The United Nations Office at Geneva
Multimedia Newsroom
UNOG Bi-weekly press briefing 12 June 2020
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1:12:15
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MP4
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779.8 MB
Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service, chaired the virtual briefing, attended by spokespersons for the World Food Programme, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, and the Human Rights Council, the United Nation’s Children Fund, Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights.
The topics addressed included COVID-19, the 43rd session of the Human Rights Council, the situation in Yemen, a recent ruling on country citizenship laws in The Bahamas, the situation in the Sahel, and reports of pushback at Greece’s sea and land borders.
43rd session of the Human Rights Council
Rolando Gomez, for the Human Rights Council (HRC), said the 43rd session of the Human Rights Council would resume this coming Monday, 15 June, and was scheduled to run all of next week up to Friday, 19 June. The decision to go ahead with the Council session had been taken in accordance with the green light from Swiss authorities on 27 May allowing for gatherings up to 300 people and following an agreement by member States. Several additional measures had been taken to ensure the session could be held while prioritizing the safety and well-being of all participants. The bulk of the resumed session would take place in the Assembly Hall, the largest conference room in Geneva, to give all delegations and members of the civil society the possibility to participate in the meetings, and for the media to observe from inside the room. Participants who could not travel to Geneva would have the opportunity to deliver their statements via VTC and pre-recorded video messages, which would be screened inside the room and on webcast. At the end of the week, some 40 draft resolutions would be considered.
Mr. Gomez also said that on Monday 15 June at 1.30 p.m., the Council President, Elisabeth Tichy-Fisslberger, would give a press conference to update the press on the programme as well as some future proposals for the upcoming sessions. A virtual organizational meeting of the Council was starting shortly to discuss proposals for the subsequent session of the Council – the 44th session – which was initially scheduled to begin next week. This meeting was being webcast.
Responding to questions, Mr. Gomez said that while some reservations had been voiced, all States who had taken part in the negotiations on the resumption of the 43rd session had said the Council had to continue its in-session work despite the pandemic. The Council sought to ensure that a fruitful exchange could be had, regardless of the venue. Updates would be provided regularly to journalists on who would be participating in the debates and how.
The High Commissioner would be attending the 43rd session, notably to present reports on the Democratic Republic of Congo and Afghanistan, but would not be giving an opening speech as this had already been made in March.
The President of the Council had received a letter signed by 600 non-governmental organizations calling for a special session of the Human Rights Council on the situation in the United States following the death of Georges Floyd. Whether such a session would take place and when was up to Member States. It should be noted, however, that combating racial discrimination and racism was very much part of the mandate of the Human Rights Council.
Responding to a question about the use of masks during the Human Rights Council meetings, Alessandra Vellucci, for United Nations Information Service, explained that while their use was recommended in situation where social distancing could not be respected, masks were not mandatory. Many measures, including restrictions on the number of people who could enter the room where the Council would meet, had been taken to ensure proceedings could take place safely.
COVID-19: situation in Yemen
Rupert Colville, for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), stated that the OHCHR was alarmed at the desperate situation in Yemen, where the healthcare system was on the brink of collapse, and was fearful that countless lives would be lost not only to COVID-19 but as a result of malaria, cholera, dengue fever and other diseases. OHCHR urged international donors to provide immediate relief to help the millions who had already endured five years of warfare. OHCHR echoed the concerns of the UN Secretary-General who said on June 2 that it was now a race against time for Yemen. Already, four out of every five people, 24 million people in all, needed lifesaving aid in what remained the world's largest humanitarian crisis. More than 30 of the 41 UN-supported programmes in Yemen would close in the coming weeks if additional funds were not secured. Now, more than ever, the country needed the outside world's help. OHCHR was calling on the parties to the conflict to agree on an immediate ceasefire, abide by their obligations under international law and take every possible measure to protect Yemenis and ensure their access to medical treatment and information to contain the spread of the current deadly outbreaks in Yemen. And OCHCR was urging them to allow unhindered access and the delivery of much needed humanitarian assistance to civilians across Yemen.
A briefing note was available here.
