Secretary-General's press conference in Tunis [scroll down for Q&A]

Bon après-midi mesdames et messieurs.

C’est un grand plaisir que d’être de retour à Tunis.

Je remercie le Gouvernement et le peuple tunisiens de leur hospitalité et de la chaleur de l’accueil qu’ils m’ont réservé, ainsi qu’à ma délégation.

Le Président de la Banque mondiale, Jim Yong Kim, et moi-même sommes à Tunis pour manifester notre soutien et solidarité au Gouvernement et au peuple tunisiens, tandis qu’ils continuent de progresser en vue d’une plus grande stabilité et d’une plus grande prospérité, malgré les difficultés auxquelles ils font face.

Au cours de notre visite, le Président Kim et moi-même avons eu des entretiens fructueux avec Son Excellence Monsieur le Président Beji Caid Essebsi, Son Excellence Monsieur le Premier Ministre Habib Essid, et le Président de l’Assemblée des représentants du peuple, Son Excellence Monsieur Mohamed Ennaceur.

Je tiens à remercier le Gouvernement tunisien d’avoir fermement soutenu et accueilli la Mission d’appui des Nations Unies en Libye, MANUL ou UNSMIL en anglais.

J’ai assisté aujourd’hui à une conférence très intéressante sur l’emploi, organisée par le Premier Ministre, et j’ai eu le grand honneur de m’entretenir avec des membres du Quatuor – ou Quartet- du dialogue national.

Pendant tous ces entretiens, j’ai été impressionné par l’attachement que j’ai constaté aujourd’hui en Tunisie aux valeurs démocratiques, aux droits de l’homme et au développement durable. La Tunisie est un partenaire très précieux de l’ONU et un modèle pour d’autres pays de la région.

Ladies and gentlemen of the media,

I would like to stress three points as I prepare to leave this great country.

First, the United Nations is Tunisia’s steadfast partner as it continues its democratic revolution. Tunisia’s values are the values of the international community and the 2030 Development Agenda. The United Nations Country Team will continue to work hand-in-hand with the Government on development, economic support, and many other areas.

Second, we have concrete proposals to support the Government’s efforts to tackle youth unemployment. This is a priority not only for Tunisia, but for the whole region; indeed it is a global problem. Two out of every five young people of working age around the world are either unemployed, or earning too little to escape poverty.

Last month, the United Nations launched a Global Initiative on Decent Jobs for Youth. This is a partnership between governments, the United Nations, businesses, academic institutions and youth organizations, to create new opportunities for young people, and to help young men and women develop the skills they need. 

My third point is that we understand the impact of the crisis in Libya on Tunisia’s economic and social development.

I was very much moved by my visit to the Bardo museum yesterday, where President Kim and I commemorated those killed in the horrific attack last year. 

Yesterday evening I held talks with the Deputy Prime Minister of the Libyan Government of National Accord, Mr. Mousa Al Kony.

I commended the efforts of the Presidency Council in leading Libya’s democratic transition and expressed the deep concern of the international community over the worsening humanitarian situation and the expansion of Daesh. I expressed full support for the Presidency Council and encouraged them to exercise strong leadership. I join the calls from across Libya and the region for the Presidency Council to move to Tripoli, if the security situation allows, and take all necessary measures to ensure the immediate peaceful and orderly handover of power to the Government of National Accord. I urge all actors on the ground to cooperate and work with the Presidency Council to this end. I will be following this matter and will keep the Security Council informed of the situation. Those obstructing the political process should be held accountable. I call on the House of Representatives to uphold its responsibilities in implementing all relevant provisions of the Libyan Political Agreement.

The Libyan people deserve peace, security and prosperity under a strong, united Government.

Tunisia’s continued support will be critical when the Government of National Accord is in place.

But terrorism poses a grave threat not only in Libya and Tunisia, but all around the world, as we have seen in the past days in Belgium, Iraq and Pakistan. We need a united, global approach if we are to combat it effectively.

The Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism that I presented to the United Nations General Assembly in January stresses the importance of addressing root causes.

We need action at the grassroots level to create trust between communities, to build accountable and inclusive institutions, to provide opportunities for young people, and to promote human rights and the rule of law.

