Welcome to the press briefing of the UN Information Service here at Geneva.
Today is Friday 26th of January and we, which is, by the way, the International Day of Clean Energy, one of these new and important days that the international community celebrating we sent to the statement.
Of the secretary General about.
That and let's start immediately the press briefing with our colleagues of the Office of the **** Commissioner for Human Rights.
We've got Remina with us here on the podium and in Jordan, Ajit Sungay, the head of the UN Human Rights Office for the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
Ajit, welcome and thanks for being with us again.
Briefing the journalist here in Geneva.
I don't know you would like to start travelling and then we we go to Ajit.
Sure, Alexandra, thank you.
You'll recall that Ajit briefed to last week from Gaza this week.
Earlier this week, he returned from Gaza via Egypt to Amman, where our occupied Palestinian territory work is currently based.
So Ajit will describe to you some of what he witnessed while he was in Gaza and the really terrible development since then.
Thank you colleagues, civilians continue to face.
The brunt of the escalation?
The situation is nothing short.
Of a catastrophic Last Saturday I was in Khan units where I met with people who were frustrated, angry and understandably wary.
And yet they spoke to me, explaining the situation, treating me with warp and respect in the middle of a brutal, unconscionable situation, explaining how they fled their homes to seek shelter in.
How children have not gone to school in months and their schools have been destroyed, as have their universities, destroying their hopes for the future.
The personal cost to each individual, each family, in addition to the killing of loved ones.
Violence against women documents destroyed, homes and communities uprooted, health deteriorating.
People who had been ordered.
By Israeli authorities to leave their.
With no provision for their accommodation, literally leaving on the street with sewage running in the streets and conditions of desperation conducive.
For a complete breakdown in order.
And even in the midst of it all, human rights and humanitarian NGOs, our counterparts in Gaza, continue their courageous work trying to make sure.
Human rights violations are properly.
Documented and humanitarian response continues, even as.
Their own lives fall apart over the past few days these.
Have been caught in the midst of ever intensifying violence from the Israeli airstrikes.
And St to street fighting between Israeli.
Defence forces and Palestinian armed groups.
There have been near continuous attacks.
Including on medical facilities and.
UN facilities as well as residential areas.
Violence is spill spilling into Rafa, which will have catastrophic implications for the more than 1.3 million people already crowded there.
IDF shelling continues in areas that has.
Unilaterally designated as safe areas.
Including Almawasi in western Khan units even after the.
Explosions were reported in.
Almawasi on 22nd and 23rd January.
The IDF continued to order.
Residents of western Khan units to.
Move there the order which was issued repeatedly.
On 23rd, 24th and 25th January reportedly effects more than half a million.
People as well as three hospitals which have been under heavy attacks and siege, and Nazar Hospital, a Lamar hospital and Jordanian Field hospital.
I have very grave concerns that these chaotic and mass evacuation orders are ineffective in ensuring the safety of Palestinian civilians.
Instead placing them in increasingly vulnerable, dangerous.
Situation attacks on hospitals, schools and other places of refuge have repeatedly displaced Palestinians into.
Ever smaller areas with ever.
Access to the essential needed to essentials needed to sustain life.
Such a failure violates Israel's obligation under international law, having personally.
Witnessed and heard the testimonies of those who have endured.
So much pain and suffering.
I fear that many more civilians will die.
On specifically protected facilities such as hospitals.
Civilians and there will be a further massive impact on access to health care.
Safety and security in general.
Of Palestinians, we're also.
Very worried about the impact of the rainy cold.
Weather in Gaza it was entirely predictable at this time of year and risks making an already unsanitary situation completely unhabitable for the for the people.
Northern Gaza, where IDF bombardment continues, is barely accessible even to provide basic humanitarian aid.
The apparent disregard for international law needs to end.
The violence needs to end.
Humanitarian aid needs to be delivered.
To all those who need it, we urge A ceasefire immediately.
We urge the release of hostages and we urge a political.
Solution to the causes of this.
Conflict that respects and ensures.
The right of all Palestinians.
Thank you very much, Ajit.
And I'll go straight to the journalist and see if there are questions in the room.
Gabrielle, no, anybody has a question here?
Sorry, I don't see any hand UPS, so let's go to the platform Yuria Prelev Rianovosti.
