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.

**Security Council

The Security Council is in closed consultations currently, where Hervé Ladsous is briefing on the situation in Abyei.  He is also providing the Security Council members with an update on the situation in South Sudan and the Cammaert Report.  And we expect him to stop at the stakeout on the way out, which will probably be in about 45 minutes or so.

And the Council also has an open meeting on Mali.

**Climate Change

Turning to climate change, tomorrow is a day we have all been waiting for, which is the day that the Paris Agreement on Climate Change comes into force.

The Secretary-General will commemorate this historic day for both the people and the planet tomorrow at a conversation he will have with civil society representatives at 10 am in Conference Room 8.  You’ll be able to watch that on the webcast and we are also trying to schedule a brief press encounter for the Secretary-General.

This week saw countries such as South Africa, Indonesia, Denmark join the Paris Agreement and very shortly we expect the Saudi Permanent Representative to deposit the Kingdom’s instrument of ratification, followed by the Republic of Korea later this afternoon.  That will bring the total number of States having ratified to 96.

The High Commissioner for Human Rights today said that the entry into force should spur States to be more ambitious in their commitment to tackling global warming.

He stressed that climate change is a threat to the enjoyment of human rights now and in the years ahead, adding that the rights of people disproportionately affected by climate change must be protected.

And also on climate change, a new report by our friends at UNEP (United Nations Environment Programme) finds that the world must urgently curb emissions by 25 per cent from the predicted 2030 levels.  Even with the Paris Agreement, the report warns that the world is still headed for a temperature rise of between 2.9 to 3.4 degrees centigrade this century.

**Central African Republic

The Deputy Secretary-General, Jan Eliasson, is wrapping up his visit to the Central African Republic today.  After visiting internally displaced people in the Mpoko camp and in the PK5 district of Bangui this morning, He met with civil society and religious leaders.

Speaking at a press conference, he said that reconciliation is the future for the Central African Republic.  He encouraged dialogue and stressed that violence has never been a lasting solution.  He noted that the 17 November Brussels donors’ conference will be the best opportunity to consolidate efforts to support peace and stability and reform.  And he reiterated the commitment of the international community to help the people of the Central African Republic rebuild and develop their country.

**Sudan

And, turning to Sudan, the joint UN-AU Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) welcomes today the unilateral six-month cessation of hostilities jointly declared by the Sudan Liberation Army-Minni Minnawi and the Justice and Equality Movement/Gibril, among others, which entered into effect on 31 October.  UNAMID also welcomes the earlier announcement by President Omar Al Bashir on 10 October of a unilateral cessation of hostilities until the end of this year.

UNAMID notes the positive opportunity such a cessation of hostilities offers and hopes that it will encourage all parties to the conflict to commit to a negotiated solution.

**Iraq

And our humanitarian colleagues are beginning to see civilian displacement from the outskirt of Mosul city in Iraq.

Now, nearly 22,000 people are currently internally displaced due to the military operations to retake the city.  Half of them have found shelter in camps and the other half in host communities.

And as the security situation stabilizes around the Gogyali area on the eastern outskirts of Mosul, the UN and its partners are working to assess humanitarian needs and mobilize rapid assistance to the community.

So far, humanitarian partners have delivered food, water and medicines to over 25,000 displaced people and vulnerable residents in newly retaken towns and villages.

**Côte d’Ivoire

And the Secretary-General welcomes the announcement of the adoption of the new Constitution in Côte d’Ivoire by the Commission Electorale Indépendante, following the constitutional referendum, held on 30 October.  He notes with satisfaction that the new Constitution addresses some of the long-standing causes of tension and divisions in Côte d’Ivoire.

He encourages all the parties in Côte d’Ivoire, especially political leaders and their supporters to reject violence and refrain from the use of inflammatory and incendiary language.  He urges them to resolve any difference or disputes through constitutional means and pursue a political dialogue focused on the holding of open, free and fair legislative elections in the weeks ahead.

