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.
Good afternoon.
**Noon Briefing — Guest
In a short while, we will be joined here by Pedro De Vasconcelos, the Financing Facility for Remittances Manager, who will present IFAD’s (International Fund for Agricultural Development) report on the launch of the latest edition of the Sending Money Home report and its key findings.
And a reminder that the Secretary-General will give a press conference ahead of this year’s General Assembly session, and that will be at 11 a.m. on Wednesday in this room.
**Secretary-General — BRICS Summit
The Secretary-General will be arriving soon in New York, after leaving the BRICS Summit in New Delhi late Sunday.
The Secretary-General told the eighteenth BRICS Summit yesterday that global institutions must be reshaped to reflect today’s economic, demographic and geopolitical realities, as the world moves irreversibly towards multipolarity. He called for reform of the United Nations Security Council, the Bretton Woods system and the international financial architecture, and he urged greater influence for developing countries, stronger multilateral development banks, expanded concessional financing and effective debt relief. Our institutional structures must reflect the realities of today, he said, stressing that a more representative multilateral system is essential to inclusive global growth.
The Secretary-General also called for equitable access to artificial intelligence, accelerated climate action and renewed respect for international law amid conflicts from Gaza and the wider Middle East to Ukraine and Sudan.
On climate, he pressed countries to speed the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy, scale up finance for developing nations and protect communities from worsening impacts, adding that critical minerals must generate value and jobs in producing countries, and saying, “Enough plundering”.
On Friday evening, upon his arrival in India, the Secretary-General had a bilateral meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in which they discussed the priorities of India’s presidency of the BRICS, including the need for multilateral institutions that clearly reflect the realities of the world in the twenty-first century.
On Saturday, the Secretary-General met with President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi of Egypt. The Secretary-General and President Sisi discussed global developments, including the situation in the broader Middle East and Ukraine, and their global impact. The Secretary-General and the President discussed in detail the situation in Gaza and in the West Bank and reaffirmed the right of self-determination of the Palestinian people.
At the Summit, the Secretary-General also spoke with President Prabowo Subianto of Indonesia, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim of Malaysia and the President of the International Solar Alliance, Ashish Khanna.
**Deputy Secretary-General — Nigeria
Over the weekend, our Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed concluded a trip to Nigeria which included visits to Ogun and Imo States, where she commended both governments for advancing inclusive development, women’s empowerment, healthcare, youth innovation and digital transformation aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals.
Accompanied by some Country Team members, she met former President Olusegun Obasanjo, as well as the Governors of both states.
In Ogun State, she engaged with beneficiaries of the World Bank-supported Nigeria for Women Programme, while in Imo State she met young innovators developing technology solutions such as AI applications, drones, e-commerce platforms and e-governance tools.
On Sunday, she travelled to Lagos for an Africa-Diaspora Leadership Programme, before heading to South Africa for a meeting of the Africa Expert Panel, focused on advancing Africa’s development priorities and strengthening the continent’s voice in the global economic system.
She will return to New York tomorrow.
**Yemen
Turning to Yemen, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) warns that hostilities are forcing people to flee their homes, driving civilian casualties and putting already stretched humanitarian operations under growing pressure. At least 18,000 households, or 125,000 people, have been displaced since the start of the month.
The toll on civilians is increasing. Between September 1st and today, our colleagues at the UN Human Rights Office have verified 40 civilian casualties — eight people killed and 32 others injured. Women and children account for half of those killed and more than half of those injured.
We and our humanitarian partners continue to respond despite extremely difficult operating conditions. As of September 12th, they have provided aid to thousands of households. But supplies are critically low and funding is falling short of needs.
Humanitarian access and movement remain severely constrained due to insecurity. Humanitarian movements into and within several locations on the west coast remain suspended, while key roads are restricted or impassable.
We call on all parties to protect civilians, respect international humanitarian law, and facilitate safe and unimpeded humanitarian access so that urgently needed assistance can reach communities in need.
**Djibouti
And in Djibouti, our teams are working closely with the Government in response to the arrival of people fleeing the latest escalation of conflict in Yemen. As of this morning, approximately 2,300 people have arrived in the Obock region in northern Djibouti, on the Red Sea coast facing Yemen. Registration is continuing and further arrivals are expected.
New arrivals are being received at the Markazi refugee site, where national authorities and UN partners are providing immediate assistance, including food, water, shelter and other essential support.
Our Resident Coordinator in Djibouti, José Barahona, visited Obock over the weekend with representatives of the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the World Food Programme (WFP) to assess the situation and urgent needs directly.
Local authorities and humanitarian teams are working around the clock, but existing capacities are under significant pressure. Additional resources are urgently needed as arrivals continue.
