UN Geneva - Multimedia Newsroom : UN Geneva Press Briefing

Good morning.

Welcome to the press briefing of the Information Service here in Geneva.

Today is Friday, 14th of June.

We have had a busy week, as you all know,

and today is going to be also quite busy. We have two colleagues actually briefing.

And then, as we have announced to you in writing,

we will close the briefing at the latest at 1115.

And then we'll hear from Denise Brown,

who will be here in person to brief you on the situation in Ukraine.

So let me start by introducing you.

Jacqueline Alvarez,

the chief of

Chemical and Health Branch.

Madam,

you are here for an announcement on a conference on

sound management of chemicals and waste and prevent pollution.

You've got the floor.

Thank you.

Maybe I'll just

I'll take it

first.

But in any case, thank you very much

and thank you to all of you. Good morning.

As you might have heard, if you read about our work and the work of other agencies, we

tend to use a lot lately the messaging around the triple planetary crisis.

Because it's true. We're facing a crisis of climate change, biodiversity loss and

chemicals and pollution.

and UNEP's work is very much focused on

identifying the root sources of these crises

and also on finding solutions for them.

One way is by providing science to policy

makers so that they can make informed decisions.

As you might be aware, there are already two of these crises that have a

a science policy panel

to address them in place.

We've got one for climate change, the IPCC and we've got one for biodiversity.

But there's one missing and that's the one for chemicals,

waste and prevention of pollution.

Next week in Geneva this coming week,

we are going to take hopefully a crucial step towards the

creation of this new panel inter governmental panel science policy interface

that will address chemicals, waste and the prevention of pollution.

Let me

already announce that we will share media advisory with you today

there will be two sessions that will be open to journalists.

It's at the International Conference Centre,

the opening session where, by the way, we expect Dr Tedros as well as the head of our

industry and economy division

on the closing day. There will also be a session on Friday

open to journalists, and we will have our executive director, Inger

Anderson.

We will have a press release.

It's not clear whether there will be a press conference,

and in any case, if any of you are interested in the topic,

I would kindly invite you to send me an email so we can arrange interviews.

This will be possible throughout the week.

I

would like to give the floor to Jacqueline

Alev, the chief of

UN's

chemicals and health brands, part of the industry and economy division.

Um, she already and her team scored a rather big goal last year,

which I witnessed with the with the creation with

the setting up the global framework on chemicals.

And now we're about to face another crucial moment. The floor is yours.

So thank you. Thank you very much.

And

why I'm here today with you.

One of the main reasons is again to

highlight the importance of making the invisible visible.

And that's part of the role that the science policy panel for chemicals,

waste and prevention of pollution is looking to to do

you have heard many times forever chemicals,

omnipresence of those chemicals in our bodies, in the environment,

in all the products that we use?

Are they essential?

Yes.

Sometimes they are essential because we need to achieve the development,

the sustainable development goals we need to help development.

We need to

stop poverty. We need to stop. Hunger

and chemicals are part of that scheme that we cannot avoid.

But and here we come with the but But

and I will put three words together death, pollution and GDP.

If I go into the numbers, it's really very concerning.

We have 99% of the population of the world

that are

breathing levels in the air

that are not responding to the WHO guidelines. 99%. So

here,

if we just make numbers,

imagine all of us are not in the best conditions.

I'll mention

I mentioned GDP. So I will also mention the loss of GDP cost only to one chemicals.

And that is 7% of the global GDP, only one chemical. Imagine the numbers.

It's really concerning

2022.

There was this realisation that we need to have a

better bridge between the science and the policy makers.

So this panel that will be

negotiated on the foundational document finished next week One of the

main tasks is to make this invisible things to practically everybody

in the world

to,

uh,

the visibility that, uh, it needs to to have providing solutions,

not only saying this is a problem, but what can we

do to raise awareness,

to solve the situation and to mobilise the political

will that it is needed to make the change.

And when I am referring to political will, I'm not only referring to countries,

I am also referring to those that have the key in, uh,

in their hands to make different processes different, uh,

in in a way. Ways and modalities of working.

Thank you.

Thank you very much, madam. And now let's open the floor to questions.

Let me see if there is any in the room. I don't see any hand up,

uh, and on the platform part

of the

prize?

