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.
**Secretary-General’s Travels
In the build-up to the High-Level meeting on Global Responsibility Sharing for Syrian Refugees that will take place on 30 March in Geneva, the Secretary-General will leave New York next Wednesday, 23 March, for a joint visit to Lebanon, Jordan and Tunisia, alongside the President of the World Bank Group, Dr. Jim Kim. The Secretary-General and the President of the World Bank will start their visit in Lebanon on Thursday, 24 March. Accompanied by Dr. Ahmad Mohamed Ali al-Madani, President of the Islamic Development Bank, they will meet with the President of the Council of Ministers of Lebanon, as well as with several other senior officials.
They will also visit communities hosting Syrian and Palestinian refugees to reiterate their long-term support to Lebanon and discuss new approaches to building resilience and assisting national systems. On Sunday, the Secretary-General and Dr. Kim will travel to Jordan. hey will meet with His Majesty King Abdullah II, as well as other members of the Jordanian Government. They will also visit the Zaatari refugee camp, which, as you know, hosts refugees from Syria and they will also participate jointly in an open discussion with Jordanian youth.
On 28 March, on Monday, the Secretary-General and Dr. Kim will leave Jordan for Tunisia, where they will meet with President [Béji Caïd] Essebsi and other senior officials, and pay respect to the victims of terrorism. The Secretary-General will also attend a national conference on employment, hosted by the President of Tunisia. Lastly, on Wednesday, 30 March, the Secretary-General will be in Geneva to open the high-level meeting on Global Responsibility Sharing for Syrian Refugees. The Secretary-General is expected back in New York in the evening of 30 of this very month, the month of March.
**Yemen
The High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, today condemned the repeated failure of the Coalition forces in Yemen to take effective actions to prevent the recurrence of incidents of civilian casualties and to publish transparent, independent investigations into those that have already occurred. A recent attack on Al Khamees market in Hajja killed a reported 106 people, including 24 children. UN staff have recorded the names of 96 of the victims, although a further 10 bodies have been burned beyond recognition.
Since last March, the UN Human Rights Office has recorded a total of just under 9,000 casualties, including 3,218 civilians killed and a further 5,778 injured. The High Commissioner said that the distinction between legitimate military targets and civilian ones — which are protected under international law — is at best woefully inadequate. He said there is an obligation to distinguish at all times between military targets and civilians. We have more details of the High Commissioner’s statement available online.
**Iraq
Meanwhile Ján Kubiš, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Iraq, welcomed the resolution adopted by the US Congress and the statement made by US Secretary of State John Kerry regarding the crimes committed by Da’esh. That statement acknowledges that these crimes may include war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. The full statement is available online.
**Democratic People’s Republic of Korea
Also, I was asked previously about our reaction to the missile launches by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea. I can tell you that clearly the situation on the Korean Peninsula, including the latest ballistic missile launches, is deeply troubling. We once again urge the DPRK to comply with its international obligations, including relevant Security Council resolutions, and halt these inflammatory and escalatory actions. We are obviously closely following any further developments.
**Senior Management Compacts
The Secretary-General this morning met with the senior managers of the UN, who signed compacts on their goals for the coming months, which are to be monitored as the year progresses. In his remarks, the Secretary-General said that this will be the last set of Management Compacts he signs as Secretary-General. He noted that, in the case of the Compacts as with the Sustainable Development Goals, setting goals works. Understanding what is expected of us focuses the mind and helps us to determine what is important and what is not, what is possible and what is not. His remarks are available online. At 3 p.m., he will also be briefing the Security Council on Burundi and I believe that will be an open briefing.
**Refugees
Just an update from our colleagues who are with UNHCR (Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) at the Greek-Macedonian border who say that the situation there remains tense: Babar Baloch, the senior UN Refugee Spokesman in the area, describes the Idomeni refugee camp in Greece as “desperate”. He says that women and children constitute [62] per cent of the almost 9000 refugees sheltered in the camp and, of those, 40 per cent are children.
Mr. Baloch says that entire refugee families sleep in tents that are only suitable for short hiking trips and that pouring rain for the last few days has soaked these tents and the refugees in water. People are exhausted and the long wait is already taking a psychological toll on them. The border has now been closed for 10 days and there are no indications that it will be open any time soon. UNHCR personnel are assisting refugees to fill out their refugee and asylum applications and also liaise with the Greek authorities.
