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 Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General.
**Pope Francis
Good afternoon. I’m going to get this out of the way, because everybody’s been asking me. Yes, the Secretary-General intends to travel to Rome to attend the funeral of Pope Francis. When we have more details, we will share them with you, but that is the crux.
**Mother Earth Day
Today is… What day is it? International Mother Earth Day. In his message, the Secretary-General said Mother Earth is running a fever, with last year being the hottest ever on record.
We know what’s causing this sickness, he said, referring to the greenhouse gas emissions humanity is pumping into the atmosphere, but we also know the cure. All countries must create new climate action plans that align with limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C. It is essential to avoid the worst of climate catastrophe, he said.
And as a reminder, tomorrow, the Secretary-General, together with President Lula of Brazil, will convene a group of Heads of State and Government for a virtual closed-door meeting to discuss strengthening global efforts to tackle the climate crisis and accelerate a just energy transition. The Secretary-General is expected to deliver some remarks on climate to you at the Security Council stakeout after the meeting. We’ll share more details as we have them.
And what better way to celebrate Mother Earth Day than with a fashion show? We are unveiling a new tour guide uniform collection this evening at 6:15 p.m. during a fashion show in the Sputnik area of the Visitor’s Lobby. This is a collaboration between the Government of Sweden, the UN Office for Partnerships, the UN Department of Global Communications (DGC), and students from the Swedish School of Textiles at the University of Borås. This partnership reflects a shared commitment to sustainable lifestyle, fashion and innovation. Designed with natural fibres, renewable materials and low-impact production methods, the uniforms embody a fusion of creativity, inclusivity and environmental responsibility. We look forward to seeing our tour guides in their new uniforms; they have the toughest job in the building.
**Senior Personnel Appointment
Senior personnel appointment to share with you: The Secretary-General is appointing of Ian Martin of the United Kingdom as Head of the Strategic Assessment, as part of his UN80 initiative, of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, that you all know as UNRWA.
The Secretary-General is tasking Mr. Martin with conducting the strategic assessment in order to review UNRWA’s impact; implementation of its mandate under present political, financial, security and other constraints; and consequences and risks for Palestine refugees.
As you all know, Ian Martin has had a distinguished service within the United Nations. He was involved in a number of strategic reviews, most recently as the Lead of the Independent Strategic Review of the UN Mission in Somalia and before then as a member of the High-Level Independent Panel on Peace Operations. We will share that announcement with you.
**Occupied Palestinian Territory
Meanwhile, on the ground in Gaza, the situation continues to worsen. Our humanitarian colleagues report that hostilities across the Gaza Strip are continuing, with a devastating toll on civilians and critical infrastructure. Earlier today, local authorities reported attacks by Israeli forces that struck several heavy machinery vehicles across Gaza, halting solid waste and rubble removal services.
Despite the ongoing hostilities and despite the fact that aid has not come in for more than 50 days, we and our partners are doing what we can to support people throughout the Strip. In Gaza City yesterday, the acting Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Suzanna Tkalec, led a mission to Al Shifa Hospital, where she and partners viewed work under way to install a desalination plant to serve dialysis patients at the facility.
Our partners also report that several people suffering from severe acute malnutrition have been admitted to hospitals for treatment this week, with cases on the rise.
Despite extremely low supplies, some 180 community kitchens in Gaza continue to operate every day. However, many of these kitchens are at imminent risk of shutting down since stocks are being depleted. Because of lack of cooking gas, families are resorting to burning plastic to cook their meals.
OCHA (Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) warns that access to fuel is a major concern among many major concerns. There are modest quantities available in Rafah and the North of Gaza, but they cannot be accessed due to displacement orders and locations of these fuel depots in no-go zones — these are areas where humanitarian partners are required to coordinate their movements with Israeli authorities.
And to end on a more positive note, OCHA reports that humanitarian partners have rehabilitated a temporary dumping site in Al Bureij. This will help reduce health risks and diseases among vulnerable populations there and in the wider Deir al Balah area.
