Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General
The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today’s noon briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General.
**Haiti
I have a statement from the Secretary-General on the sixth anniversary of the Haiti earthquake.
Tomorrow, the United Nations family will mark the sixth anniversary of the earthquake in Haiti and pay tribute to the more than 200,000 victims, including 102 United Nations personnel, who perished in this tragic event. United and in solidarity with all Haitians who have lost loved ones to this catastrophe, we honour the memory of our colleagues.
The path to recovery and long-term development is not an easy one. Many Haitians continue to face multiple challenges, including displacement, food insecurity and lack of access to clean water and sanitation. Haiti remains in need of international support and I therefore call on the international community to stand with Haiti as it moves forward to rebuild.
While we honour the victims, the commemoration of this tragedy must be a source of renewed inspiration and a call to unite behind a vision for a stable, democratic and prosperous future for Haiti. Let me reaffirm the continued commitment of the United Nations to support the Haitian people in the fulfilment of their aspirations.
That statement is online.
**General Assembly
Earlier this morning, the Secretary-General marked the seventieth anniversary of the first meeting of the General Assembly.
On 10 January 1946, the General Assembly met for the first time when representatives from the then 51 Member States came together in Westminster [Central] Hall in London.
Speaking to the 193 Member States today, the Secretary-General called the General Assembly a “parliament for all people”. He said that although the resolutions adopted by the Assembly may not all be acted on right away, they stand as our common position on the most pressing issues of our times.
He added that the resolutions tell the story of our resolve and reflect our conviction that the countries of the world coming together can do far more collectively than they can do alone.
**Syria
Turning to Syria, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) confirms to us that the first trucks in the humanitarian convoy have reached the town of Madaya in Syria and that we are offloading supplies as we speak. The inter-agency convoy was carrying life-saving items, including health, nutrition and food supplies, blankets, shelter materials and soap for the people in desperate need of aid in the town.
At the same time, trucks left Damascus for Kafraya and Foah, two other towns where there was desperate need.
Humanitarian Coordinator Yacoub El Hillo said today that it has taken long and patient negotiation with many parties to facilitate this convoy. He noted that while there is much focus on Madaya and that the situation there requires an immediate response, the United Nations and its humanitarian partners are equally concerned about the 4.5 million people living in besieged and hard-to-reach areas across Syria. We continue to call on all parties to the conflict to facilitate sustained and unimpeded access to all people in besieged and hard-to-reach areas in Syria.
On the political track, the Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, concluded his present round of regional consultations on Sunday with meetings in Tehran, where he met with the Iranian Foreign Minister and the Deputy Iranian Foreign Minister. Mr. de Mistura updated his interlocutors on preparations for the forthcoming Geneva Talks. Like he had done when he visited Saudi Arabia on 5 January, he asked and obtained the assurance of his interlocutors that current tensions in the region would not affect the engagement of their Government in supporting the Vienna process and facilitating the holding of the Geneva Talks.
On Saturday, Mr. de Mistura also had a useful meeting in Damascus with the Foreign Minister, Walid Moualem.
The Special Envoy is now going to debrief the Secretary-General and seek his guidance on the beginning of the Talks. He looks forward to the International Syria Support Group and the Security Council continuing to provide serious and consistent engagement in order to ensure the beginning, on 25 January, of a genuine political discussion aimed at resolving the Syrian crisis.
**Yemen
Turning to Yemen, you may have seen that we issued last night a statement in which the Secretary-General condemned the attack from an as-yet unknown source on a hospital supported by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) in Sa’ada Province, in Yemen, which killed at least four people and injured many others. This is the latest in a series of attacks on health facilities, following those in 2015 on the MSF-supported Haydan Medical Hospital in Sa’ada and a mobile health clinic in Taiz.