Yes. Uh, good morning. Um,

uh, thank you very much for for this presentation. Uh, first of all, I, um,

wanted to know you said that, uh, the

there was a loss of 7% of GDP for just one chemical. Which chemical is that?

And do you have a figure for, like, other chemicals or more chemicals.

Um, And then when it comes to this conference, um,

will you be, uh will the private sector be invited

and you know who also, who do you, um, think is most critical to,

uh, to mobilise, As you said, um, to be able to resolve uh, these,

um these issues that you described.

So I'm referring to lead

uh,

a metal that maybe all of you played or some of

you when you were Children and going fishing with your parents

in the little things that you put so that you see where your

line is is going is very complicated,

always associated with Children.

But now, with evidence associating it also to cardiovascular

health, meaning that every single person is in risk because of of this chemical.

Second part of the question, we the negotiations are

guided by member states

by countries, and they are the ones that are going to make the decision.

But

industry NGO S, other private sectors, U, United Nations, organisations,

academia,

all of them are sitting together in the

same plenary and putting forward their their,

uh, initiatives, concepts

with the same objective of getting rid of these problems. Thank you.

Thank you very much. Uh, Ravi

Kant?

Yeah. Thank you. Uh, Alexa,

uh, my question is that, uh, you have, uh, brought some linkage between, uh,

the problem and the GTP.

Uh, what exactly do you? Uh, uh, sort of indicate from the GDP site

Is high growth or in, uh, GDP terms

is a problem for, uh, what we are facing in terms of po pollution and the chemical,

you know, explosion that has taken place.

Uh, are you suggesting that, uh,

which would then mean that globalisation per SE has led to this problem?

If we now think into the new ways of handling this problem.

So one of the reasons why we are connecting this topic also with the GDP

and I will use again The example of lead is because we know lead reduces the IQ

of Children.

They are of adults. They are for the economic force. That they will be

in the next years after they are Children.

Are is also affected.

It's affecting mainly developing countries around the world

and

opening or widening the gap that exists for get better.

Getting better conditions, livelihoods,

life expectancy.

There are many things related,

but it's also related to public health and the need of hospitals,

the need of treatments.

They need to, in a way,

cover the health of the people that are affected by these chemicals. Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Is there any other question

to UN E?

Otherwise, thank you very much for coming. Thanks.

And good luck with your important conference

and I'll turn to my left now.

Uh, well, actually,

the thing is that you have been asking for human rights and human rights together

because Liz has a series of topics that she would bring to our attention.

I don't know. Which one do

we like

to start with? We start with Ethiopia. OK,

Yes. Uh, good morning, everyone. Um,

the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Folk

Turk today called for concrete measures to halt the human rights violations

and abuses that continue to endanger reconciliation and peace in Ethiopia.

The High Commissioner urges the parties to the conflict to

halt ongoing hostilities and to resolve difference through peaceful means.

It's essential that the authorities take all feasible steps to protect civilians,

prevent further violations and ensure there are full

investigations to bring those responsible to justice.

Now as you will have seen,

the UN Human Rights Office has today issued an update analysing the

human rights situation across Ethiopia from January 2023 to January 2024.

Now some of the points in this update include violent conflicts,

particularly in the

Amhara and

Oromia regions, led to serious human rights violations and abuses in 2023

in the northern trey

region.

There was a significant improvement in the human rights

situation following the cessation of hostilities agreement in November 2022

but concerns persist regarding ongoing violations by members of the

re and defence forces.

In 2023 at least

351 civilians were killed in Ethiopia

in attacks reportedly carried out by government forces, Eritrean troops,

anti government militias and some unknown actors,

and of the civilians killed, 740 of these were in

Amhara.

The use of unmanned aerial vehicles by government forces resulted in 248 civilian

deaths between 4 August and 31 December 2023 and destroyed vital infrastructure,

including schools and hospitals,

raising concerns about the extent of compliance

of these strikes with international law.

Overall,

the update records 594 incidents of human

rights violations and abuses affecting 8253 victims.

Now that's a 56 per cent increase compared with 2022

according to the update.

State actors were reportedly responsible for some 70 per cent of the violations,

while non state actors accounted for some 22 per cent.

Fanu insurgents and their allies killed at least 52 civilians in

Amhara and destroyed civilian property,

attacked medical personnel and destroyed ambulances

in violence targeted at government personnel.

