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 Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General.
Good afternoon.
**Austria
Before leaving Vienna today to return to New York, the Secretary-General spoke at a ceremony to congratulate today's recipients of the Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al Thani Anti-Corruption Excellence Award. That event took place in conjunction with International Anti-Corruption Day. In his remarks, the Secretary-General said that corruption is a strangling root that reaches deep into all our societies, and it chokes hopes and frustrates opportunities for all the people. We have his remarks online. The Secretary-General also met with the Amir of Qatar and discussed anti-corruption efforts with him. They also discussed developments in Syria, Iraq and Yemen. He will be back in New York tonight.
**Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
The Deputy Secretary-General, Jan Eliasson, spoke at the Security Council meeting on the human rights situation in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea [DPRK], noting that in 2014, a Commission of Inquiry concluded that crimes against humanity have been committed there - and rightly called for accountability. He said that the patterns of grave violations of human rights in the DPRK have repeatedly been established. The authorities have given no effective commitment to remedy the situation. People inside the DPRK are unable to make their voices heard because of the restrictions and the risks they face if they exercise their rights.
In addition, the Deputy Secretary-General said, the country experiences a humanitarian emergency. Approximately 70 per cent of the population of the DPRK — 18 million people — are considered food insecure. The Deputy Secretary-General recalled that during his ten years in office, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has made extensive efforts to promote peace and reconciliation, as well as development and respect of human rights in DPRK. He added that the United Nations will continue to work towards ensuring a genuine and lasting improvement of the human rights and humanitarian situation in the DPRK.
Assistant Secretary-General for Human Rights Andrew Gilmour said there has been no improvement in the human rights situation in the DPRK over the past year. He noted that the General Assembly has again in its resolution this year encouraged the Security Council to take appropriate action to ensure accountability, including through consideration of a referral of the situation in the DPRK to the International Criminal Court.
**Republic Of Korea
In answer to questions asked today, we have the following to say: The Secretary-General has taken note of today's development on the impeachment motion of President Park Geun-hye by the National Assembly of the Republic of Korea. As has repeatedly been said, the Secretary-General has been following the developments with concern. He continues to believe in the maturity and strength of the constitutional institutions of the Republic of Korea. The Secretary-General is confident that the people of the Republic of Korea will overcome the present difficulties through unity and resilience as well as a strong commitment to democratic institutions and principles.
**Ghana
We also issued last night a statement attributable to the Spokesman concerning Ghana’s presidential and parliamentary elections that took place on 7 December. The Secretary-General calls on all political actors and their supporters to exercise patience while the ballots are being counted. The full statement is online.
**Syria
The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights today expressed its concern about the safety of civilians in Aleppo — those who remain in opposition-controlled areas as well as those who have fled to areas under Government control. The Human Rights Office believes there may currently be around 100,000 civilians in areas under the control of armed opposition groups in eastern Aleppo, with another 30,000 believed to have fled to areas under Government control. The Office is also concerned about the approximately 500 medical cases involving people in need of urgent evacuation from opposition-held areas.
As pro-Government forces have advanced from the north into eastern Aleppo, there have been allegations of reprisals against civilians who are perceived to have supported armed opposition groups, as well as reports that men were being separated from women and children. While it is difficult to establish the facts in such a fluid and dangerous situation, the Human Rights Office has received very worrying allegations that hundreds of men have gone missing after crossing into Government-controlled areas. The Office adds that civilians are caught between warring parties that appear to be operating in flagrant violation of international humanitarian law. Indiscriminate attacks, with little effort taken to avoid civilian casualties, have been conducted on heavily populated areas on both sides of the city.
**Iraq
In the single largest humanitarian aid delivery in eastern Mosul since the current conflict began, the World Food Programme [WFP], UNICEF and the United Nations Population Fund [UNFPA] yesterday provided food, dignity kits, water purification tablets, jerry cans, baby hygiene kits and more for 42,000 people in eastern Mosul. For the first time in over two weeks, security conditions have allowed humanitarian agencies to reach families living in the suburbs of eastern Mosul, many of whom are in desperate need of assistance.