The Secretary-General reaffirms the continued commitment of the UN, through his Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire, to support the consolidation of peace and stability in Côte d’Ivoire.

**Health

And today, the World Health Organization (WHO) issued its “Global Guidelines for the Prevention of Surgical Site Infections”, including a list of concrete recommendations.  These are designed to address the increasing burden of health care associated infections on both patients and health care systems globally.

Surgical site infections threaten the lives of millions of patients each year and contribute to the spread of antibiotic resistance.  More information on the interweb.

**Questions and Answers

Khalas.  Yes, sir?

Question:  Thank you, Stéphane.  Today, another attack… another chemical attack happened in Western Aleppo.  More than ten people were affected, taken to hospital, some of them in very critical condition.  Will the United Nations call for an investigation into this new attack, the second in one week?

Spokesman:  Obviously, we will look into the details of the attack, but we need to, again, reiterate the need for cessation of violence on both sides of this divided city.

Question:  When you say both sides, is there an attack from both sides or is it…

Spokesman:  Well, I think we’ve seen both Eastern Aleppo and Western Aleppo suffer from military and violence activities.

Question:  With no flights so far for more than 20 days, is Mr. [Staffan] de Mistura… will he call for a different approach to evacuation, at least of the civilians from the besieged areas?

Spokesman:  The UN is not participating in any of the evacuation of the civilians.  What we have been asking for is a longer‑term pause for… to enable us to enter with humanitarian convoys and to allow for the evacuation of those wounded.  Michael?

Question:  Steph, the Kenyan general who was removed the… the mission in South Sudan, he was only on for three weeks at the time of the… of his removal.  Why was he the fall guy for the… the… the… in the report?  Wouldn’t the general who was ahead of… before him be more responsible for this?

Spokesman:  I think, if you look… if you look at the report, the Cammaert report, it outlines issues with decisions that were taken on that day, leadership, command decisions that were taken on that day.  The decision to ask for his removal is an initial decision.  Other decisions may be taken.  But, obviously, the Secretary‑General was very… stands by the report that Mr. [Patrick] Cammaert did and the way it was done.  Mr. Lee?

Question:  Sure.  Thanks a lot.  He said… the Kenyan ambassador said that… that… said that there were systemic flaws at DPKO [Department of Peacekeeping Operations] headquarters.  He said there was no induction of the general.  He’d been in three weeks and he hadn’t been given… he said that there’s a formal induction process that hadn’t been done.  He said that the report had a preordained conclusion.  And I’d like you to respond directly to that.  He also said, when he asked to meet with the Secretary‑General, he was told to meet with Mr. [Edmond] Mulet, and… and obviously, this didn’t… isn’t he a UN official?

Spokesman:  I watched part of the ambassador’s briefing as I was getting ready for the briefing.  I’m not going to go into a tit for tat, but I will make a few points.  First of all, there was, of course, no preordained conclusion to Mr. Cammaert’s work.  We trust him, and we value his work, and we value his judgment.  Second, the induction courses for senior leaders are held twice a year.  They are focused on how to deal with the UN system.  They’re focused on the induction to the UN system.  It is not a course for senior military leaders in terms of decision‑making.  So I don’t believe that had any impact on the force commander’s ability to do his work.  And your third question?

Question:  That he couldn’t meet with the Secretary‑General, even though he’s a UN official, isn’t he?  Doesn’t he have a UN post, as well?

Spokesman:  I think… Mr. [Macharia] Kamau does have a role as a Special Envoy of the Secretary‑General on… on El Niño, but that’s obviously separate from his role as Permanent Representative.  I know he met with the Chef de Cabinet.  It’s not uncommon for the Chef de Cabinet to meet with permanent representatives.  I know he also met with the head of peacekeeping, Mr. Ladsous.  The Secretary‑General also had a phone conversation with President [Uhuru] Kenyatta, and the Chef de Cabinet also had a number of phone conversations and contacts with the Foreign Minister of Kenya.  Kenya, like other countries… troop contributors mentioned in the report, was briefed on the conclusions of the report well before there was any public release.

