Secretary-General/COP30, Ukraine, Occupied Palestinian Territory & other topics - Daily Press Briefing

All right. Good afternoon. Today the Secretary General is continuing to be in Belem where as you know, he is attending the COP30 summit. This morning he participated in a European Union coordinated meeting and also met with the ministers of a group of African nations. Also this morning, in a meeting with representatives of civil society, the Secretary General thanked civil society for its leadership, vigilance and moral clarity, noting that their work is indispensable in driving ambition as well as protecting communities and holding decision makers to account.

Later on, in a meeting with indigenous peoples, the Secretary General underscored that the ancestral wisdom, knowledge and stewardship of indigenous peoples are vital for the planet's survival. He said their voices and effective participation must shape the global response to the climate crisis. And this afternoon and tomorrow morning he will continue meeting with other negotiators and ministers in different groups. He's expected to speak to the Media Tomorrow at 11am Belem time, which is about 9am in the morning here in New York and that will be webcast. Also to flag that, yesterday afternoon, apart from engaging with youth representatives, Mr. Guterres met with the so called umbrella group which is formed by a diverse group of non EU developed country.

He also had a bilateral meeting with the Minister of Climate and Energy and Utilities of Denmark, Lars Egghard Mohler and the European Union Commissioner for Climate net zero and Clean Growth, Wupke Hextra. Turning to Ukraine, I can tell you that the Secretary General strongly condemns the latest overnight missile and drone attacks by the Russian Federation on several Ukrainian regions that reportedly killed at least 25 people, including children, and injured several dozen others in two residential areas in Ternopil in Western Ukraine. Attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure violate international humanitarian law. They are unacceptable wherever they occur and they must end immediately. Today's appalling attack, one of the deadliest against civilians since Russia's full scale invasion nearly four years ago, once again underlines the urgency of a full and unconditional ceasefire in this conflict as a first step towards a just, comprehensive and sustainable peace that fully upholds Ukraine's sovereignty, its independence and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders.

In line with United Nations Charter, international law and relevant resolutions of the United Nations. Our Under Secretary General for Political and peace building affairs, Rosemary decarlo is in Ukraine. She is in Kyiv to and she said that she herself was appalled by the overnight attacks. Ms. DeCarlo is wrapping up a three day visit to Ukraine and today she met with the Deputy Prime Minister Taras Koschka and Foreign Minister Andrei Sibiha. The discussion centered on how the United nations can further support efforts towards a just and lasting peace in Ukraine and assist the country in addressing its.

And further support efforts toward just and lasting peace in Ukraine and assist Ukraine in addressing its complex needs. Amidst the war, Under Secretary General said that strengthening recovery, social cohesion and the role of women in public life remains shared priorities. She also addressed the 4th International Food Summit in Kyiv today, highlighting the war's devastating impact on the global food supply and our own efforts to advocate for safe navigation in the Black Sea. The full remarks are available on the website of the Department of Political and Peace Building Affairs. For his part, our Humanitarian Coordinator for Ukraine, Matthias Shmale, also strongly condemned the latest wave of attacks overnight, and his statement is online Turning to the situation in Gaza, our colleagues with the Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian affairs warn that humanitarian situation remains extremely dire despite ongoing efforts by ourselves and our partners to reach people in need wherever they may be, we continue to carry out assessments and provide assistance to families impacted by the rainstorm that hit Gaza last week.

According to the latest estimate, over 18,600 households were impacted and thousands of people lost their shelters, had their belongings damaged or were displaced yet again. This number continues to increase as partners complete additional assessments to gauge the extent of the damage caused by the storm. With winter drawing near, our partners working on shelter warn that the volume of items entering Gaza is not sufficient sufficient to meet the immense needs of the people there. Since the start of September, when shelter supplies were allowed to enter Gaza again following a six month ban, we and our partners and member states have been able to bring in fewer than 60,000 tents, 346,000 tarpaulins and 309,000 bedding items. This is at a time where hundreds of thousands of people require urgent shelter support, especially given the approaching winter.

As part of the ongoing winterization response, our partners focusing on child protection have distributed 48,000 children's winter clothing kits across Gaza since the ceasefire took effect. Meanwhile, our partners leading on water and sanitation report that in the past two days they've managed to distribute diapers, towels, jerry cans and other critical items to meet the hygiene needs of some 400,000 people. However, they warn that sanitation hygiene conditions in Gaza are deplorable, with no wastewater treatment capacity in the Strip due to widespread destruction of infrastructure. After two years of conflict in northern Gaza, the Sheikh Radwan ponds in Jabalya are once again at risk of overflowing, with partners only able to provide short term solutions by draining the structure sewage into the sea. The dilapidated state of Gaza sanitation system puts public health at risk, including by raising the threat of bacterial infections spreading contact with contaminated water or waste.

