Secretary-General / BRICS Summit, Deputy Secretary-General / Nigeria, Yemen & other topics - Daily Press Briefing

description of the tragic situation there. I'll open the floor to questions. Bisan, yes, please go ahead.

Thank you very much. First, on behalf of the UN Correspondents Association, just wanted to thank you for this briefing. Bisan, I'm a quick with Al Jazeera. Just, I mean, how do you respond to the people that you meet on the road and trying to comfort them when they say, how can we survive at the time where you're facing and you just walked us through all of these challenges that have to do with funding and access, even though that it's improving a little bit in what you just mentioned.

Well, what I can say to them is that I will, you know, WFP is determined and committed to do whatever we can. I personally will do my best to bring attention to the situation and mobilise the resources necessary to deliver our programmes. But I must tell you that the desperation you meet is sometimes hard to manage. I want to again say that, you know, the visit to El Fashir was heavy. I have seen a lot in this job and beyond, but this was quite special. And it just illustrates, you know, what conflict leaves behind. And I think it underlines the urgency of bringing an end to this conflict.

Thank you. Efrim, please go ahead.

Thank you so much, Ms. Skou. This is Efrim Kosseifi from Arab News Daily. Your colleagues at the IOM have also issued a warning today that the entire humanitarian system in Sudan could collapse within weeks if funding does not come on time. How close are we to that scenario from what you've seen? That's my first question. Then I have another one.

I won't be able to speak to the overall funding environment. Denise Brown, the RCH, will have to take those questions. But perhaps we are about a third funded, if I compare to last year. We are hopeful that we can mobilize more. There were certainly more commitments made at the Berlin conference at the start of this year, and so we hope that there is more to come. But it will still be short of what we need. What we also need to do, of course, is then to see what we can mobilize in of development resources, there are, of course, opportunities in areas that are more stable to also invest in resilience. For example, we are expanding our school meals program across areas where schools are back operating. That's an excellent way of not only, you know, bringing kids back to school, but to ensure that they have something to eat. and also, you know, to support local agriculture. So that's one program. We're also looking at how we can improve production of food for small and medium-sized farmers. You know, it may be that the irrigation systems have been destroyed or other ways of getting farmers back on their land. If production goes up like it did last year for wheat, for example, prices can come down and then those who we are supporting with cash in areas like Khartoum get further with their assistance. But, you know, we are now knocking every door. We're banging every table we can. And we will turn every stone to try to find the resources necessary to now tap the opportunities that are there to make sure that we use that space that is there to deliver.

Yes. And, uh, you spoke about the effect of the situation at Bab al-Mandab and Strait of Hormuz on Sudan. Can you explain to us exactly and concretely how is that affecting your work there?

Well, um, you know, all the fertilizer in Sudan came from the Gulf. So in this planting season, there has basically been none, you know, at least very, very little. The farmers that I've spoken to in the past have not had any. So that will have an impact on production, on the harvest in a couple of months from now. There's no doubt about that. Also, energy prices and food prices have shot up as a result. And of course, our operations, we've had disruptions to our shipments, so it takes much longer to bring rise in from India, for example, due to these disruptions. And this was only when we had the issue in the Hormuz. Now with Bab el-Mandeb, you know, things risk getting even worse, given that this is on the Red Sea. I think it's important to really draw attention now to what's happening in Yemen. You know, before going to Sudan, I was in Yemen. I was there because I wanted to draw attention to the risk of the escalation that we're now seeing, now that it's unfolding. It is having a heavy hit on the Yemenis in two ways, I would say. One is that there are now more displacements, and already before, we weren't really able to manage the displacement burden that was already there. We had really cut down in our programs, and we are not able to operate in the north, given that the minimum operating conditions are not there. So it's really hitting hard on the Yemenis in terms of the impact of the conflict. Yemen is also a place that imports 90% of its food. So, you know, it is when when there are disruptions to to the reports, it's really having an impact. But then, of course, also this adds now to the choke points that were already there, the Strait of Hormuz, you know, the the escalation in the Black Sea. And now we have the Bab el Mandeb and the risks related to that. So that is not having an impact only on Sudan. It's certainly all hits a place like Sudan. But it's something that we now see hitting across the world. And so, you know, like I said, what we see at a global level is, on one hand, conflict and that vicious cycle of conflict and hunger driving more people into extreme hunger. We are seeing these three choke points also pushing global hunger. And then, of course, we are frightened what is to come with El Nino. And we are calling, you know, really for preparedness and to take any anticipatory action necessary to prevent that will add further layer of hunger going forward.

Well, let's go to the screen first and then we'll come back to the room. Nabil, can you hear me? Please go ahead.

Yes. Yes, thank you. Thank you, Carl, and I wish you safe travels. I have three questions. First, what do you think could be done in New York to make your work easier or to facilitate the access of humanitarian aid and humanitarian workers? As we know, the Security Council, for example, is deeply divided on Sudan. Do you think that less weapons on both sides of the conflict would be better for your humanitarian work? And two, what do you think could be done also in New York to facilitate the crossing of your envoys and humanitarian envoys in general? through the fighting lines inside the Sudan? And three, what are you preparing for the high-level week in New York? And what do you hope to achieve this month in the high-level week? Thank you.

