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.
Good afternoon. We’re a little delayed today and there’s a press conference after I’m done, too, which will be delayed as well, with the Ad Hoc Committee on Sovereign Debt Restructuring Processes, with the Chair of the Ad Hoc Committee, Ambassador Sacha Llorenti of Bolivia.
**Syria
You just heard Stephen O’Brien, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, brief the Security Council on the situation in Syria. And he also spoke to you, so I won’t go into the details of what he just said, as you just heard him.
Just as a reminder, tomorrow, there will be another open meeting on Syria. The Secretary-General will address the meeting and the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Syria, Staffan de Mistura, will also be present. We then expect the Secretary-General to do a stakeout immediately at the conclusion of the open meeting tomorrow. That will be, let’s see what time that will be — and chances are since it will be close to the noon briefing, we will not have a briefing tomorrow and post everything on highlights. If that changes, I will let you know.
And then Mr. de Mistura will do a stakeout later after the closed consultations on Syria.
**Somalia
Back to the Security Council this morning. As you know, the Council members adopted a resolution renewing the mandate of the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM) until the end of March 2016. The resolution also calls on the African Union (AU) to maintain the deployment of the AU Mission in Somalia, AMISOM, until the end of May 2016.
**Venezuela
Earlier this morning, the Secretary-General met with President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela. The Secretary-General congratulated the Venezuelan Government on its contributions to the global agenda, particularly as a member of the Security Council. He also took note of President Maduro’s views regarding the Guyana-Venezuela border controversy and reiterated his assurances of the readiness of the UN Secretariat to discuss the way forward with both Governments. The readout of the meeting is already up online.
**Libya
Turning to Libya, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) today expressed concern over the verdicts and sentences handed down today in Tripoli in the trial of former Qadhafi officials, including the imposition of the death penalty against a number of them.
The Human Rights Office says that although it is crucial to ensure accountability for serious human rights violations, the administration of justice needs to be done with scrupulous adherence to international fair trial standards and with full respect for the rights of the defendants. The Office stresses that the UN opposes the use of the death penalty in all circumstances.
The UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), meanwhile, continues to emphasize the importance of introducing legal reforms to enhance human rights and rule of law standards. In a statement it issued, it says that it will review the verdict before completing its full assessment of the trial.
**Yemen
Meanwhile, turning to Yemen, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that the largest single attack since the escalation of the conflict in March has killed at least 55 civilians in Al Mukha District in the Taizz Governorate. The number is likely to increase as more bodies are recovered from the rubble, where an unknown number of people have been trapped for more than 36 hours since the attacks.
The airstrikes hit a residential complex of the Al Mukha Power Plant on 24 July. According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), nearly 20,000 internally displaced people were residing in Al Mukha District, some of whom were in or were staying close to the destroyed complex. The Director of the Taizz Health Office reported that local hospitals were overwhelmed by the number of casualties. Roughly 100 injured people were taken to hospitals in Al Hudaydah Governorate, about 184 kilometres away. Medical emergency kits have been dispatched to local hospitals and the mobilization of mobile health clinics is planned.
**Iraq
And to Iraq, the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has received today reports that suggest a violent clampdown on people who are attempting to flee Da’esh-controlled areas in Iraq, particularly through the Hamrin mountain chain in north-east Iraq. An increasing number of people have been attempting to escape, and at least four families, including children and elderly people, reportedly died earlier this month after attempting the journey without a guide and with very few supplies.
The Human Rights Office reiterates that all parties must ensure that civilians are protected, that they have unhindered access to medical facilities and humanitarian assistance, and that they are able to leave areas affected by violence safely and with dignity.
Meanwhile, the World Food Programme (WFP) is assisting Iraqi families in returning to their homes in Garma in Anbar province, providing more than 925 people with food parcels to help them as they rebuild their shattered lives. More details on the WFP website.
**Counter-Terrorism
And in a video message to the special meeting of the Security Council Counter-Terrorism Committee on foreign terrorist fighters today, the Secretary-General said that the rise in the number of foreign terrorist fighters is a manifestation of the growing spread of violent extremism, which demands urgent international attention.
The meeting, hosted by the Government of Spain, is expected to produce a set of strategies and techniques to guide Member States in their efforts to address such threats. The Secretary-General has stressed that although security measures and sometimes even military action may be necessary, our response must always be based on human rights and the rule of law. He added that counter-terrorism efforts that violate fundamental rights betray the values they seek to defend and can further fuel extremism.
**Meningitis
And UN agencies and international partners have warned of an acute shortage of meningitis C-containing vaccines which is severely limiting people’s access to medication in African countries. UN agencies and their partners have called on vaccine manufacturers to step up meningitis C-containing vaccine production by 5 million doses before the 2016 meningitis season starts in January. More information is available on the World Health Organization’s (WHO) website.
