Noon briefing of 14 January 2016

TRANSCRIPT OF THE PRESS ENCOUNTER BY

SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON

WEDNESDAY, 14 JANUARY 2016

SECRETARY-GENERAL’S REMARKS TO PRESS

· I have just briefed the General Assembly on action we must take in the coming year. Let me reiterate two points.

· First, we must get off to a fast start in implementing the two towering achievements of 2015: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.

· Both are triumphs of multilateralism. Now we have to bring them to life for every person, in every country.

· Second, we must bridge the divisions that have kept Syrians in agony, plunged Yemen into darkness, and helped to spawn violent extremism.

· Perhaps nothing more urgently reflects the need to act than the harrowing scenes from Madaya in Syria. In a conflict that has already reached shocking depths of inhumanity, the suffering there is another low.

· UN teams have witnessed scenes that haunt the soul. The elderly and children, men and women, who were little more than skin and bones: gaunt, severely malnourished, so weak they could barely walk, and utterly desperate for the slightest morsel.

· There can be no denying their suffering.

· Many hundreds of people are in such a dire state that they require immediate medical attention, including through possible evacuation. We are working to get medical teams and mobile clinics on the ground right away. I want to make a special plea for those in besieged areas of Syria. I would say they are being held hostage – but it is even worse. Hostages get fed.

· These children and women and men are struggling to survive without food or medicine.

· It has never been easy for the United Nations and its partners to reach those in such desperate need. But the situation is getting worse.

· Today, almost 400,000 people are besieged in Syria – roughly half in areas controlled by Daesh, 180,000 in areas controlled by the Syrian government and its allies, and some 12,000 in areas controlled by opposition armed groups.

· In 2014, the UN and partners were able to deliver food to about 5 per cent of people in besieged areas. Today, we are reaching less than 1 per cent. This is utterly unconscionable.

· Along with food, the people we have encountered want answers. Who cares about our lives? Where is the international community? Who will speak for us? Let me be clear: the use of starvation as a weapon of war is a war crime.

· All sides – including the Syrian government which has the primary responsibility to protect Syrians -- are committing this and other atrocious acts prohibited under international humanitarian law.

· States, in the region and beyond, that can make a difference must press the parties for sustained and unimpeded humanitarian access throughout Syria. I speak specifically about members of the International Syria Support Group.

· Other urgent measures are needed – such as the immediate end to the use of indiscriminate weapons in civilian areas, including through shelling and air strikes by any of the parties involved militarily in Syria.

· No cause can justify the toll in civilian lives and destroyed schools, clinics and markets that we continue to register around the country every day.

· This is fundamental to the credibility of the renewed political process. My Special Envoy, Mr. Staffan de Mistura, will continue to work towards convening intra-Syrian Geneva Talks on 25 January.

· Let me also say a few words about the crisis in Yemen. In recent days, we have seen intensified airstrikes, ground fighting and shelling. We also have worrying reports of cluster munitions attacks on Sana’a which, again, could constitute a war crime.

· My Special Envoy, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, was in Riyadh and Abu Dhabi last week. He is now in Yemen to continue consultations with the parties on the urgent need for confidence- building measures and a new round of UN-sponsored negotiations. Release of detainees, a renewed and sustainable cease-fire and improved humanitarian access are crucial.

· Finally, I would like to reiterate my deep concern about the highly unstable and unpredictable situation in Burundi. Violence could deepen inside the country and spill across borders.

· The Government must take steps to build confidence, including releasing prisoners of conscience and lifting restrictions on civil society. In that regard, I welcome and commend the visit of the Security Council next week, as well as the efforts of the African Union. We must do all we can to break the political impasse and avert a humanitarian catastrophe.

BAN KI-MOON LAYS OUT PRIORITIES FOR 2016

· The Secretary-General presented his priorities for 2016 to the General Assembly today.

· He said there was great turbulence in 2015, as well as triumphs, such as the adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on Climate Change. Where international cooperation was strong, peaceful solutions and transitions also followed, he said.