The Secretary-General is extremely concerned about the increasingly limited access to essential health care services for all Yemenis. He emphasizes that hospitals and medical personnel are explicitly protected under international humanitarian law and that any intentional attack against civilians and civilian infrastructure is considered a serious violation of international humanitarian law. The full statement is online.
And again on the political track for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, the Secretary General’s Special Envoy, is continuing consultations with the parties with the aim of convening a second round of UN-sponsored negotiations on the Yemen crisis. In his meetings, he is seeking to gain agreement on the agenda and date of the forthcoming talks, as well as on the substance for the future negotiations.
The Special Envoy was previously in Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, and he is currently in Yemen, holding consultations to finalize plans for the talks. Advancing the prospects for a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire and securing improvements to the humanitarian situation are crucial to that effort.
**South Sudan
Turning to South Sudan, our colleagues at the Mission there tell us that the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) reports that a fire broke out on Sunday in the protection of civilians site in Malakal in Upper Nile State.
The fire destroyed the shelters of about 1,000 camp residents. A baby also reportedly died in the incident, and eight people suffered minor injuries, mostly associated with smoke inhalation. The fire was eventually controlled. The cause of the fire is currently being investigated.
And still in Malakal, the Mission reports that on Saturday three Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) soldiers and three civilians reportedly died when a hand grenade accidentally detonated in a pickup truck carrying SPLA soldiers and civilians in the vicinity of the Mission’s protection of civilians’ site. Twelve wounded were taken to the UN Mission’s Level II clinic and MSF hospital for treatment. A UN Mine Action staff member who was detained by authorities at the scene for allegedly taking photographs has been released.
The UN Mission in South Sudan, as you know, is protecting some 48,000 displaced persons in Malakal alone and 194,000 across South Sudan.
**Nepal
You will have seen from a note to correspondents we issued over the weekend that Jeffrey Feltman, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, has wrapped up his visit to Nepal.
While in the country, he met with the President, the Prime Minister and other political leaders, as well as with members of civil society.
Mr. Feltman expressed deep concern about current developments that are adversely affecting Nepal’s humanitarian situation, economic performance and reconstruction efforts, encouraging political leaders to overcome urgently current differences on constitutional arrangements through inclusive dialogue and parliamentary process.
**Press Conferences
Tomorrow, 11 a.m., there will be a press conference here in this room to present “Trends in International Migrant Stock: The 2015 Revision”. Speakers will include the Deputy Secretary-General, Jan Eliasson, and Bela Hovy, of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA).
And then at noon, I will be joined at the briefing by telephone by the UN Special Envoy for Global Education, Gordon Brown. He will brief you ahead of the Syria Pledging Conference, which will take place in London on 4 February, on new developments and pledges for educating children in conflict zones. He will, as I mentioned, join at noon.
We also expect to send you a notice on a background briefing on the Secretary-General’s Plan of Action on preventing violent extremism that will take place later in the week.
**Questions and Answers
Ms. Lederer?
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. On Staffan de Mistura, you said that he is going to be debriefing the Secretary‑General. Does that mean he's coming to New York? And, if so, can you arrange for him to meet us?
Spokesman: Not confirmed. If yes, yes. [laughter]
Question: Okay. And in terms of the Syria support group, obviously, they're going to have to meet before 25 January. Is there any indication of when and where that meeting might take place?
Spokesman: I do not, but I would encourage you to check with either the U.S. or Russian Permanent Missions here.
Question: And just as one other follow‑up on Yemen, is there any target date that Cheikh Ahmed is aiming for — for the Yemen talks, this month, next month?
Spokesman: I think we will… I think the discussions are ongoing. I don't want to box him in from here. Yes, sir?
Question: Yeah, on this attack in Sa’ada against the MSF hospital, was it an aerial attack, or was it just a shelling?
Spokesman: At this point, we're unable to state with any conviction. I think it came from some sort of an explosive. So we're not able to give you more details. If we were able to, we would do that.
Question: Also, on the Iranian embassy in Sana'a, was it also aerial or have you… anyone established a cause?