**Occupied Palestinian Territory
Turning to the Occupied Palestinian Territory, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs says it remains deeply concerned by reports that civilians are being killed and injured by military strikes hitting populated areas across the Gaza Strip.
UNICEF said yesterday that nine children were reportedly killed or died from their injuries over the previous week — including two sisters aged 6 and 12, and four other children between the ages of 3 and 14. The agency said that a pregnant mother and her unborn baby were also reportedly killed by gunfire. At least 13 children were reportedly injured.
Our safety and security partners report that military operations continued across all parts of Gaza over the weekend, particularly west of the so-called “Yellow Line”. This included air strikes, shelling, gunfire and naval fire.
We reiterate that civilians and civilian infrastructure — including humanitarians and their supplies and property — must always be protected.
Meanwhile, our humanitarian partners warn that the power supply for essential services remains extremely vulnerable to ongoing restrictions on engine oil and spare parts, combined with funding shortfalls for fuel. Water pumping, desalination plants, health services and food distributions all rely on backup generators and transportation.
According to information collected through the UN 2720 Mechanism, since March, Israeli authorities have approved the entry into Gaza of some 13,500 litres of engine oil, while more than 92,000 litres are still pending approval, that’s quite a lot more. These figures do not include engine oil for bakeries.
Without urgent approvals for engine oil and spare parts, people’s access to safe water could worsen even further. Sewage systems could fail if pumping stations shut down. And uncollected waste could build up again.
The UN and our partners continue to buy, import and deliver fuel to power critical facilities. But fuel is expensive — including due to taxes — while funding for it remains extremely limited.
**Lebanon
Turning to Lebanon, our peacekeepers at the United Nations Interim Force continue to observe Israel Defense Forces (IDF) activities inside Lebanese territory, on land, in the air and at sea.
Of particular concern is the continued use of explosive-filled jerrycans. Between Thursday and Sunday, peacekeepers observed IDF drones dropping jerrycans in the vicinity of Al Mansuri. All subsequently detonated, with at least nine explosions triggered on Saturday alone.
UNIFIL (UN Interim Force in Lebanon) also continues to record numerous violations of Lebanese airspace by the IDF, predominantly involving drones, as well as flights by fighter aircraft and, on one occasion, a helicopter. Between Thursday and Sunday, at least 32 air strikes were recorded within UNIFIL’s area of operations. Peacekeepers also continue to observe extensive IDF artillery activity, tactical troop deployments, engineering operations, position maintenance and vehicular movements across both sectors.
At sea, UNIFIL observed IDF patrol boats operating inside Lebanese territorial waters off Naqoura on each day between Thursday and Sunday.
Impediments to UNIFIL’s freedom of movement also continue. On Sunday, IDF personnel stopped a UNIFIL patrol north-east of Kafer Chouba for two hours. We reiterate that peacekeepers must be able to conduct their mandated activities throughout the area of operations in full freedom of movement and without obstruction.
And despite the security situation, UNIFIL continues to support humanitarian efforts. On Thursday and Friday, the mission facilitated 16 humanitarian missions through its Liaison Branch and in coordination with OCHA, all in Sector West.
**Sudan
Turning to Sudan, where our colleagues at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warn that drone strikes and other hostilities continue to endanger civilians and drive people from their homes across the Darfur and Kordofan regions and Blue Nile State.
In Blue Nile State, multiple drone strikes were reported yesterday against fuel stations and other critical infrastructure in the state capital, with civilian casualties reported. That comes amid continued displacement across the state, with the International Organization for Migration estimating that insecurity displaced nearly 100,000 people across Blue Nile between January and August, an increase of about 66 per cent since late May.
In North Darfur State, drone strikes yesterday reportedly hit multiple locations in At Tina, on the border with Chad. Elsewhere in the state, IOM reports that nearly 1,200 people were displaced from two villages in El Fasher between 10 and 13 September. More than 1,200 others were also displaced from villages in Um Baru over the past week, with most reportedly crossing into Chad.
In West Darfur State, drone attacks were reported in several locations on Saturday. According to local sources, a drone struck a fuel market in a town west of the state capital, while two other towns were also reportedly hit, with casualties reported.
Across the Kordofan region, continued insecurity is driving displacement and disrupting humanitarian operations. In South Kordofan, more than 7,000 people have reportedly arrived in Abassiya town from surrounding villages in recent weeks.
And in North Kordofan, displaced people continue to arrive in the state capital, El Obeid, where Al Mina Al Bari camp is hosting about 9,000 families, putting more pressure on already overcrowded sites and basic services.
