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.

**Secretary-General’s Travels

Couple of things: First, the Secretary-General will be departing New York tomorrow morning for Washington, D.C., to attend the 2016 spring meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank Group.  On Friday, he is expected to speak at high-level meetings on forced displacement and the New Financing Initiative to Support the Middle East and North Africa.  He will also deliver opening remarks at an event marking the partnership between the United Nations and the World Bank.  The following day, on Saturday, he will speak at the opening plenary of the Infrastructure Forum, as well as the Development Committee Plenary, before heading back to New York.

Then on Monday evening, he will leave New York for The Hague, in the Netherlands, where he will attend the official opening ceremony of the Permanent Premises of the International Criminal Court, as well as the seventieth anniversary of the International Court of Justice.  The Secretary-General is also scheduled to also meet with high-level Dutch officials, including Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Foreign Minister Bert Koenders, as well as the President of the House of Representatives, the President of the Senate and members of Parliament.  We do expect him to have a press encounter with the Foreign Minister on 19 April.  The Secretary-General will be back in New York on 21 April.  On 22 April, he will be hosting the signing ceremony for the Paris Agreement for Climate Change in New York.  We also expect him to have a press conference or a press stakeout for you on that day.

**Deputy Secretary-General’s Travels

On a related note, the Deputy Secretary-General will also be in Washington, D.C., for the spring meetings.  Today, he will participate in a World Bank/IMF Somalia round table, and tomorrow, he will deliver a keynote address at the Crop Trust Pledging Conference and will also attend a celebration of the partnership between the UN and the World Bank.

**Terrorism

Back here, the Secretary-General this morning spoke at the Security Council meeting on countering terrorism. He told Council members that we also need to engage earlier and address the drivers of violent extremism.  He said that we know that violent extremism flourishes when groups are marginalized, political space shrinks, human rights are abused and people lack prospects and meaning in their lives.  The Secretary-General said that it is important that approaches to preventing violent extremism and countering terrorism respect the shared values reflected in the UN Charter, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and international human rights and humanitarian law.  Too often, he said, this basic understanding has been broken or just ignored.  He added that we must also recognize that, too often, Government counter-terror strategies are so heavy-handed and discriminatory that they end up being counter-productive, generating further alienation among targeted communities and even more terrorists than there were beforehand.  His remarks are available in my office.

**Boko Haram

Today, as you know, or as you may know, is the second anniversary of the abduction of more than 270 girls from northern-eastern Nigeria in the town of Chibok.  The Humanitarian Coordinator for Nigeria, Fatma Samoura, as well as the Executive Director of the UN Population Fund (UNFPA), Dr. Babatunde [Osotimehin], issued statements to call for their return.  In north-eastern Nigeria, UNFPA has been providing medical and psycho-social support to more than 27,000 gender-based violence survivors and their family members to deal with the trauma of captivity.

The UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is also working with communities and families in Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon and Niger to fight stigma against survivors of sexual violence and to build a protective environment for former abductees.  Together with partners, UNICEF is also providing safe water and life-saving health services; is helping to restore access to education by creating temporary learning spaces; and delivers therapeutic treatment to malnourished children.  More information online.

**Congo

As you will have seen, yesterday afternoon, we issued a statement on the situation in the Republic of the Congo, in which the Secretary-General expressed his deep concern about recent reports that security operations undertaken by the Government of the Republic of the Congo in the Pool region allegedly resulted in attacks against civilian targets and displacement of the population from the affected areas.  That statement is online.

**Syria

Staffan de Mistura, the Special Envoy for Syria, spoke to reporters in Geneva today.  Following a meeting of the humanitarian task force dealing with Syria, he expressed frustration in obtaining access for humanitarian workers, at a time when we expect improvements in reaching besieged areas, and he called for further improvements in such access.  Yesterday, he spoke after meeting with the High Negotiations Committee, saying that, during his recent travels, all the officials whom he met had indicated interest and support in the progress of a political discussion aiming at a political transition.  Mr. de Mistura is also expressing his concern on the deterioration in some places of the security situation, but added that, in spite of several serious incidents, the cessation of hostilities is still holding.  That press encounter is online and text has been shared.

**Middle East

To flag a report from the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, Nikolay Mladenov, who says that the viability of a two-State solution is in danger due to the negative trends on the ground, including recent violence, ongoing settlement activity, demolitions, incitement, and the absence of Palestinian unity.  The report will be presented to the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee at the biannual meeting in Brussels on 19 April.