Spokesman: I don't have any first-hand count from the UN in terms of the Iranian embassy in Sana’a. And I believe Tehran itself put out a statement giving a bit more details.
Question: I guess some other stuff but staying on Yemen, forgetting the date for a second, it's been said that… that… you know, the earlier the… the… the Houthi and Saleh side had said they want to speak only to the Saudis, because they're the real party in interest in dropping bombs. And now the Saudi… the spokesman for the coalition has said they won't speak with them. So how is the envoy going to go… going to… what's his… what's his approach on that? Does he think it would be positive to have the people dropping bombs speaking with the people on the ground, or is [Abdrabuh Mansour] Hadi still the only spokesman for the bomb…
Spokesman: His approach is that he's speaking to as many of the interested and concerned parties as possible, whether they be in Yemen, in Saudi Arabia, whether they be regional powers. I will let the envoy conduct his diplomacy. We obviously know what the target is, and the target is to stop the violence that we're seeing in Yemen, stopping the humanitarian disaster and the suffering of the Yemeni people. As to his approach, he's continuing his wide‑ranging consultation, and when he's ready to announce a date and he thinks he's got everything fixed, he will.
Question: Speaking of that, it's reported that he's obviously… he's in Sana’a now. But has he been able to actually meet with the Houthis or [Ali Abdullah] Saleh's party or is he… somebody told me he's needing a mediator to mediate for him.
Spokesman: As… as we've done in the past, I think once he has the meetings, we're able to share with you what he's had. Yep, and then Linda?
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. Two quick questions. One, this afternoon, is Mr. [Stephen] O'Brien briefing the Council? What is the topic going to be, if you are aware of it? And my other question is about Syria, the starvations. It looks like the Government is doing it, but also some other foreign groups, like Hizbullah, Iranian militias, are also starving the civilians. How is the UN negotiating with them? What is the method you use to talk to these groups in Syria to convince them for humanitarian aid to these areas?
Spokesman: I think there are a number of things here. First of all, I think Mr. O'Brien will be briefing on the humanitarian situation in Syria to the Council. We'll see if we can stop at the stakeout on the way out. I think we've seen various groups, whether they be Government or non‑government, or opposition groups, armed groups, terror groups, use civilians and increase the suffering by blocking humanitarian aid, something we've seen across the board. I think, you know, nearly 400,000 people… sorry, 181,000 people are besieged by Government and allied forces in rural Damascus alone, and 12,500 by non-State armed groups and al‑Nusrah Front in Foah and Kafraya. So we're seeing it across the board. The negotiations to get in humanitarian convoys to get into these places are conducted on the ground, whether it's ourselves, the ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross), the Syrian Arab Red Crescent, speak to whomever they need to speak to to ensure that the humanitarian convoys get in. What is clear is that it is the responsibility of all the parties to allow the convoy, to allow unimpeded access to humanitarian actors, to those who need it. We're talking, as we mentioned, more than 4.5 million people who are either in besieged or hard‑to‑reach areas, men, women and children who are suffering on a daily basis. Sam and then Linda? Go ahead.
Question: Thanks, Stéphane. Several groups have raised the issue that this is only going to last a month, the food that's being delivered, and whether this will just simply happen again on 11 February and also whether having groups being able to kind of leverage starvation as a… as a negotiating tool. Do you think that there's any precedent that's dangerous here?
Spokesman: Using civilians as a tool of war, using… leveraging their starvation as a tool of war is a clear violation of international law. We've seen it in other places, and we repeatedly denounce it. Our humanitarian colleagues on the ground are, as we said, negotiating, trying to get into all these places, but what is clear is that we also need a political agreement to stop the fighting and allow the humanitarian aid to come in. One convoy will not solve the problem for the people who are in Madaya, in Foah and Kafraya. We need unimpeded and continued access for humanitarian actors in all these cities. Lin… yeah, go ahead and then Linda.