Question:  And just one… he said… at the top of his press conference, you probably heard this part, he mentioned… he mentioned DRC [Democratic Republic of the Congo], Darfur, Haiti, Central African Republic, and he ended up later on saying… saying, “If you’re constantly having huge challenges in your peacekeeping operations, you need to ask why,” in response to a question about Mr. Ladsous.  Yesterday, you’d said the Secretary‑General has full confidence.  How can you justify, I guess, having an immediate sort of one strike and you’re out to a general on the job for… for three weeks, when all of these problems globally have taken place over five years with Mr. Ladsous?

Spokesman:  The… I understand your… let me just rephrase it.  If you look at the Mission in South Sudan, it operates in extremely challenging circumstances that are beyond the mission’s control.  The challenging circumstances are the responsibility of the political leaders of South Sudan, who have, not long after the independence, continue to betray their own people, in a sense, and put their own interests above those of their own people.  The peacekeeping mission, which was not designed to hold and house tens and tens of thousands of civilians, does so every day.  In Juba itself, we protected 30,000 people, 30,000 people, who were stuck in the fighting between the Government and opposition forces.  Tragically, more than 70 people died, including two Chinese peacekeepers.  To say that peacekeeping is not challenging would be ignoring the facts, but I think we are… for each mission, we look and we learn from issues that arise.  You know, I think since 2015… how many are… more than… I’ll have to give you the number, but a large number of troops have been repatriated for poor performance.  People have been held accountable.  The report outlines issues with the force commander’s activities on that day, those decisions that he took on that day and the decision was taken by the Secretary‑General.  Again, I will reiterate that the Secretary‑General has full confidence in Mr. Ladsous.

Question:  Within the scope of his thing… of Mr. Cammaert’s terms of reference to look at the overall UN peacekeeping, including these other ones, are only to look at the facts that took place in Juba…

Spokesman:  You have… when we announced the mission, it was clear what he was supposed to look at.  He was supposed to look at the events that took place in Juba.  Recommendations were made because of what happened on that day, and he also outlined broader recommendations, which will be acted upon.  Joe?

Question:  Yeah.  Just a quick follow‑up, and then I have another question.  The follow‑up is: The ambassador from Kenya… from Kenya sort of intimated that higher‑ups at headquarters were being protected by the scapegoating of the Kenyan commander.  And that allegation’s been raised in previous contexts, Central African Republic, for example, when individuals on the ground have been targeted, scapegoated, in some people’s minds, but the higher‑ups at headquarters always seem to escape unscathed.  So I’d like… if you could comment on that first.  And then I have another question.

Spokesman:  Well, you know, I don’t agree with you.  The report looked at what happened and the decisions that were taken on that day.  Mr. Cammaert went in with an open mind.  He came up with a decision… recommendations that he came up with.  You know, again, I can’t stress how much we value Kenya’s support for peacekeeping over the last decades, the work that Kenyan troops have done and we hope will continue to do.  This… the decision taken by the Secretary‑General was not a decision about Kenya.  It was a decision about a force commander.  Your second question?

Question:  Yeah.  This has to do with the Paris agreement.  You mentioned a number of countries that have officially deposited their… their treaty papers.  But you… I didn’t hear you mention the emission level as a percentage of the global greenhouse emissions…

Spokesman:  I mean, we’re over the threshold.  I can…

Question:  Well, the reason why that may be relevant… and I don’t know whether the UN is doing any contingency planning, but in the off chance that Mr. [Donald] Trump is elected President, there is a significant risk, if he is, that he will try to pull out of the Paris agreement, alleging, among other things, that… that it was done in the US through an executive agreement, which he has the power as President to void.  It’s not a treaty in the sense of the US Constitution. So I’m just asking without you… your opinion on the merits of the election whether there’s any…

Spokesman:  Thank you.