The update also

details an attack on 29 January 2024 in which at least 89 civilians were killed,

reportedly by government troops in Mirai

town near

the regional capital of

Amhara.

Now the high commissioner welcomed the fact that the

authorities did not extend the state of emergency,

which was declared on 4 August 2023 and expired on 3 June this year.

Now we are urging the authorities to

release immediately those detained under the former state

of emergency if they've not been charged under

currently valid law and tried promptly and fairly

and of course those who have not been charged should also be released immediately.

The update acknowledges the Ethiopian government's efforts to promote

transitional justice and prevent violence against women and Children,

as well as its openness to engage in dialogue to resolve the fighting in the Amhara

region.

Such progressive measures require sustained commitment, the update notes.

Now I'll leave it there, but just to briefly add,

given that the update covers the period from January 2023 to January this year,

we are of course continuing to monitor developments and incidents

and to just give you a very brief overview.

The situation in

Amhara

and

Oromia

regions remains worrying

with ongoing fighting between government forces against

Amhara Militia and

Fano

and the or

Remote Liberation Army respectively.

Now,

one of the points in the update is that progress on accountability for human rights

violations and abuses linked to conflicts has been

limited despite repeated commitments by the government.

Now it's clear that if grievances are

not addressed and accountability not pursued the risk

increases of further conflict and among the update's

recommendations is the implementation of a comprehensive,

inclusive and participatory transitional justice process.

The Ethiopia's Council of Ministers adopted

a transitional justice policy in April this year

and its implementation was launched on 9 May.

And of course,

the UN Human Rights Office is ready

to continue to continue accompanying the government.

On this,

there are lots more details in the extensive update,

and I'll leave it there. Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Liz, Let's, uh, start, uh uh, to ask if there are any questions on this subject.

Imogen, Good morning.

Happy to see you in person.

Yes.

Violations.

Can you hear me now? Right.

OK, so

yeah, yeah. OK, so with Ethiopia, it just seems it's not. It's not the first time that

there's a lot of

words on paper

towards accountability, addressing violations,

transitional justice, et cetera.

But it never seems to get off the paper.

Yes, it's a complex situation. The update covers a whole range of situations.

It details a whole range of human rights violations and abuses.

It makes reference to the transitional justice

process that was discussed with multiple stakeholders.

But I think that is actually precisely the point that we're making today.

That it is really important that the accountability processes,

the transitional justice processes continue and are actually implemented.

And that is why Of course, the High Commissioner has made this call,

and the update itself details it.

We have seen some significant improvements in Tegre.

Although there are problems, there are sort of conflicts in parts of Tigre.

So

since the cessation of hostilities agreement in

2022 there has been in some progress.

But of course, we always need to keep monitoring, keep looking at the issues.

So that is why, as I said,

a couple of the recommendations in this update relate to accountability.

Relate to the transitional justice process. So, yes, there is a lot of discussion.

There's a lot of planning.

There's a lot of policy being put forward, and you're absolutely right, Imogen.

It now needs to be implemented, which is actually what we're saying.

And I here nodding

Woodson,

other questions in the room so I'll go to the platform. Liza.

Yes. Hi. Uh, good morning,

Le. Let's see. I'll start first with

Tigray. Uh, you You you say that

things have really improved there.

I mean, I've been reading reports that say that, uh,

things that are really not so great

in

Tigray that, uh, hunger is still fairly acute in areas of Perhaps you could,

uh, tell us a bit more about the situation there,

whether the kind of humanitarian aid that, uh, was so critical in the past,

uh, is getting through to them,

um, or whether situation has really levelled out in a pretty nice way.

And then I'd like to

understand in regard to, uh,

Amhara and or or or uh or Mia you talk about,

uh, the Eritrean troops that are there. Have they been invited in by the government?

Are they essentially allies? Or,

uh, are they operating on their own?

And, uh, again, when the war in Tigray was at its height,

Uh, there was a lot of concern about refugees that were,

um that that were there were actually being sent back to Eritrea.

I don't know what the refugee situation is

and whether it extends to, uh, this volatile area. Uh uh, Amar

and

Ara,

if you could talk about that,

uh, also,

what does the government have to say

about this latest report? You don't, um,

you know, really talk about them. Do they agree with most of what you have outlined?

