Egypt, Jordan, Ukraine & other topics - Daily Press Briefing

The sneeze. Hi, how are you? Okay, hi, colleagues. Good afternoon. Many of you have reached out already with questions about the newly nominated candidate for Secretary General, Ms. Lana Zaki Nuzepa. Her candidature was formally submitted on 21 October by the United Arab Emirates and circulated to member states through the usual channels. The President of the Assembly will convene an interactive dialogue with Ms. Nuzayba, member states and civil society organizations on 27 October, Tuesday, at 3 p.m. in the Trusteeship Council, excuse me, in line with relevant resolutions of the General Assembly. A letter alerting member states to this was circulated this morning. The dialogue will also be streamed live on Web TV, as the other dialogues also were, and we will send out a media advisory with that link as soon as we have it. The format will also be the same as those convened with the other candidates. President Rahman will preside over the dialogue and ensure, as he has promised, that this new candidate is properly introduced to the wider membership. He remains guided by the letter of the Charter that the Security Council will recommend a candidate and the Assembly will appoint. Each organ plays its role with full transparency as mandated by the Assembly's revitalization resolutions. So that's all I have on her at this moment. Please let me open the floor for questions. Yes.

Hi. Yes. What time? What time? Time frame?

You know, we're letting the process play out. So we expect there will be another straw poll. I don't know when the date will be, but we're going to see how that goes. Process is going to play out and we're going to see where we are next week. Yeah. Anyone else in the room? Yes, please.

Is this moment for the UN? A lot of experts have said that it's struggling with relevancy at the moment. How pivotal is it to get the new Secretary-General in place with a new agenda?

It's pivotal. I mean, this is a really critical moment. President Rachman has been pretty clear that the UN has a trust deficit at the moment and that it really needs to reinvigorate trust in its organs and its body. I think at this point, you know, that the process being transparent and fair, inclusive, in line with the charter is the most pivotal thing. It needs to be fair. It needs to be as mandated. So this is what the president's really focused on, and this will set the tone for the next, you know, the next session, the next 10 years. Hey, how are you? I'm just taking questions. I've just laid out the timing of the interactive dialogue. Can I take any other questions in the room?

Did we miss any question on Lannan Seba, if you can?

Yes, I mean, this briefing is about her candidature, about the interactive dialogue, which will take place on Tuesday, 00 PM in the trusteeship council. The format will be identical to the others. It will be webcast, so we please invite you to watch it. And same process, equal treatment.

Do you expect more candidates to come in the next few?

We don't know. We don't know.

Thank you.

I apologize if I missed it. That would push back to another straw poll. Right, okay.

We don't know. I mean, I don't have any insight into when the next straw poll is, but I think that is what people are speculating.

That the interactive dialogue would come before.

I don't have information, so I don't know about the straw poll.

All right, thank you. Yeah.

One more question.

Please.

I haven't heard any statement from the president of the General Assembly. on what's going on in the West Bank. As G yesterday, he said that the settlers are trying to depopulate these communities. I mean, this is major developments in the West Bank, especially during the olive harvest season. Why he didn't say anything or issued any statement on that, if I may ask?

I mean, the president is a diplomat in the strongest sense of the word, meaning that he feels it's really important for all parties to be able to come to him. His door is open to all parties. Peacemaking is something that can happen when the door is open. So this is what I'll say, you know, the president's perspective is. In terms of the situation in the West Bank, I mean, we all are aware of it, we're aware of the reports. The GA has long sought a two-state solution, and the President, you know, wants to see the member states' wishes fulfilled in this respect. He will do what he can to lead the Assembly in this direction. Anyone online have a question? I don't see any. Okay, so you have the time and date. I thank you all for coming and wish you a good weekend. Thank you. Bye.

So, just a space to repeat.

Okay, let's see what's on the page. Play all songs of Naach Maari Saathe.

Play all songs of the Kapil Sharma Show.

Engage that to speak. Yes. Yeah. But there was.

