COP 17, Indonesia, Sudan & other topics - Daily Press Briefing

Okay. Good afternoon and happy Friday. The Secretary-General addressed the Leaders' Summit at the 17th Conference of Parties on Biodiversity in Yerevan, Armenia today. He said that the signing of the Montreal-Kunming Global Biodiversity Framework laid out a path to make peace with nature and added that this was just the beginning. He urged more action, more speed, and more will to protect our vital global biodiversity. He noted that the global biodiversity framework has inspired action across the globe, and that nearly 90% of parties to the convention have established national biodiversity targets. But he said major gaps also remain in targets linked to economic systems, including those focused on reducing harmful incentives. And many of the critical elements of progress, including finance, capacity, cooperation and data, are still largely missing in action. Mr. Guterres called for leadership action in three critical areas to help the world meet the 30 by 30 targets set in Montreal. Leadership by governments, financial leadership and leadership by all, including young people, indigenous groups, and the private sector. He told the gathered leaders, "Let us act with the urgency this moment demands, for our children, for our future, and for all life on Earth." On the sidelines of the conference, the Secretary-General met with Professor Adil Najem, International President of the World Wildlife Fund. The Secretary-General praised the work of the fund as being critical in the fight for biodiversity. They discussed increased risks of tipping points in nature that would create irreversible conditions. Later in the afternoon, the Secretary-General visited the TUMO Center for Creative Technologies, a center that provides free education for young people aged 12 to 18 through self-directed learning, workshops, and project-based activities. During the visit, the Secretary-General toured the facilities and spoke with a group of young people. The Secretary-General concluded his day with a bilateral meeting with the President of the Republic of Armenia, Vahagn Khachaturian. He thanked the President for his steadfast support for the United Nations and congratulated him on Armenia's successful hosting of COP17. Early tomorrow morning, the Secretary-General will travel to Indonesia for an official visit. In his meetings, he will discuss, among other things, strengthen cooperation between Indonesia and the United Nations in the multilateral system. During the visit, the Secretary-General will pay tribute to Indonesia's long-standing commitment to UN peacekeeping. He will visit the Indonesia Armed Forces Peacekeeping Center, where he will meet with Indonesian personnel who will soon be deployed with the UN's peacekeeping mission in the Central African Republic, MINUSCA. The Secretary-General will also lay a wreath at a memorial to honor the ultimate sacrifice of 50 Indonesian peacekeepers who perished while serving under the UN flag. Also in Jakarta, the Secretary-General will deliver an address on the future of multilateralism at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This morning, our Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, Rosemary DiCarlo, briefed the Security Council on Sudan. She says that the picture is bleak across the country, with drone and air strikes putting civilians at risk, and the escalating fighting is deepening human suffering. Yet the parties have shown no credible commitment to compromise or to pursuing a negotiated pause in fighting. She added that as weapons continue to flow into Sudan and all parties recruit more fighters, the risk of further escalation in the coming months remains high. She urged all actors to avoid any acts that could result in conflict spilling across borders. She noted that the Secretary-General's personal envoy for Sudan, Pekka Haavisto, is in constant contact with the parties to advance confidence-building measures. And just to flag that Mr. Havasdo is briefing the Security Council during the closed consultations on Sudan. Turning to Ethiopia, our humanitarian partners tell us that more aid continues to arrive in the north of the country. On Wednesday, an interagency convoy delivered aid across Afar, Amhara, and Tigray. UNICEF provided medicines, nutrition supplies, and education materials. while our colleagues from the World Health Organization dispatched more than 70 metric tons of medical supplies and health kits for further distribution. While these developments are encouraging and humanitarian access has improved in some areas, the scale of the response remains insufficient to meet the severe humanitarian needs on the ground. Our humanitarian partners also report that conflict-affected areas are already grappling with the effects of El Nino, including crop failures, livestock losses, and deteriorating food security. Our humanitarian partners continue to assess needs and access conditions, and mobilize resources to further scale up lifesaving assistance. From Yemen, our humanitarian colleagues warn that escalating hostilities are forcing more people from their homes and worsening an already dire humanitarian crisis. The situation is particularly alarming in Taiz. where access restrictions continue to cut the city off from essential supplies and life-saving assistance. The UN