We once again call on all parties to the conflict to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure, and to allow rapid, safe, unhindered and sustained humanitarian access to all those in need in Sudan.
**Ukraine
From Ukraine, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tells us that hostilities over the weekend and this morning continue to take a heavy toll on civilians across the country, with several people killed and injured.
The heaviest impact was reported in the east and south, where waves of attacks across the Donetsk, Kherson, Mykolaiv and Odesa regions caused multiple casualties and damaged homes, hospitals, warehouses, administrative and industrial facilities. Damage to shops, farms, pipelines and ambulances were also reported. And today in the city of Kherson, two health workers were injured as their ambulance was hit by a strike.
Local and international humanitarian organizations, with support from UN agencies, provided immediate support, including emergency shelter materials, psychological assistance, and hot meals. They also registered people for humanitarian cash assistance.
**International Atomic Energy Agency
This morning, the Secretary-General gave a message at the opening of the seventieth Regular Session of the International Atomic Energy Agency General Conference, which is taking place in Vienna.
In a message delivered by Monica Juma, Director-General of the UN Office at Vienna, the Secretary-General said that as the custodian of the safeguards system, the IAEA reinforces our common security against the proliferation of nuclear weapons. He noted that recent developments regarding safeguards implementation in the Syrian Arab Republic reflect the indispensable, technical and impartial role of the Agency and the importance of the full support of Member States.
Yet, the Secretary-General said, there is no denying that this General Conference comes at a moment of profound global turbulence and uncertainty. More than ever, he stressed, our world needs the IAEA’s professionalism, impartiality and technical excellence, and we need Member States to stand with the IAEA as the Agency carries out its vital work.
His message is available online.
**Third Review Conference of the States Parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions
Today the Secretary-General also addressed the Third Review Conference of the States Parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which is taking place in Vientiane, in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic.
In a message delivered by Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), the Secretary-General stressed that cluster munitions have no place in our world. He noted that they kill and injure civilians indiscriminately, and their consequences haunt people and communities for generations.
The Secretary-General said that he deeply regrets reports that some countries have reincorporated these weapons into their arsenals. He urged all States Parties to continue fully implementing their obligations and encourage States that have not joined the Convention to do so without delay.
His message is available online.
**Artificial Intelligence — Human Rights
Today, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, called on States and companies developing artificial intelligence systems to take urgent, meaningful action to ensure that AI governance keeps pace with the technology’s rapid development and its risks to human rights.
In an open letter, the High Commissioner warned that AI-related harms are already affecting privacy, access to essential services, the integrity of public debate and the functioning of democratic institutions. He also cautioned that failures involving increasingly autonomous AI systems could disrupt critical infrastructure and accelerate the pace and reach of warfare.
**Financial Contribution
And last, we have a quiz for you today, which means more money.
This country is the largest landlocked country in Africa, and the country’s most iconic traditional musical instrument is the kakaki, a long, metal wind instrument which typically measures 3 to 4 meters in length and produces a loud, booming sound and is typically used in traditional ceremonies.
Any guesses?
[answer: “Chad”] Yes, you’re absolutely right, it is Chad. Good job!
We say thanks to our friends in N’Djamena for their full payment to the Regular Budget. Chad’s payment brings the number of fully paid-up Member States to 138.
Since you got the answer right, you get the first question. […] All right, he defers to you. Eddie.
**Questions and Answers
Question: Thank you, Farhan. First, does the Secretary-General have any comment on the major artificial intelligence tech chiefs asking for a pause on AI development before it gets away from human controls?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, I mean, these are concerns that the Secretary-General has said. The Secretary General stressed many times, including at the BRICS Summit, that the technology that will shape the future of humanity must be shaped by all humanity and cannot be governed by a handful of countries or a handful of companies. The Secretary-General warns that unchecked, the AI divide will widen every other divide, including in income, opportunity, security and sovereignty, and the United Nations is helping to advance global discussions on artificial intelligence through the Independent International Scientific Panel on AI and the Global Dialogue on AI Governance. And, of course, you’ve also seen what, as I just pointed out, what Volker Türk had to say about his concerns about the potential impact that AI has on basic human rights.
Question: Okay, is he, we know there’s going to be an AI, a major AI event during the high-level week. Do you expect that the Secretary-General is going to raise this specific issue of calling for a pause on AI development?
Deputy Spokesman: We’ll leave the Secretary-General to make his announcements to the Member States as it comes up. I think you can expect that the Secretary-General will bring up AI in his remarks to the General Assembly next week, and I expect he may also talk about it a little bit when he talks to you this Wednesday.
Question: And on the BRICS Summit, did the Secretary-General ask to have meetings with either the Russian or the Chinese Presidents?
