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.
**Ukraine
Good afternoon. I will start off with a statement on the outcomes of meetings of experts on the Black Sea.
The Secretary-General welcomes the discussions and reported commitments reached in Saudi Arabia by the United States, the Russian Federation and Ukraine.
Reaching an agreement on freedom of navigation in the Black Sea to ensure the protection of civilian vessels and port infrastructure will be a crucial contribution to the global food security and supply chains, reflecting the importance of trade routes from both Ukraine and the Russian Federation to global markets.
The United Nations has been working consistently, especially following the letters the Secretary-General sent to Presidents Zelenskyy, Putin and Erdogan on 7 February 2024 putting forward a proposal for the safe and free navigation in the Black Sea.
The United Nations also remains closely engaged in the continued implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding with the Russian Federation on facilitating access of Russian food and fertilizers to global markets to address global food security.
The Secretary-General’s good offices remain available to support all efforts towards peace.
The Secretary-General reiterates his hope that such efforts will pave the way for a durable ceasefire and contribute to achieving a just, comprehensive and lasting peace in Ukraine, in line with the UN Charter, international law and relevant UN resolutions and in full respect of Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.
That statement is now being shared with you electronically.
**Security Council
Further on Ukraine: Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Joyce Msuya briefed Security Council members this morning and said that since 1 March, not a day has passed without an attack harming civilians in that country. She said we are particularly appalled by the strikes countrywide on 7 March that killed 21 civilians and injured many more, making it one of the deadliest days this year.
Across Ukraine, Ms. Msuya said, almost 13 million people need humanitarian assistance. More than 10 million Ukrainians have been forced to flee their homes, including 3.7 million of them who are internally displaced. This displacement is disproportionately affecting women and girls, heightening their exposure to gender-based violence and hindering their access to support services, she told the members of the Security Council. She told that recent funding cuts have led to a reprioritization of Ukraine response efforts that will be announced in the coming weeks. Continued financial support will be essential to maintain our operations there.
**Ukraine/Humanitarian
Further on Ukraine from the ground, our colleagues in Ukraine tell us that today, an interagency convoy delivered vital aid to one of the most affected communities in the Donetsk region. This is the fourth convoy to front-lines communities in the region this year.
Humanitarians brought in six metric tons of medical, hygiene and other critical supplies, including those for older people, to help some 1,500 residents remaining in the community of Kostiantynivka.
Local residents there face daily shelling. Homes and critical civilian infrastructure have been damaged, and electricity, water and the gas supply have been disrupted.
**Pact for the Future
Also today, the Secretary-General this morning addressed an informal meeting of the General Assembly on the implementation of the Pact for the Future.
He reiterated that the adoption of the Pact last September was the beginning of the process and not the end.
Today, the Secretary-General shared an update on the work done in the past six months. But — as you can imagine, he highlighted the work ahead, focusing on four key areas: peace and security, finance for development, youth and future generations, as well as technology.
We face a long list of challenges, Mr. Guterres told Members States; geopolitical divisions and mistrust are blocking effective action, with some actively questioning the value of international cooperation and the multilateral system itself.
But, he added that it is exactly because of the divides and the mistrusts that the Pact for the Future and the two parallel documents are more important than ever.
His full remarks were shared with you.
**Climate
And also much earlier this morning, the Secretary-General spoke virtually to the High-Level Segment of the sixteenth Petersberg Climate Dialogue, which is taking place in Germany. He said that renewables are powering growth, creating jobs, lowering energy bills, and cleaning our air. And every day, they become an even smarter investment, he added. The Secretary-General also underscored that to meet the long-term 1.5°C limit, leadership is needed, and he noted that the new national climate plans — or NDCs — due by September are a unique opportunity for Member State to deliver — and for them to lay out a coherent vision for a just green transition. His full remarks are online.
**Renewables
And on the same topic, the International Renewable Energy Agency, IRENA, today released new figures showing that renewables accounted for over 90 per cent of total power expansion globally in 2024. As in previous years, most of the increase occurred in Asia, with the greatest share being contributed by China.
Commenting on these figures, the Secretary-General said that renewable energy is powering down the fossil fuel age. Record-breaking growth is creating jobs, lowering energy bills and cleaning our air. But the shift to clean energy must be faster and it must be fairer — with all countries given the chance to fully benefit from cheap, clean renewable energy.
IRENA also said that although 2024 marks yet another benchmark in renewable energy capacity and growth, progress still falls short of the 11.2 terawatts needed to align with the global goal to triple installed renewable energy capacity by 2030. To reach this goal, renewable capacity must now expand by 16.6 per cent annually until 2030.