So, no, thank you for that. I mean, I think, number one, you know, if I start off, I, I, uh, the, the timing of this is not a coincidence. I wanted to be able to bring to New York, to my conversation with leaders, uh, at the events, uh, you know, the direct experience from the, the, the, the front lines in the court of ones and in, into that food, uh, and so that I would be able to, you know, speak with with a lot of credibility on what the situation is like, but also what we are managing to get done when provided the space and the funding to do so. I mean, my appeal number one will clearly be to get an end to this fighting. I mean, there are political processes in the Quad, the National Dialogue. this needs to come together, bring an end to this conflict and provide a path to peace. That will certainly be my number one call. In terms of weapons, this is for the Council to agree upon. I think it's clear that Sudan doesn't need more weapons. What it really needs is food, it's recovery, it is prosperity for the people to rebuild their lives. I think that is clear and I think that's would always be our line in Sudan and everywhere where we are operating. I think on the humanitarian space side, as I said, we are keen to see more cross-line access. We are keen to be able to expand our air service. We are keen to have more presence, permanent presence throughout. But I need to also here recognise that there has been progress. For example, months ago, there were issues around visas, clearances. No, we are now being facilitated to work in a better way. There has been progress and as I said we are reaching almost 5 million people every month and we are working in the most difficult areas including where there is now active fighting in the west and south of Cordovan and in the Blue Nile. So I think you know it is important to balance the picture also because really what's holding us back now is the funding. We want to have better access because it facilitates faster deliveries, it's cheaper deliveries and we can reach more more people. But it's not like we are not making a difference with the conditions that are already there.

And the GAA, the high-level meeting.

As I know that there are, you know, different Sudan meetings being called, we will try to contribute as much as we can with our frontline humanitarian perspectives to that. And I will certainly be raising the importance of Sudan. I mean, this is, as I said, the largest hunger crisis we have. We are the World Food Programme. You know, this is what we need to bring to the attention of world leaders next week.

Thank you. We'll take a couple of more questions from the room. Dulcie, please go ahead.

Hi, Carl. You look awfully calm after your harrowing trip. But I just wanted to ask you, you said that airlift has improved. Do you mean airlift getting WFP getting around Sudan, or are you talking about air drops of food? And General Burhan, does he have any interest in the humanitarian situation of his people? And the agriculture, what are they growing and can they use their own food to try to, you know, subsist? Thank you.

So, I mean, on your first, what I referred to was really that we've opened a humanitarian air service into Khartoum. And, you know, in the past, we were limited to Port Sudan, and it took us a 13, 14-hour ride in cars to get to Khartoum. Now that it's established, it's a permanent, you know, it's a regular feature. We're also opening a line now directly from Khartoum to Nairobi. So that improved access and we've all moved our offices back to Khartoum. WFP was among the first to do so and so our office, we are operating out of Khartoum. What I refer to is that we would like to expand that domestic service into other parts. I think someone counted that I did 58 hours in cars on the roads this week. 58 hours, I don't know if somewhat of a record in a week but you know that just speaks to this is a big country, some roads are not accessible, some roads also are not in great shape and so being able to expand that air service for goods and for people. We're not looking at airdrops, that's not, you know, the size of this crisis is beyond airdrops for the moment. I think also So that's one. The second, I mean, I didn't have the chance to meet the President this time. Maybe I'll do so during UNGA. But all the authorities that I met with, of course, expressed concern about the humanitarian situation. And we are engaging in sometimes difficult but constructive and productive conversation on how our humanitarian space can be further improved. And as I said, there has been progress. That doesn't mean that it's sufficient, but there has been progress, and I think we need to also recognize that. I forgot your last question, sorry.

The agriculture industry, I mean, can these people, you know, use their own farming? There are crops to eat.

Thanks. Yeah, yeah. No, so thank you for that question, because I think that's important as well. I mean, you know, the epicenter of the fighting now is in the West Kordofan, the South Kordofan, and in the Blue Nile. Last year, it was in parts of Darfur, where things have somewhat stabilized. So that's where, when people are newly displaced, where there are massive displacements, there is where we need to provide emergency response, of course. There are other parts where people have been returning. Hartoum is a good example. There is more than a million people returning. But there are returns also in other parts that have stabilized. And there, of course, our support needs to be a different kind that helps people rebuild. Like I said, we are providing school meals now. We are also working to promote livelihood so that people can get back and live by their own means in also more of a normalized and dignified way. But then there are parts that are-- and especially some parts with with important agriculture, like in Kassala and Jazira, where we have been promoting and supporting the reestablishment of also of agriculture. And last year, actually, there was a quite good harvest of wheat, for example, where we were able to do some of our procurements even inside Sudan for the emergency assistance that we were delivering in the Darfur at the time, as a way also of injecting money into the agricultural economy. But because when when production increases, prices come down, availability improves. And so with our cash support in other parts, we are able to get further. And I think that's why I'm so worried about the drought now in the in the Darfur, because that's going to hit hard on small and medium sized farmers, which is, you know, a large part of what's keeping people going at the moment. But it's also going to have a hit on on farming across. especially if this coincides also now with the lack of fertilizer. And so if production comes down, availability will come down, prices will go up, and those who are already struggling and spending all their money on food, you know, will be eating less.

Thank you, Carl. We'll take one final question. Mona, please go ahead.

Thank you very much, sir. My name is. I'm with. I have two questions, please. First on nutrition and hunger, if you could please give us information on what exactly are children receiving through WFP assistance, are they getting a complete and diverse diet, meaning protein, veggies, fruits, or is the assistance primarily meeting only the minimum caloric needs? That's the first question, and then I'll the second one later.