· 2016 is a moment heavy with responsibility, he added: Year 1 of the new 15-year agenda, and year 10 of his 10-year mandate.

· First, he said, this must be a year in which landmark decisions on sustainable development that were made in meeting rooms and conference halls gain solid footing on the ground, and he added that climate action was central.

· In 2016, we must end the conflicts that global divisions have helped prolong, do far more to protect vulnerable populations, and show that we are serious about preventing the upheavals of tomorrow. Our challenge is to defeat Daesh, Boko Haram, al-Shabaab, Al Qaeda and other such groups -- without defeating ourselves through counter-productive approaches that fuel the extremism we are trying to extinguish.

· The Secretary-General also said that our global landscape is blighted with the brazen and brutal erosion of respect for human rights and international humanitarian law. He particularly mentioned Syria, where all sides are guilty of heightening the suffering of civilians, and called for strong shows of solidarity with refugees all over the world.

· The Secretary-General finally said that the threat posed by nuclear weapons is omnipresent yet attracts serious global attention only intermittently. Let us stop this dangerous spiral, and instead put disarmament and non-proliferation back at the forefront of the international agenda, he concluded.

SECRETARY-GENERAL WELCOMES END OF EBOLA TRANSMISSION IN WEST AFRICA

· The Secretary-General welcomes the announcement by the World Health Organization marking the end of Ebola transmission in Liberia.

· For the first time since this devastating outbreak began, all known chains of transmission of Ebola in West Africa have been stopped and no new cases have been reported since the end of November.

· The Secretary-General commends the national authorities of the affected countries for their leadership and determination, and the local communities whose ownership and engagement have been instrumental in tackling this outbreak. He acknowledges the vital role played by the health workers and burial teams in the Ebola response.

· The Secretary-General expresses his gratitude to the many regional and international partners who have supported the response.

· The Secretary-General notes that the three affected countries will need to maintain intensive surveillance in order to detect and respond to any new flare-ups of Ebola.

· The Secretary-General calls upon the international community to continue supporting the affected countries in order that they have the capacity to rapidly respond to any future flare-ups and to provide comprehensive support to all survivors.

· The United Nations will stand firm with Guinea, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and the entire region, as they move ahead along the path towards social and economic recovery.

· The World Health Organization declared today the end of the most recent outbreak of Ebola virus disease in Liberia, and says all known chains of transmission have been stopped in West Africa.

· But the Organization says the job is not over, more flare-ups are expected and that strong surveillance and response systems will be critical in the months to come.

· Liberia was first declared free of Ebola transmission in May 2015, but the virus was re-introduced twice since then, with the latest flare-up in November. Today’s announcement comes 42 days (two 21-day incubation cycles of the virus) after the last confirmed patient in Liberia tested negative for the disease 2 times.

· WHO cautions that the 3 countries remain at high risk of additional small outbreaks of Ebola. To date, 10 such flare-ups have been identified that were not part of the original outbreak, and are likely the result of the virus persisting in survivors even after recovery.

· Evidence shows that the virus disappears relatively quickly from survivors, but can remain in the semen of a small number of male survivors for as long as 1 year, and in rare instances, be transmitted to intimate partners.

· WHO and partners are working with the Governments of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone to help ensure that survivors have access to medical and psychosocial care and screening for persistent virus, as well as counselling and education to help them reintegrate into family and community life, reduce stigma and minimize the risk of Ebola virus transmission.

TERRORISM: SECRETARY-GENERAL CONDEMNS ATTACKS IN INDONESIA, CAMEROON AND PAKISTAN

· The Secretary-General condemns the bombings and gun attacks in Jakarta today. He extends his condolences to the families of the victims and wishes those injured a speedy recovery. He expresses his solidarity with the Government and people of Indonesia.

· The Secretary-General reaffirms that there is absolutely no justification for such acts of terrorism. He hopes the perpetrators of today9;s attacks will be swiftly brought to justice.