Meanwhile, our partners working on nutrition note that gradual decline in the number of patients admitted for malnutrition treatment over the past two months, with about 9,200 cases admitted in October October compared to over 11,740 in September. However, last month's numbers are nearly four times higher than what they were in January during the previous ceasefire. OCHA continues to call for items that are currently restricted from entry into Gaza, including equipment to rehabilitate a critical infrastructure to be allowed into the Strip. They also reiterate the need for NGOs to be permitted to bring in assistance into Gaza and for the opening of additional crossings into en routes inside Gaza to enable us and our partners to reach people in need in a faster and more efficient manner. Turning to Syria this morning the Security Council held a meeting on Syria.

They heard from Najat Rushdie, the Deputy spoke special envoy. She briefed via videoconference from Oslo, where she's attending senior officials meeting on Syria hosted by the European Union and Norway. She said her recent visits to Damascus, including talks with Foreign Minister Shaibani, underscored the scale of challenges and the need for inclusive political transition. Noting that the Foreign minister reaffirmed support for implementing the 10 March Agreement between the authorities and the Syrian Democratic Forces, she stressed the need for concrete mechanisms to advance military and political integration of the SDF. Ms. Rushdie urged all parties to take tangible steps forward, particularly confidence building measures on detainees and abductees and restoring state services throughout Syria.

For her part, Lisa Dalton, the director of the Finance and outreach division at OCHA, told council members that more than 1.2 million refugees have now returned from neighboring countries since last December. More than 1.9 million people who are still displaced internally have also returned, but these people will still need support to re establish their lives, she said. We and Our partners reach 3.4 million people monthly, but the Syrian appeal is only 26% funded, forcing gaps and cuts in essential assistance. A quick update from our friend Hans Grunberg, our special envoy for Yemen who was in Muscat today to review recent developments and advance progress in the UN led mediation efforts in Yemen. He had discussions with Sheikh Khalifa Alisa Alharthi, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Foreign and Political affairs for Oman and other senior Omani officials.

Mr. Gruenberg also met with Mohammed Abdel Sam Salaam, the Houthi's chief negotiators. Talks focused on the need for a conducive environment for meaningful and inclusive political process. During his meetings, the special envoy reiterated our continued efforts to ensure the immediate and unconditional release of all our colleagues. That's about 59 of them who remain arbitrarily detained by the Houthis in Yemen. And a quick update from from our peacekeeping colleagues in unisva, the peacekeeping mission in Abye.

They're reporting that over the past two months there's been an escalation in drone attacks in sightings in and around Kadougou. One attack struck a site for displaced people in Culpa and resulted in six fatalities. This site is located about 25 km from the logistics base of the peacekeeping mission's Joint Border Verification and Monitoring Mechanism in Kadougli. Drone strikes were also reported in the Heglig oil producing area north of Abye. These attacks, which have resulted in deaths, injuries and civilian displacement, as well as destruction of properties, are likely to further isolate Kadougouli, escalating the humanitarian crisis and threatening the delivery of humanitarian aid to the area.

Our peacekeepers are of concern and call on those responses responsible to cease hostilities and ensure the safety of civilians and adhere to international law and not. Lastly, almost lastly, our UN support mission in Libya welcomes the agreement of the Unified Development Program announced yesterday by the Central Bank Governor. The agreement, signed by delegates of the House of Representatives and the High Council of State, is intended to strengthen financial stability through implementing expansion expenditure controls and advancing unified development. UNSMIL also welcomes the role of a Central bank in Libya in supporting the implementation of the agreement to ensure that development funding is guided by sound financial planning and transparent fiscal procedures. This agreement should be considered a first step.

Continued dialogue is needed to achieve a unified national budget and advance efforts to unified state institutions. The mission emphasizes that progress on financial governance must be anchored in institutional cooperation. Finally, today is World Toilet Day. This year's theme is Sanitation in a Changing World. Today, billions of people still lack safe toilets, with the poorest people most affected.

In his message, the Secretary General said that access to a toilet is a matter of rights, survival and for millions of women and girls, the lack of secure toilet means missed work and school. This World Toilet Day, we call for faster progress towards future ready sanitation systems that are accessible, climate resilient, low emissions and well funded.

Thank you, Steph. I wonder if the Secretary General has any response to the visit by Israel's Prime Minister to the buffer zone between Israel and Syria. And in particular the words he used about maintaining both a, quote, defensive and offensive capability.

Yeah, I mean, I think this very public visit is concerning, to say the least. We call on Israel to respect the disengagement.