Question: … whether there’s any contingency planning that either is currently going on or, if he… should be elected President, will be activated, because if the US pulls out as a result of his decision, then it sounds… probably go substantially below that emission threshold again.

Spokesman:  It will come as no surprise that I think, as with everybody else, we are watching the elections closely, to use an expression we use often here.  The United States has a leadership role to play in combatting climate change.  I think the Secretary‑General was extremely pleased with the way he’s been able to work over the last decades with the [Barack] Obama Administration and before that with the Administration of George W. Bush, who provided crit… support at critical points over the last ten years.  I think the Secretary‑General was present at a very symbolic meeting in China, where he was presented with the instruments of ratification of both the US and China together.  We hope whoever occupies the White House in 2017 will continue that leadership role for the United States.  As we know, climate… the… as far as we’re concerned, the debate over the science is done.  It’s a question of how you deal with the problem, and we continue to… we will hope to see continued US leadership on the issue.  Olga.  I’m sorry.  Then Evelyn.  Or…

Question:  Thank you, Stéphane.  I have another question on Syria.  There are more and more reports every day that Western Aleppo is attacked by different groups, and UN has its office in Western Aleppo.  So what does UN staff says was going on, on the ground?

Spokesman:  What we say is that, as you know, a tank shell hit our own office in Western Aleppo on [30] October.  That, of course, is nothing compared to the suffering of the civilians in the city as a whole.  We have condemned equally the actions of the Syrian Government and of arm… and opposition armed groups who have been targeting civilians indiscriminately, and we are continuing to call for that to stop.   Yes?

Question:  Just follow‑up.  So few days ago, after UN office was shelled, you said you have no… UN has no information who is behind that attack.  Do you have some now?

Spokesman:  No.  Evelyn?  Your microphone, please.  There you go.

Question:  Anyway, I mentioned China because that’s my next question.  I mentioned China not because of Trump’s stupidity, but that’s my next question.  The Chinese commander is now… the deputy commander is the Chinese… is a Chinese general, and he’s now in charge in South Sudan.  Yet the battalion has been criticized in the report.  Is this a situation that will remain or what?

Spokesman:  First of all, it’s two different Chinese generals.  The deputy force commander, General [Chaoying] Yang, who is from the Chinese PLA (People’s Liberation Army), is currently the acting force commander.  He is not the same commander of the Chinese battalion that is in Juba.  So it’s two people.  The report outlines if… indeed, some of the issues with the Chinese battalion, but we also know that a number of Chinese staff officers acted extremely bravely during the incidents.  And we, of course, know that China lost two of its peacekeepers due to the fighting.

Question:  [Off mic, inaudible].  Is there any chance of a reversal on the Kenyan controversy?

Spokesman:  Not that I’m aware of.  George and then Carla.

Question:  You’ve made multiple references to the report on the dismissal of the general and the outbreak in July.  I went to ask for the report.  They gave me only an Executive Summary.  Is the report itself being issued?  Will…

Spokesman:  No, the Executive Summary is what is being shared with you and with the Security Council.  Carla?

Question:  Thank you.  I understand that the Saudi journalist Raif Badawi is still in prison and still sentenced to 1,000 lashes.  This is a violation of Article 5 and Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as you know.  And you yourself have raised the Secretary‑General’s protests against the bullying and the blackmail to which he was subjected to by the Saudis, and he has removed them from the list of shame.  They are… and this is really like “Alice in Wonderland” at the Mad Tea Party.  They’re now on the Human Rights Commission.  Why are they not being referred to the Security Council, which is now dealing with alleged human rights abuses in the DPRK [Democratic People’s Republic of Korea]?  The Saudis are evidently boasting about this torture of Mr. Badawi…

Spokesman:  Carla, I just want to hear a question mark, please, to try to understand.

Question:  The question… why isn’t the UN doing something about it?  This man has been tortured for four years.