Thank you, Alessandra for taking my question.
For this briefing, there is a feeling.
That no UN call nor the Security Council resolutions.
Nor the discussions between the UN.
And Israel have any impact on the on the conflict your.
Office still has no access.
To Gaza, Israel or the occupied territories?
And in your opinion, is the UN devoid of authority over this conflict?
Determination of responsibilities and any justice in these conditions.
Do you call on the states that have influence to take much more radical?
Decisions than up to now.
I'll give an initial answer and then I'll pass the floor to Ajit in case he has something to add.
Ajit has just been in Gaza, where he said he has witnessed even in the middle of all the chaos and all the trauma that human rights NGOs are continuing to work.
They are continuing to try to document what is going on in the fog of war.
We are seeing many incidents where there is, you know, just abdication of responsibility.
There is blame being thrown around over who's responsible for which attack that ended up resulting in civilian being killed, injured severely.
It is very important that we continue our human rights work as well, that we do not lose, you know, the, the motivation to, to continue this work, to continue to document and to air what is going on, to shine a spotlight on what is going on.
That is our role as the UN Human Rights office and to to continue to insist on accountability as well.
At the international level.
There is certainly much more that could be done.
The **** Commissioner has repeatedly called on all states with influence to exercise that influence bilaterally and in multilateral fora to bring this horror to an end.
Words, yes, I mean we have international staff waiting to receive research.
Of course, we continue to put pressure on that.
I have access for now and I hope that continues.
We have extremely qualified national staff both in Gaza and West Bank.
Who've been able to do a lot of work.
So we continue to do that to do that part.
We continue to brief them.
I briefed them recently and I'll and I have a few more briefings in the pipeline to to a number.
Influence do need to step in and put pressure.
I would add that of course, you will have heard the Secretary General not only saying exactly what Ravina has just said, the calling on all states who have an influence on the conflict to fully exercise it, but also doing everything he can, speaking with everybody he can in order to make sure that the international community is fully united to stop the conflict.
And, and I would also add that Sigrid card card, as you know, he's now in the region meeting with everybody she can, she's been going around.
We have given you information about her whereabouts.
And her work is going to be key, I think, for helping advancing on the road to the end, at least to a ceasefire.
Isabel Sacco is our representative correspondent of FA Spanish News Agency.
Thank you very much, Alexandra.
To know if I need can say for how long the international staff is waiting for the visas.
If he can give us an update on what kind of relationship or contacts dialogue do you have in these?
Days with the Israeli authorities and.
I mean, if any answer or response to your calls to stop the attacks in populated areas and to to resolve this this issue of attacks on areas that they themselves they designate a safe and where they they they advise.
I mean, the international staff have been waiting.
Their visas for the last three years.
Of course it's short time short.
But with the hope that it will be extended.
But otherwise rest of them.
For the last three years I do not have direct dialogue with the Israeli authorities.
And any such dialogue happens at Geneva level.
We do write letters to them again from Geneva level.
And Raveena can say more about it.
Much And this is exactly the point.
You know, we have constantly seen that civilians are killed.
Attacked places that are called safe are also being attacked and that's exactly why we have been coming out with statements stressing on these aspects and they have to change and these are not.
According to international law.
Just to supplement, as Ajit said, there is contact with the the Israeli Permanent Mission with, with Israeli authorities from Geneva.
So the **** Commissioner has sent letters to the authorities.
We do share reports with them before they're published.
Most recently the West Bank detentions report that was put out in mid-december was shared with them for any comment before it was published.
And so our concerns are expressed to them both directly and we do feel the need to raise the alarm publicly as well.
We have had no formal response from them.
Thank you so much, Alessandra.
Crisis in Gaza as you know, neither United Nations nor other aid organisation can.
Overcome the Israeli obstacle and reach the region we watch.
People are eating animal feed and also animals.
Are eating dead body host people?
My question is, if these are not crimes against humanity, in what category should they be considered?
And and as you surely remember, we had a briefing of the World Food Programme, just I think it was our last briefing on the food insecurity situation in Gaza.
I don't know if Remina wants to comment on the last part of your question, but definitely we are in an alarming food security situation and it's only getting worse.
Actually Alessandro, if I could pass the floor to Ajit, I think he has some personal accounts to share of food availability, including just his own experience being there on the ground and seeing what UN staff have been having to manage with.