**Greece
Our UNHCR colleagues say that with the onset of winter, improving life conditions for asylum-seekers and migrants continues to be their number one priority in Greece. UNHCR says that those living in tents out in the open have been moved to alternative sites. Some 20,000 people have been provided accommodation through the European Commission, although UNHCR says that serious challenges remain in Greece, as many are in substandard shelters lacking proper protection from winter conditions. Conditions vary greatly, with some sites lacking services such as psychosocial counselling, health care and interpretation, or even proper security. UNHCR says that unaccompanied children are particularly vulnerable.
**Republic Of Congo
Our colleagues at the refugee agency warn today that an escalating confrontation between the armed forces of the Republic of Congo [ROC] and suspected former rebels called the Ninjas has forcibly displaced thousands of people in southeastern Pool province and has disrupted farming in the country’s most fertile region.
UNHCR is concerned that some 13,000 displaced people soon may not have enough to eat as a result. Residents of Pool province are also having trouble getting health care and education because many state-employed medics and teachers have fled the area. In addition to those internal struggles, the Republic of Congo is home to some 55,000 refugees, most of them from Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Rwanda and Angola. More details are available in the notes from Geneva.
**Haiti
Regarding Haiti, our humanitarian colleagues say that there is no famine, but continuing cause for concern. The Emergency Food Security Assessment conducted in the immediate aftermath of the hurricane indicated that more than 800,000 people were at extreme levels of food insecurity. This assessment will be updated in the second half of this month. In the south-west region, most affected by hurricane Matthew and which accounts for 60 per cent of the national crop production, crop destruction ranges from 75 per cent to 100 per cent.
The region is therefore at risk of facing high levels of food insecurity by mid-2017 if the March planting season does not yield. In the two months since the hurricane, humanitarian organizations have provided food to 796,000 people in the first round of distribution, as well as safe water to more than 700,000.
Still on Haiti, the Secretary-General is appointing today Susan D. Page of the United States as his Deputy Special Representative for Rule of Law in the Stabilization Mission in Haiti [MINUSTAH]. Ms. Page will succeed Carl Alexandre, to whom the Secretary-General is grateful for his dedicated service in Haiti, and his contribution to the strengthening of the justice and law enforcement bodies in the country. A full biographical note is available in our office.
**Myanmar
In a statement yesterday, Vijay Nambiar, the Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Myanmar, underscored the UN’s serious concerns about the developing situation in Northern Rakhine. Mr. Nambiar said that, while taking the necessary security measures to curb any fresh outbreak of attacks by criminal elements in the region, the authorities in Myanmar must also take steps to build confidence and reassurance among the local population that their security, dignity and well-being will be protected.
He said that he is persuaded that Daw Aung San Suu Kyi hears and understands the concerns of the international community. However, Mr. Nambiar added, the refusal by the Myanmar authorities to take a strong stance against hardliners, and the adoption of a generally defensive rather than proactive approach to providing security to the local population, have caused frustration locally and disappointment internationally. Only by responding concretely to these concerns will the Government be able to resolve the crisis and preserve its international standing. The full statement is online.
**Children
An estimated 535 million children — nearly one in four — live in countries affected by conflict or disaster, often without access to medical care, quality education, proper nutrition and protection, UNICEF said today. Sub-Saharan Africa is home to nearly three-quarters of the global number of children living in countries affected by emergencies, followed by the Middle East and North Africa. The new figures are released as UNICEF, this Sunday, marks 70 years of work for the most vulnerable children. There is more on this in a press release on UNICEF’s website.
**Human Rights Day
A special event marking Human Rights Day will take place later this afternoon at the Roosevelt House at Hunter College here in New York City. Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson is expected to speak at that gathering, during which he will appeal to all people around the world to make a personal commitment to act in defense of human rights. In the Secretary-General’s message for Human Rights Day, he stressed that respect for human rights advances well-being for every individual, stability for every society, and harmony for our interconnected world. And in Geneva tomorrow starting at 9 a.m., New York time, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra'ad al Hussein, will host a Facebook Live Q&A session. He will also launch a year-long campaign “Stand Up for Someone’s Rights Today”.