We need a new global partnership against violent extremism. And I hope Tunisia will play a leading role.

Thank you. Merci. Shukran

*************************************************************************************************

Q: Mr. Secretary you are attending tomorrow in Geneva the global high level meeting concerning the global responsibility sharing in Syrian refugees.  I think the meeting is a bit late after what has happened in Syria and all the horror happening in Syria and the refugees. Do you think that as part of the global responsibility – don’t you think of some preventative measures for Tunisia and the likely to happen war in Libya and the refugees that are going to flee from Libya? So, are you thinking of the high level meeting as a preventative measure for the global responsibility for Tunisia and the region?

SG: First of all, I’d like to thank the Tunisian government and people for their generosity to accommodate more than 450,000 Libyan refugees. And I understand that even at this moment, every day, 2,000 to 3,000 Libyans are crossing the border and settling in this country.  It must have been a very serious and heavy impact on socioeconomic plans as well as it must have changed some fabric of the community of this country that we deeply admire as such as generosity and tolerance.  We are really having very serious difficulties and challenges caused by an increasing number of refugees who are fleeing the conflict, particularly from Syria. There are more than four million people who have become refugees in mostly four countries around Syria -- starting from Turkey, Lebanon, Jordan and Iraq and some in Egypt and North Africa. Then there are many more millions of refugees and migrants, all together around the world, 60 million people are refugees or migrants at this time.  This is the largest number since the end of the Second World War.  It is simply untenable, uncontrollable, unbearable situation.  That is why we have been working very closely with particularly European leaders and tomorrow in Geneva I am going to open an international high-level conference on this resettlement [inaudible] issues and in May in Istanbul I’m going to convene the first ever World Humanitarian Summit meeting.  And, in September -on September 19th-, I am going to convene the summit meeting focusing only on this migrant – global movement of migrant and refugees. So, it has become a global challenge now.  It’s not an issue of certain European countries – Libya or Tunisia or Jordan – so it has become a global issue. The United Nations is now going to handle and to have sort of a global compact of how we can ask the world leaders and world governments to address this issue with shared responsibility. So, this is what I can tell you at this time.  We may not have any conference specifically focusing on the Tunisian case.  Mostly during the last four or five years, I have been convening the pledging conference to mobilize financial resources for Syrian refugees because more than 4 million people is a huge burden and I hope you will understand that the United Nations and I are very much committed to addressing this issue.

Q: [Questions in Arabic on Tunisia, Libya and Western Sahara]

SG: On the transition of Tunisia towards a democratic society – Tunisia is an example of a country to move towards a democratic society – this is highly commendable. That is why I have been urging the international community to help Tunisia.  Now you have been again facing a lot of challenges. First of all, these terrorist attacks against the people of Tunisia that has impacted very seriously.  I know that tourism and foreign direct investment have been seriously affected, which will seriously affect the social and economic situation of this country. That we have to fight against – terrorism and extremism.  This is not an issue of only Tunisia.  We have seen so much brutality taking place around the world. So we have to work together.  That is why, as I mentioned in my earlier remarks, I have presented my plan of action to prevent violent extremism that was unanimously adopted by the General Assembly last month.  It contains very valuable recommendations which I am proposing to the Member States.  Whatever recommendations are applicable to their situations and circumstances, I think those should be applied. The United Nations will continue to work with the key donor countries to provide capacity-building efforts to many countries which really need resources and capacity building. There are many countries whose national capacity, security capacity cannot cope with this; therefore, there should be country level, regional level, international level, combined level should be applied.

On Libya, I have already explained at length in my earlier remarks. I met Mr. Mousa Al Kony, who is the Deputy Prime Minister of the Presidency Council [of the Libyan Government of National Accord].  As you know, I was supposed to meet all the members and they were supposed to come here but because of a shutdown of airspace they were not able to come. So he came driving himself, many hours, he told me four hours then going back four hours again.  It must have been a big effort.  I told him representing this Presidency Council that they should exert their best efforts and I am going to talk to the leaders in the region, whoever may have influence, to exert their influence so that those people who are opposing to this Presidency Council’s proposal to form a government of National Accord should be told to look for the future of Libya and Libyan people. And, that was my message and I will continue to do that. 