Deputy Spokesman: I don’t believe that any meeting was possible. We’ve told you about the various meetings he’s had, and, of course, he will seize any opportunity that he can to meet with those leaders once that’s possible. Yes, please.
Question: Thank you, Mr. Farhan. Mr. Farhan, do you have any information regarding the issuance of visas for Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and accompanying delegation with him coming next week to the United Nations?
Deputy Spokesman: At this stage, I haven’t heard about this one way or the other. Obviously, we want to make sure that the host country fulfils its obligations to allow all those expecting to attend the General Assembly to be able to do so.
Question: The Iranian official said, as of today, they haven’t been received the visas and denied by Americans.
Deputy Spokesman: Obviously, if they have concerns about that, we would once again stress upon the host country their obligation, under the host country agreement, to allow for visas for all those leaders who are attending the General Assembly session to be able to do so. Yes, please.
Question: Fellowship programme representing Silk Way TV channel of Kazakhstan. Just a little follow-up on the BRICS Summit in India where the Secretary-General attended and spoke at the high-level panel. Given the unique representation within these organizations, with countries such as Russia, China and Iran as Members, what is the Secretary-General’s take generally on BRICS’ role in an increasingly changing world and its ambition to become a stronger voice for the global South? Thank you.
Deputy Spokesman: BRICS has been a very vital force for multilateral responses to the situations the world has faced. The Secretary-General made that very clear when he spoke at the BRICS Summit yesterday. He appreciates the contributions that BRICS has made, and of course, he did discuss that with the leaders he met with, including with the Indian Prime Minister who currently presides over BRICS. Yes, please, in the back.
Question: Thanks, Farhan. [United States] President [Donald] Trump said that the world diesel price has mostly risen because of Russia-Ukraine war, not Iran. And after that he said that Russia and Ukraine have agreed not to hit each other’s energy target. Do you agree with President Trump’s assessment on diesel prices’ rise and do you welcome Russia-Ukraine hold strikes?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, those are two separate issues. On the one hand, obviously there are many different causes of the rise in oil prices, including, as you know, not just what’s happening in Ukraine and Russia, but also the situation in the wider Middle East. And so, oil and diesel prices have been rising as a result of all of that. Obviously, anything that improves the situation between the Russian Federation and Ukraine would be welcome. So, we are hoping for any signs of de-escalation in that conflict. Yes, Linda and then Nathan.
Question: Thank you. Thank you, Farhan. Apropos of the Secretary-General, is there anything you can share with us in terms of leaders he will be meeting?
I mean, obviously President Trump.
Deputy Spokesman: We will be providing you with dozens of readouts of the various meetings. So, you’ll get those, the photos, and the various appointments. And we’ll try to give you a programme of some of next week’s meetings closer to the end of this week once it’s clear what the schedule will be. Yes, Nathan.
Question: Okay, thank you. So, my question, I’m Nathan Guma and I’m a Dag fellow, also. So, my question is on AI and privacy. So, from where I come from, I’m from Zimbabwe, and there’s a trend of governments, not only in Zimbabwe, but also in Africa, who have been signing deals with international companies. For example, there’s GVG, which has been helping those governments, say with biometrics and also the electoral processes, which has led to outcry from civic society in terms of privacy, which has risen privacy concerns. So, my question is, what’s the UN’s position on governments signing treaties or deals with those companies without even going to tender, which is in return raising privacy concerns?
Deputy Spokesman: The Secretary-General has made clear that he wants an equitable system for the sharing of AI. Obviously, these are among the many issues to be discussed by Member States. And like I said, what we’re trying to do is, through our Independent International Scientific Panel on AI and the Global Dialogue on AI, we want to bring evidence-based expertise into this discussion so that all Member States can be part of the conversation about how the AI technology, which is transformative, can be governed for the benefit of all. And that is what our priority is. Yes, Sinan.
Question: Thank you, Farhan. I have a question regarding the high-level visa. I wonder if the SG’s office has received any visa complaints from any Member countries? And if yes, if you can give us names of which countries.
Deputy Spokesman: I believe that different countries are raising their concerns. Right now, as I told your colleague, what we want to do is make sure that the host country does abide by all of its obligations under the host country agreement and will follow up as necessary.
Question: If you don’t mind a quick following up, did they reach out to SG’s office? If yes, which countries and what they are saying?
Deputy Spokesman: This is a process that happens every year and different countries reach out at various different levels. I can’t confirm specific requests at this point. But what I can say is that, as with other years, we do receive this and we do take up the matter with our counterparts on the host country.
All right, and now I will get our guests. One second, please.