**Guests
And today the guests at the noon briefing will be John Ging, the Director of Operations for the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs [OCHA], Yasmin Haque, Deputy Director of UNICEF’s Office of Emergency Programmes and Bruno Lemarquis, Deputy Director, Crisis Response Unit of UNDP. They will brief media on the recent Emergency Directors’ Group mission to Nigeria and the Central African Republic. Before that, Dan Thomas, the Spokesman for the President of the General Assembly, will talk to you about the swearing-in ceremony taking place next Monday. Are there any questions before we get to Dan? Yes.
**Questions and Answers
Question: Hi. I would like to have a response to the accusations that were made just here a few minutes ago about the UN censoring the Syrian ambassador by cutting off the microphone sound.
Deputy Spokesman: The… there… there's no effort to censor anyone here, certainly not the Member States themselves. There have been technical faults, which DPI [Department of Public Information] has acknowledged and apologized for. Sometimes there… sometimes they've happened when he's speaking. Sometimes they've happened other times. There are times, to be honest, when they have technical faults when we're speaking at this briefing. There are glitches in the system, and we do try to overcome them. And we do apologize to the Government of Syria and to all those affected by our technical faults.
Question: Same topic. I wanted to ask, I mean, I've witnessed a number of those, but almost without question, the… the… the turning off the microphone and of the camera when the representative of Polisario of Western Sahara spoke didn't seem to be any mistake at all. In fact, it's happened two going on three times at the stakeout, and then also the video wasn't put up for several days. So I guess I'm just wondering, after each of these instances taking place, you're saying that none of them are intentional. And I'm… the ones that I'm describing were clearly someone… somebody within the chain of command made a decision to turn… to pull the plug. What happens within DPI to actually look into these cases other than to say, oh, it happens to everyone?
Deputy Spokesman: No, DPI does have a TV unit, and we make them aware of any problems when we're aware of it, as… as do our other DPI colleagues, and they sort out any of the things that occur as glitches. And you'll have seen that, for many of the things, including what you're referring to, that the video does go up at some point or another…
Question: [Inaudible]?
Deputy Spokesman: Sometimes there have been bits of confusion about whether something is marked for coverage or not, and once those are cleared, it all moves ahead.
Question: The time that they actually turned off the camera, I guess I wanted to know, maybe you don't know now, but this incident took… in fact, I know the individual that called them and said, turn off the camera, I wanted to know, has there ever been any discipline within DPI for intentional cutting of coverage of particular speakers?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, I know that DPI certainly makes aware their concerns to make sure everyone gets the coverage that they deserve, and… and so… so they do take this up seriously with staff involved. Yes.
Question: A follow‑up with regard to my colleague mentioned the Polisario. As far as I understand, it's… Polisario is not a Member State, not an Observer. It doesn't have any status here. So what was the occasion with the Polisario member was taken to the stakeout or whatever?
Deputy Spokesman: There are times when Member States bring people with them to the mics, and of course, Member States are entitled to… to bring with them different…
Question: Which Member State brought the Polisario in?
Deputy Spokesman: I… I… you can look that up for yourself. It's actually fairly obvious on the video. Yes.
Question: Sure. I wanted to ask you about… I mean, I could answer, you but I'll answer [inaudible]. I wanted to ask you, on Burundi, on Burundi, there's now an open statement by the CNARED or… you know, the main opposition group calling explicitly open… open letter for the replacement of Mr. Mkapa or for the UN to send its own mediator. And they're tying it to Mr. Mkapa, saying at the Bujumbura Airport, that Pierre Nkurunziza is, of course, legitimate because Ambassadors that arrive in the country present him their credentials; therefore, he's legitimate. So they say they don't… he can't be the mediator on… on the topic of… of opposition and legitimacy if he's made such statements. I wanted to know, is the UN aware of this call by the main opposition group and… and… it's been made before in a letter but… and what's their response to it? Can somebody be a mediator when they've already given their opinion on the underlying question?