On your last question, my Spokesperson yesterday explained at length and in a detailed way -- that is what I wanted to say. I am not going to repeat it because every single word is now being analysed and watched unnecessarily.  I hope you will read the statement which my Spokesperson yesterday had said. Thank you.

Q: [Question in French on Libya]

SG: You know that there was a Libyan political agreement signed by the parties [in] December last year. That was quite [an] encouraging development of the situation after violence many years.  Then the House of Representatives did not approve the proposal by the Presidency Council with some reasons that there were too many [inaudible] ministerial, sources of waste.  The second proposal which was presented by the Presidency Council, I believe that was reasonable. And Special Envoy Martin Kobler has been very closely coordinating between and among the parties, including the friendly countries who would really be interested in helping Libyan people so that they could form this government of National Accord.  For me as Secretary-General, I thought that was reasonable. There was no reason why this should not be approved by the House of Representatives and I sincerely hope that they will take action and go beyond their narrow perspective or narrow interest. They have to think about their own better future for their people and for the country. Completely there has been a vacancy in Libya – no functioning government, no functioning institutions, public institutions. Then what happened?  During this vacuum, then ISIL, Daaesh took roots in significant areas. We are very much alarmed by this phenomenon, this situation. The longer people take to establish the government of National Accord, I am afraid to tell the people that they will just allow these extremists and terrorists to spread their area of control.  This we have to prevent in the name of humanity and for the future of the Libyan people. The situation and the security situation in Libya have greater regional implications here. I think Tunisia is the hardest hit country, unnecessarily.  More than 30 embassies are now temporarily working in Tunis including the United Nations Support Mission for Libya, UNSMIL or MANUL.  I had a good meeting with Special Representative Martin Kobler and his staff and I also had a brief meeting with him here at the airport.  I am very much committed and the United Nations is committed. There are many countries who really wish that Libya now establishes the government of National Accord so that we can help them so they can establish their country with peace and security.

Q: Thank you Secretary-General for this opportunity.  Before coming to Tunis you’ve been around in several Arab capitals from Iraq to Lebanon and the main thing is that we only see Arab [inaudible] everywhere in Yemen, in Syria, in Iraq, in Libya and even in Tunisia because of the terrorists. So don’t you think that this chaotic situation and the spread of ISIS and the terrorists groups is just feeding because of the failure of the international community and the failure of the system and the injustice in the world to give the opportunity to these people to treat religion and commit their crimes?

SG: The current situation where the international community is suffering from various brutalities by ISIS, Daesh and other extremist and terrorist groups -- by all means, we have to defeat and fight back in the name of humanity.  Whatever causes, whatever reasons they may have, they cannot justify such brutal activities against humanities.  In that regard, I really appreciate many countries who are participating in coalition.  At the same time, I have been repeatedly saying that while military solutions may be necessary and may be effective, that cannot be an ultimate solution.  An ultimate solution should be found in resolving all these issues by demonstrating good governance by the countries, by the leaders, and by the community leaders.  We have to provide a society and community where nobody is feeling that somebody is left behind.  There should be anti-corruption – all this corruptive practices must be addressed firmly.  There should be no impunity to any crimes perpetuated by those people.  And there should be justice.  When there is a prevalent feeling of injustice, inequality and impunity then people are frustrated.  People do not feel that this is a just world.  That is what we have to guard against.  That is why I am asking world leaders to listen attentively to the voices of the pole on the ground, particularly those vulnerable groups of people, young people who have a lot of energy and dynamism and vigilance but do not have any place or any opportunity to use their energy.  Then let us not drive them to a dead end. This is what I’m saying that good governance and whatever and wherever and whenever there are conflicts or differences of opinions and these conflicts or differences of opinions should be addressed through peaceful and inclusive dialogue between and among the parties concerned.  That is an important one. That is one of the most important recommendations which I presented and was adopted by the General Assembly on how to prevent violent extremism.  It is important to counter terrorism.  At the same time, it is more important to prevent terrorism by looking at, first of all, the symptoms of terrorism or extremism and taking preventive action,  preventive diplomacy. I thank you very much.