No, I I think the the severe shortage of food is something that's that's visible.
People are struggling and this is the case throughout Gaza, but even more so in the north of Gaza, northern Gaza, where convoys of food are unable to reach and there's a desperate need for this.
I have heard stories of families that have only had one meal a day.
If they're lucky, there are families that have gone to bed with no food.
I have seen when cooked meals are brought by NGOs on a car, hundreds of kids who you can see everywhere run behind those cards for for food.
I've also heard stories of, you know, sharing food.
So agree there's a massive.
Urgent need for humanitarian.
Yes, thank you, Alessandra.
Ravina, how would you describe that animals are eating dead body of people?
I haven't seen the specific horrific report that you're referring to.
What is clear that is that a lot of people remain under the rubble.
So when we talk about the death toll that's being published by the Gaza Ministry of Health, that is people who have been confirmed to have been killed, but thousands more are suspected to be under the rubble.
And when we saw the weather forecast, when we saw that rains and bitter cold is hitting Gaza now, it's unimaginable to even begin to think about the suffering of the people.
Lisa Shrine, Voice of America, good morning.
Alessandro, good morning, Arjit, nice to see you, but.
Horrible to hear what you.
You were talking about your great concerns.
Violence spilling over into Rafa.
If you could elaborate upon that, what you mean and whether?
I've read that Egypt also.
Has great concerns that perhaps this might spill over more into.
Is that a possibility in terms of?
People actually rushing the.
Egypt I I don't don't know what the.
Possible scenario might be if you could.
Elaborate upon that and then I would Christian is there from WHO, if you could.
Situation regarding the health conditions and the numbers of attacks, I think that attacks have increased and become even more violent.
I think the current situation itself is catastrophic like I mentioned.
But I think if what is happening in Kanyunis continues the way it is at the intensity that we are seeing bombardment and fights and displacement of thousands of people, and there were hundreds of thousands in Kanyunis already displaced from the north of Gaza.
And there are about 1.3 million people in Rafa, which usually used to accommodate about 280,000 three.
7th of October, it's packed, there's no space, people are angry, there's no food.
Like I mentioned, there can be a civil disorder, and that's one thing A.
Of any kind of civil aura, that's the number one, the second if.
And the bombardment of the street to street fight.
Moves from Khan units into.
Rafa that will be disastrous for them because there are only two places people can flee to.
1 is on one side you have the Mediterranean Sea, on the other side you have the Egyptian border, you have fight in the north and you have fight on the Khan unit side.
So you can only speculate what's going to happen.
About 1.3 million already, and if you have people moving in in large numbers from canyons and canyons and other places, this is going to be a massive.
And I would add, and I would add that the Secretary General has indeed underlined the risk of the that the total collapse of the humanitarian support system in Gaza would have devastating consequences, including a complete breakdown of public order and increased pressure for mass displacement into Egypt.
Devastating consequences for the security of the entire region.
We have to listen from Christian on the second part of Lisa's question.
Sorry, Christian, you have the floor.
Hello, welcome and thank you.
Question a bit on the on the raw.
The as the colleagues mentioned, we have now registered over 26,000 deaths, with 75% being children and women.
At least 60,000 registered injuries, but as colleagues also just said, over.
And presumed to be dead under the rubble.
They have not yet been counted into into the casualty count and many more under the rubble and maybe not and maybe still suffering.
We have 676 attacks verified in the occupied Palestinian territories, and that's 318 in Gaza and 358 in the West Bank.
I find it's always important to note that we have more attacks in the West Bank than in Gaza.
And that's what the horrific scenario we know from Gaza Only 14.
Health facilities the the hospitals are partially functioning for the whole of Gaza 7.
In the South, seven in the north 20 hospitals are not functioning at all important that from these 7.
Partially functioning health facilities like.
Alkier and NASA hospitals are only minimally functioning and not accessible the the bed occupancy in those functioning is.
300% but these are just the sheer numbers.
We need to think about what this actually means, because the few functional.
Absolute dire circumstances with hostilities often, often preventing the access for patients and supplies like we have in Al.
People sheltering inside the area outside under under attack, the hospital basically under siege.
Nobody can go in, nobody can go out.
People not knowing what the next.
For their lives as they are in a hospital.