And, uh, how do you see this happening?

Is this report gonna be issued by the way, and the Human Rights Council? Or is this a a

one off? Thanks.

OK, Lisa, A lot of questions.

I'll try and answer them all, but obviously you'll remind me if I miss one out.

So on T

Grey.

The update notes the improvements following the cessation of hostilities,

but it is absolutely clear that it still remains volatile.

There are conflicts taking place in Tigre,

so we're not saying that things are perfect there, far from it.

But the update is trying to take an

overall picture, a nuanced picture of what is happening there.

And

there is concern, obviously humanitarian concerns that continue

in Tigre

and other parts of Ethiopia.

So, really, the report is looking at Ethiopia overall, the human rights situation.

It talks about

Amhara,

Oria and Tre,

and it does make the point that there has been some improvement.

But there are still problems

with regard to Eritrean troops. They're operating on their own.

With regard to refugees.

I would need to double check specifically on the position there

on the government's response to our report.

Well, obviously that's something that you would need to follow up with them.

But as you know, when we issue reports like this and it is our report,

it's not a Human Rights Council report.

We do. We do.

We do

show to the government

it knows what is in the report. As for their position on what we're saying,

you'd have to ask them. But the update is talking, making recommendations.

And one of the things that we always say, of course,

is that we stand ready to help implement different policies.

There may be, for example,

with the transitional justice policy there is

likely a need for some legislative changes.

And, of course, the Human rights office, working very closely

with counterparts there, would be looking at that to help

the situation moving forward.

I think you answered

all the questions. I don't see Lisa

asking for a follow up, so that's fine. Let's go to Tamil.

Hello.

I have a question that is not related to the reports that were presented.

Can I go ahead or should I wait?

It's not on the report, but it's still on Ethiopia or it's on another subject.

OK, can you wait, please,

because I've got a few some more questions on I hope Ethiopia.

And then we will come to you. Police has three points today, so let's see.

John John Zaro.

Is that on Ethiopia?

No, it's not on

Ethiopia. I'll wait as well. Thanks.

All right, so nobody else has question on the

Ethiopia.

Would you like to go ahead? Or should I take the two questions first?

OK, so let's finish the briefing that she has planned for us today.

There are two more subjects.

One on female genital mutilation and the other one on Yemen.

Yes.

So if I may,

I'd like to talk about this report that we've issued on female genital mutilation,

obviously a hugely important serious subject.

So, as you see,

we've today issued a report calling for concerted

global action to tackle female genital mutilation.

The main point of our report is that the global fight against

FGM is being undermined by having girls cross

national borders and beyond to undergo the procedure.

Now,

Although many states have intensified their

efforts to eradicate female genital mutilation,

the practise is continuing across the world,

in part due to what the report describes

as the clandestine nature of cross border and transnational

FGM.

Now female genital mutilation has no place

in the human rights respecting universe.

As the High Commissioner

and the High Commissioner, folk

is quite clear on this.

It must be eliminated in all its forms

and the gender stereotypes and patriarchal norms.

Anchor and perpetuated uprooted

the reports based on in depth test research and submission

from states and civil society organisations around the world.

There are some figures in it,

so it notes that an estimated 4.3 million girls were at risk of being subjected to

FGM in 2023.

More than 600,000 women in the European Union

are thought to be living with the consequences of

FGM.

One aspect that the report highlights is what is called vacation cutting.

And that's when families, particularly in Europe and North America,

take their daughters to their countries and communities of origin

to undergo

FGM during the school holidays.

In certain cases,

girls are reportedly taken to countries that serve as transnational

FGM

hubs.

The report also says that in some cases it is the cutter,

so the people who perform this procedure

that move across borders to carry out the harmful procedure.

Another aspect that is highlighted in The report is that girls

and young women living in border communities are particularly vulnerable,

given that border areas often host communities with

cultural and ethnic ties that transcend national borders.

States worldwide have made human rights commitments to eradicate

FGM and to advance gender equality.

So the high Commissioner is calling on them to

ensure that there is a joined up global approach

that addresses the root causes and the consequences of

FGM. And

this includes harmonising their legal and policy frameworks

and ensuring these are implemented to truly meet

their commitments to end this harmful practise everywhere.