Despite international efforts, the report stresses a number of factors that continued to prevent progress towards peace.  On the Israeli side, the report highlights a worrying trend which points to an increase in settlement activities and a further consolidation of Israeli control over the West Bank.  On the Palestinian side, despite continuing reconciliation discussions, the report says that Palestinian factions have been unable to reach consensus on achieving genuine Palestinian unity on the basis of non-violence, democracy and the PLO [Palestine Liberation Organization] Principles.  More information online, should you be interested.

**Iran

The High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad al Hussein, on Thursday appealed to Iran to halt executions for drug offences until Parliament debates a new law that would remove the mandatory death penalty for drug crimes.  The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) says that last year, at least 966 people were executed in Iran — the highest rate in more than two decades.  The majority of these people were executed for drug offences. At least four of those executed in 2015 were juveniles.  More information online, as well.

**Inequality

I also want to flag today a new UNICEF report presenting evidence on how inequality affects children in high-income countries.  This report looks at bottom end inequality of income, educational achievement, self-reported health and life satisfaction, and ranks 41 EU [European Union] and OECD [Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development] countries.  And the country at the top of the overall league table with the lowest inequality among children is… Denmark.  There you go.

**Agriculture

The FAO [Food and Agriculture Organization] today is warning about the spread of wheat rusts, a group of fungal plant diseases that stymy the production of the staple grain and other crops, in Central Asia and the Middle East.  The FAO and its partners are ramping up efforts and international collaboration to study, detect and prevent the threat from advancing further.

**Press Encounters

A lot of press encounters for you today: in a short while, I will be joined by Professor Michel Kazatchkine, the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for HIV/AIDS in Eastern Europe and Central Asia.  He will brief you on a launched Johns Hopkins-Lancet Commission report on Public Health and International Drug Policy. He will also speak about HIV and drugs in Central Asia and Eastern European.  1 p.m., after Professor Kazatchkine is done, there will be Jean-Paul Laborde, Executive Director of the Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate (CTED) on efforts to stop terrorism finance.

At the same time, you will have to choose, Helen Clark, former Prime Minister of New Zealand and UNDP [United Nations Development Programme] Head, will be at the stakeout to speak to you following her hearing.  Then at 5 p.m., you will hear from Dr. Srgjan Kerim, former Minister for Foreign Affairs of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia and former President of the sixty-second General Assembly, also following his hearing.  That will be followed by the current President of the General Assembly, Mogens Lykketoft, who will speak to you at around 5:15 p.m. at that same stakeout, to end the day.

**Water Report

If you are interested, at 1:15 p.m. in Conference Room 11, UNESCO [United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization] is going to launch the 2016 UN World Water Report, entitled “Water and Jobs”.  You are all invited.

**Secretary-General

If you still haven’t had enough, this evening at 6:30 p.m., the Secretary-General will be speaking at an event organized by the World Federation of United Nations Associations and the Bar Association.  He is expected to share his thoughts on the role of the UN and the legal community in achieving Goal 16 of the SDGs [Sustainable Development Goals], which aims to promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective partnerships.  That event is off campus:  information with Matias [Lindemann] at the front desk in my office.  Charbonneau?

**Questions and Answers

Question:  Thanks, Stéphane.  I wanted to ask a follow‑up on yesterday's committee hearings in Washington, the Senate and the House.  In the Senate, there was some criticism of the Secretary‑General and the UN in general.  You sent a response.  But, there was one issue that wasn't explicitly covered, was the idea that the report from 2005 on combatting sexual abuse by peacekeepers.  The question was raised, why is it only now that so many of the recommendations in there are being implemented?  So, I wondered if you could maybe address that specifically.

Spokesman:  I think a lot of the reasons for the 2005 report not being implemented properly also involved Member States.  I think, if you look at the situation between 2005 and today, I think we're in a better place in terms of reporting, in terms of acting, in terms of accountability.  Are we where we should be?  Clearly not.  We continue to see cases, but we're also… I think, have created an atmosphere, a number of countries where victims now feel safe to come forward and report abuses.  And those abuses, each case is taken very seriously.  I think, and I shouldn't do this because I don't speak on their behalf, but I also think, thanks in part… in large part to the Secretary‑General repeatedly raising his voice, I think there is now a clearer understanding from Member States and the Security Council of how serious these matters are and how serious they have… seriously they have to take these issues, because we know that the issue of justice and accountability lays with… lies with Member States.

Question:  Same topic?

Spokesman:  Carole and then Matthew.  Okay.  Go ahead, Matthew.