Question: Have you gotten any assurances that… from anyone that's being negotiated with that this will not be an issue in a month, say, or…
Spokesman: No.
Correspondent: No, there's no assurances?
Spokesman: Linda. I'll come back to you.
Question: Thank you, Stéph. Regarding Syria…
Spokesman: Your microphone.
Question: Again, regarding Syria, I gather that the Secretary‑General had been asked to come up with some recommendations for a possible UN role for monitoring the ceasefire. I was just wondering where things stood, if there's been progress.
Spokesman: I think the contingency plans are continuing. Obviously, the focus right now is getting the talks started early… in January. Evelyn and then Erol?
Question: Yeah, on Syria… well, to follow up the earlier question on humanitarian aid, according to reports in Madaya, it was the Syrian Government who blocked the aid coming in. I'm not sure who… which… because it was a… a rebel group was dominating the town. Do you know which rebel group and… I'm sure they aren't angels but… and secondly, is there any chance of a ceasefire in Syria? Is that moving at all?
Spokesman: I think the proof is in the pudding. We very much would like to see cessation of hostilities in order to allow us to get aid in. I think, as I've said before, we're seeing… people are being besieged in hard‑to‑reach areas and besieged areas both from the Government side and the non… non‑government… other armed groups, as well as terror groups.
Correspondent: [inaudible]
Spokesman: Yeah. Okay. Erol?
Question: Thanks, Stéphane. Just to stay on that track on Syria, actually on the region, recently High Commissioner for Human Rights, Prince Zeid, said… actually warned that Yemen is sinking in the kind of Balkanization. On the other hand, we had yesterday in New York Times the concern of the Iranian Foreign Minister that Saudi Arabia is reckless with their politics in the region. And the question is, is the Secretary‑General and the UN… are they concerned, and how do they see that in the context of the ongoing Syrian process, political process? Are they extra concerned because of that, and what they are going to do?
Spokesman: I'm not 100 per cent sure I understand your question. Nevertheless, let me try to answer it.
Question: Let me put it… okay.
Spokesman: Okay. We are obviously extremely concerned at the lack of a cessation of hostilities in Yemen. The focus for the Special Envoy has been to try to get the political process back on track. We see what happens as the fighting continues. It leaves space for extremist groups to flourish, for terrorist groups to flourish. We see schools closed. Millions of children who are out of school for more than a year makes them vulnerable to all sorts of things, including recruitment by extremist groups. I think the Secretary‑General has repeatedly called for the renewed… renewal of the cessation of hostilities, which held for a little bit of time, and he hopes all the countries in the region who have influence on the parties involved in the Yemeni conflict will use that influence positively in order to get the players back around the table.
Question: Did he call Saudi Arabia and address Saudi Arabia?
Spokesman: The Secretary‑General, his Special Envoy, and others have had numerous contacts with Saudi officials. As I mentioned, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed was just in Riyadh a few days ago. Let's go to the back.
Question: Thank you. Today, the Syrian coalition claimed that Russian air force hit two schools in rural Aleppo and killed 35 civilians, some of them students. Do you have any information on that and what Secretary‑General has to say? Thank you.
Spokesman: Yes. Sorry. We've seen the reports of the attack on a school. Obviously, the Secretary‑General is very concerned by these reports in the town of Anjara, near Aleppo. I think reports of attacks on schools and medical facilities have distressingly become more and more frequent in recent weeks. If confirmed, today's attack would be a serious violation of international humanitarian law. The recently-adopted Security Council resolution 2254 specifically demands that all parties immediately cease any attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure, such as hospitals and schools. The Secretary‑General calls this and other similar attacks to be promptly, effectively and independently investigated as to ensure more accountability.
Question: To follow‑up…
Spokesman: One second. I will come back to you. There are others who have been patient. Go ahead, and then Go.