· The Secretary-General also condemned on Tuesday the deadly suicide bombing in the village of Kouyape, in the Far North region of Cameroon, during the morning prayer at the mosque. The attack, perpetrated by suspected Boko Haram elements, resulted in the death of an estimated 13 people, including the imam, and numerous injured.

· The Secretary-General welcomed the holding of the African Union’s Donors Conference to mobilize resources for the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) to combat the Boko Haram terrorist group, to be held on 1 February 2016 in Addis Ababa. He encouraged full support for this initiative.

· The Secretary-General also condemned Tuesday’s suicide bombing close to the premises of a polio eradication centre in Quetta, Pakistan, reportedly killing at least 15 people, and wounding 25 others.

· The Secretary-General urged the Government of Pakistan to take all necessary measures to swiftly bring to justice the perpetrators of such attacks.

SECRETARY-GENERAL TO PRESENT PLAN OF ACTION TO PREVENT VIOLENT EXTREMISM

· The Secretary-General is expected to formally present his Plan of Action to Prevent Violent Extremism to the General Assembly on 15 January.

· The Plan, which is an appeal for concerted action by the international community, provides more than 70 recommendations to Member States and the UN System to prevent the further spread of violent extremism.

· In the Plan, the Secretary-General calls for a comprehensive approach, including essential security counter-terrorism measures as well as preventive steps to address the underlying conditions that drive individuals to radicalize and join violent extremist groups.

U.N. DISPATCHES HUMANITARIAN AID TO TOWNS IN SYRIA

· The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian ffairs (OCHA) confirms that the delivery of humanitarian aid to the besieged Syrian towns of Madaya, Foah and Kafraya, which will be followed by a third delivery in the following days.

· This includes 44 trucks to Madaya, and 17 trucks to Foah and Kefraya. Assistance to Zabadani in the coming days is being planned. as well.

· The United Nations is delivering food, health supplies and other items like blankets to complement the initial delivery of humanitarian aid.

10,000TH SYRIAN REFUGEE ARRIVES IN CANADA

· The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) congratulates Canada on the arrival in the country of the 10,000th Syrian refugee as part of its humanitarian programme to admit 25,000 Syrian refugees.

· Reaching such a significant milestone in less than two months after announcing the initiative in early November last year is an important achievement in the programme, which will ultimately give thousands of vulnerable Syrian refugees the opportunity to start a new life in Canada.

· As the resources of the host countries surrounding Syria are being increasingly stretched, the living conditions of the over 4.3 million Syrian refugees in the region are deteriorating.

· UNHCR calls on other states to follow the Canadian example and show solidarity with the refugee hosting countries in the region by giving Syrian refugees legal opportunities to move to another country.

U.N. MISSION IN D. R. CONGO: CRISIS IN BURUNDI PRESENTS NEW RISKS OF INSTABILITY IN SOUTH KIVU

· The Special Representative of the Secretary-General in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Head of the UN Mission in the country, Maman Sidikou, briefed the Security Council today via video.

· He said that the crisis in Burundi has caused new risks of instability in South Kivu, with 13,000 refugees in Uvira territory and a new flow of refugees being reported in the country. The Mission has received worrisome reports of infiltrations by armed elements into this province, he said.

· In the context of the drawdown of the UN Mission in the country, Mr. Sidikou also said there was a window of opportunity to deepen the partnership with the Government, and move towards a common vision and joint approach to addressing security in the East.

· On elections scheduled for November, he warned that they remained a deeply divisive issue, particularly given the continued absence of an agreed electoral calendar or a budget.

LIBYA: U.N. ENVOY URGES SUPPORT FOR NEW SECURITY COMMITTEE

· The Special Representative of the Secretary General for Libya, Martin Kobler, today welcomed the Presidency Council’s decision to establish a Temporary Security Committee to facilitate the implementation of the security arrangements outlined in the Libyan Political Agreement.

· Mr. Kobler urged all Libyans to support and facilitate the work of the Committee, adding that any efforts aimed at hindering the work of these institutions would only contribute to worsening the situation in Libya.