No, but so the basic food assistance that we are providing and the cash support is, you know, that's the basics. It's oil, beans, some rice, maybe some sorghum, basic food commodities. But then, of course, you know, we are together with UNICEF supporting thousands of health clinics across that is also helping children who are malnourished. You know, we work on the prevention side, We work with those who are moderately malnourished and then those who need treatment are supported by the UNICEF programs. I visited some of those clinics in the IDP camps, you know, some 90% of the children that come to those health clinics are malnourished and, you know, and their mothers who are breastfeeding, you could tell also are malnourished. And so they are then supported with these nutrition supplemental commodities that they do for a month, and they come back and check. And if things have improved, they may be phased out, or if things are still serious, they need to continue. And then there is the health aspect of this that UNICEF is supporting.

Okay. Do you want to do one short follow-up, because we have to wrap up. Mr. Skow has to leave. Yes, please, go ahead.

Just one more, please. Is WFP doing any kind of research to evaluate how the lack of nutrition is affecting children's cognitive abilities in school and their academic performance or no?

In Sudan specifically, not that I'm aware, but of course, there is a lot of studies done on this, and we know that you know, malnutrition among children impacts their health and capacity throughout life. That's why it's so important that that is prevented and when detected, quickly treated and dealt with. And so clearly there is a big challenge in Sudan with children now having been out of school first due to COVID, but then more than three years of war. And so UNICEF and other partners are doing a heroic work on now is supporting efforts to bring kids back to school. And as I said, only in Khartoum area, there are more than a million children who are now returning to school. And we are doing our best to support that by then providing them a meal a day at those schools. And that's something that we would like to expand even further should the funding be available.

I'd like to thank Mr. Koskowsky, the acting executive director of the World Food Program. Thank you so much for being with us and thanks for everybody for being here. Thank you.

Thank you. And thank you for paying attention. And please pass on the message. We need more attention. We need more action to this situation.

Thank you. Farhan will be with you soon. Thank you so much.

