The United Nations Office at Geneva
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UN Geneva Press Briefing - 16 July 2024
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GENEVA PRESS BRIEFING
16 July 2024
Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired a hybrid briefing, which was attended by spokespersons and representatives of the World Health Organization, the United Nations Human Rights, the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, and UNAIDS.
Health situation at the Chad-Sudan border
Dr. Shible Sahbani, World Health Organization (WHO) Representative to Sudan, calling from Port Sudan, said that the previous week he had been to Adré, in the Chad-Sudan border area, as part of a high-level WHO mission. The Sudan crisis was currently the worst displacement crisis in the world, with close to 13 million people in Sudan now displaced: more than 10 million of them dispersed in locations within the country and over two million were seeking shelter in neighbouring countries. The needs Dr. Sahbani had witnessed were heartbreaking: women and children spoke of hunger, illness, violence, and loss, exposed to the elements and with scarce supplies of basic necessities. The refugees he had met said there were multiple reasons why they had fled Sudan, but it was primarily hunger.
The Chad government and the people of Adré had been welcoming, but this system was overstretched. Arriving refugees said that whatever they used to produce locally in their communities had been taken by fighters. The Government of Chad and the host communities were all very welcoming, but the system was truly overwhelmed. Chadians who had welcomed Sudanese refugees in their homes often did not have anything left to share with them. Dr. Sahbani explained that the Darfurs, Kordofans, Khartoum and Al Gezira states were all but cut off from humanitarian and health assistance due to the relentless fighting. The situation in Darfur was particularly alarming, where in places like El Fasher, over 800,000 people were besieged and cut off from access to food, health care and medical supplies.
Access was crucially and immediately needed in order to avert the disastrous health situation, stressed Dr. Sahbani. Urgent action was needed to bridge the huge funding gap – the Humanitarian Response Plan for Sudan was only 26 percent funded, and the health response plan was 36 percent funded. The rainy season in Sudan and neighbouring countries, which had just started, would further exacerbate challenges in accessing healthcare for affected populations, and it would also impact the ability of WHO and its partners to deliver humanitarian assistance. Urgent action and a ceasefire are necessary to contain the unfolding humanitarian catastrophe. Open access from Adré was immediately needed. Protection of civilians, respect for international humanitarian law by all parties, and unrestricted access were all required.
Replying to questions from the media, Dr. Sahbani said that there were good signs from the parties regarding access, but this was not consistent, and continuous advocacy with all warring parties and international partners was necessary. Ceasefire would be the best solution, but in its absence, a humanitarian corridor should be established. OCHA staff were doing their best negotiating with various belligerents to gain access to El Fasher, informed Dr. Sahbani; for the time being, signs were not indicating that the situation would improve soon. The Geneva talks, which were currently ongoing, gave some promising signs; protection of civilians and humanitarian access were two main objectives, explained Dr. Sahbani. There were reports of 500 to 700 Sudanese refugees still arriving to Chad every day, and the resources were woefully inadequate despite the good will by the Government of Chad and local host communities.
Regarding the talks in Geneva, Alessandra Vellucci, for the United Nations Information Service, said that Ramtane Lamamra, the Personal Envoy of the Secretary General, had interacted with both Sudanese delegations in Geneva over the previous weekend, and the proximity talks were continuing this week. Also answering a question, Ms. Vellucci confirmed that the Personal Envoy was working closely with the African Union, and their efforts were complimentary.
Institutionalized forced labour in North Korea
Elizabeth Throssell, for the United Nations Human Rights (OHCHR), informed that the OHCHR had released a report on the institutionalized use of forced labour by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) against its citizens, which raised a broad range of serious human rights concerns. The report was based on various sources, including 183 interviews conducted between 2015 and 2023 with victims and witnesses of forced labour who had managed to escape and now live abroad. The testimonies in this report gave a shocking and distressing insight into the suffering inflicted through forced labour upon people, both in its scale, and in the levels of violence and inhuman treatment.
People were forced to work in intolerable conditions, often in dangerous sectors with the absence of pay, free choice, ability to leave, protection, medical care, time off, food and shelter. They were placed under constant surveillance, regularly beaten, while women were exposed to continuing risks of sexual violence. The report looked at six distinct types of forced labour: labour in detention, compulsory State-assigned jobs, military conscription, the use of revolutionary “Shock Brigades”, work mobilizations (see below), and work performed by people sent abroad by the DPRK to earn currency for the State. The report called on the North Korean Government to abolish the use of forced labour and end any form of slavery. It also urged the international community to investigate and prosecute those suspected of committing international crimes, and it called on the UN Security Council to refer the situation to the International Criminal Court.
James Heenan, OHCHR Representative in Seoul, speaking from Seoul, stated that perhaps the most concerning was forced labour extracted from people in detention, be it education camps or prisons or political prison camps. Detainees were systematically compelled to work under the threat of punishment, including physical violence. They did so in inhumane conditions, with no choice, little food, scarce health care and disproportionate work quotas. OHCHR had also found forced labour in the system of military conscription. Military conscripts were required to serve ten years or more and were routinely forced to work in agriculture or construction – usually with little or no link to their military duties. Work was hard, dangerous and exhausting, with few health and safety measures, a lack of adequate food and water, and insufficient healthcare. A former nurse working in a military hospital reported that most soldiers with malnourishment also came down with tuberculosis. After people left military service or schooling, every North Korean was assigned to a workplace by the State. The Workers’ Party of Korea had full and exclusive control over all job assignments, which included assignments to factories, mines, and construction facilities.
Mr. Heenan explained about the other type of forced labour discussed in the report, the so-called “Shock Brigades”, which were State-organized groups of citizens forced to carry out arduous manual labour that were sent often far from their homes to complete particular projects under State supervision. A project could last for months or even years, during which workers were required to live on site, with little or no remuneration. The conditions described in the Shock Brigades were alarming: little concern for health and safety, scarce food, even scarce shelter in some cases, with punishment for failure to meet quotas. The report also looked at the situation of overseas workers: those North Koreas that the Government sent abroad to earn valuable foreign currency for the State. Workers sent abroad reported harsh conditions and hard, dangerous work, as well as losing up to 90 per cent of their wages to the State, being under constant surveillance, with no freedom of movement.
Full report is available here.
Responding to questions, Mr. Heenan said that it was impossible to estimate the percentage of people affected by forced labour. It could be said that forced labour affected most people in the country, and the OHCHR wanted to put spotlight on both the scale and institutionalization of it. Historically, many North Korean workers had worked in Russia, but it was not known how many might still be there; a number of workers in some countries had been converted to people with student visas. It was more likely than not that forced labour in DPRK was also used to manufacture arms. As per established practice, the report had been shared with the DPRK authorities, but no comments had been received. The laws in the country provided quite a lot of protection against forced labour, but they were simply not implemented. North Korean workers going abroad, primarily to China and Russia, had been an established practice for many years; other workers included construction workers in the Middle East, medical staff across Africa, etc. Following the 2017 international sanctions, some individuals had been stuck in their destination countries, lost their jobs, but were still expected to send money back to their home country.
Cote d’Ivoire joins the UN Water Convention
Thomas Croll-Knight, for the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), stated that, faced with increasing water stress and climate change impacts on the water resources it shared with its neighbours, Cote d’Ivoire had joined the United Nations Water Convention, a UN treaty to improve joint water management across borders. It was the 53rd Party to the Convention and 10th African country to join the 1992 Convention on the Protection and Use of Transboundary Watercourses and International Lakes, known as the 1992 UN Water Convention. This further consolidated the strong momentum for water cooperation in Africa, where over 90 percent of water resources were in 63 basins shared by two or more countries.
Cote d’Ivoire, the 9th largest economy in Africa and 5th fastest growing economy on the continent, shared eight transboundary river basins with its neighbours. Meeting the water needs of the country’s population of some 30 million people, which was growing by 2.5 percent annually, brought significant challenges: its water resources were threatened by urbanisation, climate change impacts including drought and flooding, while water quality was deteriorating due to pollution from agricultural, industrial waste, illegal gold panning, and untreated wastewater.