Another key element in the report is, of course,

the importance of supporting survivors.

It calls on states to ensure there are effective prevention measures in place,

designed in consultation with survivors and relevant civil

society organisations and in partnership with affected communities,

religious and traditional leaders.

I'll leave it there.

But of course, there is a lot more in the report that we issued earlier. Thank you.

Thank you very much. Liz,

uh, questions from the room.

Yes. Nina.

Hi, Liz.

Uh, I was just wondering if you had any, uh, comments on the Gambia situation.

Uh, I know it's not cross-border, but on the law that's being considered. Thank you.

Yes, that is a concrete example. Concrete development.

Nina. Thank you for highlighting that.

Well,

This recent legislative initiative to repeal the ban on FGM in the Gambia

does, of course, threaten the progress that made so far in the elimination of

FGM

and obviously will have a severe impact on girls and women's rights.

I think it's

it's

really important to be clear female genital mutilation is a human rights violation

no matter where it is.

There's no justification for gender based

violence against women and girls anywhere,

neither on the ground of culture nor on the ground of tradition.

And that's why moving it back away from just one country.

But globally,

it is imperative for states to protect women and girls

from FGM in their countries and collaborate with other countries,

including regionally, to prevent this cross border or transnational

FGM that this report focuses on.

Thank you.

Thank you very much. Are there questions in the room?

I go to the platform

So jumping over Jamil

and John, we know that it's not only subject. I'll

ask

Kant.

Uh, thank you.

Uh, I just want to know how serious and acute is this problem FGM in India, where,

you know,

because of the culture and the patriarchal system

that prevails,

Uh, you know, and this has been a very seriously observed in the past many years.

So I just want to get a glance of what

exactly where does this problem stand and how serious it is

among countries in the world?

Yes, thank you for that question.

Because it really goes to the heart of the problem here.

And one of the recommendations that the report

makes is urging states to improve data collection.

There are some figures in the report, but as it makes clear, it is very,

very hard to really

get an accurate

idea understanding of how

problematic it is, how widespread it is

you.

Of course, the clandestine nature of FGM

of transnational and cross border

FGM means that it is very hard to get exact numbers.

And it's very interesting that you're raising the issue of India, for example,

the report itself says that, for example,

with regard to the Middle East and Asia,

really data is unavailable or is very scant.

And

you know,

this hinders the development of policies and evidence based interventions.

So that goes back to the point the report is

making There is a real need for improved data collection.

Easier said than done, absolutely,

given the whole nature of this procedure of this practise.

But that is why the UN Human Rights Office thought it was

important to focus on this particular aspect and make these recommendations.

So thank you for your question.

Lisa?

Yeah. Uh, hi, Liz. Again.

could you elaborate on where, uh, mainly this vacation so-called vacation cutting

goes on. Which countries? Uh, I mean, I've heard a lot over the years about,

girls in in, uh, in England, Uh, for instance, being duped into going to Pakistan.

Pakistan always comes up as a country somehow

where, uh, the parents,

uh, take their girls for a vacation, and they end up being cut.

So if you could, uh, mention, uh, some of the main countries where this occurs,

whether

it occurs mainly in Asia or in the Middle East or Africa.

I mean, a Africa is a continent, of course, where

a lot of this is going on, and that may only be going on domestically,

shall we say and not, um

across borders. And then secondly, uh, are are there not laws in,

uh, Western countries in the UK and the United States, and

wherever you name it against it and,

uh, are

they having difficulty enforcing it or they're

not really committed to this things?

Lisa, The report

gives

examples of these two aspects.

One is what they're calling transnational and one is calling cross border.

It essentially means girls being moved from one place to another.

There are lots of details in the report regarding specific countries,

but with regard to the vacation cutting,

it really is

reflected,

If I may say so,

primarily

North America,

Europe, Australia,

girls being taken back to maybe their

countries or their family's country of origin,

their community of origin.

So the transnational side of it.

There's also a lot of detailing in the report about

what is being framed as cross border female genital mutilation,

where girls are taken across borders.

So from one country to a neighbouring country,

yes, there are laws against it. That's the whole point.

States have taken steps to criminalise

FGM,

but the whole point, of course, is that it may be criminalised

in the country in which the girl lives.

But then she is taken to a country where it

is perhaps not criminalised or that it is not.