Population Fund warns that more than 147,000 women and girls of childbearing age in Thies have been cut off from life-saving care. Only five of the city's 27 emergency maternal and newborn care hospitals are still partially functioning. More than 13,000 pregnant women in the city cannot access maternal health services, including 1,500, were due to give birth in the next two weeks. At least 500 of them are expected to require emergency obstetric care. Nearly three-quarters of services that protect women and girls from violence across Thais governorate have been suspended, including safe spaces and shelters. Dignity kits cannot reach the city, which leaves displaced women and girls even more vulnerable to exploitation and violence. We reiterate our call on all parties to protect civilians and to allow safe, rapid, and unimpeded humanitarian access to reach people in need. The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tells us that another wave of large-scale attacks overnight in Ukraine killed and injured civilians and disrupted electricity and water supplies, including in areas far from the front line. At least six civilians were killed and 84 injured between yesterday and this morning, according to authorities. Power and water supplies were disrupted in 11 regions. In the Volyn region alone, some 270,000 households and businesses lost electricity. Scheduled and emergency power cuts continue as falling temperatures increase the risks posed by damage to essential infrastructure. Over the past four days, attacks in the Donetsk and Kharkiv regions killed an aid worker and injured others. A humanitarian office, a food warehouse, and a marked evacuation vehicle were also damaged, further hindering aid operations. Meanwhile, the UN Human Rights Monitoring Mission reports that in September, at least 328 civilians were killed and more than 2,100 were injured. This represents an 85% increase compared with the same period last year. Long range missiles and drones accounted for more than half of the casualties. Our peacekeeping colleagues tell us that the African Union and the United Nations have taken another important step towards putting Security Council Resolution 2719 into practice. As you'll recall, this resolution, adopted in 2023, established a framework that would allow UN assessed contributions to support African Union-led peace support operations, helping make their funding more predictable and sustainable. Over the past four days, African Union and UN officials have been meeting here at headquarters to build on the progress already made under their joint roadmap. The first phase put in place arrangements for planning, financing, mission support and compliance. The work this week focused on the next phase, making sure those arrangements can work in practice. The priority now is to test and validate those modalities, including through a joint tabletop exercise, so that the framework is ready if and when it is needed. Resolution 2719 has not yet been applied to a specific operation. For now, the focus is on ensuring that both parties have agreed and tested arrangements in place, so they are ready should the Security Council decide to support an AU-led peace support operation in the future. Today is World Food Day, marked this year under the theme, "Innovate Today, Nourish Tomorrow." Our colleagues at the World Food Program say the day comes at a perilous moment, with tensions in the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandab, along with the escalation in the Black Sea, creating a triple choke point for global shipping that is pushing up the cost of fuel, fertilizer, transport, and food. WFP says 266 million people faced acute hunger worldwide last year, and estimates that the 2026-2027 El Nino could push a further 49 million into acute food insecurity across 45 countries by the end of next year. The agency is calling on world leaders to end conflict, provide flexible and predictable funding, invest in anticipatory action, and bring proven innovations to scale. And tomorrow is the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, marked this year under the theme, "Safe Homes for All." More than 2.8 billion people worldwide face some form of housing inadequacy. In his message for the day, the Secretary-General says poverty is an affront to human dignity and calls for the political will and investment to ensure everyone has a safe home. On Monday, our guest will be Carlos Ruiz Massieu, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Haiti. He will join us here following his briefing to the Security Council on Haiti. And last, we have a quiz for you today. Another country has paid in full, and this country is known as the twins capital of the world because one of its towns records an unusually high rate of twin births. Any guesses? Okay, one more clue. Nollywood is the country's film industry, and it's the second largest in the world by production volume, turning out thousands of movies each year. What? Yes, you got it. The answer is Nigeria. We thank our friends in Abuja for their full payment to the regular budget. Nigeria's payment brings the number of fully paid up member states to 145, and it paid 4 million. 772,197 dollars. So that's it for me. Since you guessed, you have the first question, if you so choose. Well, if you defer, then it'll go. Namo, over to you.