**Haiti
Moving back to this continent and another dire situation, and that is what is going on in Haiti, our humanitarian colleagues are informing us that a surge in armed violence has driven many people to flee their homes in parts of the country’s Centre Department, and that took place during the first half of this month. More than 51,000 people in the communes of Mirebalais and Saut-d’Eau were displaced during this period; that’s what the International Organization for Migration (IOM) is telling us. The vast majority — 95 per cent — remain in the department, with more than 12,500 people now sheltering in 95 newly established informal sites. Our humanitarian colleagues say that the crisis has disrupted public services and education. All schools in Mirebalais and Saut-d’Eau are closed, with more than 30 schools in neighbouring communes being used as temporary shelters for displaced families.
Power cuts, disruptions to communications networks, and limited access due to the presence of armed groups continue to hamper response efforts. Despite these challenges, we and our partners are scaling up the response to support people impacted by violence in the Centre Department.
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) has supported five cholera awareness sessions and delivered 1.5 metric tons of emergency health kits — that’s enough for 50 surgeries and more than 1,000 consultations. Our friends across the street at UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) have dispatched medical and hygiene supplies, and Government partners are providing water trucking to displacement sites in Hinche, which is the capital of the Centre Department. Meanwhile, our humanitarian colleagues note that protection needs are surging. Women, children and people with disabilities require urgent support, and signs of post-traumatic stress have been reported, particularly in the area of Boucan Carré.
This week, OCHA is leading a humanitarian mission to Hinche and Boucan Carré to enhance coordination among partners and inform priorities for response efforts in the Centre Department.
**Colombia
This morning, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Colombia, Carlos Ruiz Massieu, briefed Security Council members. He told them that despite the many challenges still present, Colombia is a changed country today compared to the years preceding the signing of the Peace Agreement. He noted that the Agreement brought an end the largest insurgency in the country, which spanned decades, and added that a more inclusive political system has emerged.
However, Mr. Ruiz Massieu also warned that violence, insecurity and poverty continue to persist in places like Catatumbo, Cauca or Chocó, and added that this underscores the importance of advancing in the implementation of the Peace Agreement. He also called on the Council to continue supporting Colombia in its consistent efforts to consolidate peace.
**Bolivia
From nearby Bolivia, our humanitarian colleagues tell us that the Resident Coordinator there, Anna Marttinen-Pont, is leading our support of the Government-driven response to major flooding. Overflowing rivers have claimed 55 lives, destroyed 6,000 homes and caused a significant loss of livestock. As of now, more than 9 million hectares of land remain flooded. Nearly 700,000 people have been directly impacted, with Indigenous and rural communities disproportionately impacted.
We and our partners have provided food, health, protection and water and sanitation assistance to more than 50,000 people in 44 municipalities. $103 million is required to effectively respond to the scale and severity of the crisis.
Our Emergency Relief Coordinator, Tom Fletcher, has allocated $1 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to help provide life-saving assistance to more than 15,000 people and scale up the response.
**Ukraine
Turning to Ukraine, our humanitarian colleagues on the ground tell us that civilians there continued to suffer the impact of hostilities over the Easter period. Ukrainian authorities reported nearly 190 civilian casualties between 18 April and today. The most severe attack occurred in Kharkiv on Good Friday, injuring several people and damaging schools and homes; that was reported to us by authorities. The Humanitarian Coordinator in Ukraine, Matthias Schmale, condemned that attack and others over the same period in Dnipro and Kherson, calling the violence unbearable for civilians. Our humanitarian colleagues note that despite a ceasefire declared by the Russian Federation and agreed to by Ukraine from 19-20 April, both sides continued to fight.
In Ukraine, front-line areas in Kherson and Donetsk regions continued to be hit, causing dozens of casualties and damage to homes and infrastructure, according to local authorities. This included a drone attack in the Donetsk region on Sunday, when a clearly marked aid vehicle returning from an evacuation mission was damaged, injuring one civilian. Evacuations from front-line areas are continuing, particularly from Kherson, where civilians are being transported to safer regions by rail and bus. Since Ukraine regained control of parts of Kherson, nearly 50,000 people have been evacuated, including more than 6,700 children, and nearly 480 people with limited mobility have also been evacuated.