development's report on the launch of the latest edition of the sending money home report and its key findings. And a reminder that the Secretary General will give a press conference ahead of this year's General Assembly session, and that will be at 11 a.m. on Wednesday in this room. The Secretary General will be arriving soon in New York after leaving the BRICS summit in New Delhi late Sunday. The Secretary General told the 18th BRICS Summit yesterday, the global institutions must be reshaped to reflect today's economic, demographic, and geopolitical realities as the world moves irreversibly towards multipolarity. He called for reform of the United Nations Security Council, the Bretton Woods system, and the international financial architecture, and he urged greater influence for developing countries, stronger multilateral development banks, expanded concessional financing, and effective debt relief. Our institutional structures must reflect the realities of today, he said, stressing that a more representative multilateral system is essential to inclusive global growth. The Secretary-General also called for equitable access to artificial intelligence, accelerated climate action, and renewed respect for international law amid conflicts from Gaza and the wider Middle East to Ukraine and Sudan. On climate, he pressed countries to speed the transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy, scale up finance for developing nations, and protect communities from worsening impacts, adding that critical minerals must generate value and jobs in producing countries, and saying, "Enough plundering." On Friday evening, upon his arrival in India, the Secretary-General had a bilateral meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in which they discussed the priorities of India's presidency of the BRICS, including the need for multilateral institutions that clearly reflect the realities of the world in the 21st century. On Saturday, the Secretary-General met with President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi of Egypt. The Secretary-General and President Sisi discussed global developments, including the situation in the broader Middle East and Ukraine and their global impact. The Secretary-General and the President discussed in detail the situation in Gaza and in the West Bank, and reaffirmed the right of self-determination of the Palestinian people. At the summit, the Secretary-General also spoke with President Prabowo Subianto of Indonesia, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim of Malaysia, and the President of the International Solar Alliance, Ashish Khanna. Over the weekend, our Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, concluded a trip to Nigeria, which included visits to Ogun and Imo States, where she commended both governments for advancing inclusive development, women's empowerment, healthcare, youth innovation, and digital transformation aligned with the sustainable development goals. Accompanied by some country team members, she met former president Olusegun Obasanjo, as well as the governors of both states. In Ogun state, she engaged with beneficiaries of the World Bank supported Nigeria for Women program. While in Imo state, she met young innovators developing technology solutions such as AI applications, drones, e-commerce platforms, and e-governance tools. On Sunday, she traveled to Lagos for an Africa Diaspora Leadership Program before heading to South Africa for a meeting of the Africa Expert Panel, focused on advancing Africa's development priorities and strengthening the continent's voice in the global economic system. She will return to New York tomorrow. Thanks. Turning to Yemen, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warns that hostilities are forcing people to flee their homes, driving civilian casualties and putting already stretched humanitarian operations under growing pressure. At least 18,000 households, or 125,000 people, have been displaced since the start of the month. The toll on civilians is increasing. Between September 1st and today, our colleagues at the UN Human Rights Office have verified 40 civilian casualties, eight people killed and 32 others injured. Women and children account for half of those killed and more than half of those injured. We and our humanitarian partners continue to respond despite extremely difficult operating conditions. As of September 12, they have provided aid to thousands of households, but supplies are critically low and funding is falling short of needs. Humanitarian access and movement remain severely constrained due to insecurity. Humanitarian movements into and within several locations on the west coast remain suspended. while key roads are restricted or impassable. We call on all parties to protect civilians, respect international humanitarian law, and facilitate safe and unimpeded humanitarian access so that urgently needed assistance can reach communities in need. And in Djibouti, our teams are working closely with the government in response to the arrival of people fleeing the latest escalation of conflict in Yemen. As of this morning, approximately 2,300 people have fled, have arrived in the Obock region in northern Djibouti on the Red Sea coast facing Yemen. Registration is continuing and further arrivals are expected. New arrivals are being received at the Markazi refugee site, where national authorities and UN partners are providing immediate assistance, including food, water, shelter, and other essential support. Our resident coordinator in Djibouti, Jose Barahona, visited Obok over the weekend with representatives of the UN Refugee Agency, the International Organization for Migration, and the World Food Programme to assess the situation and urgent needs directly. Local authorities and humanitarian teams are working around the clock, but existing capacities are under significant pressure. Additional resources are urgently needed as arrivals continue. Turning to the occupied Palestinian territory. the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, says it remains deeply concerned by reports that civilians are being killed and injured by military strikes hitting populated areas across the Gaza Strip. UNICEF said yesterday that nine children were reportedly killed or died from their injuries over the previous week, including two sisters aged six and 12, and four other children between the ages of three and 14. The agency said that a pregnant mother and her unborn baby were also reportedly killed by gunfire, At least 13 children were reportedly injured. Our safety and security partners report that military operations continued across all parts of Gaza over the weekend, particularly west of the so-called Yellow Line. This included airstrikes, shelling, gunfire, and naval fire. We reiterate that civilians and civilian infrastructure, including humanitarians and their supplies and property, must always be protected. Meanwhile, our humanitarian partners warned that the power supply for central services remains extremely vulnerable to ongoing restrictions on engine oil and spare parts, combined with funding shortfalls for fuel. Water pumping, desalination plants, health services, and food distributions all rely on backup generators and transportation. According to information collected through the UN 2720 mechanism, Since March, Israeli authorities have approved the entry into Gaza of some 13,500 liters of engine oil, while more than 92,000 liters are still pending approval. That's quite a lot more. These figures do not include engine oil for bakeries. Without urgent approvals for engine oil and spare parts, people's access to safe water could worsen even further. Sewer systems could fail if pumping systems shut down, and uncollected waste could build up again. The UN and our partners continue to buy, import, and deliver fuel to power critical facilities. But fuel is expensive, including due to taxes, while funding for it remains extremely limited. Turning to Lebanon, our peacekeepers at the UN Interim Force continue to observe Israel Defense Forces activity inside Lebanese territory, on land, in the air, and at sea. Of particular concern is the continued use of explosive-filled jerry cans. Between Thursday and Sunday, peacekeepers observed IDF drones dropping jerricans in the vicinity of Al-Mansouri, all subsequently detonated, with at least nine explosions triggered on Saturday alone. UNIFIL also continues to record numerous violations of Lebanese airspace by the IDF, predominantly involving drones, as well as flights by fighter aircraft and, on one occasion, a helicopter. Between Thursday and Sunday, at least 32 airstrikes were recorded within UNIFIL's area of operations. Peacekeepers also continue to observe extensive IDF artillery activity, tactical troop deployments, engineering operations, position maintenance, and vehicular movements across both sectors. At sea, UNIFIL observed IDF patrol boats operating inside Lebanese territorial waters off Nakoura on each day between Thursday and Sunday. Impediments to UNIFIL's freedom of movement also continue. On Sunday, IDF personnel stopped a UNIFIL patrol northeast of Kfar Shuba for two hours. We reiterate that peacekeepers must be able to conduct their mandated activities throughout the area of operations in full freedom of movement and without obstruction. And despite the security situation, UNIFIL continues to support humanitarian efforts. On Thursday and Friday, the mission facilitated 16 humanitarian missions through its liaison branch in coordination with OCHA, all in Sector West. Turning to Sudan, where our colleagues at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs warned that drone strikes and other hostilities continue to endanger civilians and drive people from their homes across the Darfur and Kordofan regions and Blue Nile State. In Blue Nile State, multiple drone strikes were reported yesterday against fuel stations and other critical infrastructure in the state capital, with civilian casualties reported. That comes amid continuing displacement across the state. with the International Organization for Migration estimating that insecurity displaced nearly 100,000 people across Blue Nile between January and August, an increase of about 66% since late May. In North Darfur State, drone strikes yesterday reportedly hit multiple locations in Atina, on the border with Chad. Elsewhere in the state, IOM reports that nearly 1,200 people were displaced from two villages in El Fasher between the 10th and 13th of September. More than 1,200 others were also displaced from villages in Umbaru over the past week, with most reportedly crossing into Chad. In West Darfur State, drone attacks reported in several locations on Saturday. According to local sources, a drone struck a fuel market in a town west of the state capital, while two other towns were also reportedly hit, with casualties reported. Across the Kordofan region, continued insecurity is driving displacement and disrupting humanitarian operations. In South Kordofan, More than 7,000 people have reportedly arrived in Abassia town from surrounding villages in recent weeks. And in North Kordofan, displaced people continue to arrive in the state capital, El Obeid, where Al Mina Al Bari camp is hosting about 9,000 families, putting more pressure on already overcrowded sites and basic services. We once again call on all parties to the conflict to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure and to allow rapid, safe, unhindered, and sustained humanitarian access to all those in need in Sudan. From Ukraine, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tells us that hostilities over the weekend and this morning continue to take a heavy toll on civilians across the country, with several people killed and injured. The heaviest impact was reported in the east and south, where waves of attacks across the Donetsk, Kherson, Mykolaiv, and Odesa regions caused multiple casualties and damaged homes, hospitals, warehouses, administrative and industrial facilities. Damage to shops, farms, pipelines and ambulances were also reported. And today, in the city of Kherson, two health workers were injured as their ambulance was hit by a strike. Local and international humanitarian organizations, with support from UN agencies, provided immediate support, including emergency shelter materials, psychological assistance and hot meals. They also registered people for humanitarian cash assistance. This morning, the Secretary-General gave a message at the opening of the 70th regular session of the International Atomic Energy Agency General Conference, which is taking place in Vienna. In a message delivered by Monica Juma, Director-General of the UN Office at Vienna, The Secretary-General said that as the custodian of the safeguards system, the IAEA reinforces our common security against the proliferation of nuclear weapons. He noted that recent developments regarding safeguards implementation in the Syrian Arab Republic reflect the indispensable, technical, and impartial role of the Agency, and the importance of the full support of Member States. Yet, the Secretary-General said, there is no denying that this General Conference comes at a moment of profound global turbulence and uncertainty. More than ever, he stressed, our world needs the IAEA's professionalism, impartiality, and technical excellence, and we need Member States to stand with the IAEA as the Agency carries out its vital work. His message is available online. Today, the Secretary-General also addressed the Third Review Conference of the States Parties to the Convention on Cluster Munitions, which is taking place in Vientiane, in the Lao People's Democratic Republic, in a message delivered by Armida Salsi, Alis Jabana, Executive Secretary of the UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, the Secretary-General stressed that cluster munitions have no place in our world. He noted that they kill and injure civilians indiscriminately, and their consequences haunt people and communities for generations. The Secretary-General said that he deeply regrets reports that some countries have reincorporated these weapons into their arsenals. He urged all States Parties to continue fully implementing their obligations and encourage states that have not joined the convention to do so without delay. His message is available online. Today, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, called on states and companies developing artificial intelligence systems to take urgent, meaningful action to ensure that AI governance keeps pace with the technology's rapid development and its risks to human rights. In an open letter, the High Commissioner warned that AI-related harms are already affecting privacy, access to essential services, the integrity of public debate, and the functioning of democratic institutions. He also cautioned that failures involving increasingly autonomous AI systems could disrupt critical infrastructure and accelerate the pace and reach of warfare. And last, we have a quiz for you today, which means more money. This country is the largest landlocked country in Africa. And the country's most iconic traditional musical instrument is the kakaki, a long metal wind instrument, which typically measures three to four meters in length and produces a loud booming sound and is typically used in traditional ceremonies. Any guesses? Huh, what did you say? Yes, you're absolutely right. It is Chad. Good job. We say thanks to our friends in N'Djamena for their full payment to the regular budget. And Chad's payment brings the number of fully paid up member states to 138. Since you got the answer right, you get the first question. Okay. All right. He defers to you. Edie.