**Hepatitis
Also on the WHO website is more information as today is — I talked about it yesterday — today is World Hepatitis Day. The World Health Organization (WHO) says that infections caused by the five distinct hepatitis viruses result in approximately 1.45 million deaths each year. Hepatitis B and C together alone cause approximately 80 per cent of all liver cancer deaths and kill close to 1.4 million people every year.
**Press Conference Tomorrow
Tomorrow, a press conference at 12:30 p.m. — John Wilmoth, the Director of the Population Division, and Francois Pelletier, the Chief of Population Estimates and Projections Section, will be here to present the annual 2015 United Nations World Population Prospects Report.
Nizar?
**Questions and Answers
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. Again, going back to the Taizz attack at the Mukha power station, which was attacked yesterday, it was a civilian target — will there be an investigation into that, because as some reports said, and I repeat, like I said yesterday, it was caused by a cruise missile?
Spokesman: I think, obviously, we are talking about an active conflict zone currently, so that obviously hampers any ability to conduct an investigation currently. But, you know, I think, as the High Commissioner for Human Rights has repeatedly said and the Secretary‑General himself has said, it’s critical to ensure that all reports of deliberate or indiscriminate attacks on civilians are investigated in order to ensure accountability and prevent impunity.
Question: Follow‑up. What happened to the investigation regarding UNDP [United Nations Development Programme] attack in Aden a few weeks ago?
Spokesman: I have no update on that. I will check for you. , sir and then Rhonda.
Question: Over the past week, the PKK [Kurdistan Worker’s Party] launched thousands of attacks on Turkey and they killed thousands over people and even abducted an ambulance carrying a pregnant woman. Yesterday, Mr. Secretary‑General offered condolences for Turkey, but that statement didn’t express the UN’s stance on these attacks. What is the UN position on these attacks? Can you comment on this?
Spokesman: I think as the Secretary‑General yesterday expressed his deepest condolences to the Government and the people of Turkey in the face of recent violent terrorist attacks, which as you mentioned yourself have claimed the lives of a number of citizens and injured many more. Of course, we condemn any and all terrorist attacks and we have done so and we will continue to do so.
Question: But are you willing to go on record to condemn these acts by PKK specifically?
Spokesman: I think that is what we have just done. Thank you. Yes, Rhonda?
Question: I wondered if the UN Secretary‑General has any response to the fact that yesterday was the sixty-second anniversary of the armistice ending the fighting of the Korean War but there is still no treaty ending the Korean War, and I wondered if he said anything.
Spokesman: Well, I think the Secretary‑General has always worked for and wished for reconciliation on the Korean peninsula. He has often talked about it and will continue to do so. Ivan then Matthew… Oleg then Matthew. Ivan, Oleg.
Question: You still remember my colleague. Stéphane, would the release of the provisional list of speakers for the GA [General Assembly] debate, in the first, there are a number of high‑level officials like President [Vladimir] Putin and the Chinese president, Iranian president — does this mean you have the confirmation from their side they are going to take part and would you welcome this?
Spokesman: We very much hope for a very high‑level representation, the highest possible level of representation for this year’s General Assembly. It’s not only to commemorate the seventieth anniversary of the United Nations, but in substance it will be a critical meeting on the adoption of the SDGs [sustainable development goals] and there will be discussions on climate change. We’ll have the visit of the Pope. It’s a very… it will be a very substantive General Assembly session. The way these lists are put together, they are based on the information we receive from the permanent missions. So if the permanent missions tell us that their Head of State or reserve a slot for their Head of State that is why we put it on the calendar. Mr. Lee?
Question: Thanks. I want to ask you two things, Venezuela and about the Bentiu camp. The President of Venezuela just now at the stakeout said that the UN is sending a commission, at least that is what he said in Spanish, to both countries, to Venezuela and Guyana, and he said that he believes that Guyana accepting the good offices mediation is mandatory under this Geneva agreement of the 1960s. Did the Secretary‑General commit to actually send people and who will they be?
Spokesman: I don’t have an update. I can’t… I will not offer an opinion on the legality of one thing or another. I think what the Secretary‑General has offered and has repeatedly offered is to send missions to both countries in an effort to jointly craft a way forward, and both Venezuela and Guyana have restated their commitment to the peaceful resolution of the border controversy. As soon as I have any further details to who and when people will be going, I will share those with you.