All right. Good afternoon. A couple of programming notes. Our guest on Monday is, will be Bjorg Sangjer, Assistant Secretary General for Policy in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs; and Sarah Hendrix, the Director of Policy Program and Intergovernmental Divisions at UN Women. They'll be here to brief you on the Secretary-General's annual report on women, peace, and security. 00 p.m., there will be a briefing by the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Ukraine. Erik Moos, the Chairman, will be virtually from Oslo, and Pablo de Greiff from Colombia will be here in the room. The Secretary-General is leaving for Egypt in a few hours. As we told you yesterday, he is expected to arrive in Cairo Saturday morning. Over the weekend, on Monday, we will hold a number of meetings with the -- he will hold a number of meetings with Egyptian leaders, including the President, the Foreign Minister. He will also meet with the Secretary-General of the League of Arab States and deliver an address to students at Cairo University. I do expect a statement on the church attack that we saw in Jordan. But in the meantime, I can tell you that the Secretary-General strongly condemns that terrorist attack on a funeral service at the church in Ahmud in Jordan, reportedly left seven people dead and many more injured. The Secretary-General expresses his deep condolences to the families of the victims and wishes a speedy recovery to all those injured. It goes without saying that an attack not only on a place of worship, but during a funeral procession, is especially heinous. The Secretary-General also calls for all those responsible to be found and to be held to account. Let me start with Ukraine, where we, along with our humanitarian partners, continue to reach frontline communities despite continued attacks. Our colleagues The Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tell us that today, two interagency convoys delivered food. They delivered clothes, hygiene, winter kits, and other essential supplies to frontline communities in the regions of Kherson and Dnipro. Meanwhile, authorities report that civilians were killed and injured, including children. That took place between yesterday and this morning in attacks across Ukraine. Energy infrastructure also came under attack, leaving half a million without electricity. across several regions. A power plant suspended operations after sustaining significant damage. Our humanitarian colleagues also tell us that an attack yesterday on Kharkiv damaged vehicles and a generator belonging to an NGO. Nearly two-thirds of more than 250 humanitarian access incidents recorded between January and August involved violence against aid workers, their assets, and their facilities. Turning to Yemen, humanitarian colleagues tell us that more than 256,000 people have now been forced from their homes since the start of the fighting in August in that country, and the fighting is continuing. So we do expect more displacement of people. Our colleagues at the UN Refugee Agency tell us that shelter is the most pressing needs among the newly displaced families, followed by food and just cash assistance. Across five governors, more than 2,000 displaced families do not have shelter. In Taiz, the World Health Organization warns that shortages of fuel, oxygen, medicines, medical supplies are threatening life-saving services for people. In Taiz city alone, 42 health facilities are reporting acute shortages, putting emergency surgery, dialysis, intensive care, and any patients, including maternal and newborn and services for newborn, at increasing risk. Despite severe access Our humanitarian partners are working to keep essential services going. They've reached more than 188,000 displaced people and three in five displaced households since August with some sort of support, food, hygiene, and emergency cash. WHO says emergency medicines have reached the Al-Thawra Hospital, which is a major hospital in Taiz, while additional medical supplies are still waiting in Aden to be delivered to conflict-affected areas as soon as access is available. We need safe safe. We need unhindered and we need rapid humanitarian access for all those who depend on us for life-saving assistance. And on Ethiopia, on a more positive note, more aid continues to arrive in the northern part of the country. Food assistance is reaching tens of thousands of people affected by conflict and El Nino-related impacts across the northern regions, but humanitarian needs continue to outpace ongoing response, making additional resources and