The criminal laws are not enforced.

So that really underscores why there is this call for this joined up global approach

to implement policies, of course, to make sure that

the criminal laws are enforced.

But equally important, because it's not just about criminalising

people.

It's also about putting the resources into supporting the affected people.

The survivors, as it were

of developing effective prevention campaigns,

education campaigns with working with those who are most directly affected.

So the women and girls have been affected by

FGM

with their communities, with faith leaders with society leaders.

So it's a complex issue

that needs a complex, sophisticated, nuanced approach.

And this is what the report is trying to highlight.

So thanks again for your question on that.

I see Liza has a follow up.

Yeah, just a quick follow up.

Uh uh regarding the criminalization. Uh, if parents take their child

to a foreign country

and then they return

to the original country, let's take the UK as an example again, they go back to the UK,

which does have laws against it.

Can the parents then

be, uh, penalised for having taken the, uh, the girl to another country and

having her, uh, mutilated genitally mutilated or

not?

Thank you.

I won't speak to the specific example of a country,

but I think with regard to a criminal law in force in a country,

it will depend on the scope of that law as to whether, for example,

the parents would be prosecuted.

It also relies, of course, a lot on evidence.

So we are now veering to criminal law rather than human rights law.

So I don't want to speak in depth about

it because obviously we're not a criminal law organisation.

But clearly, if the criminal laws are in place,

it is very important that they are implemented.

But again, with a view to making sure that it is not targeting for example,

vulnerable people.

So it needs again, I think, to be

through again. Why talking about having

joined up policies in place so absolutely again,

I think depending on the scope of the particular

criminal law in force in a particular jurisdiction,

it would depend on what levels of evidence gathering would

be needed in order to bring a successful prosecution.

But at the same time,

support for the survivor as it were support for the girl must also be paramount.

And yes,

yes. Hello. Good morning, everybody. Um, it's a a bit of follow up of, uh,

Lisa.

First questions the the report is mentioning the existence of some hubs.

Uh, where the the those girls are are sent,

uh, for this, um, mutilation.

And,

um, I would like to to ask you if you could specify here, uh, give some examples of

which hubs. Uh uh, are you talking about, uh, what are the the the cities? The

the capitals? Uh, I don't know.

Because it it It didn't clearly specify the

the report which hubs we are talking about.

Thank you.

Yes, thank you.

I think, given that the report makes reference to transnational hubs,

but as you're right, it doesn't go into detail.

I think that would be something that I would need to follow up with

the relevant colleagues who actually drafted the

report to see if they have specific,

specific reference to where this is taking place.

Thanks.

Thank you very much.

Lisa has the last point on Yemen on the UN staff

detained and then I haven't forgotten about Jamil and John.

Go back to you.

Would you like to

maybe go to that?

Thank you.

Yes, thank you.

It's now been a week since six of our staff among 13 UN personnel were

taken by the de facto authorities from their homes in the Yemeni cities of Sana'a,

Huda

and

Haja.

Two of the staff are women.

A number of other people working for national and international

NGOs and other organisations supporting

humanitarian activities have also been detained

since their detention on 6 June.

The six UN Human Rights Office staff members

have not had contact with their families.

Nor has the UN been able to access them

or to receive individual confirmation of their detention,

a reminder that two other UN human rights colleagues and two UNESCO

staff were already being held

incommunicado prior to the latest detentions.

Dozens of other individuals have similarly been detained

outside of any legal protection in recent days.

We remain deeply worried about the conditions in which they're

being held and we demand their immediate and unconditional release.

The public broadcasting on 10 and 12 June of

statements procured under circumstances of inherent duress from one of

our colleagues detained in Communicado and others detained since 2021

is totally unacceptable and itself violates their human rights.

Targeting of human rights and humanitarian workers must cease immediately,

and efforts should instead be stepped up to serve the needs of the 18.2

million people in Yemen who are currently

in need of humanitarian aid and protection

and needs that our detained colleagues were delivering on

this. Eid al ADHA

will be particularly difficult for the families of those detained and

for many others who now live in fear of being themselves detained

again, the High Commissioner

urges their immediate, unconditional release.

Thank you.

Thank you very much on this particular subject.