Marixie Mercado, for the United Nation’s Children Fund (UNICEF), said that in Yemen, humanitarian needs had never been more acute, or funding more constrained. As of today, UNICEF’s $479 million appeal to sustain essential basic services for children this year was just 38 per cent funded. The most immediate and critical funding gap was for emergency water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) operations, including for the COVID-19 response. Of the 8.4 million Yemenis whose access to WASH would be affected because of insufficient funding, a total of 4 million people – nearly half of them children – directly depend on UNICEF. They were among the most vulnerable Yemenis due to conflict, cholera and internal displacement. Unless UNICEF received USD$30 million by the end of June, water, sanitation and hygiene services would start shutting down for these 4 million people in July. Children in the heart of the world’s worst humanitarian disaster needed help. Funding Yemen’s WASH needs and COVID-19 response was critical to their survival. UNICEF was appealing to donors to step up and dig even deeper to support this lifesaving work.
Responding to questions, Mr. Colville said there has been some misinformation by media in the region about the circumstances surrounding OHCHR’s plans to appoint a new Representative in Yemen, as its current head of office there had effectively been denied entry to the country since the end of September 2019. Reports that the decision to appoint a new representative was based solely on pressure by the de facto authorities in Sana’a were misleading. And reports that OHCHR’s office in Sana’a had been “stormed” by the Houthis were completely invented. While it was of course true that their refusal to allow the current Representative back in the country was a key element in the decision to appoint a new head of office, the main reason behind the decision was a pragmatic and necessary one. OHCHR had decided that the protracted impasse over the Representative was no longer possible, and a decision had been taken in early June to appoint a new one so that the Office could fully and proactively carry out its mandate inside Yemen.
Replying to a journalist’s query, Jens Laerke, for the Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said that on 2 June, at the High-Level Pledging Event for the Humanitarian Crisis in Yemen, 31 international donors had announced pledges a combined US$1.35 billion to meet the humanitarian needs of people affected by the crisis. As of 12 June, some $637 million or 47 per cent of the pledges had been paid. Between 10 April, when the first case had been confirmed, and 11 June, the authorities in Yemen had announced 564 cases including 130 deaths. The case fatality rate was alarmingly high at around 24 per cent.
COVID-19: situation in Brazil
On the access to information about COVID-19 in Brazil, Rupert Colville, for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), noted that there had been a court ruling requiring that the information be restored and that others had stepped in to keep the flow of information in the public area. He said that, in the context of a pandemic, passage of information to the population, including about the prevalence, was essential to avoid catching and spreading COVID-19.
The Bahamas
Rupert Colville, for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), stated that the OHCHR welcomed the recent court ruling in The Bahamas regarding the country's citizenship laws which was a positive step towards promoting gender equality and reducing the risk of statelessness. On 25 May, the Supreme Court had ruled that anyone born in The Bahamas was entitled to citizenship at birth if at least one of their parents was a citizen of the country, irrespective of whether the parents were married. This brought the legal framework of The Bahamas more into line with international standards on the right to nationality and equality and non-discrimination. OHCHR encouraged the Government of the Bahamas to build on this ruling and take the necessary legislative, policy and procedural steps to eliminate discrimination on the basis of gender in their nationality laws, as recommended by the Committee on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women.
A briefing note was available here.
Libya
Responding to questions on mass graves in Libya, Rupert Colville, for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), said that, at this stage, apart from the information the United Nations Support Mission in Libya had put out, OHCHR did not have much additional information. OHCHR was in touch with the authorities, and if they asked for assistance it would try to mobilize assistance. OHCHR was also trying to interview families, to verify deaths, as a number of bodies from the hospital had been returned to families, some of whom may have earlier disappeared.
International Criminal Court
On the decision made by the United States government regarding the International Criminal Court (ICC), Rupert Colville, for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), expressed regret as to the impact such measures may have on the investigations and trials underway in the ICC. The independence of the ICC and ability to operate without interference had to be guaranteed, so that it could decide matters without any improper influences, inducements, pressures, threats or interferences, direct or indirect, from any quarter or for any reason. Victims of gross human rights violations and serious violations of international humanitarian law and their families had the right to redress and to the truth. The measures taken by the United States did not only impact ICC officials, but also their family members.