Which should be a refuge for those seeking help for those.
Injured for those wounded, for those with diseases, disease surveillance remains disrupted, something which we like to keep forgetting.
That means laboratories have been shut down or are non functionally more.
Transporting of samples is is difficult if not.
It makes a challenge to accurately assess the scale of any disease transmission.
Top of all this that the numbers could be much higher than the current limited surveillance system is able to detect.
Yes, very quickly, the Christian.
Thank you so much for that.
If you could send us notes with.
You know that have the numbers and stuff that would.
Be fine and Ajit I I asked you about.
The situation, the concerns that.
Egypt has been, has been.
Whether there could actually be?
A kind of physical, you know, rush of people into Egypt and what this might involve.
Ajit Lisa, I think that is a terrible situation if that happens because clearly it impacts the security it impacts.
It's something we are dreading and hoping it doesn't get there.
But this is exactly my fear, as I've been saying that all the indications that we have at this point in time is if Rafa is attacked, then we are in uncharted territory, if I have to put it in in that way.
I've got people waiting on the platform.
Thank you for doing this.
With regards to the humanitarian aid, there are some reports saying that it's likely protesters have gathered at the Kelem.
To block a convoy of eight.
Trucks from entering Gaza and do you know what they are really demanding while the UN fears famine is on the ground?
Maybe, Ajit, I'm not sure when this is fully your question.
Satoko, you said you wanted to know what we think about the fact that people are trying to get this aid.
At the the the near the he was in the lava.
So maybe he had information about these protesters.
Demanding, you know, the blocking humanitarian aid.
I'm sorry, unfortunately I don't have information on that.
I see Yance is moving towards the podium, so maybe OCHA has something more about that.
Thank you for that morning, everyone.
To the protest, that's Kiram Shalom.
Yes, that's what you said.
OK, so the day before yesterday, trucks at the Kiram Shalom crossing were held up for several hours by Israeli protesters attempting to block the entry of humanitarian aid.
As a result, only 9 trucks were able to enter and many were forced to reroute to Egypt at the Rafa crossing.
So that is what what I had on on on that particular incident.
As as you know there are only those two crossings in use.
We have a a fact sheet where where you can see.
The daily entry of of trucks.
Day there were a lot less trucks than were expected.
Don't know if Satoko has raised their hands.
Maybe just wait one second.
Yes, Satoko, Yes, I saw that in the Ocha Flesh report.
This protester is really demanding.
For, well, it's, it's not really for me to, to brief on what the protesters are demanding, but I, I, I have given you the facts that we have.
And of course, we we regret that the outcome was that there were less trucks than we had expected.
I see you have your mic on.
It's something you want to add about that.
So let's go to the next question here in the room, Gabrielle Reuters.
You might need to stay up there.
Would be both for OCHA and WHO, if possible.
You had United Nations Resident Coordinator for Humanitarian Coordinator in the occupied territories.
Jamie McGoldrick, who who mentioned.
Yesterday, that among the things that were prevented from being brought into Gaza.
Medical materials to treat chronic.
Diseases including children's insulin injections.
Insulin pens to the restricted.
Items and what's the status on getting them into Gaza?
Are there any negotiations between UN and?
Pens removed from the list.
In the insulin pens and if you have any information on what type of.
Medication this is and what is being allowed and and.
What is not being allowed in, in terms of insulin?
Let me answer the part of the question that I can.
And my comment on that is that the UN on the ground is working together with the Israeli authorities to look at how we can address the issue of restricted items and find ways to get those critical items released.
Christian, do you have any specific information on the issue of the insulin pens?
No, unfortunately I don't have any specifics.
I can only say that a total of 88 WTO tracks until 18 January has reached Gaza, but.
About one item or the other.
Thank you to both colleagues.
Launch is our correspondent of RFC.
You said that you have more attacks against health facilities.
In the West Bank than in Gaza or?
Are indeed more health attacks on health that's important to note right in the West Bank than in Gaza?
But the quality is slightly.
Different the 318 attacks in the Gaza Strip.
In 615 fatalities and 778 injuries, the the attacks have affected 95 healthcare facilities, including 27 hospitals.
And they affected 85 ambulances.
In the West Bank, 358 attacks have resulted in seven fatalities and 59 injuries.