1974 disengagement agreement. As you'll recall, in the recently passed Resolution 2799, the Security Council called for the full sovereignty, unity and independence and territorial integrity of Syria. This is also an issue that was raised during the recent meeting between Najad Rushdie and the Foreign Minister of Syria. Benny.

Yeah. Stop me if you heard this before.

Yeah, I've heard it before.

Sorry, go ahead.

So.

This week the Security Council passed a resolution that for the first time in my memory since possible, established two bodies, the Board of Peace and the International Stabilization Force, none of which are the UN has any role in. Do you feel slighted? Does the Secretary General feel like being pushed aside?

Look, Secretary General is a big boy. He's not one to feel slighted.

I do think the especially, as we said, the resolution is an important step in consolidating the gains achieved through the proposal put forward by President Trump and the leaders of Qatar and Egypt. For us, it's very important that we get to phase two. It's also very important that we see more humanitarian aid get in. What does the UN wanted or feels that it needs to be involved more than it is in that resolution?

Look, we will be.

It also depends what UN you are speaking about. I mean, the UN in terms of the Security Council spoke clearly. I mean, the vote was what it was, but it was. It was a clear. It was a clear message.

For the Secretary General's part, he is willing to do whatever he can to bring peace to the region, to bring more humanitarian aid in, and to help push the parties back on a political path leading to a two state solution.

Thank you, Stef. Let me steer away from the political headaches of every day and get back to something close to the home base. What's the latest updates with regard to the Secretary General unity initiative? We haven't heard any new developments.

We just heard great ideas. I mean, it's. The process on all three tracks is continuing. I think the Secretary General updated you about the membership about a month ago, but I can tell you everybody is hard at work on the three separate tracks.

Is there any parameters that can be released with regards to each track?

We will update you as. As it becomes. As it is useful. Islam Amin.

Thank you, Stefan.

On AIDS to Gaza, what is the latest situation with the Zikim crossing Have the aids started to enter?

We're currently using three crossings.

Zakim Karim. Shalom Karim Abu Salem and I forgot the third one, but we're using, I'm having a brain freeze. We're using all three. And I would encourage you to look at the 2720 dashboard which has a lot of data about what is being picked up, what is being dropped off and it's very, it's very, very useful. Kisufim is the third crossing and eight tracks number increased.

What is the average?

Yeah, I mean, listen, things are increasing but not at the rate that we would like them to see increased.

And also I would like to ask about the yellow line in Gaza, if I may say. Inside the yellow line with the same seashore where the Israeli forces withdrawn from. What is the situation outside the yellow line?

Are there any Gazans over there? Any, you know, humanitarian?

You mean in between, between the border of the Inside the yellow line or outside the yellow line?

Outside the yellow line was the situation.

I mean that's where most Gazans are still.

Yeah, that's where. That's where they are. Most of them remain in. Outside of the yellow line. We try to reach Gazans wherever they are.

Yep.

And I'll go back. Thank you.

Steph, does the SG have any comments on the latest wave of Israeli airstrikes today in Lebanon? And has there been any contact with UNIFIL peacekeeping forces?

Yeah, I mean we're obviously very concerned by the reported Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon, including in the Elhiwe refugee camp in Sidon. We urge the parties to uphold the cessation of hostilities, refrain from any activities that may endanger civilians, urge all concerned to avoid any further escalation for ourselves through unifil. We're trying to do whatever we can to sustain the cessation of hostilities and advance the full implementation of 1701. That's through the contacts that our peacekeeping colleagues have as well as the contacts that our special coordinator for Lebanon has constantly. And then.

Sorry, Steph, just one follow up. To your knowledge, there hasn't been any UNIFIL peacekeeping casualties or anything since the administrator. Thank you. You have mentioned that your envoy to, with Houthis Grunberg to Yemen, he was negotiating the release of your detainees. Do you end?

No, I didn't say he was meeting with. I didn't say he was negotiating the release. He met with the Houthi's chief negotiator, who is our point of main point of political contact on issues in Yemen. We continue, we continue to focus on both on the political track, but also keep advocating for the release of our colleagues.

Was there any news that they will get released?

You know, anytime there is a release, we will announce it.

Another question related to Sudan. Yesterday Fletcher was not allowed to enter to Al Fasher, and today there was an escalation in Baba Nusa as well. Do you have any updates on that?

I don't have any updates on that.

Follow up on Yemen, please. Benny, you said that he wasn't negotiating. He just met with the chief negotiator.

No, I think if I understood your colleague's question is was the meeting about negotiating for the release of our colleagues? That's not what I had said in the note.

I said he met with the chief negotiator of the Houthis, who is our main point of contact on all issues having to do with with Yemen. Okay. On that note, unless I hear or see a question online, I will withdraw. I'm withdrawing.