Thank you, Farhan. First, does the Secretary General have any comment on the major artificial intelligence tech chiefs asking for a pause on AI development before it gets away from human controls?

Well, I mean, these are concerns that the Secretary General has said. The Secretary General has stressed many times, including at the BRICS summit, that the technology that will shape the future of humanity must be shaped by all humanity and cannot be governed by a handful of countries or a handful of companies. The Secretary General warns that unchecked, the AI divide will widen every other divide, including in income, opportunity, security, and sovereignty. And the United Nations is helping to advance global discussions on artificial intelligence through the independent international scientific panel on AI and the global dialogue on AI governance. And of course, you've also seen what, as I just pointed out, what Volker Turk had to say about his concerns about the potential impact that AI has on basic human rights.

Okay. We know there's gonna be a major AI event during the high level week. Do you expect that the Secretary General is going to raise this specific issue of calling for a pause on AI development?

Well, we'll we'll leave the Secretary General to make his announcements to the member states as it comes up. I think you can expect that the Secretary-General will bring up AI in his remarks to the General Assembly next week, and I expect he may also talk about it a little bit when he talks to you this Wednesday.

And on the BRICS summit, did the Secretary-General ask to have meetings with either the Russian or the Chinese presidents?

I don't believe that any meeting was possible. We've told you about the various meetings he's had. And of course, he will seize any opportunity that he can to meet with those leaders once that's possible. Yes, please.

Thank you, Mr. Farahon. Mr. Farahon, do you have any information regarding the issuance of visas for Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and accompanying delegation with him coming next week to the United Nations?

At this stage, I haven't heard about this one way or the other. Obviously, we want to make sure that the host country fulfills its obligations to allow all those expecting to attend the General Assembly to be able to do so.

But the Iranian -- the Iranian as of today, they haven't been received the visas and denied by Americans.

Obviously, if they have concerns about that, we would once again stress upon the host country their obligation under the host country agreement to allow for visas for all those leaders who are attending the General Assembly session to be able to do so. Yes, please.

Fellowship Program, representing Silk Way TV channel of Kazakhstan. Just a little follow-up on the BRICS Summit in India, where the Secretary General attended and spoke at the high-level panel. Given the unique representation within these organizations, these countries such as Russia, China, and Iran as members, What is the Secretary-General's take generally on BRICS' role in an increasingly changing world and its ambition to become a stronger voice for the Global South? Thank you.