Question:  I guess I just wanted to ask, more pointedly, Senator [Bob] Corker at the hearing on the Senate side said:  "What is wrong with the Secretary‑General of the UN?  How do we put up with such inept leadership at the UN?"  So, this is… you know, I guess what I'm asking is, it seems… you said what you said.  That's what he said.  And what I'm wondering is… is… what's your response?  What's your response to the idea that the entire response… everything that you've said, everything that was presented even by UN defenders there was seen in that way…?

Spokesman:  I think it's… it's a matter of opinion of one person who takes a look at the situation.  I think I would refer you to the answer I just gave your colleague.  I think no one more than the Secretary‑General takes this seriously.  He has held a mission commander accountable.  He's delivered a very strong message to Member States, to troop-contributing countries, either himself or directly.  It has been made clear to staff all the way down the line that, if they have something to report, they should report it.  And I think, if you… just in… and, again, going back to a comparative situation in how we dealt with this to where we are today, I think we're seeing a positive progression on how the UN system deals with it.  It is not… again, it is not perfect.  As long as there continues to be victims, as long as… we should not stop, and we won't.  But, each allegation is taken seriously, and I think the system is fully mobilized.  And when I mean the system, I mean the Secretariat, the agencies, and of course, Member States, who give us… who give us these troops.  So, everyone's entitled to his or their opinion, whether it's… yeah?

Question:  On the House… in the House hearing, there was testimony about Darfur, in particular, and very critical of the head of peacekeeping, Hervé Ladsous.  According to particular reports that were issued that Ms. [Aicha] Elbasri said were false reports that covered up things that the Government did… there was also a guy Peter Gallo, used to work for OIOS [Office of Internal Oversight Services], who said is currently constituted OIOS is used by senior officials of the UN to either go against people that they don't like or to exonerate themselves and so, do you disagree with those opinions, too?

Spokesman:  I would disagree with those opinions.  Carole?

Question:  Just on Yemen, Stéphane, there's been more fighting this week, and I'm wondering if there's any… if the concern is… there's an increase in concern about the ceasefire and the peace talks on Monday?

Spokesman:  We would, of course, hope and expect all the parties involved to respect the cessation of hostilities.  We have seen that it is not, unfortunately, the case, but we do think it is largely holding.  We are continuing and on track with the peace talks.  The Special Envoy will be here in New York, I believe, tomorrow briefing the Council.  And we would expect him and hope that he has time to do a stakeout for all of you.  Yep?

Question:  Thanks, Stéphane.  What is the reaction from the Secretary‑General's Office in front of the open letter that was sent to the UN by the New York‑based Drug Policy Alliance?  It's a letter with more than 1,000 signatures, talking about the policy… the drug policy and includes Warren Buffett, Senator Elizabeth Warren, different celebrities, asking for the change on the criminalization of drugs, and then you mentioned Iran actually today.

Spokesman:  Yeah.  Obviously, we've seen the letter.  I think the contributions from these types of open letter from civil society are very important to the debate ongoing and they bring different and constructive views.  The drug problem, as you know, is one that affects virtually every society.  The upcoming special session of the GA is a very important opportunity to consider thoroughly the evidence on the achievements and challenges of the drug control regime.  In the outcome document, Member States have agreed to develop alternative measures with regard to conviction and imprisonment, to promote proportional sentencing, taking into account the specific needs of vulnerable members of society.  They also have committed to strengthening their focus on public health through prevention and treatment of drug disorders and drug‑related diseases, including HIV/AIDS and hepatitis, and I'm sure the next speaker will… the professor will speak to this.  But, the Secretary‑General is confident that, with sincere effort to understand each other's position and experiences, and these are wide and varied, we'll be able to move forward towards a global response that's simultaneously effective, compassionate, and humane, guided by data, research and firmly anchored in human rights.  I think the Secretary‑General looks forward to the continued debate during the GA session and one that will take account all views.  Mr. Klein and then signor presidente.

Question:  Yes, an organization called the Transparency International Defence and Security Programme issued a report on 10 April, in which it claimed that the top 30 troop-contributing countries to the UN peacekeeping operations are among those most at risk of corruption within their defence ranks and, secondly, made the allegation, even worse, that a number of these troop-contributing countries are involved in sex trafficking of children.  Are you familiar with this report?