The attacks have affected 44 health facilities, including 15 mobile clinics and 245 ambulances.
Important and I will give these figures in the.
Sent them out and put them in the chat because I know they're.
In a lot of figures now, an attack on health is also preventing an ambulance from reaching.
Wounded or reaching injured people, it's not only shelling and bombing a.
So that's why they all counted as attacks.
On health, but the quality is very different.
Christian, if you could send your figure by e-mail instead of then in the chat because the people who are in the room, they will not be able to see it.
So as we were asked from the journal by the journalist last time, if the information can be sent by e-mail to all the accredited journalists, it would be appreciated.
We still have two follow-ups from Isabel and Yuri, so I'll start with Isabel, yes.
Just I would like to know if since the incidents to the protest to two days ago in Kem Shalom the the operations through this.
Has been reassumed normally and to to Ravina or to Ajit, I would like to ask.
There has been a group of Palestinians who were waiting close to a roundabout.
City and they were attacked by the Israeli military and there were 20 Palestinian deaths in that incident.
To know if you have confirmed this incident and if you have more details.
That's yeah, the the crossings have have resumed.
Ajit, can you confirm or confirm what?
These are very serious reports that are coming in.
I can say that the team is on it.
We are trying to gather more information.
All I can say is it's extremely serious and worrying.
We have seen similar attacks in the past, so we need some time to assist this, but the team is gathering more information.
Really a follow up because.
This is a question for Ravina.
I can ask it or Ravina has two more points to brief you about, but let me see if there is any other question on Gaza so that we can free Ajit.
If there is any other, I don't see any other hand up.
Lisa, first of all, thank you very much, Jens and thanks very, very much, Chief.
Please come back and keep us informed about the situation in the territory.
Larina has two other points.
Maybe we will listen to that.
And then Yuri, if if your question is about one of the other two points, I'll give you the floor.
Otherwise, we'll take your question after that.
She's finished her briefing, Ravina.
So in fact, I think the first point is the International Day of Commemoration in Memory of the Victims of the Holocaust that, as you all know, is celebrated by the, is commemorated by the international community on the 27th of January.
We will commemorate this International Day at the Palindinacion today at 1:00 in room 17.
And we will all be waiting for you to join us.
And I would like to add that this year the focus of the commemoration is on recognising the extraordinary courage of victims and survivors of the Holocaust.
And Ravina has more from the **** Commissioner.
You all will have already received a statement from the **** Commissioner for Human Rights ahead of tomorrow's Holocaust Memorial Day.
I'll just read out some of the, excuse me, some of the key points that the **** Commissioner wanted to make.
And this is a day of profound importance.
We remember and honour the millions of victims of the Nazi Holocaust, children, women, men on whom atrocious suffering and injustice were inflicted by an abominable machinery of mass ******.
Some 6,000,000 Jews were murdered in the Holocaust, 1.5 million of them children.
Millions of other people from targeted groups were also murdered, including Roma and Cinti people, Slavs, people with disabilities, L GB TIQ plus people, members of resistance networks and other opponents of Nazism.
The scale of these crimes engaged many perpetrators.
The Nazi concentration camps and death trains were staffed.
The victims had often been identified to the police and therefore sent to their deaths by people whom they knew.
Countless bystanders looked away from or were indifferent to.
What they must have suspected was extraordinary, inhuman brutality, the dehumanisation that enabled the Holocaust.
The depth and scale of this failure of empathy and fellow feeling for the other human beings is incomprehensible and terrifying.
It is our duty to seek answers to how these crimes could have been prevented.
If we do not, they could happen again.
The **** Commissioner pays tribute to the extraordinary courage and important lessons that so many survivors have brought to us and admires their resilience.
All human beings are Born Free and equal in dignity and rights.
anti-Semitism and all forms of racism and racial or religious discrimination are intolerable.
They are unacceptable today and forever.
We must stand against dehumanisation.
We must work to overcome indifference and strengthen our understanding of an empathy with others.
The atrocious crimes of the Holocaust must never be forgotten.
And at the commemoration, we'll of course hear from the Director General and the Secretary General will also hold a commemoration this afternoon, Geneva time in New York.
Any question on this particular subject?
Ravina, given the context this year, particular context, did you have any the difficulties with organising this commemoration?
Actually the commemoration is organised, but you know you want to say no.