Deputy Spokesman: Yes, I believe we've received a letter in regards to this particular issue in… in the past week or so. Regarding President Mkapa, of course, he's not a UN mediator. He has a status outside of the UN process. But if… if Jamal Benomar has any particular views on this issue, I'll let you know.
Question: But isn't Jamal's office charged with… with providing technical assistance to that mediation? And if now one of the parties has gone… said public… I think the letter was written before his more recent statements…
Deputy Spokesman: Yeah.
Correspondent: …about the legitimacy of Pierre Nkurunziza.
Deputy Spokesman: And I believe Mr. Benomar is evaluating the situation. If he has a response, we'll certainly make you know… we'll make you aware of it. Yes.
Question: Thanks, Farhan. Just on Republic of Korea, has the SG reached out either to President Park or the Prime Minister Hwang since the National Assembly's vote? And if not, does he plan to do so after he returns?
Deputy Spokesman: Regarding that, what I have to say is what I said at the top of this briefing, if you heard. We'd issued a note to correspondents which encapsulate the Secretary‑General's views on this matter. I don't… I'm not aware of any calls made to any Korean leaders while he's been in Vienna. Yes.
Question: Sure. I wanted to ask you, I guess, one, just maybe you can… I was reading a… a… Mr. Nambiar's statement yesterday and first… one word and maybe… I mean, I've word‑searched it, but maybe it's somehow in there between the lines. I didn't see the word "Rohingya," which seems to be one of the main issues. Like, basically, the Government says… the Government or the army says don't use that word; it's inflammatory, and the people themselves call themselves Rohingya, and people all over the world say that's what this con… tension is about. Was it an intentional decision to go with the kind of the army route, or does he, in fact, use… that's why I asked previously, when he briefed the Council, did he use that word? Is it a word that he doesn't use? And if so, why not?
Deputy Spokesman: No, he has used this word in the past, and the Secretary‑General, if you… if you see the Secretary‑General's own statements, has used the word "Rohingya." In fact, I've said it just now. We have…
Correspondent: That was the point. Next question.
Deputy Spokesman: We have no particular problem with the use of the word.
Question: And I wanted to ask, I don't know if you've seen this, but in the Netherlands, there was a… a conviction of a… of a controversial political figure, Geert Wilders, for public statements against Moroccans. And I wanted to know, if, on sort of, I guess, human rights or tolerance front, the UN has any comment on that. And I wanted to just, if you could, get you to say a bit more on what the concerns were that… that… that the UN raised to… to… to the Netherlands about these… these black‑faced figures in the MINUSMA base. You'd said… yesterday, after like three rounds, you said, we made our concerns known. I just want to ask, what are those concerns?
Question: I've said as much as I intend to say on that. We had concerns about the photograph, as you and I'm sure anyone who viewed it probably has exactly the same concerns. Regarding Geert Wilders, I would draw your attention to the fact that the High Commissioner for Human Rights has himself discussed in a recent speech about the rising tide of xenophobia in many nations in which he mentioned Mr. Wilders and some other leaders specifically. So… so I would refer you back to that in terms of his general reaction to that situation.
Question: And just one last… this is a factual thing. Is the UN or UNMISS… have they informed you or are they aware of the expulsion by South Sudan of the director of the Norwegian Refugee Council, the group headed by Jan Egeland in his other job? It seems like he's said publicly that they've thrown out this high‑profile aid worker, and I wanted to know, is UNMISS lodging some kind of a protest? Is there any reaction by the UN system to this move?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, I'll check whether UNMISS's lodged protest, but for our part, we, of course, want to make sure that all civil society members are able to carry out their work. And we would object to any moves to curtail their activities. And with that, Mr. Thomas, the floor is yours. And then after that, we will have our guests.