Spokesman:  I… all right.  I will… a few things.  First of all, Saudi Arabia or any other country’s presence on the Human Rights Council is a decision taken by the legislative bodies of this organization by the General Assembly.  It has nothing to do with the Secretary‑General.  As for the discussion in the Security Council, that’s up to Security Council members.  We have raised our concern about Mr. Badawi’s case, and I know our colleagues in the Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights have also done the same.  Carole and then Majeed.

Question:  Stéphane, just to get back to South Sudan.  The Kenyan ambassador mentioned that there were systemic failures linked to this report.  Now, I’m wondering, when you mention that there are other measures that are being considered, would these deal with accountability for systemic failures or will…?

Spokesman:  I think they will deal in part in accountability and in part in how to improve the current situation concerning the mission in terms of improving training and having a more forward‑leaning posture when it comes to protection of civilians.  Majeed?

Question:  Stéphane, with less than one week for the US presidential election, I think it’s about time for this question.  The leader of the opposition party accuses the ruling party of trying to rig the elections.  Would you call for free and fair elections, just like you do for non‑Western countries?

Spokesman:  We call for free and fair elections everywhere people vote.  Nisar?

Question:  On Yemen, it’s been now almost five days since this massacre happened in Hodeidah.  Ninety prisoners were killed in their cells in one aerial bombardment.  Also, I mean, Mr. [Ismail] Ould Cheikh Ahmed was quick to point out that a missile went towards Mecca without any very… without any… any investigation or trying to find out the truth about.  Did you make any investigation on whether that missile went to Mecca or somewhere else?

Spokesman:  I know you asked the question earlier.  I have nothing to add to what I’ve said, and we’re trying to get some information as to what happened in Hodeidah…

Question:  On this massacre, there’s no statement.  And yesterday…

Spokesman:  I’m saying we’re trying to find out a bit more, and if I have something to say, I will share it with you.

Question:  Yesterday, four journalists were slaughtered in Yemen from Al Masirah and [inaudible].  Four were reporters in the field, and they were also… they had an aerial attack and they were all killed.  Have you heard about…

Spokesman:  I will look into it.  Joe and then Matthew.

Question:  Yeah, actually, this is a follow‑up to Carla’s question.  You indicated the Secretary‑General and the Secretariat had no role in the selection of Saudi Arabia by the General Assembly to membership on the Human Rights Council, but this question’s been raised before.  The Secretary‑General had underway a study and a review of Saudi Arabia’s and its Coalition’s actions in Yemen and the open question whether Saudi Arabia’s name would be restored to that list of shame.  Now, this has been going on for months.  Is there any reason why that study and conclusions could not have been finished before the election so that it would have informed the General Assembly?

Spokesman:  No, that continues, and obviously, everything that has happened since the report was issued until early 2017 when the next report will come out, will be reflected in the next report to the Security Council.  Matthew?

Correspondent:  When is that?

Spokesman:  It’s due, I think, usually early spring.

Question:  Sure, I wanted to ask about Western Sahara, but one follow‑up on that.  You said you’re not aware of any possibility of reversal on the Kenyan commander.  Obviously, in the case of… were you aware of a possibility of reversal in the case of dropping Saudi Arabia from the Children and Armed Conflicts list?  And how would you distinguish those two decisions?  And what would you say to some that would say if a country makes a financial threat… or if a financial threat is made on behalf of a country, it can get a reversal, but in the case of a country that didn’t make that threat…

Spokesman:  I don’t… I’m not going to engage a compare‑and‑contrast.  I think they’re two completely different things.  This is an issue of a force commander that is appointed by the Secretary‑General, and it is the Secretary‑General’s decision.

Question:  And did he speak yesterday at this Prince Sultan bin Abdulaziz event in the delegate’s dining room and if so, what did he say?

Spokesman:  I don’t know.  We should have released a speech.

Question:  I didn’t get it.

Spokesman:  We’ll release it. [The remarks were available online.]

Question:  Okay.  And can I ask on Western Sahara, yesterday, I’d asked you and I was kind of… I’ve been waiting and looking at this inbox.  What do you say to this cop22.ma website listing projects in Western Sahara?  And there’s actually a map that I’m staring at that portrays Western Sahara as part of Morocco right next to a UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) logo?