Mr. Croll-Knight stressed that cooperation was indispensable to address Africa’s water challenges. He reminded that, since the global opening of this treaty to all UN Member States in 2016, Chad, Senegal, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Togo, and Cameroon had become the first African nations to accede, before being joined by five countries in 2023 – Nigeria, Namibia, and the Gambia, in addition to Iraq and Panama who had become the first Parties in their respective regions. Over 20 more were in the process of joining, the majority of which are in Africa. According to the African Development Bank, one in every three people in Africa currently faced water insecurity, and only 58 percent of Africans had access to safely managed drinking water services, and 72 percent of people lacked basic sanitation services. Water, however, also had huge transformational potential, considering less than 5 percent of cultivated land was irrigated today and only 10 percent of hydroelectricity potential in Africa was utilized.
More information about the Convention is available here.
Global AIDS Update Report
Ben Phillips, for UNAIDS, informed that the Global AIDS Update Report would be launched on 22 July on the State of the epidemic with new global data. The report “The Urgency of Now: AIDS at a Crossroads”, just ahead of the 25th International AIDS Conference in Munich, would demonstrate that ending AIDS as a public health threat was achievable by 2030 but that success was being threatened by pushes to reduce funding and to restrict human rights. The report and all data could be provided to the journalists under embargo in advance.
The HIV response was at a crossroads: success or failure would be determined by which path leaders took. The report would show that the decisions leaders made this year would determine whether AIDS was ended as a public health threat by 2030. Taking the wrong path, by limiting resourcing or clamping down on human rights, would lead the pandemic to continue to grow, costing millions more lives and undermining global health security. Mr. Phillips stressed that this was the critical moment in the HIV/AIDS pandemic, but everything depended on leaders taking the necessary action this year.
Press launch of the report would take place at 10 am on 22 July at the International Press Club at Marienplatz 22/IV in Munich. This press conference would be immediately followed by another conference focused on Eastern Europe and Central Asia, the region where AIDS deaths were going up. For journalists wishing the join, here was the link, and Zoom details:
Meeting ID: 831 3456 8680; Passcode: 004056. Materials would be available in English, French, Spanish, Russian, and German.
Individual briefings with interested journalists in Geneva could be organized, said Mr. Phillips responding to a question.
Announcements
Alessandra Vellucci, for the United Nations Information Service (UNIS), reminded the media that the second meeting of the Preparatory Committee for the 2026 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) would be held in Room XIX of the Palais des Nations from 22 July to 2 August. The Chair-designate of the second session was Ambassador Akan Rakhmetullin of Kazakhstan. At this second Preparatory Committee meeting, States parties would consider specific matters of substance relating to the implementation of the Treaty and relevant decisions. The opening meeting would start in at 10 am on 22 July. The Chair-designate would hold a press conference the same day at 1:15 pm.
She also informed that on 18 and 19 July, the Human Rights Council would hold an intersessional meeting to discuss concrete ways to enhance the participation of Indigenous Peoples in the work of the Council. The meeting would gather UN entities, international organizations, Indigenous Peoples, and civil society organizations. Another intersessional meeting on the same subject would be held on 17-18 October. Following these two intersessional meetings, the meeting co-facilitators would work with OHCHR to prepare a report that would include specific recommendations.
Ms. Vellucci said that the Human Rights Committee was continuing this morning its review of the report of India.
This morning, the Committee against Torture was reviewing the report of Côte d’Ivoire.
Teleprompter
Good morning. Welcome. Today is Tuesday, 16th of July, here in Geneva.
Let's start the press briefing of the UN Information Service.
Um, and I'd like to go straight to We've got quite a few guests today
and I'd like to start with WHO. Christian is online.
Uh, he brought us Doctor sh
Zani, who is the WHO representative to Sudan
and who is connecting from Port Sudan.
Um, Christian, I don't know if you want to start with doctors
Sabani,
you are here to update us on the health situation at the Chad Sudan border.
I don't know who would like to start
Christian. I see you have, uh, uh open your mic, Mick. Uh, so maybe you wanna go ahead,
but we can't hear you.
No, it's OK. OK, so let's start directly with Doctor
Sabani. So you have the flu for your introductory remarks. Thanks.
Thank you very much.
Ladies and gentlemen, uh, good morning from Port Sudan. Uh,
where I'm now,
um, I want just to give you an update about, um,
the findings and also some facts and thoughts.
with regards to the outcome of my, uh, visit to the borders between Chad and Um
and, uh, and Sudan,
where I was last week with the delegation
from the African region WHO African regional office,
but also the eastern Mediterranean, Mediterranean, uh, region emer
um du during, um, during that, uh, that visit. The objective was to,
assess the needs of the refugees the Sudanese refugees who are based on the borders,
uh, between Chad and Sudan, but also to, um,
through the discussion with these refugees
to understand better the situation in Darfur
and inside Sudan in general.
And to understand better how we can help them, how we can support them in terms of,
um of, um, uh, basic health services.
But also,
uh, the protection of, uh, the health facilities,
the health care in general and protection of, uh, civilians as a reminder, um,
Sudan crisis is the worst displacement crisis.
This in the world now, with around 13 million people displaced
over, uh, 10 million are internally displaced populations.
Uh, and, uh, over 2 million are, um,
seeking refuge refuge in neighbouring countries, including Chad.
That hosts over, uh, 700,000, uh, refugees.
So the objective of this mission was also to see how we can scale up uh,
scale up our response not only as WHO, but also with the, uh,
with our partners there in terms of providing,
uh, additional supplies through cross-border,
uh, also to assess the situation of the disease outbreak, including the measles,
because we got reports about certain,
um um um, infectious diseases. Uh, and, uh,
um, And, uh, the increase was, uh, reported by different partners
and also to coordinate better the, uh,
service delivery inside Sudan in the Darfur mainly, but also
in the court of arms in
Khartoum
and, uh, Al Jazeera, which are completely cut off from, uh,
humanitarian assistance due to the escalating violence inside,
uh, inside Sudan.
So, um, during, uh, during our, uh, our mission, um, I
I had the opportunity to meet with different,
uh, refugee, Uh uh, refugees coming Sudanese refugees coming from,
uh, from, uh, the Darfur
and the court of funds.
And what's what I saw mirrored exactly what I witnessed before while talking with,
uh, some ID PS inside, uh, inside Sudan,
they reported,
deaths, loss of lives, loss, loss of belongings,
hunger, diseases, a lack of access to basic services, but also violence,
including sexual violence
and
all This
led to a massive influx of refugees in the neighbourhood
countries included, including
Chad. But one common thing
that, um,
I I saw that, uh, there, when I discussed with different,
um, categories of refugees is that the main reason they left Sudan now is hunger
is famine. And this is the main reason why they left. They said it's not insecurity.
It's not lack of access to basic services, but because we have nothing to eat there.
And I was really shocked when I was discussing with one
woman who said that whatever we used to produce locally there
to eat was taken by fighters. So we have no choice either to, um to leave the country.
And, uh, she, uh, she flew the, uh she flew Darfur, uh, to come to Chad.
Uh, she worked for three days with her Children
with no food during the three days.
And this is something that was, uh, really shocking, uh, shocking for me.
So, of course,
the, um the the host community in Chad.
Uh, and also the Chad government.
They were very generous. They welcomed, uh, the refugees. They opened their,
um They opened their homes, their systems
But, you know, the systems were already over over, uh, stretched,
and they tried to share whatever they have.
But at a certain point now, the system is really overwhelmed.
Um, I talked with some, um, some, um uh, che
on the borders.
Who said that they welcomed the families in their homes, but at a certain point,
they have nothing to share.
They were already in a very bad situation even before, uh, before the crisis.
So the the the situation in Darfur
cordo Frances in Jazeera
Khartoum is really, uh, bad. And it's even worsening.
And without access to very urgent humanitarian access, it will be a disaster there.
So our call is, um, to, um to advocate more for, uh, allowing access, uh, of, um,
humanitarian aid into this, uh, these areas.
And here I want to highlight the situation in Al
Fasher,
where around 800,000 people are completely besieged there
with no access of a humanitarian humanitarian aid,
including the, uh, the, uh, health.