Spokesman:  We've looked at the report.  I think we're looking at the methodology, which we would not, I think, completely agree with.  I think what is… if one thing is clear from what we've seen in the past year or two, especially, and even in the past, on issues of abuse, sexual abuse by military contingents, international contingents, peacekeepers, is that it is not a problem that is focused on certain countries, certain cultures, low‑income, high‑income countries.  And unfortunately, we've seen it in almost… in a wide variety of countries.  DPKO [Department of Peacekeeping Operations], DFS [Department of Field Support] continues to work with the troop-contributing countries to ensure that the troops that we are given are the highest calibre and the highest standard.  And, obviously, when horrific things happen like we've seen in the Central African Republic and other places, we would expect those troop-contributing countries to hold them accountable.

Question:  But, just as a follow‑up, if… if you… or the Secretariat determines that there's… is validity to these allegations, would the Human Rights Due Diligence Policy kick in and relate at least to more careful screening of these top countries…?

Spokesman:  I think we screen as carefully as we can.  We look also at the specific units that are sent to us.  Obviously, I think our practices, like anyone, can always be strengthened.  But, I think they do quite a due… they do quite a bit of due diligence.  There we go.

Question:  Stéphane, is the Special Envoy, [Martin] Kobler, satisfied with the situation in Tobruk, and does he planning any update on the situation on the ground for the Secretary-General or the Council?

Spokesman:  No, obviously, we're seeing some positive movements in Tripoli, and there were a number of ambassadors, foreign ambassadors, that arrived today.  I think everyone needs to do… whether internationally or domestically in Libya, needs to do… to strengthen the role of the governing… the present… Presidency of the Council.  It's going to be a long road ahead, but it's important that all those within Libya who have influence and all those outside push in the same direction.  Abdelhamid and then…

Question:  Thank you, Stéphane.  Yesterday, there was a statement about the shutting down of the only generator in Gaza, and the statement was read without any opinion, without any expression of concern or demand of any party to refuel the only generator.  So, it was just a news item, and that's why I'm a bit concerned that when such major development expressed in the form of just a news item, so it tells me something that there must be an opinion on that.  The second question about settlement:  It has been said probably over a thousand times that more settlements are being built and the two‑State solution is almost nil or next to nil, and nothing has been done.  In 2011, there was an attempt by the Security Council.  It was vetoed.  Now my question is:  there is an attempt now to put a draft resolution together about the settlement.  Do you… can you update us on that and the possibility if this draft resolution would reach the Security Council and not vetoed or…?

Spokesman:  I mean, Abdelhamid, you know the UN better than I.  That's really a question for the Presidency and those handful of countries that actually hold that veto. 

Question:  What about Gaza?

Spokesman:  Obviously, I mean, I think the situation in Gaza, we've expressed our concern over and over again about the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza.  Mr. Abbadi, welcome back.

Question:  Thank you.  Thank you, Stéphane.  As you indicated, the discussions on the political transition in Syria have resumed.  And from the Chinese point of view, these discussions are very important since President Xi Jinping has appointed a Special Envoy to these discussions.  From the point of view of the Secretary‑General, how important is the role of China in these discussions?

Spokesman:  I think we've welcomed the appointment of the Chinese Special Envoy.  Obviously, China, as a permanent member of the Security Council, has a critical role to support the work of the UN Special Envoy and the peace process as a whole.  So, we're… again, we've welcomed the appointment of the Special Envoy.  Mr. Lee?

Question:  Sure.  Couple questions about Western Sahara.  One is, I wanted to ask you to confirm or deny that the UN system, in preparing its report on Western Sahara that's due this month, has provided a… relatively officially an advanced copy to Morocco for its comments.

Spokesman:  We consult with parties on reports.  I don't… at the end of the day, it is the Secretary‑General's report.  It will have his signature on it.

Correspondent:  But, they're being… basically given a written copy and asked to… to propose amendments.

Spokesman:  I think the report is the Secretary‑General's report.  Any decision as to what is in or out of the report will be the Secretary‑General's.

Question:  If one side, like Polisario, says they don't accept that process and doesn't accept an advanced version, can it be tilted?

Spokesman:  As I said, it is the Secretary‑General's report.  It will be his opinion, and his only, that is reflected in the report.

Question:  Okay.  And I wanted to ask you, I'd asked you before about this issue of mission support allowance in MINURSO [United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara].  And since then I've obtained some documents that I want to ask you about, including a report by Kim Bolduc to Atul Khare and Hervé Ladsous, stating that UN staff of the Mission were being charged or helping hotels charge for meals that they never ate.  Those not based in Laayoune would go to use the services of Laayoune… and the reason I'm asking you this is the end of the memo says that, in fact, Morocco's payment for these meals is… is considered part of its assessed contributions to the organisation, i.e., it's taken out of what they would otherwise pay.  So, this seems to be a pretty serious… definitely it seems that the UN believes that the restaurants… they say in the document that they asked UN staff to leave their IDs behind even when they went on leave so that the meals were still being charged from and taken from Morocco's contribution to the UN.  What's been done about this?