**Ukraine
Meanwhile, UNICEF, the UN Children’s Fund, announced that Germany will finance two large projects in the conflict-affected areas of Eastern Ukraine to support clean water, sanitation and hygiene supplies; child protection and internally displaced people (IDP) integration. The projects will be implemented in the cities of Kharkiv, and two other places I will not try to say [Dnipropetrovsk and Zaporizhzhia]. According to UNICEF, the overall funding provided by Germany will be about US$30 million. Special attention will be paid to facilities and programs assisting children and IDPs.
**Ebola
Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) has dispatched a team of specialists to the southern prefecture of Nzérékoré in Guinea after two new cases of Ebola were detected and confirmed in a rural village. Response teams will work to investigate the origin of the new infections and to identify, isolate and monitor all contacts of the new cases and those who died. The new infections in Guinea were confirmed the same day that WHO declared the end of the last flare-up in Sierra Leone. The Organization stresses that recurrences of the disease should be anticipated and that the 3 Ebola-impacted countries must maintain strong capacity to prevent, detect and respond to disease outbreaks.
**Afghanistan
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) tells us that civilians in Afghanistan continue to bear the brunt of a conflict that is growing in intensity and geographic scope and affecting the lives of some 6.3 million people. The 2016 Humanitarian Needs Overview indicates that some 8.1 million people need humanitarian assistance but this figure is expected to increase to at least 8.3 million people due to increased conflict.
Aid agencies are concerned by the increased attacks, in particular on health workers and health facilities. In 2015, attacks against health facilities and personnel increased by 50 per cent. Meanwhile, more than 11,000 civilian casualties were documented last year and some 335,000 people were newly displaced, a 78 per cent increase since 2014.
**Appointments
Speaking of Afghanistan, senior appointments to announce: the Secretary-General is announcing the appointment of Nicholas Haysom of South Africa as his Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan. He will succeed Haile Menkerios of South Africa, to whom the Secretary-General is grateful for his dedication and commitment. Mr. Haysom, whom you know well, is a lawyer with a long international career focused on democratic governance, constitutional and electoral reforms. He was and he remains for a few more weeks the Head of the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) where he serves since 2014 as Head and Deputy from 2012 to 2014.
Replacing Mr. Haysom, whom we all know as “Fink”, as Special Representative in Afghanistan will be Tadamichi Yamamoto of Japan. Mr. Yamamoto has served as Deputy Special Representative in Afghanistan since 2014. Prior to working with the United Nations, Mr. Yamamoto has held several positions in the Japanese Foreign Ministry.
In turn, the new Deputy Special Representative in Afghanistan will be Pernille Dahler Kardel of Denmark. Ms. Kardel brings 25 years of experience in diplomacy, political affairs, international cooperation and economic development, spanning several continents. Most recently she served as Ambassador of Denmark to the Republic of Egypt. That’s it for musical chairs in Afghanistan. Two more things to flag.
**Angry Birds
The United Nations is announcing a campaign to encourage young people to address climate change and ensure a sustainable and happier future for all. I think you had a briefing on the World Day of Happiness just recently. The campaign will be launched at 4:30 p.m. here at Headquarters in partnership with the Angry Birds — the globally renowned mobile game characters — to make a direct link between tackling climate change and people’s happiness and well-being on the occasion of the International Day of Happiness, which this year happens to be on Sunday, 20 March. The Secretary-General plans to attend the launch and he is expected to make a senior personnel appointment.
**Press Conferences
At 1 p.m. today Ambassador [Volodymyr] Yelchenko of Ukraine will address the press — that is you — 1 p.m. at the Security Council stakeout. On Monday at 3 p.m., there will be a briefing here organized by the Permanent Missions of Kenya and Haiti on the announcement of a $500 million commitment to Secretary-General’s Every Woman, Every Child campaign. Lou, then Madame Landry.
**Questions and Answers
Question: Thanks, Steph. I presume you've read the op‑ed by Anthony Banbury in The New York Times in which he accuses the UN of colossal mismanagement, details a number of problems at the UN, which he says are one of the reasons that it's failing to live up to its principles, talks about slow recruitment processes, cites a manifestly incompetent Chief of Staff at a large peacekeeping mission who no one can fire. Does the UN have a response to this?