Uh, urgent health, health, Uh, assistance.
Um, so the the second the second issue that we are facing, you know, now we are, uh,
almost mid July, Uh, meaning that almost seven months.
Um uh,
since the beginning of the year and the funding
for the humanitarian response plan is only at 26%.
And for health is, uh, 36%.
It means that this humanitarian response is really underfunded.
And we need to make more efforts,
more advocacy with our partners with our donors
to get more attention for this crisis.
That again, it's one of the worst crisis, uh, in, uh, in the world
and to mention also that the rainy season has just become
had just started. Sorry.
And, um, the the the access will be even worsening. And here,
um, the the the the cross border operations from Chad
will be really a big challenge for us.
If the authorities cannot allow us to go through
Adri Now, the only access that is allowed is through T.
But it's not enough.
It's not enough.
With the rainy season, it will not be possible to go through that way.
So we need to advocate more to have open access from Adri to be
able to respond to the needs of those who are affected by this crisis.
Just in terms of summary, we have four or five asks.
The first one is the protection of civilians.
The second one is the respect of the international humanitarian law,
including the respect of the health care, the health facilities, the health, uh,
the health, uh, the health workers.
And we noticed recently an increase on, uh, health attacks.
Uh, we are asking also for an increase of the humanitarian response funding.
And the last one is access,
access and access again without allowing access of humanitarian aid.
The situation will not be, uh,
better in Sudan. Thank you very much. And I'm ready for your question.
Thank you very much, sir. Thanks. I'll open now unless
Christian wants to add something. But I don't think so.
Let's open the floor to questions
in the room.
Uh, any question to the doctor?
I don't see any hand up, so let me see on the platform.
I see. Liza. Liza Schlein, Voice of America. Lisa, you have the floor.
Um, thank you. Thank you. Good morning. Uh, OK, I understand your plea for access,
but how do you get that? I mean, do you have any kind of interaction?
Any dialogue at all with the warring parties? I
My uh, my assumption is that it's, uh, members of the,
uh, rapid support forces who are mainly an obstacle to the axis. Is that correct?
Could you
elaborate upon that? And if you do not get this access, then
then what?
I mean,
what are the consequences?
Doctor
Seman?
Yeah, Uh, thank you very much. Uh, this is a very valiant question.
Very relevant question.
Um, you know, a few weeks ago, uh,
we were in the same situation and we tried to do advocacy.
I was personally in Geneva, where I met with, um, different,
uh, partners there, including,
um, the Sudan Minister of Health and his delegation. And with the other parties
we got, we got good signs as we speak.
Now, I have seven trucks moving from, uh, from cordo fans towards Darfur.
They were released just yesterday. They were stuck
in, uh, AD A
for, uh, almost. I mean, for a few weeks there for almost one month.
And, uh, just, uh, yesterday we got the approval to have them move in towards,
uh towards Darfur.
We have good signs from the
website also for cross border operations,
and we have the deputy humanitarian coordinator who is now in Darfur
who was able to cross
the borders between Chad and and and Sudan.
This means that we have good signs from the different parties.
But it's not enough again because we have to deal with the cases on ad hoc basis.
But this is not the best way to do that. We need more advocacy
in the country with the different belligerents.
But we need also advocacy with the big,
um, big countries with those who have a certain influence on on on on on the situation
Um uh, in, uh, in, uh, in Sudan now to to answer also your question.
I mean, there are always other other solutions.
Cease fire is the best one, of course, But if we cannot get a ceasefire,
at least we need to open the humanitarian corridors to be able to deliver.
If not, we have to think about alternative solutions.
Sometimes it can go until the airdrop of the supplies,
but it's not the best solution for the time being.
OK,
sorry. Jeremy Loche,
Radio France International.
You
just want to go back to the situation in El
Fasher.
You mentioned that
the place is besieged
800,000 people are besieged in El
Fasher. Can you elaborate a bit more? What does it mean, exactly?
Uh, Doctor Sabani.
Go ahead. We answer every question. Uh, IN, uh, press conference mode?
Yes.
Shall I go ahead?
Yes, please.
Yeah, thank you very much for for your question. Yes. The situation, in fact,
is really, uh, concerning for all of us.
And, uh, this is not something that happened yesterday.
I mean, for a few days or even a few weeks. Um,
the, um the fights between SAAFRSF but also with other belligerents,
um, made, um, access to Al
Fasher. Completely impossible.
Uh, fortunately for, uh, for WHO, Uh,
we had some supplies which were stockpiled inside the F.
We were able to,
uh, to deliver certain supplies to, uh, some hospitals there, but it's not It's not,
um uh, enough.
And it's not sustainable.
Uh, now, uh, of course, um, our colleagues from O
a are doing their best to negotiate with
the different belligerents to have access there.
Uh, but again, it's it's on ad hoc basis.
The 800,000 people there lack access to health services,
but also they lack access to other basic needs, like food, water, uh,
protection and, uh, and everything.
So, um,
so we don't know what would be, um, the, uh the situation in the coming in the coming,
uh, days.
But for the time being,
the signs that we have is that the situation will not improve in the, uh,
in the short term.
Unfortunately, but we are trying to, uh, negotiate.
As I said, we have now, um uh, seven trucks going towards, uh, Darfur,
including Al Fasher.
But, um, again, uh, we have to negotiate on a case by case basis.
OK,
thank you. Um, Emma Farge, Reuters.
Good morning.
Since you mentioned the Geneva talks, uh,
I was wondering if you could elaborate a little bit
more on what you were asking for at the talks.
And, um,
are you hopeful, uh, how promising they're They're looking. Thank you.
Um, thank you for this question. Yes. Geneva talks are ongoing
as we speak now, um, and, um, we have, um
as I said, I'm based in Port Sudan now,
but we have our daily updates regarding the discussions that are going,
um
from yesterday there are few promising signs what
we are asking for are two main things.
The first one is protection of civilians. The second one is humanitarian access.
Of course, when we talk about protection of civilians,
it includes also the protection of our respect of international humanitarian law,
including opening,
um, access to, uh, to basic services and the protection of, uh, healthcare.
Um, now, um,
I'm not sitting there. I cannot give you, uh, much more details, but
the, uh the the the daily updates that we are getting is that
it can be promising.
Let's wait for the coming hours days,
and we hope that we can get If we don't get cease fire, at least we can get,
um, uh,
the protection of civilians and opening
of humanitarian corridors for humanitarian access.
Uh, of, uh, our aid.
Thank you very much. Lisa, you have a follow up?
Uh, yes, I do. Um,
how many? Um, refugees are arriving on a daily basis approximately.
And I'm wondering whether
I think there have been reports in the past that
a number of them are being prevented from leaving being
Al Fasher.
Um, is that the case? And, uh,
what about the situation with the communities? Is hostility growing as
sorry. Resources are are getting scarcer.
And, uh,
sorry about that.
Lastly, I have read reports that
because the refugees weren't getting the aid they need in Chad
that they were going to other countries further a field.
Could you talk about that? Thank you.
So, um, thank you for the question.
Uh, first of all, uh, with regards to figures.
Um, again, Um, um, I'm the WHO representative in Sudan.
I gave you the the general figures,
which are over 10 million who are displaced internally.
And, uh, over 2 million. Who are who are, uh, either
or asylum seekers in the neighbouring countries. In Chad, there are over 700,000,
uh, people, uh, during, uh, my mission in Chad last week.
Uh, we met with different authorities who mentioned
between 507 100 refugees on daily basis who are arriving to, uh, to
chad.
Uh, still not all of them. Uh, they are, um they are registered as refugees.
The process is ongoing there, including, uh, provision of certain services.
But to answer your second question now, the resources are very scarce.
As I said, uh, the, uh, Chad and the, uh, Chad government and the local authorities.
They were very generous.
They opened their system, their houses, and so on to share whatever they have.
Uh, but
the situation there is not much better than, uh than other places.
I cannot talk about the other countries that I didn't visit, but I can tell you that,
um, last year I was also in Central Africa Republic,
that is also hosting part of the refugees coming from Sudan.