Well, BRICS has been a very vital force for multilateral responses to the situations the world has faced. The Secretary General made that very clear when he spoke at the BRICS summit yesterday. He appreciates the contributions that BRICS has made. And of course, he did discuss that with the leaders he met with, including with the Indian Prime Minister, who currently presides over BRICS. Yes, please, the back.

Thanks, Farhan. President Trump said that the world diesel price has mostly caused, mostly rise because of Russia-Ukraine war, not Iran. And after that, he said that Russia and Ukraine has agreed not to hit each other's energy target. Do you agree with President Trump's assessment on diesel prices rise? And do you welcome Russia-Ukraine halt strikes?

Well, those are two separate issues. On the one hand, Obviously, there are many different causes of the rise in oil prices, including, as you know, not just what's happening in Ukraine and Russia, but also the situation in the wider Middle East. And so oil and diesel prices have been rising as a result of all of that. Obviously, anything that improves the situation between the Russian Federation and Ukraine would be welcome. So we are hoping for any signs of de-escalation in that conflict. Yes, Linda, and then Nathan.

Thank you, Farhan. Apropos of the Secretary General, is there anything you can share with us in terms of leaders he will be meeting? I mean, obviously, President Trump. In any kind of special.

We will be providing you with dozens of readouts of the various meetings. So you'll get to those, the photos, and the various appointments. And we'll try to give you a program of some of next week's meetings closer to the end of this week once it's clear what the schedule will be. Yes, Nathan.

Okay, thank you so much. So my question, I'm sorry, I'm Nathan Goma and I'm a DAK fellow also. So my question is on AI and privacy. So from where I come from, I'm from Zimbabwe and there's a trend of governments, not only in Zimbabwe, but also in Africa, who have been signing, who've been signing deals with international companies. For example, there's GVG. which has been helping those governments, say, with biometrics and also the electoral processes, which has led to outcry from civic society in terms of privacy, which has raised privacy concerns. So my question is, what's the UN's position on governments signing treaties or deals with those companies without even going to tender, which is in return raising privacy concerns.

The Secretary General has made clear that he wants an equitable system for the sharing of AI. Obviously, these are among the many issues to be discussed by member states. And like I said, what we're trying to do through our independent international scientific panel on AI and the global dialogue on AI, we want to bring evidence-based expertise into this discussion so that all member states can be part of the conversation about how the AI technology, which is transformative, can be governed for the benefit of all. And that is what our priority is. Yes, Sinan.

Thank you, Farhan. I have a question regarding the high-level visa. I wonder if SG office has received any visa complaints from any member countries. And if yes, if you can give us names of which countries?

I believe that different countries are raising their concerns right now. As I told your colleague, what we want to do is make sure that the host country does abide by all of its obligations under the host country agreement and we'll follow up as necessary.

If you don't mind, can we follow up? Like, did they reach out to SG's office? If yes, which countries and what they are saying?

This is a process that happens every year, and different countries reach out at various different levels. I can't confirm specific requests at this point, but what I can say is that, as with other years, we do receive this, and we do take up the matter with our counterparts on the host country. All right, and now I will get our guest. One second, please. Okay, great. Yeah, if you have any slides or anything that you want to present, please. So we're very pleased to have with us today, on my left, Pedro de Vasconcelos, the Financing Facility for Remittances Manager of the International Fund for Agricultural Development, or IFAD. And he will talk to you about the Sending Money Home report that IFAD has put out. Mr. Vasconcelos, welcome.

It is here, right?

Yeah, back.

Good afternoon, and thank you for the opportunity to present this report, as mentioned, Sending Money Home, a flagship that IFAD presents each decade. This report is about financial flows of extraordinary scale, but more importantly, it is about families. Remittances are an expression of family responsibility, sacrifice, solidarity across borders. As you can see today, approximately 220 million people, migrants and diaspora members, send money home, supporting over 1.1 billion people in low and middle income countries. The The connection that binds these people between senders and receiving adds to over 1.3 billion people. That's one out of six people involved in this mechanism. What is interesting, of course, for us is not only the scale of these flows, but as you can see, migrants around the globe have sent 728 billion or 729 billion dollars in remittances to their families. And they've done that 300, 400 dollars at a time, nine to 10 times a year. And this is definitely one of the world's largest and most resilient source of household income, as you can see. This has duplicated in the last decade, since the latest report in 2006 was released. For IFAD, one of the, the key important aspect, I think, as well, is, uh, what has changed over the last 10 years, and as you can see, this is a global phenomenon, every continent in the planet is, is affected by this. When you start looking at this flows, what you realize is that this dwarfs many others, like ODA and FDI. Many times combined, this is still a smaller figure than what migrants do in support of their loved ones back home. So one comparison in particularly striking over these last 10 years, over the past decade, is that the population of these countries has increased by 10%. migration 28, but remittance flows by 94. The result is very clear for us is that migrants have sent more money home than they used to. There are several factors to that. Of course, this is not adjusted for inflation, but the cost of living has increased. And every survey that we have done showcases that more money is sent by migrants each time to their families. simply the growth was not just simply done by migration, but again, by the fact that migrants on average sending more money. For EFAID, one particular aspect is striking, is that one in, I don't know, one in every, no, I don't know.

Here, try this.

