Pakistan, Ukraine, Iran & other topics - Daily Press Briefing

Okay. Thanks. I think we're still waiting for a couple of folks, but no? Okay. I'll go ahead and get started. Thanks for coming, everybody. I just wanted to take this chance to relay some of the recent activities of the GA and the president, as well as upcoming events, now that the Assembly's main committees are in full swing. Last Friday, President Rahman addressed the Fourth Committee, the Special Political and Decolonization Committee, telling delegates that their work must remain anchored in the UN Charter, the right to self-determination, and the full implementation of the Declaration on the Granting of Independence to Colonial Countries and People. He spotlighted the crucial work being carried out by UNRWA in support of Palestine refugees across Gaza, the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. He emphasized that UNRWA, as Gaza's largest humanitarian agency, remains operationally irreplaceable and underlined the international community's, quote, "moral, legal, and practical responsibility to sustain UNRWA, especially because of its stabilizing role in the region." He also said the Fourth Committee must help ensure the UN's peace operations toolbox remains effective, adaptable, and fit for purpose. And he went on to emphasize that new technologies, including AI, are reshaping the information and communications landscape, stressing that the committee's work on information should protect information integrity, bridge digital divides, and ensure that technology advances human dignity rather than undermining trust. On Monday, the President addressed the Fifth Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Matters, which he described as the circulatory system of the UN. Among other things, he noted the Assembly Resolution 80/251 on mandate creation, implementation, and review now offers Member States new tools to streamline the UN's work, stressing, and I quote, "If we create mandates, we must fully justify them in terms of their necessity and resource them to ensure their implementation." And he warned that ambition without capacity becomes an empty promise. Every empty promise diminishes trust in the UN. In addition, he called for UN reform that goes deeper than rearranging structures and makes a real impact on the lives of the people that the UN serves. Addressing the first committee yesterday on disarmament and security, the president said that in a world of rising conflict, persistent nuclear risks, and rapid technological change, we must strengthen multilateral disarmament and arms control, ensuring that emerging technologies serve humanity and make our work more focused and effective. He noted that in 2025, nuclear-armed states spent nearly $17 billion more on their nuclear arsenals than the year before. This is an increase of nearly 20%. And that global military expenditure that same year reached nearly $3 trillion, an overall record, capping 11 straight years of growth. And that's an amount that could fully vaccinate every child in the world 10 times over. He stressed that we must use every available tool and forum to ensure that conflicts do not escalate further. And finally, thanks for bearing with me. Just this morning, speaking before the second committee, the Economic and Financial Committee, the President said that with 2027, with the 2027 SDG Summit approaching, this is not the time to revisit our commitments, it's the time to deliver on them. He said national ownership is crucial, but vulnerable countries, especially LDCs, LLDCs, SIDS, African countries, and middle-income countries, continue to depend on external finance, technology, capacity building, and equitable market access. And he said those means are weakening when we need them most. Official development assistance fell by 23.3% in 2025. That's the largest annual contraction on record. and it is projected to decline by 6.9% in 2026. Against this backdrop, the President called on the committee to embrace reform and revitalization, including shorter reports, the smarter use of technology such as digital dashboards, so it can continue shaping development discourse and amplifying voices that are too often overlooked. The President will address the third and sixth committees next week. And in a few other matters, earlier this week, the President met in bilateral format with Ms. Rabab Fatima, the High Representative for LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS. And later today, he will meet with Katherine Russell, the Executive Director of UNICEF, and with Guy Ryder, the UN Under-Secretary-General for Policy. Looking ahead to tomorrow, the President will attend the General Assembly's annual plenary meeting on its revitalization. Next Monday, the Assembly will hold a plenary meeting on the new partnership for Africa's development and the AU's Agenda 2063, and it will take up a draft resolution on the existential threats posed by sea level rise, among a few items, a few other items. And on Tuesday, this is of interest, it will hold an election for new members of the Human Rights Council. So that is what I have for you at the moment. Let me open the floor for any questions. Susan, yes.

Thank you so much. With the third committee now discussing human rights, does the President expect the Islamic Republic's human rights violations to be on the agenda, or more specifically, the recent execution carried out by the Islamic Republic? And also, does he support the call by other human rights councils at the United Nations to stop these executions?

Islamic Republic of Iran, correct? Yes. Yes. Thanks for the question. I believe that, as usual, the report of the special rapporteur on Iran is part of the third committee's agenda for the session. I will have to get back to you on that specific matter. But as I mentioned, the president is slated to address the third committee next week. I believe it's Wednesday morning at 10 a.m., so I encourage you to tune in and I'll get back to you on that. Yes.