And the situation is not better there.
Um I mean, the situation is really, really bad.
And it's heartbreaking to see, uh, the situation of refugees.
Um uh, now, uh, with regards to the situation in Sudan, Yes.
When we met with the refugees, um,
we discussed also the situation What led them to flee?
Um uh, Sudan.
And what's the situation in Sudan in general,
but also with regards to access to health services and all of them.
They They say that the situation is worsening day after day,
but we can understand that if we don't
have, uh, humanitarian access to these areas, we cannot improve the situation.
We are ready to move either from, uh, from Farhana
adrid through cross border or even from Port Sudan through cross line.
But again, if we are not granted access to these areas Um, um,
we are very limited in terms of, uh uh uh,
improving the living conditions of these populations.
Thank you very much, Doctor
Saban.
I don't see other questions for you, so thanks for this update.
And, um, good luck. Uh, I hear some voices. Is that Christian? No. OK,
so thank you very much. And, um
uh, good luck with your work. Thank you very much for briefing us here in Geneva.
And now I move to my rights.
I've got with me Liz Throssell
for
HC
HR.
Liz
has brought us her colleagues colleague James
Hean, who is the representative of the UN
Human Rights office in
Seoul. So he's
calling in from Seul.
And this is about a report on the situation of forced labour in North Korea.
You want to start this?
Yes, I will.
just before we start Catherine, Is that a question for Dr
Sabani?
I saw your hand before, and then he disappeared and he came back again.
But before we start with North Korea,
is that something you wanted to ask?
I can't hear you. I'm sorry.
Maybe you want to put this in writing.
Excuse me. Yes, go ahead. Now I
can
hear you.
And also the fact that UN organises proximity talks in Geneva
and that other talks are organised by the African
Union at the same time in Addis Ababa.
What does it mean?
Is there a problem of
co ordination between African Union and the United Nations?
I think
there is
no.
Can you repeat the first part of your question? We didn't hear it at all.
Hello? Do you hear me? Uh, maybe there's a problem of, uh can you Can
you
Do you hear me?
Hello?
OK, I
think we have a problem of audio, and I'll ask my colleagues to, uh maybe
we can take this offline because you can't hear us, and we we don't hear you.
Well, so let me go back to to
Liz, and I'll take Catherine's question afterwards and maybe Liz,
let's start with North Korea
and thank you very much to your colleague to be
for being with us.
OK,
Yes. Good morning, everyone.
The UN Human Rights Office has today released
a report on the institutionalised use of forced labour
by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea against its citizens,
which raises a broad range of serious human rights concerns.
The report is based on various sources,
including 183 interviews conducted between 2015
and 2023 with victims and witnesses
of forced labour who managed to escape and now live abroad.
The testimonies in this report give a shocking
and distressing insight into the suffering inflicted through forced
labour on people both in its scale and in
the levels of violence and in human treatment.
People are forced to work in intolerable conditions,
often in dangerous sectors with the absence of pay,
free choice, ability to leave protection, medical care, time off food and shelter.
They are placed under constant surveillance,
regularly beaten while women are exposed to continuing risks of sexual violence.
The report looks at six distinct types of forced labour,
labour in detention,
compulsory state assigned jobs, military conscription,
the use of revolutionary shock brigades,
work mobilisations and work performed by people sent abroad
by the DPRK to earn currency for the state.
The report calls on the North Korean government to abolish the
use of forced labour and end any form of slavery.
To ensure accountability,
the report urges the international community to investigate
and prosecute those suspected of committing international crimes.
It also calls on the UN Security Council to
refer the situation to the International Criminal Court.
As the High Commissioner said,
economic prosperity should serve people, not be the reason for their enslavement.
Decent work, free choice,
freedom from violence and just and favourable conditions of work
are all crucial components of the right to work.
They must be respected and fulfilled in all parts of society.
For more on the report now over to James Heenan,
who is as Alexandra said the representative at the UN Human Rights Office in Seoul,
which focuses on human rights in the DPRK.
James, over to you.
Uh, thank you, Liz. And good evening from from Seoul.
Uh, let me
let me briefly, uh,
go deeper into the forms of forced labour that we've identified in D, PR, K,
North Korea.
As we say,
perhaps the most concerning is the forced labour extracted by people in detention,
uh, be it education camps or prison camps or political prison camps.
Detainees are systematically compelled to work under threat of punishment,
including physical violence.
They they they live in inhumane conditions with no choice.
Uh, little little food,
uh, scarce healthcare
and disproportionate,
uh, work quotas. One woman who was subjected to forced labour as a pretrial
detainee said if I failed to meet my daily quota,
all eight persons in my cell were punished.
We might be punished with additional work hours or a bigger quota to fill unquote
within this context of detention.
given the almost total control of the state over the lives of detainees
and the widespread extraction of forced labour
in these prisons,
it it in some instances reaches the level of effective
ownership of these individuals, which is an element
of the crime against humanity of enslavement.
We also found forced labour in, uh, the system of military conscription.
Military conscripts are required to serve up to 10 years, uh
uh in in service and are routinely work forced
to work in agriculture or in in in construction industries
are usually with little or no link to military activity.
Uh, work is hard, dangerous, exhausting,
uh, with very few again, very few health and safety measures, a lack of food,
and sometimes even a lack of shelter.
A nurse who was working in a military hospital
told us that most soldierss came into the clinic,
uh,
malnourished and then came down with tuberculosis because they
were so physically weak and tired from this work.
Um, after leaving military service or or or for most women leaving school,
every North Korean is assigned a state,
uh, a state assigned job.
Um, the Workers Party of Korea has full
control and exclusive control over all job assignments to
factories, mines, uh, and so forth
again victims reported an absence of free choice, obviously,
but also a lack of ability to
to to collectively bargain a lack of ability
AAA threat of imprisonment or violence for failure
to attend work or for or
if they were complaining about the non-payment of wages.
And this affects millions upon millions of North Koreans.
Uh, moreover, state a state
assigned employment is also a means for,
uh, political coercion and education.
The population through through indoctrination
sessions and self criticism session,
another form of forced labour we looked at were the shop brigades which are
state organised.
Groups of citizens forced to carry out carry out arduous manual labour
and this sort of idea of heroic labour for the state.
These people are often sent very far from their homes to complete
projects on the state supervision. It can go on for months. It can go on even for years
during which workers are required to live on site with little or no remuneration.
The conditions described in the shop brigades are indeed shocking,
uh, little concern for health or safety, scarce food, scarce shelter
and punishment for failure to meet quotas.
Uh, this also occurs, uh,
more locally in towns and neighbourhoods in
in more localised forms of work mobilisation,
which again affects almost every person in the country.
uh, I'd also say about the the the the the Shop Brigades.
One person said to us, If I didn't run away,
I would have been left there for years.
Finally, we looked at the situation of overseas workers.
D PR K has for decades sent,
uh,
North Koreans abroad to earn, uh, valuable foreign currency for the state.
Uh,
those workers who are looking for this sort of work because of the hardship at home,
uh,
go abroad and discover very harsh conditions hard and dangerous work and they lose.
They've reported to us
losing up to 90% of their wages to the state
while being under constant surveillance with no freedom of movement,
passports confiscated, cramped living conditions.
Uh, no time off.
Most of them would tell us that they had one, maybe two days off a month.
the report also looks at the gender impact of these These forms of forced labour,
for example,
women who are often the primary breadwinners in
North Korea when they're drafted into forced labour,
the forced labour comes on top of their
O of their caring responsibilities and the
sort of gender stereotype society and also,
uh, their responsibilities to bring money into the home and also on Children.
There's a very, very
worrying, I would say appalling
situation of child labour in D PR K
facilitated through the school system.
Children as young as 10 drafted into forced labour
and the report calls makes a number of recommendations,
but obviously calls for the eradication of all these forms of forced labour
in B PR, K.
Thanks, Liz.
Thank you very much for this. Pulling information.
Um, James, I'll open up the floor to questions
uh
Jeremy Loche,
Radio
France International.
Hi.
you You you mentioned the scale of forced labour in in in
North Korea.