Question: I wanted to know if the UN or… [inaudible] the money that are given to the troop-contributing country are really given to the soldier, because last…
Spokesman: I'm sorry. I didn't hear the top of the question.
Question: I wanted to… I wanted to know if the UN… does UN or DPKO (Department of Peacekeeping Operations) assure that the money that are given to troop-contributing countries are really given to the soldier? Because last week in Benin, for example, a soldier from… some soldier from Côte d'Ivoire mission was killed because he was claiming about the money who… was not given to him… [cross talk]
Spokesman: I have not seen this particular case, but it is clear that the money that is given by the United Nations in a budget raised by Member States for peacekeeping missions — that the money that is due to soldiers, to the individual soldiers, that is owed to them be paid to them. And that is the responsibility of the troop-contributing countries.
Question: You don’t know about the soldier who was…
Spokesman: I didn't… no, what I said is I wasn't aware of the specific case. I'll see if I can get some more details. Go?
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. As you know, the tension continued in Korean Peninsula since the Republic of Korea resumed its propaganda broadcast over the nuclear test conducted by DPRK (Democratic People’s Republic of Korea). Do you have any updated comment on that?
Spokesman: Sure. I think… you know, comments that I had made earlier on the measures taken by the Republic of Korea, I think, may have been misinterpreted. At this time, our focus needs to be on keeping unity of purpose of the international community in tackling the serious challenge to international peace and security posed by the recent nuclear tests by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea. We hope that measures taken by Member States either individually or collectively will contribute to this united purpose. Thank you. Yeah?
Question: Just an update on that… a follow‑up. So has the Secretary‑General got any contact with the DPRK official?
Spokesman: Not that I can… not that I'm aware of. Mr. Lee?
Question: Sure. Some questions on Burundi. One is, over the weekend, a cameraman, Alfred Baranburiya, was killed, most people say, by the Government. And I wanted to know is… again, this question of the Human Rights Office there, what… when is there output coming out? I also… I'm sure you've seen the story in VICE and full credit quoting Mr. [Hervé] Ladsous's letter to the Security Council, basically saying the UN peacekeeping is not in the position to stop mass violence against civilians, including genocide. It seems like a pretty… I mean, maybe it's an honest statement, but it's a fairly… can you provide a little more detail on what exactly peacekeeping… what its role is in stopping mass violence against civilians? Thanks.
Spokesman: Yeah, I think obviously the mandate of a number of peacekeeping missions is very much focused on protection of civilians. We exercise that mandate, I would say, well, if not even aggressively, as we've seen in South Sudan, as I just mentioned. On Burundi, we've seen the reports on what appears to be a leaked document. What I can tell you is that, obviously, the Secretary‑General and the Secretariat as a whole are making every effort to address the crisis in Burundi. Amongst those, at the request of the Security Council, we've been conducting contingency planning that elaborate several scenarios and the role that the UN could play. The UN in general and peacekeeping in particular undertake contingency planning for a wide range of issues as part of standard procedures. The Secretary‑General is doing everything possible to prevent the crisis from deteriorating further and find a peaceful settlement in the situation. He's dispatched, as you know, his Special Adviser, Mr. [Jamal] Benomar, twice in the last few weeks to engage in Burundian and regional stakeholders in a view of supporting an inclusive political process to resolve the issue. Right now, we're dispatching a team to Burundi as mandated by Security Council resolution to work with the Government in Burundi and other stakeholders to support, again, a credible and inclusive political dialogue and advise the authorities on addressing security concerns, as stated in the letter of 1 December of the Council. Supporting dialogue efforts is the UN's absolute priority as we continue to seek ways with our partners in the region to stop deterioration of the security situation and prevent mass violence.