**Occupied Palestinian Territory
Turning to Gaza, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs is underscoring the severity of the situation unfolding there. Relentless bombardment and daily displacement orders — coupled with the ongoing blockade on cargo entering Gaza and systematic denials of humanitarian movements inside the Strip — are having a devastating impact on the entire population of more than 2 million people.
OCHA warns that everything in Gaza is running out: supplies, time and life. The space for families to survive is shrinking, as new Israeli displacement orders are issued by the day. Just a few hours ago, another order was issued for neighbourhoods in Gaza city, following reported rocket fire by Palestinian armed groups. These orders now cover 17 per cent of Gaza — roughly 61 square kilometres. In just one week, 142,000 people have been displaced, and that number is now expected to rise.
OCHA says that with every wave of displacement, thousands of people lose not just their shelter, but also access to essentials such as food, drinking water, and healthcare.
And as a reminder that these latest directives follow repeated displacement orders between 7 October 2023 and January 2025, during which time 90 per cent of Gaza’s population was displaced at least once.
OCHA notes that the Israeli cargo closure imposed on all crossings into Gaza is now in its fourth week. Our humanitarian partners are warning that, as a result, medical stocks, cooking gas and fuel needed to power bakeries or ambulances are running dangerously low. Prices are skyrocketing and humanitarian provisions are now being rationed. The UN Population Fund says incubators, ultrasound devices and oxygen pumps — all vital for newborns with complications — remain stuck at the border.
OCHA also reports that the Israeli forces have also expanded the areas within Gaza where they are requiring humanitarian organizations to coordinate their movements with them in advance — and routinely denying such requests. Between 18 and 24 March, 40 out of nearly 50 coordinated aid movements were denied — that’s 82 per cent. And today, half of our coordinated missions were denied — that’s five out of ten.
OCHA warns that when humanitarian access is denied, tasks as critical as picking up essential supplies or refuelling a bakery are effectively blocked.
**Sudan
Turning to Sudan. The High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, expressed today his shock by reports that hundreds of civilians were killed and scores injured in airstrikes by the Sudanese Armed Forces on a busy market in Tora village in North Darfur, that took place on 24 March.
Our humanitarian colleagues tell us that there are disturbing reports that some of the injured are dying due to lack of access to timely medical care in El Fasher, where ongoing siege and hostilities have forced most health facilities to just shut down.
Ms. Clementine Nkweta-Salami, our Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan, said that Monday’s horrific attack on the Tora market in North Darfur is yet another stark reminder of the growing disregard for human life and international humanitarian law during this conflict. She unequivocally condemned all deliberate and indiscriminate attacks on civilians.
Markets, hospitals, schools, mosques and private homes are not battlegrounds, she stressed, and yet civilians are being killed in the very places were they should feel the safest.
Once again, we call for the protection of civilians and safe passage for those fleeing areas of active conflict. Humanitarian access must also be ensured to all people in need — across North Darfur and beyond get what they need.
And I’ve been asked repeatedly about our presence there, I can tell you that given the extremely volatile security situation in parts of North Darfur state, we do not currently have a direct operational presence in Tora or El Fasher.
**South Sudan
And heading south to South Sudan. We have been updating you about the worsening situation in that country. Our peacekeeping mission there has renewed its calls for an immediate cessation of hostilities and urgent dialogue between the parties to de-escalate tensions and restore calm. In the past 24 hours, clashes have reportedly taken place between the South Sudan People’s Defence Forces and Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition, and those have been taking place in the south and west of the capital city, Juba.
The Head of the mission, Nicholas Haysom, is urging the country’s leaders to prevent a relapse into widespread violence by recommitting to the Revitalized Peace Agreement, including strictly adhering to the ceasefire, resolving grievances through dialogue and reconvening a truly unified government.
**Democratic Republic of the Congo
And in the DRC, our peacekeeping colleagues there tell us that attacks in Ituri have recently increased, targeting civilians near sites for displaced people, and those sites are on farmland and around mining areas concentrated in Djugu and Mahagi territories.
In this context, peacekeepers have facilitated Government-led consultations with several armed groups, including CODECO and the Zaire groups, directly leading to the surrender of 171 members of the Zaire armed group.
Meanwhile, peacekeepers continue to maintain a presence in hotspots and regularly patrol main supply routes, providing direct protection for more than 100,000 displaced civilians.
And just two days ago, on 24 March, peacekeepers repelled an attack by the CODECO armed group against the Lodha site for displaced people, working in cooperation with Congolese army patrols.