Can you give us Do you have
any idea how big this is? How many people in North Korea
are subjected to forced labour? Can you say, like, it's
50% of the population less, More like. Do you have any idea,
James?
Yes, we've. We've We've had this question. Um
uh, it's it's impossible to, uh,
to come up with that figure particularly now because the country is essentially,
uh, hermetically sealed.
Uh, there's there's, uh, very few people with access to the country.
But historically,
we would say that overseas workers there were tens of thousands
of workers in foreign countries in Asia and Europe and Africa,
But then at home,
when you when you look at the forced labour aspects of state
assigned employment and you remember that
every North Korean has state assigned employment
uh, I think it's fair to say that, uh, forced labour touches the lives of almost, uh,
almost everyone in the country.
Well, also, when you take into account
the the size of the armed forces, it's almost half a million
um I'm not saying that all of them are subjected to forced labour,
but, uh, a large number of them are.
So it's the scale of it
that we're drawing attention to today. And the institutionalisation of it.
The fact
that,
uh, there is, uh, it's part of the way in which the state is organised.
Yeah, I'm
a far
Reuters.
Good morning. Thanks for that.
Um, there have been reports about, uh,
North Korea exporting arms produced from forced labour
and also forcibly sending workers to Russian occupied territories in Ukraine.
Um, have you had any signs?
Do you have any signs of North Korean labour
being exploited by by Russia or other countries?
And do you have any reaction to these reports circulating? Thanks a lot.
So
So those those reports are recent, uh,
because the country has been closed since covid since 2020.
It's very difficult to verify those reports.
Uh, historically, we know that there were,
uh, many, uh, workers working in Russia under a work agreement. Um,
they were supposed to return to D PR K.
Uh,
with the 2017 Security Council sanctions,
Um, many of them were stuck in, uh,
in in Russia and in many other countries because of the covid closures.
we're not really aware of what's happened to those workers. Um,
and we're not aware of new workers having been sent. What we are aware of
is that, uh, a number of, uh,
workers were converted or anecdotally were converted to student visas.
Uh, in some countries, Uh,
but, uh,
in terms of that's in terms of the overseas
workers in terms of the manufacture of armaments.
Uh, we we
we don't have specific examples of people who
could say that they were working in an arms factory, But the way in which
the system works institutionalised, uh, we would have to say that it
is more likely than not that forced labour is also used in the
in the manufacture of army.
Thank you very much. Emma, is that, uh, no. Okay,
so let me go to L. Uh, Li Li
line.
Thank you. Yes. Good morning.
do you have any communication at all with any of the,
uh, um, officials in North Korea?
I was wondering whether you have actually sent
them the report whether they have well,
read it or at least, uh, made any kind of a a
response or reaction to that.
And then, um, I think you have a whole list of recommendations. Uh uh.
I don't know what are what are some of your principal ones? And what?
What is your position on
sanctions?
Do they work, or do they make the situation even worse for the, uh,
people inside North Korea or from the way you describe it? Maybe nothing.
Nothing can get worse anyway.
Thank you.
So,
uh,
our reports are always sent to member states when
they are the they are the concerned state.
This report was sent to D PR K. Uh, they didn't comment.
They they said that they don't recognise the mandate of our office.
Our office here in Seoul was specifically set up to monitor
human rights in D PR K after the commission of inquiry 10 years ago.
Um, but M, my colleagues in Geneva and other parts of the UN,
particularly my colleagues in Geneva,
uh, do do talk to D, PR, K and the UN. As just as with every member state takes a two
track approach in human rights. We we we monitor and we report, but we also engage,
and we hope that engagement
will improve some of these issues. Now, there's quite a lot of issues here, but
for example, the laws of the D PR K
aren't that bad.
The laws on the books provide quite a lot of protections against forced labour,
but they're just not implemented.
Um
uh, and,
uh,
that
that
potentially gives an opening for some some some some joint
approach, uh, with the UN, which is what we hope.
But, uh, for now, uh, they're fully aware of these concerns that have been raised.
Uh, and the the strength of this report
is that it is based on a large number
of interviews and it's based on firsthand information.
We don't base it on other information.
Um
uh, on the recommendations.
There's a large number of recommendations because there's
a large number of types of forced labour.
we we we call for essentially for the eradication of these practises.
We call for the ability of people to complain.
We call for accountability for those involved,
potentially in criminal behaviour.
We call for a referral to the IC C where it amounts to a crime against humanity.
But we also call for,
You know, um, things like, uh,
uh, supply chain. Due diligence on the international community to make sure that
based on the guiding principles on business and human rights
uh, you know, member states are are are careful not to be,
uh, complicit in in these violations by having, uh,
goods essentially made,
uh, using forced labour.
It's a very difficult process,
made more difficult by the fact that the panel of experts and D PR K
was shutdown in April.
Uh,
that was a panel on the sanctions community that that
gathered information on on Ooo on exports and so forth.
But it's still incumbent on member states to exercise its due diligence.
I would say that's a very key recommendation on sanctions.
I mean, multilateral sanctions are agreed by the international community.
Uh, the impact of sanctions are,
uh is very clear from the Committee on Economic
and Social Rights that member states have an obligation
to
to, you know, respect
to to to to respect the rights that they have
signed on to not just in their own countries,
but when they apply sanctions towards other countries.
And that's the position.
Uh, that's the position of of of the office.
Um, do they work or not? I mean, that's a very complex, uh, question, because we see,
uh, that, uh, D PR K, uh,
is, uh, is is is essentially, uh, devoting quite a lot of resources towards
the creation of weapons and so forth.
But we still have these levels, uh, of poverty and discrimination.
Um, which I haven't mentioned much today,
uh, which, which are still subsisting in in the country.
So there's clearly a link there
between, you
know, peace and security
and the human rights situation in the country.
Over.
Thank you very much. Robin. Millard
ar
France pre.
Thank you.
Uh, I was wondering if you could say a bit more about these overseas workers.
Um, which countries specifically are they? Are they going to,
um, does the host country profit in any way from that labour?
And how are how are those workers stopped from fleeing once they're there.
Thank you.
uh, so, in terms of, uh, where,
I mean, this is a very long standing, uh, practise, uh, and, uh,
historically going back decades we've had we've had workers
in dozens and dozens of countries.
Obviously, there's a lot who go to China because it's next door.
It's the longest border. It's the easiest place to go to.
We had many in Russia, particularly in Siberia, in the forest,
in particular in construction and logging industries.
We have, uh,
particularly women in the service industry.
Uh, in many capital cities around the world, there was a North Korean restaurant,
and and often it was it was staffed by by by women sent from D PR K to work.
They were overseas workers as well.
They tell terrible stories of having passports confiscated and
one day off a month and and and extreme surveillance by by the, uh,
security services of D PR K.
We have doctors in Africa historically, Uh, still, maybe, uh, we have, uh, workers,
uh, construction workers in the Middle East.
We had workers in Poland.
We had workers in the Netherlands in the past in the distant past,
so it really was a very large programme. At the moment.
It's much more difficult to tell
what the situation is because,
uh, well, as I said, because the 2017 sanctions called for all countries, uh,
not to accept and to send back Sorry.
Not to accept and to send back U PR K workers.
So, uh,
many of them were stuck.
And we are particularly concerned about their situation those individuals who
are stuck and we know that those individuals who are stuck
if they were out of a job,
they would still be required to pay the equivalent of 90% of their wages to the state.
So they became
relatively desperate to try to find work and cash to
be able to send that back to the state.
And the control that the state has over them is not just
the risk of repatriation. What happens to you when you go back?
It's also
what can happen to your family back home. Um,
that's a very strong lever of control.
do host states profit. Uh,
I mean
again,
Historically speaking host states are often they were
states close with close relations to D,
PR K.
But not always. They would have sometimes have looser
labour laws,
but ultimately no, there was no
profit there. It was a money making exercise for D PR K. So, uh, the, um
you know, the typical situation would be someone would be sent abroad.
They would they? There would be a company in that other in that other,
uh, country that would, uh,
be the one that gets the work and supervises them and then gives
them the 10% of their wages or sometimes 0% of their wages,
Uh, on a monthly basis.