Question: I'm sure you're going to get follow‑up on that, but I want to ask one more question about Burundi, if I can, and it has to do with AMISOM (African Union Mission in Somalia), with the… which I know the UN is paying some of the costs for. To follow up on Herman's questions, there are now detailed reports that the Burundian contingent is not getting paid or the money that's expected to go into the budget of the Government didn't show up, according to the IMF (International Monetary Fund). And the other one has to do with a commander there, Mr. Bebonamana, supposedly ordered the entire Burundian contingent to stop using the internet while… while deployed. And I wanted to know, does the UN, for its own missions or ones that it supports financially, have any position on the right to communicate and receive information under Article 19? [cross talk]
Spokesman: As you said, while AMISOM is supported in part by the UN, it is not a mission that is under the authority of peacekeeping department. I'm… I cannot get into the granularity of specific administrative orders that may or may not have been given by contingent commander. What I would say, in broader terms, just like Herman… in answer to Herman's question, it is clear that soldiers who participate in peacekeeping missions and receive… and where the Governments receive monies from the international community, those soldiers deserve to be paid fully what is owed to them. Yes, and then…
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. Back to Syria. The Syrian coalition and also many Syrian human rights groups are accusing Russia of indiscriminately bombing civilians, killing civilians, and also displacing a couple of hundred thousand civilians in… within Syria. Now, has the Secretary‑General brought this issue up with any Russian official? And what do you do when the country that is violating the resolution is actually one of the P5?
Spokesman: I think any military action taken in Syria as part a broader coalition to combat extremist groups needs to uphold the standards of international law, and that is to ensure that there is no damage done to civilian infrastructures, schools, hospitals or otherwise and that there are no civilian… civilian casualties. So that would be my general answer to your question.
Question: Yeah. Going back to Madaya, do we expect from the United Nations mission or people on the ground who went into Madaya to bring a clear picture of what is going on there, since we have conflicting stories, one of them that the rebels or the militias there are taking all the aid and denying them to the civilians or setting them at very high prices? Also, we've seen some conflicting pictures from the media regarding using Lebanese children in the context of being from Madaya. Some of them were shown on television that they are… they were not involved there and the pictures were put out of context totally. Also…
Spokesman: I think… I think… [cross talk] I think you're alluding… I don't… I'm not sure exactly what you're alluding to…
Question: I… I… [cross talk]
Spokesman: Let me just say something. What is clear is that there is a tremendous level of suffering in these besieged and hard‑to‑reach towns, whether they be Madaya, Foah or Kafraya. Obviously, once the UN's own humanitarian staff is on the ground and ICRC and the Syrian Red Crescent, we'll have a clearer picture of the suffering. As to allegations of, you know, which groups are hoarding aid or another, I'm not sure we'd be able to investigate those in this context. What is also clear is that humanitarian aid that is distributed to civilians needs to be given to civilians and should not be taken by anyone in authority or by armed groups for different purposes.
Question: Going back, you are here talking about Madaya, Kafraya and Foah. How about Nubl and al‑Zahraa? Nubl and al‑Zahraa have been under siege for over four years. Why are they not part of this deal?
Spokesman: I'm just talking about three specific towns. There are 4.5 million Syrians who are in besieged or hard‑to‑reach areas. It has been the effort of the United Nations and its humanitarian partners on a daily basis to try to reach those people. We are sparing no effort, but it is the responsibilities of all those involved in this conflict, whether they be Government, whether they be non‑government armed groups, whether they be extremist groups, to allow the humanitarian aid to flow freely. We do not discriminate in any way, shape or form against civilians depending on who may be holding siege to them. Mr. Go, and then Matthew.
Question: Thank you. Just one follow‑up to my previous question. So once again, regarding this propaganda broadcast by the Republic of Korea, can we interpret that the UN support it rather than deplore it?
Spokesman: No, I think I would reread my words because I don't think they demand interpretation. I think the focus needs to be on keeping on the unity of purpose of the international community in tackling the serious challenges to international peace and security, and we hope that measures taken by Member States collectively and individually will contribute to this united purpose. Mr. Lee?