In parallel, in the first two months of the year, Formed Police Units in Bunia conducted 310 patrols to support protection activities in inside camps for internally displaced people.
**Haiti
And turning to Haiti, our humanitarian colleagues warn that escalating attacks on populated areas have forced repeated and record-level displacements in the Port-au-Prince Metropolitan area.
OCHA warns that the scale and pace of displacement is rapidly outpacing the capacity of humanitarian actors to respond.
Nearly 23,000 people were displaced in just a week in mid-March, that’s what the International Organization for Migration is telling us, with families seeking shelter in already severely overcrowded sites, with minimal essential services such as water, sanitation, healthcare and protection were among those displaced.
Meanwhile, OCHA tells us that cholera continues to pose a serious public health threat, particularly in displacement sites.
The public ministry of health in Haiti, UNICEF and partners are jointly intensifying cholera prevention efforts, such as distributing cholera kits, promoting hygiene activities and strengthening water, sanitation and hygiene services to contain the spread of the disease.
Food security remains alarming: beyond the worrying situation in the capital, almost half of the entire population — that’s 5.5 million human beings — is going hungry, one of the highest proportions in any crisis around the world.
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization is working with Haitian authorities to restore access to food by providing farmers with seeds and tools to promote household-level food security.
**Biological Weapons Convention
Today marks the fiftieth anniversary of the entry into force of the Biological Weapons Convention. In a message to mark the anniversary, the Secretary-General said that the Convention has contributed to collective efforts to reject the use of disease as a weapon.
The Biological Weapons Convention now has 188 States parties. The Secretary-General called on the nine Governments that have not yet joined the Convention to do so without delay, so that the world can stand united against biological weapons.
**Clarification
And just a clarification at yesterday’s briefing, I answered a question from Stefano, whom I don’t see here. I had indicated that the UN had adopted the IHRA definition of antisemitism.
I would like to clarify that the UN Secretariat has not adopted the IHRA definition of antisemitism. As recently stated in the recently published report a few months ago, the UN Action Plan to Enhance Monitoring and Response to Antisemitism, the Secretariat does not endorse any specific definition.
However, the Secretary-General as you know has clearly, repeatedly and forcefully spoken out against all forms of antisemitism — and will continue to do so.
**Financial Contributions
bTwo Member State have paid up. Are you ready? The first of these countries underwent a name change in February 2019 following the adoption of the Prespa Agreement. North Macedonia, exactly Dezhi.
The first perfect 10 in Olympic Gymnastics went to a national of this country. [Romania] Yes!
We say thank you to our friends in Skopje and Bucharest. We are now at 83 fully paid Member States.
**Questions and Answers
Spokesman: Dezhi, do you yield to Edie? I mean, you won the second question.
Question: Thank you, Steph. You said in reading the Secretary-General’s comments on the on Ukraine that the United Nations is remaining engaged. Does that mean that the UN is going to be participating in the monitoring of this mission?
Spokesman: No. I think we don’t want to get ahead of ourselves. We’ve been in touch with parties on this, and as soon as I have more to share with you I will do so.
Question: And on Rebeca Grynspan’s travels. She was in Türkiye.
Spokesman: Yeah.
Question: Is she going to the United States?
Spokesman: As soon as I have confirmation of her next stop, I will also share that with you. Michelle, then Dezhi, sorry. Once you yield, I forget you, Dezhi. Yeah.
Question: Thanks, Steph. When you say you’ve been in touch with the parties on this, who, when?
Spokesman: I mean, you know, she has been, Ms. Grynspan has been, for quite some time having regular meetings with Russian officials, US officials, Ukrainian officials. I don’t have an exact list of all the meetings that she’s had, but she’s also been used, as a resource, by some of the people who’ve been participating in the talks given all the work, that we’ve done on the issues of freedom of navigation.
Question: By the United States?
Spokesman: I will leave it at that.
Question: So, did they reach out to her? Like, was she and the UN aware that the US was working on this announcement for yesterday?
Spokesman: I don’t think we had any specific insights.
Question: So, the UN views this announcement by the US yesterday as building on the work of the UN? It’s essentially trying revive?
Spokesman: It’s not here about getting credit or what was built on what. We’ve done a lot of work on freedom of navigation of the Black Sea, have continued to work on it, at times where, you know, people thought it was hopeless. So obviously, Ms. Grynspan and her team have a lot of knowhow and knowledge, and they’re sharing that. What is important that things get actually achieved. Dezhi.