sustained access essential. In the Tigray region, our humanitarian partners report several incidents of drone strikes impacting civilians and civilian infrastructure. This includes a strike that hit a local NGO's humanitarian warehouse on Wednesday. The extent of the damage, the loss of humanitarian supplies, is still being assessed. Multiple drone strikes were also reported between the 15th and the 21st of October in the Amhara region of Ethiopia. That's where local humanitarian partners are telling us. Reports indicate that strikes killed and injured several civilians, including children. Schools were also damaged. It goes without saying that in this conflict, as any other, the parties must protect civilians and civilian infrastructure as dictated by international humanitarian law. Turning to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where on top of the Ebola outbreak, we're now dealing with cholera. Our humanitarian colleagues tell us that we and our partners are supporting response efforts as cholera spreads in the eastern part of the DRC, with more than 55,000 suspected cases reported between the start of the year and October. The situation is especially concerning in Tanganyika Province in the southeastern part of the country, where more 6,300 cases have been reported since January and the province has also recorded one of the highest death rates of cholera. In the provincial capital of Kalemi, the treatment center for diarrheal disease is overwhelmed, putting further pressure on health services that are already under great stress. We and our partners, including UNICEF and WHO, are providing treatment, medical supplies, and water chlorification tablets. However, additional support is needed in order to expand capacity to meet urgent needs as well as sustain investment in safe water, sanitation infrastructure to prevent future outbreaks. Turning to Haiti, our humanitarian colleagues there continue to drive, tell us that armed violence continues to drive displacement. According to the International Organization for Migration, more than 7,000 people have fled Petite Riviere in Artibonite over the last four days, while more than 3,000 others have been displaced in the commune of Arcaye in the West Department. In Artibonite, the latest displacement adds to an already worsening that we tell you about almost every day. More than 17,000 human beings were displaced in that department alone last month, with many families finding refuge within the community, staying with host families as movements within towns remain severely disrupted due to ongoing insecurity. We and our partners are working with local authorities to monitor the situation and assess urgent needs. Humanitarian needs, as it should be obvious to all, continue to grow. The 2026 humanitarian needs and response plan for Haiti is only 49% funded. More money is needed, and that is rather urgently. A number of international days for you to enjoy. Today is the International Day of the Snow Leopard. I think it's Sherwin's favorite animal. known to communities who live alongside it as the ghost of the mountains because it is so rarely seen. Tomorrow is the start of Disarmament Week. The week is marked to highlight concerns over nuclear weapons alongside illicit trade in conventional weapons, new technologies like autonomous weapons. Tomorrow is also World Development Information Day, marked each year to highlight the gap between access to information and technology between countries and how they shape health, education, and governance. Global Media and Information Literacy Week also starts tomorrow. This year's focus is that we can all spot is on what we can all spot, how we can all spot misinformation to know which sources to trust and to which digital platform and use digital platforms and AI responsibly. And of course, what day are we coming up on? On the 24th of October. Yes, thank you for saving the honor of all your colleagues, Abdelhamid. So we have a little rapid quiz for you today. Which continent is not shown on the UN logo? Very good, Edie Lederer. Who gave the longest recorded speech of the United Nations? No, no. No, no, no, no, no. That was short. It was V.K. Krishna Menon of India in 1957, eight hours in the Security Council, over two days, though. Fidel Castro, you're right, holds the record for single continuous speech in the General Assembly at four hours and 29 minutes. And finally, how many Nobel Peace Prizes have been received by the UN specialized agencies, funds, and programs or related organizations? 12, 12. All right, Edie, what the heck, let's go.