But I mean that the **** Commissioner is very clear in his message.
You know, we this was a singularly horrific event in history and we must not forget it and we must learn the lessons that it teaches us, including the importance of not dehumanising the other and the importance of not turning away from human suffering because it enables further suffering.
And on the organisation of the Commemoration Academy, we are organising this.
As long as I can remember, it has always been a big ceremony in Geneva.
And this year, as in the previous years, we will hear from the Director General, we will hear from the Ambassador of Israel and Permanent Representative of Israel to the UN and also to from the head of the European Union delegation to the UN.
And we will listen to the witness of a lady who survived the Holocaust.
And she was, she's actually from, from Israel with her family to bring witness of what she suffered during the under the Nazi regime.
So the ceremony is there and we hope that you will be able to participate to be with us for this important commemoration.
And maybe you want to go to your last point.
We've already heard you talking to us about the nitrogen glasses execution.
On that, no, indeed, Alessandra, in spite of our plea, the execution, as you know, went ahead.
The **** Commissioner issued a statement earlier today which you should have all received.
We deeply regret the execution of Kenneth Eugene Smith in Alabama, despite serious concerns that this novel and untested method of suffocation by nitrogen gas may amount to torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment.
The death penalty is inconsistent with the fundamental right to life and we urge all states to put in place a moratorium on its use as a step towards universal abolition.
Any question on this issue of the execution Robin?
There seem to be some concerns.
In the United states, about the the length of time that it took for for.
Smith to die, do you have?
Yeah, we we've been following the reports and there are reports that it may have taken up to 25 minutes.
And he was writhing and and clearly suffering.
And listen, we what we said is that rather than looking for novel, untested methods to execute people, let's just bring an end to the death penalty.
This is an anachronism that doesn't belong in the 21st century.
It is there is no proof that the death penalty deters crime, but On the contrary, there is a lot of evidence of miscarriages of justice, of discrimination in application of the death penalty, which disproportionately is applied on people who are minorities, people who are from poorer backgrounds.
So it is time to bring this to to an end.
What we are concerned about and why we're being so vocal on this is that we are worried that this will now be adopted as an accepted method of execution.
We've already seen some other U.S.
states that have approved its use and we would urge them not to use nitrogen gas to execute people and to really work towards a moratorium.
Yuri, is your question about this or I will ask you to wait.
I will wait, Alessandro, thank you.
Ravina, you're so clever you preempted my question.
But I'll ask it anyway and.
Elaborate a bit upon it I was.
Heard that there are actually about 100.
People on death row in Alabama alone, and that doesn't take into.
Account the number of other people who are in death.
Row in other states, so-called red States, and so I was wondering.
About whether you were concerned that what happened with this?
Particular execution that it would.
To open up the the floodgates to similar.
Execution with nitrogen gas because the.
Alabama authorities from what I've.
Pleased with the way that it went, you know, somehow.
Arriving in pain doesn't.
Bother them very much, thank you.
Yes, Lisa, we, we saw that the authorities issued a statement saying that it, it worked and it, it is a, it's a satisfactory method of execution.
It could amount to torture in human degrading treatment in violation of the treaties, the human rights treaties that the United States has signed.
And I, we are concerned because three other U.S.
states, as far as we're aware, have approved this method.
Mississippi, Oklahoma, actually 3 states in total, sorry, Mississippi, Oklahoma, in addition to Alabama have approved this method.
Whereas in Nebraska, a bill to approve the method has been presented.
So we are very worried that this could open the door to further executions.
And This is why we feel the need to speak out again clearly that this is not acceptable.
That you have been speaking out on this issue does the human.
Other action planned in other.
Legal action or various or other measures either appealing to international jurisdictions or what?
Have you to try to take action against what you obviously mentioned in in the **** Commissioner also both mentioned about you know the possibility of this may amount to.
Inhuman or degrading treatment?
Human rights office take well what's in our tool kit.
Jamie is appealing to the government's directly, speaking to them, writing to them.
So the **** Commissioner has written to the authorities in Alabama on this issue, and we are speaking out publicly.
The UN Human Rights Committee has also spoken out about this issue in the review of the United States.
So we do try to use every tool in our toolbox to try to influence the situation and again to try to prevent others from following suit.