So, no, we didn't have any strong indication of host states benefiting.
Um, except that the labour host states who needed labour That was relatively cheap.
But, I mean, that's a much bigger issue than than than D PR, K.
Um, how are they stopped? Um,
how they stopped escaping.
Well, you would have an agent from the MS S or the MP S.
The security services are are assigned, uh,
and And where There was a lot of lot of people in one country, uh,
they would not be able to,
uh, have one agent to each workplace. So then that agent would also,
uh, responsibilies is probably a nice way of saying it,
uh, the,
uh the the more senior person in the work group who
would then be responsible for maintaining
surveillance and reporting essentially spying,
uh, and reporting.
Um
uh,
and then, uh, if they escaped Uh uh, They they
they In some countries where there were a lot of these security agents,
they would be they would essentially have been sought, be sought after.
But in many countries, they weren't. It wasn't so much that
they would escape, and they would be captured. It's more that
if you escape,
it's what happens to your family back home. The fact that you can never go back.
You don't know where you're going.
You've got very limited knowledge of the world as a North Korean. So
So it's it's more of a psychological prison in many ways,
um, that they're not quite sure what they're getting into.
But we have had quite a lot of
overseas workers,
uh, come ultimately to the Republic of Korea.
And that's the basis on which we've written this report.
Thank you very much, James. I,
uh no. Lisa is a follow up, I think. Ok, we have,
uh, Lisa.
Yeah, just following up on this. That is there. There are always reports about,
um, people who have escaped from from, uh, North Korea and have gone to China.
And when China catches them,
they are then returned
to, uh to uh, North Korea, which I believe is a violation of international law.
Uh, have you expressed your concerns about this to the Chinese? And if so,
what sort of response have you received?
Sorry. Yes, I didn't answer that.
So
what I've been talking about are people who are sent by D PR K abroad. So legally sent.
Ah, but there are a number of people, as you say, who leave D, PR K illegally
cross
cross the Yalu
or Tumin River
and enter China,
uh, and and and end up working, uh, in China.
those individuals
are at risk. They they It's a very mixed group. Some are there
just to earn some some money and and go back. Others are are are trafficked.
Most of the women are trafficked for marriage or or or or
uh uh or other things. Um,
and some.
Some eventually are actually wanting to escape and and and
make a new life in a in a third country.
So very different treatment for all different types.
Um, yes.
The high commission is on record, including in Security Council.
We have raised this issue saying that these individuals, uh,
where there is the risk ofo more,
particularly under the Convention Against Torture Article three
which says that anyone who's returned to,
you know, real risk of of, of serious violations, including torture,
must not be refilled. We say they have a a compelling,
uh, claim on protection. Um,
in, uh, in, uh, in those countries, in china and in other countries.
Thank you very much.
Uh, James, I see Katrine has again her run up, but I think it's about done unless,
uh um mistaken.
Uh, yeah. Kathrine had the question about Sudan, so I think we can,
uh,
so we can think.
Good morning. Just
one
second. Let me let me say thank you to James
and to Liz.
Uh and, um I think the notes have been already sent I. I saw. So
Lisa
is anything else you wanna add? No.
OK, so thank you very much, James, Uh, for this, uh, uh,
important briefing and for the report and, uh, yes, Catherine,
ask you a question and then we'll go to UIC.
You hear me now? Yes.
OK, um uh
you couldn't hear me, uh, at the end of the my previous question, because I was muted,
muted,
so um my question is related to Sudan.
Um, I'd like to know where do the talks The proximity talks stand,
uh, in Geneva, and I'd like to know. Also, my question was also related to the fact
that there are also I mean, uh, talks on Sudan that took place in Addis
Ababa.
Uh, led by African Union
and all stakeholders were attending that meeting.
And, uh, I think that the meeting in Addis Ababa ended yesterday,
uh, or will end this morning. And it's also to launch a political dialogue,
uh, to resolve the conflict. And they found an agreement. So
isn't there coordinations between UN and African Union or
I don't understand exactly
what's the purpose of having two meetings with the same goal on the same topic?
Thank you.
Thank you very much. Kathrine.
First of all, as an update on, uh, on the talks, uh uh, that you have asked for.
Um, what I can tell you is that the personal envoy of the Secretary General, Ram
than
Lamamra
and his team had several interactions with each one of the delegations
throughout the weekend so that talks have been continuing during the weekend.
The teams engaged intensively on the two key items discussed during these talks.
As we have heard also from
Dr
Sabani humanitarian assistance and protection of civilians.
And the discussions are continuing
this week on your question about the African Union talks.
What I can tell you is that the UN team, and especially the person envoy,
works closely with the African Union and with all other partners.
These efforts are complementary and not just
on one side, one on the other. They are complementary. They work together.
Thank you very much.
Kathrine, you have a follow up. That's what I have.
Thank you. Could you kindly send us the notes that you read?
Uh, that would be very nice of you. And also,
uh, when you said that, um, the representative had talks with
everyone,
Does it mean that he had also the possibility the opportunity to speak with
the persons that the representatives that did not show up
that are in Geneva and did not show up?
Yes, Yes, absolutely.
I can confirm that That, as you know, was the situation last week. But now
the
soon envoy is engaged with both delegations.
Both of them are in Geneva. You remember from from last week.
And at the beginning, As we told you, one of the two delegations didn't engage.
But now they are fully engaged.
Both of the delegations and these are proximity talks.
So the the person and envoy is speaking with one and then with the other, uh,
alternatively.
So with each delegation he has engaged during the weekend several times,
Emma
and I'll send you the note. Sorry
gonna go on for
No. Sorry. We don't have a calendar. We don't have the calendar.
We'll keep you updated. Uh, as Doctor Sabani
said,
we have daily updates. We'll keep, uh, we'll keep you updated if you ask. And, uh uh,
but we don't have now a calendar for for the next days. Musa.
Hello. Uh, let's go back to to Thomas, and I'll send now. Uh, Katherine, we
mercy desole
uh, D
comes, um, uh, back to Sudan.
So the talks are going to take a place as long and as necessary. It means that if they
they they have to stay in Geneva two weeks, they're gonna stay.
They are going to stay two weeks. Or is it uh is there a kind of deadline or
as Is there
anything? Uh, could you give us a bit more details?
Because it's quite, uh puzzling to to
not to know what's happening here in Geneva. Even in the Palais, we see the cards.
We know that there's movement and we are unable to cover it because we have no info.
OK, As I said, Katherine,
I cannot give you an idea of the timing because we don't have a calendar at the moment.
Uh uh.
I'm doing my best to inform you daily if, uh if, uh, people ask,
we try to get answers to you, but I don't have a deadline.
I'm sorry.
And, um uh, the most important thing is that this is,
uh this is engaging and continuing.
OK, so thank you very much. Thomas. Go ahead.
You have an update on the human water Convention. I understand.
Indeed. Thank you, Alessandra. Good morning.
Faced
with
increasing water stress
and climate change impacts on the water resources it shares with its neighbours,
Cote d'Ivoire has joined the UN Water Convention.
This is a treaty I remind you
to improve. The joint management of water across borders
could devise the 53rd party to the convention and the 10th African country
to accede to the 1992 Convention on the Protection and use of
Trans boundary water courses and international lakes to give its full name.
This further consolidates the strong momentum
for water Cooper operation in Africa,
where over 90% of water resources
are in 63 basins shared by two or more countries.
So water cooper operation is essential underpinning
the management of those water resources.
I will deliver a quote here from the executive secretary of the UN
which services the convention.
Cote d'Ivoire's accession is a milestone for multilateralism
and reaffirms the role of the UN Water Convention as
a tool to support water Cooper operation for peace,
sustainable development and climate change adaptation across borders.
I encourage all countries worldwide to
join this proven instrument for water diplomacy
and I reconfirm our commitment to support them in this process.
Cote d'Ivoire is the ninth largest economy in Africa
and the fifth fastest growing economy on the continent.
It shares eight trans
boundary river basins with its neighbours
meeting the water needs of the country's fast growing population, a
population growing at 2.5% annually currently standing at some 30 million people
brings significant challenges
and
these include
urbanisation, climate change impacts, drought and flooding
and water quality impacts from pollution.