I stopped, does Does the Secretary-General have any comment on the shooting of two Israeli soldiers at a checkpoint and Prime Minister Netanyahu's announcement that Israel will soon launch a major operation in the West Bank?

Well, I think we are extremely alarmed by the intensifying violence that we're seeing in the occupied West Bank. The Secretary-General is deeply concerned by the widespread closures imposed by Israel on Palestinian community in the West Bank. That follows today's attack. Those closures severely restrict Palestinians' freedom of movement, access to basic services and livelihoods. He's also concerned by the reports of home demolitions and possible displacements of Palestinian residents in Hebron. The Secretary-General condemns the violence caused by record numbers of attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in 2026. He recalls Israel's obligation under international law as the occupying power to protect Palestinian population from such attacks and to hold perpetrators to account. He's also remaining deeply concerned by the loss of civilian life in Gaza, including children, and the severe restrictions on aid that we continue to see ahead of the winter, and reiterates his urgent call for the protection of civilians. And he calls on all parties to immediately cease all acts of violence, to exercise restraints, and refrain from action that could further inflame tensions. Abdelhamid.

Thank you. As a follow up to the same question, I mean, the Israeli authorities closed the Ibrahim Mosque, kicked out all the staff of that important monument in Hebron. So do you have any comment on that?

Well, I mean, I think this falls into what I've just said, is that we're very worried about the closures that were imposed that restricts Palestinians access to livelihoods, including places of worship.

My second question on the visit of Secretary General to Egypt. Does he have any plan to meet with any Palestinians who are, many of them are based in Cairo and they are involved in the negotiations.

I think we'll have a bit more detail on his meetings once they've happened. Pam, and then we'll go to our Thanks, Steph.

It was just a follow-up on Egypt also. Will there be any press availability or?

-- Yes, there will be a press encounter after his meeting with the foreign minister, which is going to be Sunday, I believe.

Please. Thanks. Many experts believe the UN is going through one of the toughest moments in its history as far as its relevance and its impact on the world stage. Do you think that's fair? And how do you think history will assess the tenure of the outgoing Secretary General?

Well, you'll have to ask history. Right. I mean, his tenure is far from over. I think if you look back at his steadfast and unwavering commitment to international law, to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, at a time where international law is being attacked, is being trampled and is being ignored, not to mention his advocacy on climate change, I think his efforts to bring the issue of AI, which impacts all of us, to the United Nations as opposed to be left within the hands of just a few men, because frankly, they're all men who control the technology. and the fact that he has steered the UN at a time of great international storms, and as you say, attacks on the international system. But frankly, it is easy to target the Secretary General when you criticize the relevance of the UN. The relevance of the UN needs to be defended and defended loudly by those member states who are members of it and who in fact created it and who benefit from it. Murad, then Sherwin.

Thank you, Stephen. It's a follow-up on Edie's question on the West Bank. With this large-scale military operation and full lockdown, do you consider these steps as collective punishment?

Well, you know. they I think one can draw easily draw their own conclusions, the conclusions they they have, they impact the collectivity. Sherwin.

The SG spoke yesterday about the impacts of conflict and climate in terms of widening inequality around the world. I would just point out to you that the price of Brent crude oil stuff is just hit $117 a barrel. What does that mean for the UN's ability to meet humanitarian needs around the world? And, you know, how to speak to what he said yesterday?

Well, I mean, I think, for obviously, it raises the cost of the delivery of humanitarian goods. It raises the cost of operating peacekeeping and political mission. But I think, as the Secretary General said to you yesterday, he's not so much worried about the UN and our ability to stretch our dollars. He's worried about the impact people, right? People who have to choose between, you know, feeding, between food and education, who have to give up critical medicines. And as always, it's those people who can least absorb the shock who are being dealt the hardest blows. Pamela Falk.

Thank you.

Thank you, Steph. At a three-day conference on communicating related to the UN, there was comment by Richard Gowan, a fairly well-known analyst at the UN.

Even I know Richard Gowan. I don't. That tells you a lot.

He made a point that the days speaking of Snow Leopard Day, which we all love, is an expense that the UN may not need when there's starvation, National Bee Day. But then, of course, it points to different constituencies who want each day, and we cover some of them. What's your view on this? Thanks.

Well, I mean, it's a legitimate question. The Secretary-General doesn't create days out of the blue. They are all voted in the General Assembly. They're all voted to member states. And it goes back to what I was telling the gentleman from the Australian. Member states have to take their responsibilities. Now, it is true that there is an abundance of international days. Each of them have a very important constituency. The vast majority of them bring -- try to bring to the forefront issues that would otherwise be ignored. So, there is a case to be made for them, and there's also a case to be made, the fact that there may be a little too many of them.

Thank you.

On that note, any questions online? I wish you all a wonderful weekend. And we will -- Farhan will be here Monday and Tuesday.