Question: Yes. First, clarification, we know that for the past three weeks, there’s no humanitarian aid entering Gaza. But when you just read that, also inside Gaza, there are still coordinations between Israeli authority with the UN humanitarian organizations. Is that correct? Even though the deniability, the sorry, the denied number is getting higher and higher.
Spokesman: Yes. I mean, that’s what I’ve been saying.
Question: So, has Israeli authority ever told you why in such a circumstances, like, you have a very, you have less and less humanitarian storage inside Gaza, they are continuing denying operations?
Spokesman: I think those are questions you need to ask them.
Question: I haven’t finished yet. It’s… Sorry, Linda. It’s also been reported by Financial Times that Israeli army is planning to reoccupy what they call, to reoccupy Gaza, and also to fully in charge of the humanitarian delivery just in case those humanitarian aids would be going to Hamas. So they want to take charge of that. What would then, if that become true, where would be the position of the UN in Gaza?
Spokesman: It’s a lot of hypotheticals. What I can tell you is that what we don’t want to go backwards, right? There was a ceasefire that was enacted. Hostages were released, right? Families were united. Prisoners were released on the Israeli side, Palestinian, prisoners. Humanitarian aid flooded in. And you saw the immediate benefits to civilians, right, of the ceasefire. That’s what we want to go to. We do not want to go back to scenes of open conflict.
Question: What’s the difference if the Israeli, army deliver the humanitarian aids to Gazans?
Spokesman: I think the UN system has proven its effectiveness and reliability in delivering humanitarian aid. Linda, then Benny.
Question: Thank you, Steph. Just going back to your statement about the Secretary-General, I mean, about the Black Sea initiative. you say that the SG had put forward a proposal last February, so that’s 13 months ago, for a safe and free navigation for Black Sea. Can you just refresh us what that was? I mean, is that also given… [cross-talk]
Spokesman: I mean, this was something that was shared with the Russians, shared with the Ukrainians, shared with the Turks, and it’s exactly that’s what it was about. It was a concept about freedom of navigation. So, we are welcoming and pleased that we’re seeing movements towards that goal. Benny.
Question: Yeah. Thank you. I’m sorry. I need to go. That’s why.
Spokesman: So I need to go too. Go ahead.
Question: I’m not even sure if you can answer this question, but you have a lot of, the UN has quite a few people in Gaza, right?
Spokesman: Yeah.
Question: There are growing reports about, protests inside Gaza against Hamas. Can you shed any light on that?
Spokesman: I’ve seen those reports. I don’t have any firsthand information. And, you know, whether people are in Gaza or anywhere else in the world, they need to be able to demonstrate, and that is their basic right. But I’ll see if I can get any more information. Biesan.
Question: Thank you. So, just the past hour, the Head of the Sudanese, Transitional Sovereign Council announced that the Sudanese army has retaken Khartoum, and it’s now liberated from the RSF according to his words. So I don’t know if you have any statement on that. And how does the SG actually view this development overall?
Spokesman: I don’t have any confirmation. I haven’t received any update on this. What we want to see is a return to political engagement in Sudan in terms of Governments. We want to see a halt to the atrocities that we have been seen committed, by all sides in this conflict. I mean, we’ve talked, we mean, just we talked about it, today, the shelling of markets. There have been atrocities committed by the RSF. We need the political leaders in Sudan to put the interest of their people first and foremost. I mean, we’ve seen the utter and horrific destruction and suffering of the Sudanese people since the start of the civil war. Yes, please.
Question: [network issue] UN staff who have been stopped.
Spokesman: I have not. And just to clarify, because I think I clarified it yesterday, this was an email that was sent by one department following concerns raised by staff. You know, frankly it’s not a bad idea for anyone to have — if you have an ID or if you are not a citizen — to have a photo of your visa, at least minimum, on your phone.
Question: So, you haven’t heard about any incidents?
Spokesman: No, I have not.
Question: And then, secondly about the UN staff in Gaza, obviously you said that that number has come down. Have you guys maintained the same levels or has more people removed?
Spokesman: No, there has been no more, and that is, let’s be more focused, we are talking about reducing the footprint of the international staff, which is about a hundred. The latest count that I have in my head is about 13,000 national staff, right? So, and those are Palestinians. Those are Gazans who are not only continuing to put their life at risk to deliver humanitarian aid to other Palestinians but also have to deal with how to keep their own families safe. So it’s a reduction in the footprint of international staff. It is basically inconsequential when you look at the total number of staff. Let’s go, people who haven’t asked a question. Yes. Yes. Gabriel.