Now
this is not only a story about Cote d'Ivoire
on World Water Day back in March,
we came here to brief you on why water Cooper operation matters more than ever.
And today we have a clear demonstration of that.
This is not just the story of Cote d'Ivoire. It's the story
of a large scale trend.
As more and more countries legislate to shore up the foundations
of sustainable development,
it means ensuring water quality and quantity for fast growing populations.
And we're talking about millions, indeed, billions of people.
It's about improving access to water, sanitation and hygiene.
It's about reducing the risk of disasters.
It's about reducing the risk of
conflict over increasingly scarce water resources.
And it's about improving the bank ability
of climate change,
adaptation projects and infrastructure investment in shared basins.
In short,
it's about strengthening the foundations of peace
and for the entire sustainable development agenda.
Since the global opening of this treaty to UN member states
in 2016 Chad, Senegal, Ghana, Guinea Bissau,
Togo and Cameroon became the first African nations to accede
before being joined by five countries in 2023. Nigeria,
Namibia, the Gambia in addition to Iraq and Panama,
who became the first in their regions to join.
Now over 20 more countries are in the process of joining this treaty
and those include Zimbabwe and Sierra Leone,
which are in the final stages of accession.
The four largest economies in West Africa, that is Nigeria, Ghana,
Senegal and Cote d'Ivoire are now parties
to this treaty.
Reinforcing trans boundary Cooper operation helps address disaster risk
To put that into perspective in Africa,
flooding,
drought and other climate related events cost
countries between two and 9% of their.
According to the African Development Bank,
one in every three people in Africa currently faces water insecurity.
Only 50 per cent, 58 per cent. Excuse me of Africans have
access to safely managed drinking water services
and 72 per cent of people lack basic sanitation services.
Water, however, is a great source of potential
considering that less 5% less than 5% of cultivated land
is irrigated
and only 10% of hydroelectricity potential is exploited
with sub Saharan Africa's population forecast to double by 2050
climate change impacts set to intensify.
Strengthening co operation across borders is
crucial to addressing climate change impacts.
I
want to reiterate again the call of the Secretary General made earlier this year
for all nations to join and implement this treaty to address a growing water crisis
and also flag the upcoming 10th session of
the meeting of the parties to the convention
to be held in LNA
in Slovenia 23rd to 25th of October
as an opportunity to catalyse this momentum.
Thank you very much.
Thank you very much.
Um, for this update. Uh uh, Thomas, is there any question
IN the room
or online? I don't see any. I don't know if you want to remind,
uh,
that,
uh
is
the host of,
uh, today's press
speaking,
right?
Yes.
Don't know if you wanna speak.
No,
no,
there's no update
on this.
OK,
uh, Catherine, is that a question for Thomas?
Yes,
it is.
Please.
Yeah. Uh uh uh, maybe stupid question. Who's head of UN water?
Because I know that, uh, it's, uh
It's supposed to be head of an agency. It was ILO. And who's head of UN water now?
Thank you.
The person Uh, the colleague uh uh, name is Federico Pro.
He is the head of the, uh, Secretariat of UN Water. Right.
The current head of the presidency of UN Water. The chairing is a rotating basis.
As you say. I
was the previous,
uh,
the previous organisation. Now it's I
who has
who
has the presidency
If you If you are asking for questions, I think Federico and his team can answer.
I understand. He is also the guest of the noon briefing today
also to update on the issue of the water of the UN Water Convention.
So you could also listen to him when he speaks today, after the noon
briefing of Mr Duri,
I can send you the timing of the link.
And
as you know, the Secretariat is here in Geneva. So
if you if you need to ask more questions, don't hesitate.
Anything else for Thomas?
No, I don't see any. OK, so thank you very much. Maybe if you can send out your notes
Done OK? Great. Fantastic.
And let me go to our last guests today from
UNAIDS. I think they are online.
Ben Phillips, as you know, is the communications director of UNAIDS.
He is here with Charlotte on Zoom, uh, to give us some,
uh, so premium information about the global AIDS update reports.
I don't know who wants to start. Ben.
Hi. Yes. Can you hear me? OK, very well.
Great.
Really pretty pleased to join you.
Um, we would like to invite everybody
to the launch that is taking place on Monday
of the global A. I DS update report. This is the flagship report.
Um, that reveals the latest data
on the HIV response.
The largest A. I DS conference in the world. The one that takes place every two years
is taking place from the 22nd of July
to the 26th of July
in Munich.
Uh, that is all across next week.
Um, just before the conference opens.
Um, so at 10 a.m. Central European time, at the Munich press conference,
we will be launching the report and the data.
We can also provide all of the journalists on an embargoed basis.
That data
the fact sheets,
um, a copy of the report, um, the press release video materials and more.
Um as well as opportunities for interviews.
Um, so all those will be available on an embargoed basis. If you contact
us, uh, through,
um, Alexandra and the usual, uh, channels,
that will The press conference will be held at the Munich, uh, press club,
but will also be accessible to all of the media,
um, online, uh, through zoom and will also be broadcast publicly on YouTube.
Uh, so for access to the zoom link again, you can get through us
first a bit about the report and then about some of the speakers.
The report is called The Urgency of Now
a. I DS at a crossroads.
And the reason for that is that the data that we will release on Monday
will demonstrate that it is the decisions that leaders make this year
that will determine
whether the world ends a I DS as a public health crisis by the year 2030
or fails to do so.
Millions of new infections
millions of deaths
are at risk if the world fails to end a I
DS by 2030 as well as it undermining global health security.
And yet the opportunity exists
for an extraordinary legacy for leaders to say
that they are the ones who ended the world's deadliest pandemic left behind a safer,
fairer world,
a world better prepared for the pandemics to come and one much more secure.
So that data, which is figures that have never been seen before that will tell, uh,
the story of progress,
of challenges and of opportunities and possible directions
will all be released at 10 a.m. at
that press conference on Monday And you as the media can
also get hold of embargoed materials that all that you need
in advance of that
immediately after that press conference will be a
special focused press conference in the same venue.
Um, and the same link that will be on Eastern Europe and Central Asia,
Eastern Europe and Central Asia is one of the regions in which
the HIV uh, crisis is making
the least progress. In fact, it's a region where, as we will reveal on on Monday,
uh, a I DS deaths are in fact going
up.
Um, now first, then to let you know about some of the speakers. So,
uh, Winnie Bannier,
the executive director of UN a.
I DS will be joined by Doctor Sharon Lewin, who is the president of the International
A I DS Society by doctor Sabine Ditmar,
who's the parliamentary state secretary to the
Federal minister of Health of Germany.
Archbishop
Doctor
Thabo
NBA from, uh South Africa, the archbishop of the Anglican Archbishop of Cape Town,
who's been a leader for global justice, a leader for, uh,
action on debt and development
Um, and also,
uh, an inspiring faith leader making the case for equality and human rights for, uh,
marginalised communities, including LGBT Q uh,
people,
and Friedel Dausa,
Friedel, Daus
SAB is an amazing
man. You'll be really, uh, fascinated to meet with him.
He is the Namibian activist who successfully challenged
the law that made it a crime to be gay in Namibia. He took that law to the high court
and had that law struck down
Um, so that's AAA fantastic and inspire
story of an ordinary person challenging power and succeeded.
And that event will be moderated by Peter Weisner,
who is the head of the NGO action against a I DS Germany.
Um, people will be able to ask questions in English
and in Russian because of the focus on
Eastern Europe and Central Asia and in German, because the event is being held in,
uh, Munich, Um, and we will be able to provide you with materials, um, in English,
but also,
uh, in French and, uh, Spanish and and Russian.
Um, and, uh, German,
and we will be delighted to provide you with anything
that you need in order that you can cover,
uh, this vital event.
So please be there and do get in touch with us for the information that you need.
It's extraordinary moment
in the A. I DS pandemic
when finally
the end is in sight. But it's totally contingent
on what leaders do now.
So to find the latest facts and figures and to find out what it is that leaders
need to do that they can be the people that ended a I DS this decade.