Question: Great. And on what I asked you about yesterday, the alleged rape in the Bentiu camp in South Sudan, and I just wanted to… without… I appreciated that it was added to the transcript, and it’s not a “gotcha” question, the fact that the alleged victim was not a UN staff member but worked for an NGO [non-governmental organization] funded by a UN agency. I just wanted to know like what is the significance of that? Does that mean if an aid worker is, in fact, employed by a UN… the UN Secretariat or an agency, would an investigation have been conducted? [talkover]
Spokesman: No, no, I understand what you are asking and it’s a legitimate question. Whether a person is a staff member or is under contract for an NGO, working for an agency, has legal implications as they would be normally. I think there is a moral obligation on behalf of the system to ensure that anyone who is in our camp in a UN… Let’s start again. There is a moral obligation for anyone who is under a UN camp, under UN protection to be… to have the best possible protection. And, obviously we are looking into this case and if I have more to add, I will add it.
Question: But would either the jurisdiction of OIOS [Office for Internal Oversight Services] or… Mr. O’Brien at the stakeout said that he believed that in any such case there should be a full inquiry…
Spokesman: No, no, I heard Mr. O’Brien and he also said he was unaware of the details of the facts and was speaking as a matter of personal… of professional experience and we share that opinion. Obviously, we are trying to look into the details of this case. And, you know, as I said, a staff member versus non‑staff member has different legal implications.
Question: I just wanted to ask… maybe you will answer this or sort of take the question. And the idea is had the victim in this case worked for, you know, OCHA [Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs] or UNICEF [United Nations Children’s Fund] or any agency, would there, in fact, have been any legal repercussions or would they still just be given…
Spokesman: I can’t speak to what would have happened, but obviously it is also the responsibility of the employer to look out for the well‑being of the employee. Just the two of you? Nizar?
Question: Yes, on the situation in Jerusalem, yesterday, there were new demolitions of houses in Silvan area and also the provocations continue unabated with regard to the Al-Aqsa Mosque and tensions are very high in that region.
Spokesman: I think to what is going on in Jerusalem, in the Holy sites, I would refer you to what Mr. [Nickolay] Mladenov said yesterday, which I mentioned here. Obviously, on issues of illegal settlements, we have been clear and we continue to be clear in our position to them. We also noted that, I think, the Israeli authorities took action against illegal settlements themselves, against settlers who had… who were occupying… who are occupying homes and acted on judicial orders.
Question: However, the authorities are the ones who are demolishing houses?
Spokesman: As I said, I think I would refer you to the first part of my answer, sir. Mr. Lee, why not and let’s do a twofer here.
Question: On Burundi, first I guess, Mr. Tayé Zerihoun, will he do a stakeout after this briefing he is giving on Burundi?
Spokesman: I don’t think so, but I will not be fired for asking. [The Spokesman later confirmed that Mr. Zerihoun would not speak at the stakeout.]
Question: Sure. I wanted to… I asked yesterday, I asked this question of whether… because I heard that the Office of the High Human Rights Commissioner says in the Peacebuilding Commission that the UN feels that, out of deference, I guess, to the Government of Burundi, they can’t formally contact the human rights observers of the AU [African Union]?
Spokesman: My understanding, and I hope it’s correct, is that these AU observers had just recently arrived and I think contact is… they are trying to establish contact. Okay?
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. I was a bit late, but in UN estimation, is the humanitarian pause in Yemen holding?
Spokesman: You know, I think we are not in a position to observe the pause, right; this is not a cease… formal ceasefire where the UN may have observers. I think the proof will be in the pudding. It is clear that their fighting is still continuing — that the conditions on the ground are not ripe for us to upscale the massive deliveries that we need to deliver. We need to find… there needs to be a zone of calm in which Yemeni truck drivers can get into their trucks and start delivering aid that is sitting in the ports. So we have not seen that zone of calm be created and we are not able to deliver the aid that is so desperately needed by almost 80 per cent of the population. Some aid is going in and we flag it every day, and some aid was going in during the heaviest time of the fighting, as well, but that is not enough, that is not acceptable and it doesn’t meet the needs of the Yemeni people.
Question: And is the Special Envoy working?
Spokesman: Yes. He is in Saudi Arabia these days. But, obviously, I think as we’ve said repeatedly before, it is up to those who are controlling the weapons and the guns to stop firing.
Correspondent: Thank you.
Spokesman: Thank you, all. Oh, Linda, and then I will go to our press conference.
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. I was wondering if the Secretary‑General has expressed his point of view or made any comments or plans to about Security Council efforts to organize an investigation of the use of chlorine against civilians in Syria, in collaboration with…?
Spokesman: I think from the Secretary‑General’s point of view the issue of accountability is very important. We know how that what mechanism may or may not come out of the Security Council and it’s under discussion and we will wait to see what is decided by the Council.
Before we turn over to the press conference on debt restructuring, I forgot to mention that a new UN global film series to fight homophobia and transphobia launched by the Office of High Commissioner of Human Rights and the Department of Public Information, in support of the UN Free and Equal Campaign, we have more information on those films in my office and a media advisory should be online. It has been a pleasure. Hasta mañana.