During a recent visit to the Kherson and Mykolaiv regions, Mr. Schmale called for continued support to meet urgent humanitarian needs.
**Good Defeats Evil/Artist
Lastly, on a closing note, I think you will agree that almost every day here at the UN, we hear powerful speeches with strong messages. However, few things are as powerful as art.
Today we mourn the loss of Zurab Tsereteli, the artist who created one of the most iconic pieces of art in the UN campus.
His sculpture, Good Defeats Evil, which sits in the north lawn at about 47th Street, is a modern take on Saint George defeating the dragon. The dragon, in this case, is a nuclear missile being slain by Saint George on horseback.
The sculpture commemorates the 1987 signing by the US and the Soviet Union of the Treaty on the Elimination of Intermediate-Range and Short-Range Nuclear Missiles. The sculpture was given to us by the Soviet Union to the United Nations in 1990.
The message of the sculpture against nuclear weapons sadly remains as valid today as it was in 1990.
We send our condolences to the friends and family of Mr. Tsereteli.
Edie Lederer?
**Questions and Answers
Question: Thank you, Steph. Qatar and Egypt, the mediators in the Gaza conflict, have proposed a new formula to end the war, according to reports. Does the Secretary-General have any comment?
Spokesman: Our comment is that we hope this war ends and ends soon. Every day, I think, we read out more and more depressing updates on the situation in Gaza for the Palestinians. The fact that no food, no medicine, no fuel, no supplies have come in — for now more than 50 days. The remaining hostages remain hostages in the hands of Hamas. We need the parties to agree to end this conflict for the benefit of Palestinians and the benefit of Israelis.
Question: And on a completely different subject, you spoke about the unveiling of the new tour guide uniforms this afternoon. The tour guides have traditionally been able to wear national dress. Will that continue, as well?
Spokesman: Yes, of course. They will have the option of wearing their uniforms or national dress. I’m currently wearing my national dress, in case you were asking. [laughter] Michelle […]
Question: And the baguette.
Spokesman: Yeah. […]
Question: You mentioned that the Secretary-General is going to Rome for the funeral. President [Donald] Trump is also going to Rome. Are there any plans to try and…?
Spokesman: Right now, we’re working on getting him seats on a plane, and then we can work on the plans once he gets there.
Question: Okay. And just on that note, we’re approaching 100 days of the new US Administration. What would be the Secretary-General’s assessment, description of the impact of this new Administration on the world?
Spokesman: An interesting time for journalists. Amelie?
Question: Thanks, Steph. About the UNRWA strategic review, maybe I missed something, but I did not understand when the UN80 initiative was announced that there would be a review of every single UN agency. So is UNRWA singled out? Or is it the plan to have this kind of strategic review for every agency?
Spokesman: No, UNRWA not being singled out, though I would say that UNRWA is operating in a singular environment, right? The financial pressures on the organization, the security situation, which we outline every day, both in Gaza and in the occupied West Bank, not to mention the work it had to do during a conflict in Syria and in Lebanon. I just want to make one thing clear. This is not about changing UNRWA’s mandate. UNRWA’s mandate has been given to the organization by the General Assembly. We’re not looking in any way at changing the mandate. We’re trying to see how, in this very complex environment, UNRWA can best deliver for the Palestine refugees it serves, for the communities it serves. They deserve to be assisted by an organization, by UNRWA, that can work in the best possible manner given all these challenges. UN80, I think the Secretary-General was pretty clear, is an opportunity for all of us, for the Secretariat, for the Member States to see how this organization can be even more fit for purpose.
Question: But there won’t be necessarily a strategic review for each UN agency? [cross-talk]
Spokesman: No. Let’s be clear also. The strategic reviews are a tool for the Secretary-General to use in different cases. They’re very often used in peacekeeping missions, in political missions to see how we can do our work better and more efficiently.
Question: And last one, is there a timeline for him to give the conclusion?
Spokesman: Mid-June of 2025, which is this year. Gabby?