There are reports that UAE are promoting Lanin and Seib as the candidates for the UN Secretary General. Have UNJ president received any applications for Lanin and Seib?

So no, technically, as as of right now, the last time I checked, there have been no official notifications from new candidates. So we're back with the candidates that we know. We've also heard these reports and we're following them. But there is an official notification that's required to the president of the Security Council and to the Assembly. So we have not seen this yet. Yes.

This morning, the Security Council just concluded another round of candidate vote. Does the President have any expectations to see the Security Council promote to decide on one candidate at the end of this month? Or what is the President's expectations on that?

So by definition, this matter is still with the Security Council. You know, the president has been very clear that he's going to be guided by the language in the charter, the different but complementary roles that the assembly and the council will play in this matter. And I've also flagged his opinion that this is a chance to demonstrate these complementary roles, that the that the organs are not competing here and how they can work in partnership with the charter. So he's going to, of course, let the process continue and play out. And we have no nothing further for you at this time. Any other questions from the room? If not, we'll move to the digital community. Anyone online? I see one hand. I'm sorry, I'm trying to read the name. It's very small. Iftikhar Ali, please. Okay. I see another hand. Abu Sufyan, is that right? Please.

Yes, I'm sorry.

Hi. Please go ahead. We'll get back to you, Iftikhar.

Yes, hello. This is Iftikhar Ali from Associated Press of Pakistan.

Okay, so we'll get to you, Abu, okay? Yes, go ahead. Please go ahead. Yes.

When does the President of the General Assembly plan to hold security, the negotiation, intergovernmental negotiations on Security Council reform? Have the co-chairs been appointed?

I don't actually have that information in front of me. I'm going to get back to you. I know that it's scheduled, but I don't have the date. And I also don't have the co-chair. So please allow me to get back to you.

OK, thank you.

Thanks. Go ahead, Abu, please.

As you know, that children in the Rohingya camp in Cox's Bazar, The children are growing without having enough education for them. And the Rohingya community is facing lots of challenges due to a shortage of funding. Will the PGA raise this important humanitarian crisis to the nations?

Yes, as we've mentioned, the Rohingya crisis has been on the Assembly's agenda in various ways, you know, high level meetings and in different contexts for quite a number of years. This will continue. The President has obviously a personal interest given his long career and the roles he's held. So yes, this will be taken up. I don't have any dates, you know, as we're just starting the Assembly's work this year, I don't have dates or details for you, but please stay tuned. We are aware of the conditions, of course, and this is very personal to the president. Anyone else? Yeah, no problem. Thank you. Anyone else online? Okay, or in the room? Going once, going twice. Thank you, everyone. Thanks for coming.

It's okay. Did you get kicked out of school at some point? No, or class regularly?

Yeah, yeah.

Get sent to the principal's office?

Yeah, yeah.