Spokesman: Yes, I did, obviously, read Mr. Banbury's op‑ed, which, I guess, he wrote after spending a number of years at the UN, notably senior position, then Department of Field [Support] as Assistant Secretary‑General. Look, I think the Organization, of course, can be challenging at times, but you know, when you talk about human resources system, when you talk about financing system, what the Secretary‑General has been determined to do is to bring the systems that we have at the United Nations in line with twenty-first century best practices. The transition is a painful one, as it is when you unroll any new systems. But, the point is that we now have systems that allow us to have a much better picture of where we are financially, where we are staff‑wise. And, you know, systems in administration such like at the UN that make… that can sometimes seem frustrating in terms of hiring people are also designed to ensure that there are proper checks and balances, that the process is as transparent and as fair to everyone as possible. And sometimes that slows down the system, but we have a responsibility to Member States, to those who fund the Organization to ensure that our resources are well used and to ensure that we live up to best practices.
Question: Just a quick follow‑up. He says that there's minimal accountability, and there's the example of the Chief of Staff of a large peacekeeping mission who simply cannot be fired. What… what about this? I mean, what does one do? I mean, it's pretty clear…
Spokesman: I think there is obviously accountability at senior levels. I mean, we've seen it recently, and the Secretary‑General asked for the SRSG [Special Representative of the Secretary-General], the head of the missions in the Central African Republic to step down, take command responsibility for what had been happening there. In fact, just today, the Secretary‑General asked all his senior managers to sign a compact… a performance compact, which is something that Ban Ki‑moon has put into place to ensure that managers live up to their jobs and to their responsibilities. We need… I think no one will disagree that we need to ensure that the UN is fit for purpose, that we have the right systems in place. But reforming an organization that… whose rules were designed really for a talk shop in 1945 and transforming them into a much more field‑oriented, service‑oriented, action‑oriented organization is a complicated process when you're dealing with an organization as complex and as far‑reaching as the United Nations. I think no one is more committed to modernizing the United Nations than the Secretary‑General himself. Ms. Landry?
Question: Stéphane, on Western Sahara, I'm wondering if you can update us on what the… is going on with discussions concerning the cuts to the Mission. And yesterday, at the Security Council, Jeffrey Feltman went in and asked for the unified support of the Council. And I'm wondering if you received it as far as you know.
Spokesman: Well, I think you were there when the President of the Security Council spoke on behalf of the Council. It is clear that, whatever happens to a peacekeeping mission also involves the Security Council. When the legality a… when there is a challenge to the legality of a Security Council… to a peacekeeping mission or when we're seeing what we've been seeing in the last couple of days, it is a challenge to the Security Council. It is important that the Security Council also take up its responsibilities. We are continuing, obviously, with discussions on ground with our Moroccan counterparts about the days ahead. Those discussions are going on, but, as we've said, you know, the… what has been asked of us will make it extremely challenging in the long run for the Mission to function in the area west of the berm. I would add that the Secretary‑General, you know, will have his monthly lunch with the Security Council members on Monday, and I know this issue will be at the top of the agenda. Nabil?
Question: I want to follow up these. So, yesterday both parties, the Polisario Front representative and the Moroccan Foreign Minister, they both talked about the possibility for the conflict in that region because of these developments. So does the SG [Secretary-General] feel that he's responsible of this escalation? Because both parties haven't talked about war or conflict for some time.
Spokesman: We're very much aware of that discussion. The short answer to your question is no. The Secretary‑General used a word… the word "occupation". It did not have… in the way he used it, it was not to bring about a legal definition or legal ruling on the… it was in answer to a question about refugees, about children who had grown up in camps in 40 years. As I said, you know, you cannot help but be moved by what we had all seen in this camp. There are different ways to seek clarifications, and I think this situation probably could have been avoided. We very much hope that we can still salvage the Mission and rebuild our relationship with Morocco.
Question: Follow‑up? So, the Council decided to address the situation bilaterally. Does this mean, from your point of view, that that the Council was not united behind the SG? Because, obviously, there was no one position from the Council to support the SG's position on this.
Spokesman: I think it's… I mean, I heard the same words you had. I think probably came to the same conclusion that you have, but this is not… this was not a one‑off discussion. As I said, the Secretary‑General will bring it up to the Council in their informal lunch, monthly lunch on Monday. We will obviously keep the Security Council very closely briefed as to what is happening on the ground and what we have to do operationally to ensure the safety of our staff, civilian staff, and the mil… the unarmed military observers which… who are stationed in various outposts both west and east of the berm. So, this will be a continuing dialogue with the Security Council. Go ahead. It's Friday.