Question: Actually, Amelie pretty much asked everything, and you pretty much answered everything I was going to ask. But, let me think if I have something in the can here.
Spokesman: I can come back to you.
Question: That’s all right. I guess when I read the press release that came out about Mr. Martin’s appointment, I kind of couldn’t quite read it. I guess my question is: Israel has said repeatedly, as you know, that there are other UN agencies that can do the job of UNRWA. Is part of his review to see if that is possible or not?
Spokesman: Oh, let’s be clear. We will not question UNRWA’s mandate, right? We will see how UNRWA can better operate and better serve the communities that rely on UNRWA. And not just, you know, we talk about UNRWA as a humanitarian agency, but it’s much more than that, right? It’s all the educational, the health services and other services that it provides. Volodymyr and then Javier.
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. You have obviously noticed that during the current ceasefire negotiations, Russia has intensified its attacks on civilians and civilian objects in Ukraine. This has even been admitted by Russian ruler, [Vladimir] Putin, who used to deny everything. What can you say about this?
Spokesman: Well, I mean, we’re stating the facts, right? We talked about this yesterday, but I think, Matthias Schmale in his statement was very clear that we saw what was supposed to be an Easter cessation of hostilities or truce, whatever word you want to use. But the fighting continued, the civilians continued to suffer, and Mr. Matthias Schmale and the whole UN team, I think, is standing side by side with the civilians in Ukraine, trying to assist them in the best way we can. But in the end, we need an agreement to end this war, in line with international law and in line with relevant UN resolutions and in line with the territorial integrity and independence of Ukraine. Javier, and then you. And then Yvonne.
Question: Steph, we can say that there was a great coincidence between the values that the Pope promoted, climate change, immigration, his stance against wars, and the values that Mr. [António] Guterres still promotes. Now, what are his expectations on a new Pope?
Spokesman: I think, I’ve repeatedly been asked, you know, to state my opinion on what Member States in the General Assembly and the Security Council may come up with. If you think I’m going to place any expectation or comment on what the College of Cardinals will do, I will not. But you are fair in your assessment in the first part of your statement that the Secretary-General and the late Pope shared a lot of commonalities, notably on climate change, on migration, and on human dignity. You and then Yvonne.
Question: Thank you, Steph. My question is about tomorrow’s informal meeting, Arria formula, chaired by China. So who will attend the brief from UN? And one more?
Spokesman: I don’t believe there’s a Secretariat speaker, but I will check. I mean, these are, you know, unofficial meetings of Security Council under the Arria formula.
Question: Okay. Got it. So could you give me a comment about tariffs by US?
Spokesman: About what?
Question: About tariffs.
Spokesman: I think the Secretary-General has said it much more clearly or eloquently than I could say — that in a trade war, nobody wins, and the people who lose are the poorest and the most vulnerable. Yvonne Murray, RTE?
Question: Hello. Thank you very much. What does the Secretary-General hope that the next Pope will do to address the systematic clerical abuse that popes throughout the ages have presided over and not fully addressed?
Spokesman: Any abuse of vulnerable people, any abuse of children, of minors needs to be dealt in a very clear and transparent way, and in a way where there is also clear accountability.
Question: Okay. But will he be bringing that message to Rome this weekend?
Spokesman: What he will be bringing to Rome this weekend is to pay his respect to the Pope that was just deceased and attend his funeral. I don’t expect him to have any other meetings.
Question: Sorry. He’s not going to raise that at any point?
Spokesman: I don’t believe… He’s been invited to attend a funeral.
Question: But there are thousands of victims of their abuse.
Spokesman: And I think I’ve answered that clearly. I mean, whether it’s… let’s be honest. The UN has had to deal with its own issues relating to sexual abuse, and I think we’ve come a long way. We’ve provided a victim-centric approach. We’ve been much more transparent. We’ve been much more vocal in pushing for accountability from Member States for those soldiers and civilians that abuse the population that they were sent to care. We hope that every organization that faces these things have efforts in that way. All right. Any questions online? Excellent. You shall be released, and you are released.