding the legal processes, we want to make sure that due process is followed thoroughly. And with that, I will now turn to our guest.