Daily Press Briefing – UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Report on Business Activities Related to Settlements in the oPt (Excerpts)

12 FEBRUARY 2020

The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today’s noon briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

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**Questions and Answers

Question:  Okay.  I’ll start.  So, this is about logistics.  I understand that the Secretary‑General sometimes have issues with travel, but we plebeians, we use companies like Expedia and TripAdvisor and Airbnb for booking our trips.  Does he recommend we stop?

Spokesman:  I think I know where you’re going with this question, Benny.  The list you may be referring to was issued by the High Commissioner for Human Rights following a mandate given to her and her predecessor by the Human Rights Council.  I think any questions having to do with that list should be referred to them.

Question:  So, can we continue, as far as the Secretary‑General, despite that list…?

Spokesman:  I think any questions regarding that list should be referred to her.

Question:  Follow‑up?  The Israeli Government called the publishing of the list shameful.  Do you have any reaction to that?

Spokesman:  Again, this was a list… this was a project mandated by the Member States of the Human Rights Council to the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and she was implementing that mandate.  It’s not for the Secretary‑General to comment further.

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Question:  One follow‑up to my travel questions.  So… I don’t know.  My memory’s a bit hazy on this but… old man.  But, didn’t the [General Assembly] at one point request the Secretary‑General issue a similar list of companies that do business in the… in the territories?  And if so, where is it at?

Spokesman:  Sorry.  There was a nice musical backdrop.  You may be just slightly older than me, Benny, but my memory is also as hazy.  So, we can do some research together.

Correspondent:  Let’s do it.

Spokesman:  Okay.  All right.  On that note, I wish you all an extremely pleasant day.

For information media. Not an official record.