One in every, can you hear me well? No. I'll try again. Hello? It's working? Okay. That one in every, uh, $3 reaches rural areas in low and middle income country. That's equal to 233 billion. I know we're talking about billions and, and millions, but, uh, you have to have into account what these figures, uh, mean. are just as a matter of comparison from from this year to the end of the decade, it is estimated that migrants will send $3.6 trillion in remittances. This is how constant these flows have been. But again, rural areas, one of $3 reaching and for most of this, what do they this flow do? They sustain households, local businesses, agriculture, entrepreneurship. and of course also employment. And for remittance families, what we've seen is that some of these flows are also invested in agri-food system. We've calculated this to be around $22 billion just in agri-food businesses, system, sorry. So many of these families remain among the least well-served by financial institutions in the world. This is for rural families receiving these, these flows, and this represent both, of course, a development challenge, but also our market opportunity, the fact that not being served, and I will explain in a, in a, in a, in a second, uh, when we look at the market, uh, we've been talking a lot about digitalization, uh, over the last years, as you know, and the remittances market has been affected by that. It's been changing rapidly. More than half of global remittance values now start digitally, which was definitely not the case 10 years ago. But still, we are not there because 35% of the service measure are fully digital from end to end, so there's still a lot of opportunity. That, in other words, means that a transfer today might start in a smartphone here in New York or in Paris and still end with a family member standing in a cash queue to receive this money, and many times in rural areas, still have to do many kilometers to go to the cash queue. So that matters because fully digital services are much lower in cost. It says on the average 4.6% is the cost of sending digitally compared to 7.3 for non-digital services and the global average being in the middle at 6.4. So this is still above the sustainable development goal target of 3%. So there's still a lot of improvement that can be done, but technology is really can help, but it's not enough. We need to think about interoperability, proportionate regulation, reliable last mile access to determine whether families actually receive more of their money faster and safely. This brings us to the central proposition of this report as well, that remittances are already a vital lifeline. The opportunity is to connect that regular flow voluntarily and safely with greater choices. What do I mean by that? Savings, credit, insurance, investment. These are the things that can turn remittances and family much more resilient. We are not suggesting that remittances should be turned into investments or telling families how to use their money. These are private flows. These are resources that for immediate needs, and these should definitely come first. The objective is to expand the choices available to families. This is the central objective. We know this can work in IFAD. We've done this in many projects, small projects to prove many of those with the private sector. In the Gambia, for instance, just to mention one, we've partnered with a fintech company. And from that very small project, we were able to open almost 13,000 microfinance accounts for those receiving remittances. From that, the services that were linked allow us to generate over 1.4 million in savings for those families that were saving zero before it. And for 400,000 people, these wallets that were created were able to mobilize over 135 million digitally. and remittances. So the transformation is there. This is not a theory. This happened yet not enough. The private sector is still not seeing that opportunity. Governments are not really seeing still much of that opportunity that they could promote through financial inclusion strategies, for instance, just to name a few. So the wider message is simple. Remittances can help families move from coping to the next shock, as we know, towards building greater resilience and opportunity. But they cannot substitute, and I would to emphasize that for public investment, social protection, humanitarian assistance, or climate finance. They contribute to that, but they should definitely not be substituted because it is not the same thing. So the commitment of migrants and their families is already evident. I think the figures showcase this evidently. The question is if the institutions are market around them. can match that commitment by making transfers more affordable, more accessible, and more useful to the families who depend on that. And if we do, and we're in doing so, we'll be able to offer millions of families the option to turn migration into, as we say, choice rather than a necessity. Thank you.

Thank you very much for that great and detailed briefing. I'll now turn the floor over for questions. First question goes to Edie.

Thank you very much on behalf of the United Nations Correspondents Association for doing this briefing. My name is Edith Lederer from the Associated Press. I have two questions. First, what impact do you see on remittances of the basically crackdown on migration in both the United States and in Europe, two major continents for migrants to work? And secondly, can you tell us a little bit about the survey that produced these results? Sure. Thank you.

Should I answer directly the first one? Yes. Well, the figures right now do not show actually a reduction in remittances. I think what you referred to addresses specifically a set of migrants abroad, but the figures from which this that supports this study collected from the World Bank, IMF, and national central banks and their institutions do not reflect a massive reduction in flows. But this is also due to the fact that we've been seeing actually some flows, some totals increase, notably for Latin America. The reality behind that is that this is family driven. So the needs of the families is the first one that it is addressed. So it can be crisis, it can be sanctions. The objective for millions of families is to support their loved ones back home. So if that involves sending more, tap into their savings, they will do so. We've seen this time and time and again during any type of crisis you could throw at it. being political, being health crisis or migration crisis. So in response, we have not seen a major reduction in remittances flows. As I mentioned, these have doubled since the last year. They have continued as a normal average of 8% to 10% a year. And of course, you might see in some specific corridors, but in general, that is not being yet reflected in this flows. There's always a delay also that you need to take into account. We see this from crisis. For instance, the one in the Gulf countries, we have not seen yet the data or evidence in the data showcasing that there's a reduction as of yet.

Rambo.

Yes, thank you so much. I have two questions. This is Namo Abdullah with Rudaw Media Network. So this report talks about just the traditional money transfer through, let's say, Western Union and other money gram and those companies. Or, I mean, there is no way to include cryptocurrencies, for example, right? Because I assume that many people use crypto and send money via crypto, which I, that's the, it should be a lot higher than what I'm saying that your reports are just, am I correct here? And secondly, like a lot of people in the developing world consider migration a brain drain because their engineers, their doctors, their people leave. Does your report suggest that it's not as simple as that? There's a gain actually for those countries from the fact that their people leave, they send money back and they help their economies afloat? Thank you.