Question: Okay. Thanks a lot. Ethiopia, South Sudan and Haiti. In Ethiopia, I'm sure the UN is aware there have been pretty detailed reporting about a crackdown on protests in Oromo for people protesting what they call a seizure of their land, etc. People say 140 people have been killed. Given that the UN has an office in Addis, what is the UN's knowledge of these killings?
Spokesman: I don't have anything with me here, but I will check.
Question: And South Sudan, this is the… the… we've been back and forth about these situation reports, and I want… one, I wanted to ask you whether you have anything in your binder about fighting near a place called Diabio. But I also wanted to ask you, I've now heard that the situation reports will no longer be distributed electronically and, more troublingly, that local UN staff are not supposed to be told the contents of the reports. I'd like you to check that… [cross talk] … given… given…
Spokesman: I don't know what situation reports you're talking about. You're obviously… you're getting situation reports that… [cross talk]
Question: My overall question…
Spokesman: Obviously, you know, there are different types of reports. There are those done by the peacekeeping mission which I give to you.
Question: UNDSS (Department of Safety and Security).
Spokesman: There are others done, like you said, by DSS. These are the ones you seem to have unlimited access to, which is, I guess, good for you. The point is DSS is entrusted to keeping our staff safe, and I trust them to share the information they need to share to ensure that all staff, whether national or international, have the information they need to be able to stay safe.
Question: That's fair. Okay. The final thing is, at least for me, on Haiti on the statement that you had in… the day before the earthquake anniversary, the reference… it obviously doesn't use the word "cholera", but I wanted to… it seems that it refers to continuing problems with clean water and sanitation. Given the allegations that existed around cholera… Mr. [Pedro] Medrano now is no longer on the case… what… can you say something prior to this anniversary… what percentage of the problem was fixed by the fund‑raising appeal of the Secretary‑General or what is… is there a plan by the UN to improve what… what…
Spokesman: We continue to work with the Government of Haiti through a national committee, on which the UN sits and other partners, to improve the subpar sanitation facilities and water facilities that exist in Haiti. We have tried to raise money through this effort, and I will try to give you some exact numbers, but I know the money that was raised is not sufficient to face the problem.
Question: And before the Secretary‑General's term expires, do you… do you anticipate… is it possible in any way this issue that some people call impunity, others might call immunity, might be reconsidered or addressed?
Spokesman: If I have something to share, I will.
Correspondent: Okay.
Spokesman: Ms. Leopold, with the microphone, please.
Question: Sorry about that. On Korea, has anybody bring up the possibility of… what is it, the six power talks again in…
Spokesman: I think you would have to address that question to anyone who is included this that list of six.
Correspondent: Okay.
Spokesman: Have a good day, but I will take a question from Sam and Erol.
Question: Just a follow‑up on the Burundi question that Matthew asked. Given this was transmitted through the Secretariats from DPKO, is the Secretary‑General alarmed at DPKO's assessment of their own capacity to intervene and, you know… [cross talk]
Spokesman: Without going… I think, going into details, the… it was… it gave various… it gave… the document gave various options, planning options, to the Security Council. It is up to the Council, obviously, to decide on the way forward. But we're obviously extremely concerned at the continuing violence that we're seeing in Burundi. Erol?
Question: Just if this is the end of the briefing, just wanted to remind you, you said that the Glass House will come up with the sort of wrap‑up plan for the Secretary‑General travelling this year of how many and where and which direction, and is the Secretary‑General somehow… not concerned, but what does… he thinks actually that so far only one candidate is for his successor… [cross talk]
Spokesman: The Secretary‑General, I think, is confident that there will be more than one candidate for his successor, and I say this even though I really don't like to comment on the race to succeed him, but I think we can all be confident that there will be more than one… that we'll have an election with more than one candidate. And on your second, as soon as I have something… on your first, rather, as soon as I have something, I will share it with you. Hasta mañana.