Question: Yeah. Have you received any message from Morocco that they are willing to engage on diplomatic efforts on this and to deescalate? Because I heard that yesterday Mr. Feltman received something from the…
Spokesman: No, we have been in touch, and we continue to be in touch with the Moroccans, both here and on… in the ground. Ms. Nichols. Sorry, then we'll go back to you, Carole.
Correspondent: [Inaudible].
Spokesman: Carole, please. She yields. She yields to you.
Question: Would it be fair to say that the Secretary‑General was disappointed by the Council's…?
Spokesman: I think… it would have been better had we received clearer words from the President of the Security Council.
Question: Thanks, Steph. The US prosecutors have charged someone else in the John Ashe case today, a woman who was the Vice President of South‑South News. Is OIOS [Office of Internal Oversight Services] planning to expand its audit to include South‑South News?
Spokesman: We've obviously just received the… just received a copy of the complaint. We're going to take a look at it and, obviously, see how that impacts the status and the relationship with South‑South News as an organization. From what I read of the complaint, it is about alleged illegal activities that took place between individuals outside of the scope of the Secretariat, but we're obviously taking a look at it. Yes, in the back.
Question: The EU [European Union] and Turkey reached an agreement today. They going to send and return immigrants. It’s just breaking news. What is your standing on that?
Spokesman: You know, as you said, it's breaking news. We have to take a look at the agreement. We, obviously, hope that any agreement that is reached fully respects international law, specifically the Convention on Refugees, and also respects the rights and dignity of all people, refugees or migrants, but we obviously need to take a look at what was actually agreed to.
Correspondent: Follow-up?
Spokesman: No, Emoke.
Question: Sorry, Nabil. On Burundi, it seems that the Burundi court today… or a Burundi court today decided to release 41 young people who were arrested for protesting, and it seems to be coming in the framework of the 2,000 detainees being released that was announced during Ban Ki‑moon's visit. Do you have any response to this release…?
Spokesman: Obviously, it… it's confirmed, we would welcome and encourage more people to be released. But as I said, you should keep an eye on what the Secretary‑General will say this afternoon, report back on his trip. Oleg?
Question: Stéphane, when do the three days run out for the withdrawal of the 84 international personnel?
Spokesman: Well, the clock is running. Whether it's three days or a few more days, obviously, we're making the contingency plans we need to make, but it's a work in progress.
Question: Follow‑up on that? According to people who were in the meeting, Mr. Feltman told the Council that he'd gotten a text message from the Moroccan ambassador that the three‑day deadline had been extended to an uncertain… you know, within the coming days.
Spokesman: That's why I said that to Oleg. I mean, it is a work in progress. We've seen no significant shift in what we've been asked to do from the Moroccan side, but we're making the plans we need to make.
Question: But, can you confirm that, in fact, the Moroccans did change it from the three days to an uncertain coming date?
Spokesman: Yes, a message to that effect was received. Oleg?
Question: Yeah. Stéphane, on a separate topic, couple of days ago, there was a march of Waffen‑SS. I think it's an annual event in Latvia. And does Secretary‑General have to say anything? I think it's relevant in terms of the International Day of Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
Spokesman: What was the march? Sorry?
Correspondent: It's a march of the veterans of the Waffen‑SS division from the Nazi Germany.
Spokesman: I had not seen those reports, though, clearly, while the Secretary‑General supports the right to assembly, I think he would condemn any outward support for Nazism and the crimes committed by the Nazis. Yes, if you can… yeah, please.
Question: So when… I missed the date. When will the SG arrive in Lebanon, please?
Spokesman: Well, they will be there on Thursday. They'll be there, I think, for two days.Question: And is he planning to address the nation or it's going to be only…?
Spokesman: There'll be a press conference, so in that sense, it's an address to the nation through the Lebanese media.
Question: Okay. And to follow up on Turkey-EU… do you see that there is a possibility that this agreement between Turkey and the EU will be reflected positively on the peace process in Cyprus?
Spokesman: You know, the… obviously, we have to take a look at what the agreement says. The peace process, the negotiating process in Cyprus is continuing… you know, is continuing well. Obviously, it is addressing a whole series of issues, and those discussions are ongoing.
Question: On another future… possible future trip of Ban Ki‑moon, there was announcement from the Georgian authorities that he's going to the country, and there are rumors that he's going to be also visiting Armenia and Azerbaijan. Can you confirm that and when's going to happen?
Spokesman: No, but as you know, we make announcement to trips closer to the date of travel.