Sure. Stablecoins or cryptocurrencies, we've looked into that, and I will invite you in the report to look into that. This is certainly a technology that can support, particularly in the settlement. What we are now seeing is a huge phenomenon about migrants using cryptocurrencies that are cashed out on the other side, or the expression of through e-wallets. What we're seeing more and more, and there's several corridors that have that, is more between companies, and therefore in the back office, if I may say so, in the settlement. So where the migrant themselves and their families will not see the difference, in a way, they can be in a wallet, but the settlement is being And this is actually calculated. So in the accounts, in what is considered remittances, takes into account that. Of course, it's not an exact science. There's a definition for what remittances are, but some of that might be some payments. Every remittance figure should always be taken with some caution as to know, but if there's one word that can be a dread or a link to that is underestimate. Taming and again, and this report looks at it in a very conservative way in the underestimating those flows. Towards your second question about the cost of migration, Yes, there is always, there's positives and adverse effects in relation to migration and as you mentioned, brain drain. IFAD is not a migration related institution. We're looking about how this flows impact particularly rural areas. And of course, what we see is that from the perspective of those that receive the funds, 1.1 billion people affected in receiving in this flows. What they need is, again, is more options. Sending money home has a very profound word in it, home, that I think for all humankind means something very, very, very warm and specific. This is where we want to go. So leaving home is always a difficult act. But if you have to do it to support the loved ones, you will do it. And this is the reality that we see globally. So brain drain obviously exists everywhere among low and middle income countries as well as high income countries when the benefits might be greater. And it's, of course, a choice, an individual choice. What we're trying to see is to, again, minimize the effects that push people to migrate from rural areas, for instance. This is what we're trying to look. And by linking it, again, with opportunities such as credit, savings, investment, and so on, you can still promote that migration, again, remains more of a choice, if you wish so, rather than a necessity, where migration is the only option available. to go from a rural area to an urban area and sometimes bypass that urban area and go abroad. This is the reality that millions of families are facing. Can we, through what created, what was created by this lack of opportunities, remittances, can these actually create the conditions to actually curtail that outcome. And what we see is that, yes, it is possible through a simple equation. Again, give me more options and I will consider them. And this is as simple as that and million decisions that can be made by remittance families if provided with those options.

Munah.

Sorry. Thank you very much, sir, for the briefing. My name is Muna Awtul. I'm with Al Quds Al Arabi. I have a specific question regarding the central and focal point of the report. And correct me if I'm wrong. I think you mentioned that the central point is an initiative that help families use the money they receive for investment through a partnership with, I think you mentioned a financial institution. So could you just elaborate and tell us a little bit more about how that works and what kind of support families are getting? And secondly, you mentioned that the private sector is still not fully reaching this opportunity. What would it take to expand access to things like microfinance for these families? And thank you so much.

Definitely. Remittances are a lifeline, already doing a lot. If you try to remove them, you will see what this does. And I think we all got the notion of that during the COVID-19 crisis, where remittances traditionally put money on the counter that was transferred to the other country and received in cash, where that service was not possible anymore. The Secretary-General's fair words in the COVID-19 were, I believe, regarding remittances. We need to make sure that these continue because millions of people depend on them. This is just to give you the notion of what these are. Can we maximize this? Everybody's attracted by the big flows, the billions and the trillions, but this is private flows. Again, I would hate to tell you what to do with your money or made you do it, but I can always give you more options and suggestions on how your money can, you know, bigger bang for the buck, if I may use that expression. And this is, in other words, what should be done. International organizations like IFAD are trying to create the right conditions to provide, to bring those options, examples. Many are involved, the public sector and the private sector. The public sector needs to put the regulations in place to make sure that in the right enabling environment, safe secure is provided. So these flows can only be there, transferred faster and cheaper, but also be linked with other financial inclusion products, savings, credit, insurance. These are the basic ones. If you include it in your financial inclusion strategy as a central bank, you're going to incentivize the private sector to maybe develop some products linked to that. And this takes me to the private sector, the same thing. Is there money to be made in rural areas? Yes. Can you be pro-poor, pro-profit? Two very different words in the same sentence. Yes, the answer is yes. There's a market opportunity right now here that allows basically in providing greater services for people that don't have them right now and be sustainable, profitable. And this is therefore why I mentioned a market opportunity. It's a development challenge, but it is also a market opportunity. So many are doing that, are starting to make that, but the scale is not being reached. as of yet, but digitalization has brought a lot of new players in the ecosystem to allow this. We see this across the globe. Some are going faster than others, obviously, but we see that, for instance, in Northern Africa, we're seeing more in this. I'm just thinking about Morocco, for instance, right now, where there's a great push towards digitalization that is really making this linkage with financial services a reality. And it's a reality, a life-changing reality for millions of families that receive these funds. And again, once they have this resilience in place, then you can look at migration as just really an option rather than, again, than a necessity.

I see no further questions. Are there any questions online? If not, I'd like once more to thank our guest, Pedro de Vasconcelos. Thanks very much for your briefing and for your report. Have a great afternoon, everyone.

My pleasure. Thank you so much. Thanks.