I noticed you say you're still saying this could amount to rule in human degrading treatment and torture on the evidence of what happened in this particular case.
Could you, could you revise that?
Could you say whether it does or doesn't actually amount to inhuman degrading treatment?
We we saw the protocols, we did not think they were adequate.
We've seen the reports that are coming out on how the execution was conducted.
So I'm afraid we can't, you know, come to a definitive conclusion.
But this is a warning bell, and I hope it rings loudly.
This is a warning bell that this could amount to torture in violation of international human rights law, and it must stop.
I think there are no other questions from the subject Ravina.
So let's go to Yuri for his question.
Yes, thank you and thank you for don't forget it.
The fall of an EL76IN Belgarat that was shut.
All the policies are agreed that it was shut down by them.
Your office told me today that it is looking For more information.
So I just wanted to know if you are in contact with the Russian and the Ukrainian authorities to obtain some more details on that and if you have asked to send the team on site to Russia to conduct investigations.
This this is one of the things Ukraine is asking for.
So just to know if you have something on that.
Our office is looking for information and trying to to understand and substantiate exactly what happened.
I do not know if they have asked for access on this particular incident.
Previously, they have asked for access to to Russian territory and Russian occupied territory.
But on that specific question, let me get back to you.
Other than that, we are still trying to obtain more information about this terrible incident.
Maybe just to add to that, you read that yesterday the spokesperson of the Secretary General was asked about the request of President Solinsky for an independent international investigation and if the UN were involved.
And he also said that we don't have, we're not aware of of any involvement of the UN at this point.
The only thing he added is that this was a military plane.
So it's not something that the International Civil Aviation Organisation that, as you know, is part of the UN family, would have mechanism or jurisdiction over.
I can send you this in writing if you want, but that is about what I have you.
You have to add something.
Just just back to Alabama, colleagues have just informed me that the Committee Against Torture, the UN Committee against Torture is due to review the US next year.
So this issue is certainly likely to come up.
US obviously is a party to the Convention against Torture.
Thank you very much to all of you and thanks to Ravina for this extensive briefing.
And I'll now go to Christian who has an announcements.
We sent you this morning again the invitation to the registration for the press briefing the.
Virtual press briefing next Tuesday.
Convention on Tobacco Control looking out towards the Conference of the Parties, which is about to start the the Monday after the interesting topics of.
Course the advertising, but also.
Novel and in emerging tobacco products and that is another name for the the vaping and everything else it's.
You register for this briefing because you will get an extra link sent.
So don't register with us.
Register through the link that's in there and do it please ahead of time, not just the minutes.
Before, thank you very much.
Any other question to the Blue HO?
Thank you very much, Christian.
Yes, I thought I saw a hand, Paula.
Just wanted to know what if you could?
The the the build up to this convention out of Geneva, please Christian is that is that the question for Christian?
What convention are you talking?
About about the Framework Convention on Tobacco convention.
OK, so The Who Framework Convention on tobacco control.
Is an international treaty working on well tobacco control with some 180 plus parties to this convention.
So it's an international.
#10 so the conference of the parties #10 they have a.
Conference every two year.
Every two years, which shows you they're already existing since.
Quite a while quite some good good background.
You will see a lot of links.
Background in the media advisory, so I encourage.
And again they they have a one week conference in Panama with all the party's member.
States to this really interesting.
Coming up, thank you very much.
Any other question for Christian?
OK, so let me just give you a couple of other information about the meetings of the human rights treaty body, particularly the Committee on Diminution of Discrimination against Women.
That is going to start on Monday, 29th of January.
It's 87th session, which will last until the 16th of February.
Here the Paladin assume they will review the reports of Niger, Tajikistan, Italy, Turkmenistan, Greece, Oman, Djibouti and Central African Republic and the Committee on the Rights of the Child is concluding its session on the 2nd of February.
They will have next Thursday afternoon a meeting with state parties and then they will close on the Friday 2nd of February.
And just for your information, as you know, yesterday there was a meeting, a plenary meeting of the POP Conference of Disarmament.
The next one will be held on Tuesday morning, 30th of January.
And this is what I had for you.
If there are no further questions.
Thank you very much to you all.
I think, I hope I'll see you at 1:00 in room 18 for the commemoration of the Oro Coast.
And otherwise have a nice weekend and I'll see you next week.