Not hard to imagine. All right, good afternoon to all. 30 p.m., there'll be a briefing here by Reem Al-Salem, who is the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Girls, its causes and its consequences, and that'll be the inaugural briefing by special rapporteurs, and there'll be a number of briefings by them next week, some of them in person and some of them virtual. Our Secretary-General is wrapping up his visit to Pakistan. A short while ago, he concluded a meeting with Prime Minister Muhammad Shabbaz Sharif. The Secretary-General expressed his appreciation for Pakistan's important role as an elected member of the Security Council, including its efforts to advance the peaceful settlements of conflict. of disputes. He also expressed his gratitude to Pakistan's support to the UN and its contributions to UN peacekeeping. Earlier in the day, the Secretary-General held discussions with Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir, the Chief of the Army Staff and Chief of Defence Forces in Pakistan. In the meeting, the Secretary-General highlighted Pakistan's crucial role in international affairs. He also discussed the threat of terrorism and expressed the UN's solidarity with Pakistan in confronting this He also met with the Interior Minister of Pakistan, Mushin Naqvi. The Secretary General earlier today also addressed foreign service officers, graduates, and students at Pakistan's Foreign Service Academy in Islamabad. The discussion was held under the theme "Strengthening Multilateralism in a Changing World." He spoke about a range of issues, including diplomacy, inequalities, climate change, and artificial intelligence. He underscored the importance of dialogue and cooperation cooperation in today's world, saying that precisely at the moment when cooperation is most necessary, divisions are making it more difficult, stressing that now more than ever, as the number of conflicts are growing and human suffering is deepening, we need a spirit of solidarity and solutions in our world. Those remarks were shared with you. And the Secretary General will be heading back to New York from Islamabad very soon. And we expect him back in the office on Friday morning. Turning to Ukraine, the Secretary-General strongly condemns the ongoing attacks on major Ukrainian cities by the armed forces of the Russian Federation, which are reportedly causing a record number of civilian casualties and resulting in major damage to critical civilian infrastructure. He's also deeply concerned by the rising number of civilian casualties as a result of increasing attacks by the Ukrainian forces in the Russian Federation, including recent attacks in the Moscow region. All attacks targeting civilians and civilian infrastructure, wherever they occur, are a violation of international humanitarian law and must end immediately. On the humanitarian side, our humanitarian colleagues in Ukraine tell us that attacks and frontline hostilities over the last 24 hours hours caused more than 150 civilian casualties. The attacks hit civilian infrastructure, including a hospital and energy infrastructure, disrupting electricity supplies nationwide and leaving parts of the country without power. We, along with our humanitarian partners, complementing the efforts of first responders and municipal services, provided medical care, psychological support, and emergency shelter to people impacted by these attacks. During the first eight months of This year, we and our humanitarian partners assisted 1.5 million people affected by strikes across Ukraine, as attacks continued to intensify and spread to areas farther away from the front lines. Turning to another conflict area, and that is Yemen, we reiterate once again our condemnation of the continued Houthi cross-border attacks against Saudi Arabia, including the recent attacks in Jazan, Najran, as well as the attacks reported earlier today near Riyadh and the airport there. We remain deeply concerned about the ongoing military escalation in and around Yemen, including the intense fighting across multiple front lines. We call again on all parties to exercise restraint, urge them to uphold their obligation under international humanitarian law, and to refrain direct attacks on civilian and civilian infrastructure, and also to take care in sparing those civilians. And on the humanitarian front on Yemen, our colleagues warn that civilians continue to flee conflict areas, with more than 184,000 people displaced since August 1st, including over 21,000 in the past week alone. That's what the International Organization for Migration is telling us. We and our humanitarian partners have reached more than 126,000 people with lifesaving assistance, but needs continue to outpace the resources available. The health situation is worsening, as one can easily imagine, with cholera cases tripling in recent weeks, including in displacement camps, where measles, dengue fever, and malaria continue to spread. WHO has warned of major funding shortfalls as rising displacement, disease outbreak, and conflict put even more pressure on an already very fragile health system in Yemen. Access is also a growing problem. Key roads connecting Taiz Governorate with Al-Makha, Al-Hodeidah, and Aden and Sana'a remain blocked, severely restricting the movement of civilians and commercial supplies, as well as humanitarian access, with shortfalls of essential commodities and medical supplies reported and sharp increases in food and fuel prices. We remain alarmed by the reports of civilian casualties, damage to civilian property, and heightened risk of explosive And again, we continue to assess the humanitarian impact and call on all parties to facilitate the humanitarian access in an unhindered way so we can reach all those who need it with the help they need. And lastly, another Yemen-related note, and that is related to Hans Grundberg, who concluded yesterday afternoon a visit to Washington, where he met with senior U.S. officials as well as U.S. U.S. Yemeni experts. The discussions focused on the latest developments in Yemen, including security implications for the region. He stressed that regional and international commitment to a political path is key to resolving the Yemeni conflict and bringing peace and stability to the country and its neighbors. Mr. Grundberg will be in person in New York to brief the Security Council later this week. Also traveling is Jean Arnaud, who is, you know, the officer in charge of the Special Coordinator's Office in Lebanon. He visited Tehran this week, meeting yesterday with the foreign minister, Abbas Arakchi. They reviewed the current developments in the region and the prospects for further international cooperation in support of peace