Question: Thanks, Steph. Just one on Haiti. As the situation there is obviously very precarious, is there any sort of red line that you guys are looking at if it comes to having to pull out any more staff out of Haiti if the security situation gets worse?
Spokesman: I wouldn’t want to say there’s a red line. The situation is assessed every day. Decisions are made every day. I mean, you saw there was at some point when there were issues with the airport, we moved people to other parts of Haiti. So it’s really a flexible footprint, if I can use that term, and people are shifted to the best places where they can deliver aid and deliver aid safely.
Question: And how would the Secretary-General characterize the work that the multinational security support mission has done so far?
Spokesman: Look, the Multinational Support Mission is doing the best possible job they can given the, frankly, the deficit in support they are getting from the international community. I mean, whether it’s the Kenyans and other nationals who’ve sent people there, to put their lives at risk. And we know there has already been a member of the Kenyan police force who’s paid, who’s paid the ultimate price. But that force needs more money, right? They need more equipment, and Haitian political leaders need to also recommit to a political track. Dennis, and then madam Jessica.
Question: Today, another Russian journalist, correspondent of First Channel, died after Ukrainian strikes. So, there are five Russian journalists this week that were killed. So your reaction first and then will the UN investigate, or any of UN bodies will investigate, these crimes?
Spokesman: First of all, we send our condolences to the family and the colleagues of the journalists. Again, we have seen journalists pay the ultimate price in this conflict as they have in others. It is imperative that journalists be allowed to do their work without fear of ever being targeted or harassed. As for an investigation, I do not believe we have any, I mean, unless we are invited to do so, with a proper mandate, we don’t have the investigatory mandate to do that. Madame Le Masurier, and then we’ll go.
Question: Thanks, Steph. Just a bit more clarification on Ukraine. What are the exact differences between the Secretary-General’s Black Sea proposal and the deal that’s been announced? And to what extent will the Secretary-General or has the Secretary-General been involved in any negotiations? How will he continue or the UN continue to be involved in any ceasefire negotiations?
Spokesman: I think we need to see more details of what was the specifics of what was agreed to in Riyadh. But the goal of both remains same, which is freedom of navigation on the Black Sea for commercial ships to ensure that commercial infrastructure, port infrastructure is safe. The Secretary-General personally has not been involved in any negotiations. As I said, Rebeca Grynspan has been available to people involved in those talks to share information on the work that she and her team have done.
Question: At this point, we can’t report that the UN is in any way officially involved in negotiations or will be, or are there move towards that?
Spokesman: We can only report on what we know, right? So I don’t think… You cannot report saying the UN is involved in the negotiations. Yes, please.
Question: So, in your briefings that you just mentioned, the renewable energy accounts for 90 per cent of global power growth last year. And, as we also know that the US this year has published a lot of policies to cut funding for renewable energy programmes and has expressed opposing to wind farms. So what’s UN’s position in this policy?
Spokesman: Well, I mean, you know, our position has remained consistent, and the Secretary-General has been extremely clear about the need to continue to invest in renewables, that the price of renewables is falling, every day and it continues to be the best method to power our future, especially if we are to reach the 1.5°C limit. Before we start round two, do we have any questions online? Yes, Abdelhamid.
Question: Yes, Hamdan Belal, the Co-Director of the Oscar-winning documentary No Other Land has been beaten by the settlers. And when the ambulance took him, he was kidnapped by the Israeli army. Are you aware of this development, and what do you say to that?
Spokesman: Yes. We’re aware of it; if I am not mistaken, we know that he was released. We’ve also been, I think, very vocal on denouncing the violence by settlers — Israeli settlers — in the West Bank. Michelle.
Question: Thank you, Steph. The United States is planning to end its financial support for GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance. Do you have any reaction to that?
Spokesman: We’ve seen the press reports. I think that we’ve been a tremendous supporter of GAVI. GAVI has been, I think, an amazing symbol of multilateral cooperation, of public private cooperation in the fight against diseases. Diseases that know no borders, and that while they may break out in one part of the world, can quickly infect other parts of the world. Dezhi, we encourage everyone to give and give generously.
Question: Steph, after two days of closure of the 42nd Street entrance, it reopens today, which is good for us. But can you explain a little bit why? Because it feels like the reversal of policy reminded me of someone else.
Spokesman: I can’t. I can’t explain why.
Question: They just, they just reopened.
Spokesman: I’m just, I’m just happy it’s reopened. Just enjoy the gifts that are given to you and don’t question them. Have a good day.