I'd like to add that yesterday we have distributed to you

a joint statement on the detention of UN and NGO personnel in Yemen,

which was signed by 246 11 heads of

of UN agencies and

where the principal call altogether

for the immediate and unconditional release of all personnel

held in Yemen by the Houthi de facto authorities.

And of course,

High Commissioner for

Kotok was also one of the signature,

also signed this joint communique.

As Liz

just said,

these detentions are unprecedented not only in Yemen,

but globally and directly impede the ability of our

agencies to reach the most vulnerable people in Yemen,

including the 18.2 million people who need humanitarian aid and protection.

All their heads

of these bodies asked the

authorities to confirm the exact whereabouts of those detained

and the conditions in which they are being held,

as well as for immediate access to them and, of course, unconditional release.

So that is something we have distributed to you all.

As

Nina has a question.

Uh, yeah. Thanks.

Uh, Liz, I was just wondering, could you say a little bit more about this, uh,

public broadcast and who

featured in it? And, uh, when you talk about, um,

inherent duress if you could give a bit more details about, uh,

about what you're talking about there Thank you

Was one of the people who'd been held.

He was put on camera on social media. I'm informed,

and it appears to be a forced confession. Basically.

So that's why this is the inherent duress this is. We're deeply concerned anyway.

But the fact that

they were made to do this

and

this was a staff member who has actually been held since 2021.

So we were already deeply,

deeply concerned about the staff members that have been held,

and then these latest detentions are really just so

awful and so worrying.

So that's why, of course,

we are continuing to work with other UN colleagues to secure their release.

And the High Commissioner is saying again that

they need to be released now immediately.

Unconditionally.

Not so.

There was one staff member from TW, uh,

held since 2021 or or were there any of the new people who were held who were, uh,

who featured in these in these broadcasts?

And

you said they were on social media. Were they sent to the UN or

yes, it was. It was the member,

the staff member who'd been held since 2021.

It was posted on X. So that's how it got a wider

viewership, as it were.

So these

are outrageous allegations that have been made against him. They forced him to make

that he was colluding with foreign governments.

These are not only outrageous but dangerous allegations.

All local stuff.

Yes. These are all local stuff.

there is also I mean,

I think you have all seen the call for also immediate release

of all the UN staff held in Yemen by Secretary General Guterres.

We send it to you on 11 June.

So you can also refer to that

where the Secretary General was saying that this is

an alarming development that raises serious concern about the

Houthis commitment to a negotiated solution to the conflict.

The UN condemns all arbitrary detention of civilians.

Hans

Grundberg also spoke to the Security Council yesterday. You may have seen

his briefing. It's available online.

Um, if there are no other question Oh, yes, and yes.

I don't know if this is on the same subject or another. Otherwise I start with Jamil.

Yes, this is on on the same subject. Um,

I know that there is an,

uh they they they have launched an investigation saying that, uh,

they they are a part of a group of spying,

but, uh, I was wondering if they are asking, uh,

for anything to the UN to to liberate those people.

Uh, you the the

Yes, if if if they have asked you anything,

as I indicated and also, as Alexander's indicated, the UN my organisation,

other UN organisations are

doing their utmost working behind the scenes.

But I don't have the details,

nor would I go into them about what is actually being discussed.

The only thing I can add is that this

question was asked yesterday to the deputy spokesperson of the

E that said that the UN are in touch with de

facto authorities and are working to secure their release from detention.

For the moment, we don't have progress to report,

but

it is, uh,

they are working on it, Um,

for the release.

Um, I'm just trying to see if there is OK, so since I see no other question can I go?

It's OK if I go back to

Jamil.

Ok,

uh, we still have about 10 minutes before we start with, uh, Mrs Brown.

So I'll go to Jamil

for his question on another subject. Jamil?

Yes. Hi, Liz again, Uh,

my question is about the, uh, law that is being, uh, proposed in Brazil,

and it is about to be approved.

Uh uh. Putting, uh, the person that is a victim of a rape

in the same condition as the person, uh,

that committed the the violation if she,

uh

uh decides to have an abortion.

So obviously, it's a incredibly, uh,

situation for the victim.

My question to you. What is your position

on, uh, the victims of rape

or the issue of abortion

and the the

criminalization of, uh, this situation as well. Thank you.

Yes, thanks, Jem.