Thank you, Farhan. Tomorrow is the World Eradication of Poverty Day. Does the Secretary-General still believe that by 2030, We will eradicate poverty. I think that was his goal or belief at some point. And what is his message to the donor countries getting aid?

Well, his message to them is that there is a crucial importance towards focusing aid on eliminating poverty as much as possible. It's a disgrace that so many people really you know, hundreds of millions of people around the world still face acute poverty. Because of that, because there's still such a large gap in the needs that are to be addressed, it's unlikely that we're going to meet the targets by 2030. But the Secretary General, as you know, continues to push for determination. The idea being, as he puts it, that he is neither hopeful or pessimistic, but determined. And that's what we have to do in the fight against poverty. Yes, please.

Thank you. We have a monthly count of civilian casualties in Ukraine, as you have just told us. Do we have a similar monitoring mission in the Russian-held areas?

We are not able to provide the same resources given the lack of access. But we do have a mandate in terms of our human rights monitoring for work inside Ukraine, and so that's where we're carrying it out. Mona.

Thank you very much, Mr. Haq. It's good to see you. I have two questions. First, is the Secretary-General aware of the attack on Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine in the occupied West Bank? Have you been in touch with her? Do you have any updates on her condition?

We are aware of her condition, and obviously, this is yet another case where a journalist right to go about her duties without harassment have been violated. We want to make sure that this will be investigated thoroughly and that all further harassment of journalists are prevented.

As you've just mentioned, we know that you have repeatedly called for protection of the press. You have talked repeatedly about settler violence in the occupied West Bank. But are there any specific measures the United Nations is taking right now to protect journalists, specifically given their very important role in documenting potential violations of international law?

Well, we call on all member states to uphold the rights of journalists, and we do take this up with all the countries, including through the work of our human rights bodies, but also through the work of UNESCO, which is the primary UN agency dealing with the rights of journalists. Alexei.

Thanks, Farhad. I'm wondering if you have any comments on the US decision not to livestream the foreign squad execution of Nidal Hasan?

I don't have any specific comment, but as you know, we also stand against capital punishment in all of its aspects. Obviously, as Stefan told you just a week ago, we found that the public viewing of this execution to be an abhorrent concept. So clearly, we were against that aspect of it, but certainly, we would want all states to abide by the General Assembly's call for a moratorium against further executions. Yes, please.

Yeah. Farhan, my question is about the Trusteeship Council. Do you know how the UN can revive the Council?

As you're aware, a few years ago, the Trusteeship Council was essentially, for all purposes, made into a defunct body, given that the purpose of its work has largely been accomplished. So there is still a trusteeship council room, but the trusteeship council as a body does not continue its work.

I have to follow up. So it's organ of the six organ does. I thought that the G.A. has the right to revive it.

No, that's something you can take up with member states. But but for now. It does not, it has, for all practical purposes, completed the functions that it was entrusted to do during the period of decolonization.

Okay. Many world leaders during the UNGA spoke about providing protection for the Palestinian people. With the absence and dissolvement of the Trusteeship Council, How, because you said they finished the purpose, no need anymore. So how the United Nations can provide protection for the Palestinian people?

We are, as you know, part of the group of bodies trying to affirm support for the Palestinian people, including the two-state solution. that would establish both Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and security. We use up our diplomatic efforts for this. As you know, the UN also provides humanitarian aid throughout the Palestinian territories and provides services through the UN Relief and Works Agency. So there's many different fronts by which we try to support the basic rights of the Palestinian people. Islam, you have a question online?

Yes, I have. Oh, can I go?

Okay, sure. And then we'll turn to Islam.

Yeah. On Lebanon, is UNIFIL for sure leaving southern Lebanon, or there is a possibility that when the UN Security Council discuss the SG proposal, there is a possibility that the forces will remain there or not? UN forces, I mean.

That decision, as you pointed out, is in the hands of the Security Council. The Secretary-General has given them a series of alternatives for them to consider. The Security Council is looking at that, and it will be up to them to determine what future it has. Meanwhile, our Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix has been in Lebanon for the last few days and has met with all of the leadership there, as well as the officials of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon. And so he is also going to be able to then provide further information about the support inside the country for some form of presence after the 31st of December of this year. Islam.

Thank you, Farhan. What is the Secretary-General's reaction to Colombia's moving its embassy to Jerusalem, despite many Security Council and General Assembly resolutions?

Obviously, those resolutions have not changed. The UN's policy regarding the status of Jerusalem has not changed. but we don't comment on bilateral relations as such. Edie.

Thank you, Farhan, and apologies in case you answered this earlier. Does the Secretary General have any comment on the latest incident where Israeli settlers torched cars and trees in West Bank villages, disrupting the Palestinian olive harvest?

Yes, obviously, we are firmly opposed to settler attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank, and we have detailed that. Ramiz Al-Akbarov, our acting special coordinator, briefed the Security Council about our concerns on settler violence just a couple of days ago. And as I had briefed yesterday about this, Our office for the coordination of humanitarian affairs has also tried to coordinate some assistance for Palestinians in the West Bank and in Gaza who have suffered from different attacks during the course of the start of the olive harvest. Iftikhar, you have a question online.

Thank you for the question. I wanted to ask, it has just been asked by my colleague Sisram, but I would like to know whether the Erevan conference would have an outcome, a declaration, or any conclusion of the conference.

Which conference, did you say?

Erevan.

Oh, in the Yerevan conference? Yes, they are continuing with their work in terms of trying to push forward an agreement in terms of implementing the commitments made in Montreal and Kunming concerning the protection of biodiversity.

Thank you.

Thanks. Okay, if there are no further questions, I wish you all a happy weekend. Bye.