and stability. And just a quick note from the occupied Palestinian territory, where we are told that yesterday we were able to bring more fuel into Gaza to help keep basic services is running. We also collected medical and education supplies, food from the Kerem Shalom-Kerem Abu Salem crossing. Our humanitarian partners tell us that more funding for fuel is urgently needed to prevent a dangerous slowdown of healthcare, water provision, rescue operations, debris removal, and other critical services. And to flag that our Special Representative in Libya, Hana Tete, met in Ankara today with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkey, Hakan Fidan. alongside a number of other senior Turkish officials to discuss developments in Libya. The discussions focused on the current political and security developments, with particular emphasis on the importance of advancing the political process towards holding elections at the earliest possible time. And on Ethiopia, we and our humanitarian partners continue to monitor the situation and access issues in the north, where continued hostilities are driving new displacement and humanitarian needs. We're working to scale up lifesaving assistance wherever access permits, despite limited funding and fuel availability, among other constraints. In Tigray, we're also concerned about reports that health services are at risk of disruption. Our humanitarian colleagues tell us that any interruption would have serious consequences for people who depend on these health services, particularly as conflict escalates and the humanitarian needs deepen. And a quick update from the Central African Republic, where the Secretary-General's Special Representative and head of the peacekeeping mission there, Valentine Rugwabiza, reiterated her call for the immediate and unconditional release of the hostages abducted in Bambooti in December of last year. She welcomed the ongoing dialogue efforts and the gradual return of displaced people, while stressing the urgency of securing the hostages' freedom. On Ebola preparedness, Ms. Rugwabiza welcomed the systems put in place in Bangassou detection, prevention, and case management, noting they would serve as a model for other areas facing health risks. Separately, between the 28th of September and the 2nd of October, the peacekeeping mission supported national authorities in processing and securing 250 weapons collected through the disarmament program, helping strengthen weapons management and reduce the proliferation of small arms. Update from WHO. Earlier today, the WHO Director General, Dr. Tedros, said that since the first media reports, the WHO has been actively following up on the reported death of a lab worker in Irkutsk Anti-Plague Research Center in the Russian Federation. Dr. Tedros said the response to WHO's verification request under international health regulation, the Russian health authorities reported that no case of plague had recently been registered in Irkutsk Oblast, where the lab is located. Dr. Tedros said that WHO is remaining in contact with the Russian health authorities and has offered technical support. WHO has also requested further information to clarify the cause of the severe pneumonia, the pathogen that prompted the public health measures and media reports of a second employee with pneumonia of undetermined cause. Dr. Tedros said that WHO does not yet have the full picture of this event. They're not able to conduct a full risk assessment. He stressed that timely, complete, and transparent information sharing under the established international health regulation is essential to clarify conflicting reports and enable an accurate assessment of potential public health risks. Just want to flag a couple of reports, one, a joint report by the UN Refugee Agency and UNICEF and the International Organization for Migration that shows that more than 20,000 of the 31,100 children who reached Europe along mixed migration routes last year arrived without a parent or guardian. The new data suggests that reduced opportunities for safe protection-sensitive movements along these routes may be pushing young people towards riskier journeys with greater reliance on smugglers and greater exposure to exploitation and abuse. According to the report, a total of 214,600 children sought international protection in Europe last year. 79% were first-time applicants. I encourage you to look at the report. Also reporting are friends at the UN Trade and Development, and they warned that rising borrowing costs are adding pressure on developing countries' public finances, leaving less for health, less for education, and less for other priorities. They say Developing countries paid almost a trillion dollars in net interest on public debt last year, nearly three times what they paid in 2010. In 51 developing countries, interest payments on public debt now exceed government spending on health and education. The gap in the cost of borrowing itself, development, the gap is the cost of, is in the cost of borrowing itself, excuse me. Developing countries pay an average interest rate of 5.2% on public debt, compared with 2.2% in countries. UNCTAD says if developing countries could borrow at comparable rates, they would save an estimated $500 billion a year. If you don't have lunch plans, I wanted to flag that our human rights colleagues here in New York are inviting everyone at headquarters to a screening of the award-winning documentary film called 15 p.m. today in Conference Room 2. The film follows death row exonerees as they navigate their experience and challenges while attempting to reintegrate into society. Following the screening, there'll be a panel discussion featuring the filmmaker, Mark McLaughlin, and civil society activists. Also delivering remarks will be Guy Ryder, the Under Secretary General for Policy, the Permanent Representative of Costa Rica, Boris Vassil Markedjani Carrero, and the Deputy Permanent Representative of France, Jade Darmadi-Kari, will also speak. If you already know what international day it is today, hold your tongue because we have a good quiz for you today. This international, this to guess the international day, it is what versatile, naturally grown element is found in paper money used in the US and many other countries, can also be used in cooking, and can also be worn? No. Okay, it can be worn, it kind of can be eaten, and you can pay, what? Yes, who said cotton first? Linda, yes, it is the International Day of Cotton. Cotton makes up 75% of the elements found in US bills. You can use cottonseed oil to cook, and I'm sure you're all wearing cotton somewhere, so there you go. Happy International Cotton Day. Apropos of cotton, Linda, do you have a question?