Spokesman:  My understanding is that this website is one run by the Moroccan authorities and the presidency of COP [Conference of Parties], and it is not run by the UNFCCC.  Our position on Western Sahara is unchanged.

Question:  If OLA [Office of Legal Affairs], as you say… I never heard back from you on the use of…

Spokesman:  Neither did I.

Question:  Okay.  If OLA polices the use of the UN logo, does it fall within its ambit to the use of the UN logo on this cop22.ma website to portray a territory in a way that’s inconsistent with the… with the…

Spokesman:  I think it’s a very legitimate question.  Yes, sir?

Question:  Well, since this list of shame… I mean, the removal of Saudi Arabia from it, has there been any improvement in the situation of children in Yemen, or is the slaughter going on at the same pace?  Another thing, since Monday, given the starvation situation in Yemen and the famine risk, is there any improvement in the flow of aid into Yemen?

Spokesman:  I think the latest update you got was from Mr. [Muhannad] Hadi yesterday or two days ago.  I don’t have an update on that.  As for the situation of children and civilian in Yemen, obviously, the report by the Special Representative will come out early next year, but I think it’s very clear to all that civilians, including children, have continued to suffer tremendously in Yemen as the parties have yet to agree on a political agreement.

Question:  Well, three days in… in starving situation is a long time, especially for those people who have been…

Spokesman:  No one’s debating that.

Question:  …and should… shouldn’t there be updates on the situation there almost every day?  This is an emergency situation.

Spokesman:  I think you had an update yesterday.  We’ll see what else we can give you.

Question:  That was Tuesday.

Spokesman:  Matthew?

Question:  One easy.  One less so, maybe.  I wanted to ask, on Burundi, whether… I think Mr. [Jamal] Benomar is back.  But there’s been another journalist

 

detained, Blaise Pascal Kararumiye of Radio Isanganiro, which is one of the ones closed down previously by the Government.  And I just wanted to know what’s the UN system doing as there are these widely…

Spokesman:  I… we’ve already expressed publicly our concern at arrests and detention of journalists.  We will look into this particular case.

Question:  Okay.  And the other one has to do with, with all due respect, David… I know Mr. [David] Nabarro is running for head of World Health Organization, so I saw listed at Chatham House in some sort of debate for it.  So it made me… with all respect to him, does a person take, like, unpaid leave…?

Spokesman:  He’s on leave.

Question:  He’s on leave.  Okay.  And my other question is… maybe you can answer or you can get an answer from him.  Were the things that he said regarding responsibility for cholera in Haiti, some of which gave rise to a lot of dissatisfaction, were these his… are these his actual views as a medical doctor regarding… regarding cholera in Haiti, or was he simply speaking on behalf of the Secretary‑General?

Spokesman:  He… when he speaks in his capacity at the UN, he speaks on behalf of the Secretary‑General, reflects the views of the United Nations.

Correspondent:  Right.  So he may have a personal different…

Spokesman:  Nisar?

Question:  Do you have any updates from Mosul?  Also, I have another question regarding ISIS and the supporters of ISIS in Kuwait.

Spokesman:  In Mosul, I think I just did update you, saying we had… we’re up to about 22,000 internally displaced people.  As the areas are cleared, our humanitarian colleagues are going in behind the military and trying to assess the humanitarian situation.

Question:  Kuwait recently passed a law criminalizing whoever sympathizes with ISIS and sentence up to seven years or more.  How… do you view that as…

Spokesman:  I’ll have to take a look at that.  Evelyn?

Question:  Human Rights Watch and others have reports on how the President of Gambia is using violence to silence critics in the lead‑up to the elections in December.  I know that you’ve spoken about Gambia’s… pressures in Gambia leading up to the elections.  Is there anything new on this?

Spokesman:  No, nothing. Thank you.  Have a good day.