Well, with regard to what specifically

is happening in Brazil,

we are concerned

that the Chamber of Deputies approved

an urgent procedure for this law

which equates abortion over 22 weeks of pregnancy with homicide.

We're concerned that this urgent procedure avoids discussion

of the draught law on parliamentary commissions.

And that's a necessary step to understand the implications of

this bill and its compliance with international human rights standards.

There's a couple of points.

You will probably know, Jamil,

that the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women

gave a recommendation to Brazil last month

to decriminalise abortion in all cases and ensure

that women and girls have adequate access

to safe abortion and post abortion services.

Now, with regard to your follow up your additional element of the question about

women being raped but not allowing to have an abortion and all that.

Let's step back and just say

that

access to safe,

legal and effective abortion is firmly rooted in international human rights law.

And it's absolutely central

to women and girls' autonomy and their ability to make their

own choice about their bodies and lives free of discrimination,

violence and coercion.

So that's our position, basically, on abortion generally.

And we're following what is happening in Brazil. Thank you.

Thank you very much. Uh, um,

at least I see journalists are asking if

then eventually you can send also these notes

this point,

uh, to them.

Uh, John zarro. Costas.

Good morning. Can you hear me there, Liz?

We can We can

Yes. Um,

yeah, it It's a follow up to, uh, the report released yesterday

by the office of the UN Secretary General on, uh, Children and armed conflict.

And I was interested.

What, uh, data your office has independently verifying,

uh, attacks on Children killed or maimed from the major conflicts is that, uh,

you share some data with us concerning Ukraine?

Do you have also a

similar

TR uh, triangulated verified data, Uh,

from your office on all these various conflicts with more details that we can, uh,

dive into,

uh, the report by the Secretary General has a lot of numbers.

Not but but not much detail.

Yes. Thanks, John. Obviously, our colleagues working on the occupied

Palestinian territory

are

gathering information. Our monitoring, our assessing our gathering data

on various incidents

with regard to an actual breakdown.

I don't have that to hand. I don't think we have that level of disaggregated data,

but clearly going forward.

This is something that our colleagues will be looking at.

Thank you very much. Yes. Uh, Nina,

there is some noise on the line.

Sorry. Uh,

Liz I, I had a question also on, um, on, uh, the Israel Palestine issue. The the

finance minister in Israel is is, uh, taking, uh, Palestinian tax money to use for,

um, victims of, uh, Palestinian attacks.

Uh, and that's,

uh I was just wondering if you have a reaction to

that and sort of how that corresponds with an occupying power,

using money that way. Thank you.

I don't know if we have specific details on that, so I would need to look at,

ask colleagues what information they have, but yes, absolutely.

With regard to occupying powers, they have certain responsibilities.

So without knowing the details behind it, I can't really venture an opinion.

But it does seem that it may not be

appropriate. At the very least,

thank you very much,

thanks to Liz for this extensive briefing and

following up with the notes and the questions

just before we close this part of the briefing. And I see that Mrs Brown has arrived.

Welcome.

We will stop a second between the two so that we can

for technical reasons.

However, I just wanted to tell you two things before we close.

The first one is that unfortunately, this is a terrible, terrible

anniversary.

We are now at the 1000

a day mark of the unacceptable ban on secondary school girls.

Education in Afghanistan.

As you know,

other countries in the world ban girls and

women from receiving education in that way,

and denials of girls' education anywhere is a threat to girls' education anywhere.

And on this matter,

I like to call your attention to the press release that the education cannot wait.

Colleagues have issued

they are starting the second phase of their campaign, called

hashtag Afghan Girls

Voices

which lights real life Testimonies of hope,

courage and resilience by Afghan girls denied their right to education.

The press release is available online

and also on a very much more technical housekeeping thing. I'd

like to remind you that Monday the Palais is closed

so we won't be here. However,

in line with the usual

discussions we've had with

a

you would have access to the Palais.

In general terms, the

Chaman DFA

Gate is open between seven and 11 o'clock on Monday morning.

The rest of the building access are closed, but you can have access the usual way.

Ask Rolando or myself,

but you can get out from

the

access without problems until

the end of the day.

So this is what I had for you.

Let's make a hard stop here for a moment

while we reorganise for the briefing by Dennis Brown.

Give me one second. Thank you

UN Geneva Press Briefing - 14 June 2024