Um, then do join. If they don't
make the actions necessary this year, then we are guaranteed to fail.
If they do make the actions needed, then there is a proven route to success. Thanks.
Thank you very much. Ben. Um, and unless charlotte wants to add something No.
OK, so let me go to questions either in the room. No, I'll go to the platform.
Catherine.
Uh, Ben, I don't know if you know Confucian.
Good morning, Ben. Thank you. For, um,
for this, uh, short, uh, briefing.
Uh,
do you plan to organise an briefing under embargo in
Geneva as UN a headquarters are based in Geneva.
Um, and if we could have interviews under embargo before because otherwise, um,
what you said is more for, uh, correspondence based in Germany.
So, um, we are happy to organise um
uh, individual,
uh, bilateral briefings, Um, with interested,
uh, journalists as well as to provide you with all the materials that you need.
Um, so you don't need to come to Germany.
And in addition,
the press conference that is in Germany will be accessible,
Uh, online.
Just as you're engaging with this, uh, press conference online,
you would be able to do the same,
uh, on on, uh, on monday.
Um, So you'll be able to, uh, access some materials from today by connecting with us,
uh, to seek, uh, uh, a briefing and an interview.
Um, and you will also be able to,
uh, to access the event on Monday. You don't need to be in Germany to access it.
You can access it,
uh, online through a, um, a journalist's only,
uh, online link which we will provide for, uh, for you,
uh, for that day. And in addition, the public will be able to watch the whole event on
YouTube.
Ben. Sorry. Can you repeat the time of the press conference? Yes. 10 a.m.
Central European time.
OK, if people are coming in person to the Munich press conference,
for which case they would need to contact us in advance,
they should arrive by about 9.
30.
Because we go,
we seat everyone and we go, We go live at 10. Sharp.
Uh, so 10 a.m. is when that takes place, and then it will be immediately followed. Um
uh, at about 11 a.m. or 11:05 a.m.
by the focused event on Eastern Europe and Central Asia.
Thank you. Katrine. You have a follow up?
Yes.
Um, I, I have a follow up about the Geneva opportunities, uh, for a press and embargo,
um, interviews.
Is it possible to have the executive director? Because we haven't seen her
for many years in the Palais,
and it would be nice to have her under embargo,
uh, for interviews or the authors of the report?
Yes. So
I'm offering you individual connectivity
for an interview and briefing on the report individually to you,
Catherine.
and you would not leave.
You would not need to leave Geneva
in order to
to do that.
I had seen John's hand, but I don't know. It's gone now.
Uh, John Zarco
does for the floor,
but I can't see him now.
Let me see.
Yes, John. Go ahead.
Ben. Ben. Good morning.
The update. It's not the biannual global assessment of a I DS.
It's just an update of the last global
assessment. Is that correct?
So the conference, the major conference, happens every two years.
The data is updated
every year.
Um, and so it's the, uh, it's the latest, uh um, annual
data.
Um, it happens to be on the eve of the biannual conference, but the data we gather
every year,
and what this year's data reveals is that
this year
is the fork in the road moment. The crossroads moment,
um, for leaders to take one path or the other.
It shows extraordinary progress that's been made, but also shows significant gaps
and shows some dangers
ahead. Um, that pose a risk to the HIV response.
But signals to leaders what are the decisions that they need to take
in order that they can navigate those those dangers? So it's completely new.
Uh, data no one has, uh, will have ever, uh uh,
calculated or released these numbers prior to, uh, Monday.
This will be the most recent
global data
that anybody has, uh, anywhere.
Um, and this is the data that really sets the direction.
The director of of PEPFAR,
John and Kong
said that it's this data by UN a DS is the North star
of the global HIV response for everyone working on the HIV response.
So this is the, uh, the most important, most significant and most recent
global data.
Uh, that anybody has, uh, anywhere in the world
coming out on Monday. But we will be able to get to you on an embargoed basis, that data
even before Monday in order to help people prepare their pieces.
That's very clear, Ben. Thank you very much.
Good luck for this important conference and for the launch of the update.
Um And, um, so that brings me really to the end of our briefings. I've got Oh, John.
Sorry. You have an update and a follow up for Ben.
It's not for Ben.
It's related to, uh, to the, uh,
what you mentioned earlier about today's briefing in New York
by the president of if
it's
not,
I
was
going
to
just
before you
go ahead.
I understand.
He's, uh They're also gonna unveil the new data on a global report on on, uh,
poverty and hunger.
And that report is meant to be launched on the 24th of July in Brazil.
Uh, I don't understand why they're gonna unveil the key points
to an embargo report the state of food and nutrition in the world.
So it's a bit confusing.
Is that report not embargoed, Or will it be launched in Brazil on the 24th?
They're releasing the
data in New York today.
Look, I can only tell you for the moment here from this forum,
I can only tell you what I have, but I can ask
about the embargo. What I know is that today
the guest at the noon briefing will be both
alvari
Lario who is the president of
which is also the chair of un water. As Thomas mentioned,
he will be joined also by Frederico Prezi,
the person I was talking about, who was the chief of UN water and technical lead.
And they will be there to launch. Indeed, the first ever UN system wide
strategy for water and sanitation.
In addition to that,
they will unveil the latest figures from the upcoming state
of food security and nutrition in the World 2024 report,
which I think is the report you are mentioning now.
So I don't know about the embargo. This is the information I have.
Let me check if this report I would
tend to say it's not embargo because they they will present it today.
But let me check for you, John. And in any case, you will be able to follow all this,
um, on UN Web TV. But let me
get back to you on with the information on this.
If I think it's the report you're referring to
so I don't see other question.
Let me give you the few announcements that I have one on. First of all,
you should have received, but with all the information, it may have gone a little bit
noticed.
You have received a media advisory by
our colleague of the Office of Disarmament Affairs
about the Preparatory Committee for the 2026
Review Conference of the Parties of the Treaty
on the Non Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.
This is the second meeting of the committee and it's going to be held at the Palais de
Nion
in Room 19 from the 22nd of July to the second of August.
The chair designate of this second session is Ambassador Akan
Rak
Mein
of Kazakhstan.
So, as you know,
the the the next review conference of the NTP will
be held in 2026 and they are going to meet
in the three years leading up to that meeting with preparatory committees.
So this is the second one
it convened.
The Preparatory Committee convenes annually to consider principles,
objectives and ways to promote the full implementation of the treaty
as well as its universality,
and also to make recommendations to the review conference.
In particular, this second preparatory meeting,
the State parties will consider specific matters of substance
relating to the implementation of the treaty and relevant decision.
The opening uh, meeting will begin exactly as, um at the same time then Bens
only that this is here.
So it will start at 10 a.m. on Monday, 22nd of July
in room 19. As I said
and
you are cordially invited for a press briefing with the chair designate Ambassador
Akan Rme
Tin
at 1:15 p.m. in this room.
So 10 o'clock the opening and 115
the press briefing here
And you will also be able to follow all this on Web TV
Um, a few announcements on the human rights side.
Um, we have been asked to tell you that on 18 and 19 July,
the Human Rights Council will hold an inter sessional meeting
to discuss concrete ways to enhance the participation of indigenous people
In the work of the Council,
this meeting will take place in Room 20 will be webcast.
It will gather UN entities, international organisation,
indigenous peoples and civil society organisations.
There will be a second inter session and meeting
on the same subject on 17 and 18 October.
Following these two intersection and meetings,
the meeting co facilitators will work with the Office of the Human
Rights High Commissioner to prepare a
report that will include specific recommendations
and also on the human rights committees.
Um, we have the Human Rights Committee, which is continuing this morning.
Its review of the report of
India.
Uh, and, uh, this morning the Committee Against Torture
is reviewing the report of Cote d'Ivoire.
And
I think I've told you everything I had. Yes.
So if there are no further questions for me,
I thank you very much. Bon appetit.
And as you Fred,
uh,
Taha,
if it's about Sudan, we have already discussed that I have sent out the notes.
I'm
going to centre.
I have sent them.
Ok, thank you very much.
And I'll see you on Friday. Thank you.