Of cotton, yes.

With your microphone, please. Thank you.

Thank you, Steph. I just had a quick question, actually, about Gaza, in terms of, is there any kind of disarmament going on that the UN knows about?

I mean, the disarmament part of the plan that was approved by the Security Council is for the Board of Peace and its representatives to handle. So we know, like you, that there have been discussions on it led by Mr. Vladanov, but the actual process does not involve the UN. Now, more than Pam.

On Secretary General's visit to Pakistan, As you know, under the Mecca Pact, an attack on Saudi Arabia is an attack on Pakistan, and Pakistan has pledged to send forces to Saudi Arabia to defend the kingdom against attacks from the Houthis, who are an Iranian ally. So I just wonder if the Secretary-General still believes that Pakistan is a neutral broker in this conflict involving Iran, and has Iran raised any concerns about this with the Secretary-General?

Thank you. I don't believe the Iranians have raised this issue directly with the Secretary General. I think both things can be true. A large number of countries have military pacts and alliances with other countries. It doesn't stop Pakistan from having been a very effective mediator in that sense. And, as you know, with the Islamabad memorandum. Other countries have also been involved, notably Qatar, Egypt, and others. So, I think I don't see a contradiction in that. And also, the important thing for any mediators to be accepted by both parties, and I think that continues to be the case. Pam.

Thank you. And I'm sorry, I thought it was the meningitis day was, I think, day before yesterday. In any case, my question is about the plague. And you mentioned Russia has told the WHO that there are no examples of the plague of plague deaths, that this was a pneumonia death. And Maria von Kerkhove and Dr. Tedros have said what you cited earlier, that there's not enough information for them to assess right now. So, although Russia's giving the information about contacts, which apparently they did, according to WHO, they're not giving how this came about, the startup or the infection mode is what they're calling it, or something like that. Are they complying with their obligations under the WHO, is Russia? And is there a call to have them give more information?

Well, I mean, I would, I watched, probably like you, there was a very extensive press conference by Dr. Tedros and his colleagues. My understanding is that there's been some information sharing, that WHO has more questions, and has encouraged the Russian Federation to answer those questions under the International Health Regulations. You know, those regulations exist for a reason, and I think it's very important that any country participate in -- honor those regulations. But The way I would characterize it, as far as I understand it, is that the discussions are ongoing. But I would also encourage you to speak to WHO. Adla.

Regarding Jean Arnaud's visit to Tehran, did they discuss the situation in South Lebanon and Hezbollah?

I think they had a wide-ranging discussion that encompasses, I think, all the major issues. Okay, any questions on, yes, and then we'll go online, Muna?

I have two quick questions, please. First on Ebola, you said that the new road restrictions in North Kivu are meant to contain Ebola, could also hold up aid workers. Has the UN been in touch with the authorities over there to make sure the response teams can still get through?

Yes, I mean, this is what our colleague, Julian Harness, who's our senior Ebola coordinator on the ground, this is part of his I would imagine his daily work, because the problem is with these kind of drastic cutting off, it makes it difficult for humanitarians to go through, just like when you shut down borders completely. People still need to move, and they will move. And if borders are shut or roads are closed, they will find ways around, which means they will, again, not be able to be screened or detected. It is better to have open roads and borders that are open with very strict medical control, because that way, it's a safer way to do it.

Thank you. And on Gaza, you said yesterday that water and sanitation support is being held back because of funding shortfalls. Do you have a specific figure for how much funding is missing for this specific project?

I would, our OCHA colleagues have very useful and extensive web pages with all the money issues are found. We can share the link with you. Okay, Abu Sufyan.

Yes, thank you, Steph. When the Secretary General is visiting Islamabad, the humanitarian situation is not going well. Former Prime Minister of Pakistan now in jail for last three years. The former Prime Minister, Prime Minister health condition is not, is in danger. The Secretary General discussed with Field Marshal and Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on these issues.

We're very well aware of the situation surrounding Imran Khan, and I can tell you that all of the relevant topics came up in the discussions between the Secretary General and his Pakistani interlocutors. All right. On that note, you're all free.

I have a question.

You're free. I'm not free. Stefano? Yes, go ahead.

Stephane, I wanted to ask you about Benjamin Davis, a senior FAO official whose contract was not renewed after 26 years. He says the decision was linked to his work highlighting hunger in Gaza. FAO Director-General Q Dong-you, apparently referring to the case, said, "We are not going to allow you to play the game here of human rights. without asking you to comment on an individual employment dispute. Is the Secretary-General concerned by those remarks?

Look, the FAO is led by a Director-General who is elected and accountable to the FAO conference, which is their General Assembly. So the Secretary General has will not comment on the ongoing case. I think the Secretary General's own position, which he spoke about when he launched the call to action for human rights, is that within the United Nations, human rights must be fully considered in all decision making operations and institutional commitments. Basically, that for for the Secretary-General, human rights needs to run throughout all of our work. You are now free to go, and I am free to go. See you tomorrow.