Spokesman:  I'm happy… as a matter of policy, I know that staff who are given… who are provided with accommodations get that value taken out of their [mission support allowance].  On the specific cases you mention, if you share the document with me, I'm happy to take a look at it and try to answer the questions raised.

Correspondent:  And finally, I… I… and I know… and… I have to ask you this.  There was briefing about Western Sahara held this morning in the Delegates' Lounge.  But, as you may know, with this reduced pass, I cannot enter there.  So, I wanted to know, what… these claims that, in fact, one can cover the UN in exactly the same way with this pass, can you respond to the idea that I can't… on an issue that I actually cover…

Spokesman:  I don't know about the briefing.  As I said, if there is an issue and somebody needs to walk you over there, I'm sure somebody from MALU [Media Accreditation and Liaison Unit] will be able to walk you over there.

Correspondent:  To the Delegates' Lounge in the main area as they were doing…

Spokesman:  Yes, I'm sure you can ask them, and they will try to help you.

Question:  Will they remain there listening?

Spokesman:  Of course they will not remain there and listen.  George?

Question:  On that same issue, if I may, the way I understand it, people with resident correspondent white P passes would have been able to enter that meeting and observe the same.  Why were we not told about that meeting at all?

Spokesman:  I have no clue what meeting that either you or Matthew are talking about.  If it's a briefing by someone who asked you to meet in the Delegates' Lounge, it's not something I'm told about.  It's obviously somewhat unofficial.  I've literally no clue what you're talking about.

Question:  And when MALU… it was by the Polisario representative.  Is MALU… is a green P allowed to go into the Delegates' Lounge for purposes of collecting news?  That's the question.

Spokesman:  If you need to go to the Delegates' Lounge and you need to go anywhere else and you have a problem with your personal access, you can talk to media liaison…

Question:  It's not personal.  It's about anyone who has this pass, of which there's 1,900 people.

Spokesman:  Thank you.  We will now…

Correspondent:  I have another question.

Spokesman:  Yes, go ahead.  One more and then we'll go to our guests.

Question:  All right.  Well, I have an audit question and a Vuk Jeremić question.  Can I do…?

Spokesman:  Go both, go both.

Question:  Okay.  Thanks a lot.  At the stakeout just now, Vuk Jeremić, candidate for next SG [Secretary-General], he… he… on the issue of UN reform, he said that he would require… if elected, he would require public financial disclosure of all UN officials.  And he made a point of saying currently that's not the rule and that it's voluntary and many people don't do it.  He also said he would strengthen OIOS and protection of whistle-blowers.  But, specifically, on public financial disclosure, this seems to be something beyond what the current Secretary‑General does.  Why didn't he do that?  Why didn't Secretary‑General require this?

Spokesman:  On the issue of transparency and disclosure, I think the system has been vastly improved over the last 9, 10 years now.  The system is in place where financial disclosures are… for senior officials all have to be filed, and they can opt to make them public or not.  What the next SG candidates propose is not something I'm going to comment on.

Question:  Okay.  And… thanks a lot.  And this is the one I wanted to ask you about.  I asked you about this event that took place the middle of last year in the GA Lobby and the critique in the OIOS audit that says that… among other things, it says that this violated the rules.  DPI [Department of Public Information] didn't stop it.  Secretary‑General went because it was a one‑artist event.  But, then I've… I've… I recall back, there was an event held in the… I guess they call it the Secretariat Lobby, the checkerboard floor just below us, in which it was a single artist… it was actually Sheri Yan's father, the indicted and pled guilty Sheri Yan.  And I wanted to know, do these same rules… that was done openly.  They said openly: "This is my father.  These are his paintings."  It's not in the audit, but it seems even more extreme in the sense that it was a…?

Spokesman:  I think the…

Question:  Did that violate the rules, and if so…?

Spokesman:  I think the audit is clear on what needs… what parts need to be strengthened.  Thank you.

Correspondent:  Can I just ask… very quick follow‑up.  I promise.  Very quick.  It really is a follow‑up to a question yesterday.  You indicated that you were going to try to verify that, within the Secretariat, there are no more dealings, directly or indirectly, between the Secretariat and the Sun Kian Ip Group and its affiliates…

Spokesman:  I still owe you a firmer answer on that.

Correspondent:  Okay.  Thank you.