Reports of pushback at the sea and land borders in Greece
Babar Baloch, for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), said UNHCR was urging Greece to investigate multiple reports of pushbacks by Greek authorities at the country’s sea and land borders, possibly returning migrants and asylum seekers to Turkey after they had reached Greek territory or territorial waters. UNHCR had continuously addressed its concerns with the Greek government and called for urgent inquiries into a series of alleged incidents reported in media, many of which corroborated by non-governmental organizations and direct testimonies. Such allegations had increased since March and reports indicated that several groups of people may have been summarily returned after reaching Greek territory. Some 3,000 asylum seekers had arrived in Greece by land and sea since the start or March, a precipitous drop from previous months and compared to previous years. Yet, the number of reported pushbacks, particularly at sea, had been rising. Greece had the legitimate right to control its borders and manage irregular migration while respecting international human rights and refugee protection standards. Controls and practices must guarantee the rights of asylum seekers and they should not be turned away at Greece’s borders.
A briefing note was available here.
Situation in the Sahel
Babar Baloch, for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), said UNHCR was alarmed over escalating violence in the Sahel region which has seen hundreds of innocent civilians targeted in recent weeks, triggered more displacement and was seriously hindering humanitarian activities. Attacks by armed groups and ensuing counter-security operations had led to more people fleeing their homes for security and put even more pressure on stretched host communities, already facing immense hardship from dealing with those displaced, often relatives from previous violence. The latest attack on the Binedama village in central Mali’s volatile Mopti region, on June 5, had killed 26 civilians. To highlight the immense needs in the region and continue the ongoing response to the deepening crisis, UNHCR would be launching a Sahel Crisis Appeal today.
A press release is available here.
Geneva announcements
Catherine Huissoud, for the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), informed that an embargoed press conference would be held today at 2.30 p.m. CET. for the launch of the World Investment Report, during which Mukhisa Kituyi, UNCTAD Secretary-General, and James Zhan, Director of the Division on Investment and Enterprise at UNCTAD, would speak. The press conference would be embargoed until 16 June at 5 a.m. GMT.
Alessandra Vellucci, for United Nations Information Service, said a “meet and greet” press conference would be held, today after the press briefing, with the Executive Director of UNAIDS, Winnie Byanyima.
Teleprompter
[Other language spoken]
Sorry for these delays.
I was I was having a little bit of problems with the connection.
Thank you very much for being with us for this briefing of the UN Information Service in Geneva.
We are going to start straight away with announcements and I will ask Rolando Gomez, spokesperson of the Human Rights Council to take the floor to give us an update on the resumed HRC session.
Rolando IU, can can we unmute you please?
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Very well, thank you very much.
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I apologise in the beginning.
This is a fairly long detailed announcement as there's a lot to discuss.
So the 43rd session of the Human Rights Council will resume this coming Monday, that's 15 June and is scheduled to run all next week up to Friday, 19 June.
The decision to go ahead with this council session was taken in accordance with the green light that we received from Swiss authorities on 27 May, allowing for a mass gatherings of up to 300 people and following an agreement by states.
I'm not to remind you the council session was suspended on 13 March due to the strict coronavirus measures and the precautions that were taken.
Now several additional measures have been taken sure the the session that could be held while prioritising the safety and well-being of all participants.
So firstly, social distancing measures will be strictly adhered to and delegations will have a reduced number of representatives attending the session.
Also, side events will not be taking place at the Palais.
Some may be arranged outside, but we don't have information on those just yet.
There will, however, be informal consultations on draught resolutions taking place inside the building.
Now, the bulk of the resumed session will take place in the Assembly hall.
This is, as you know, the largest conference room in Geneva.
And this is to enable all delegations the possibility to participate in the meetings as well as members of civil society and importantly members of the media to observe inside the room.
Now incidentally, the normal capacity of the assembly hall is just under 2000 seats, but with the social distancing seating plan, the capacity is 226 seats.
So roughly just over 10% participants who cannot travel to Geneva will have the opportunity to deliver to deliver their statements via a video teleconference and pre recorded video messages as well, which will be screened inside the room and on webcast.
Additional measures, hand sanitizers, traffic flow has been regulated in such a way which I'm sure Alessandra has mentioned if not already to ensure that there are health and safety standards in place at the Palais generally.
Turning to the session very briefly, there remains one week of the four week session, the four week March session to conclude next week.
So there are a number of general debates and reports to be presented by the **** Commissioner and experts, and at the end of the week we have some 40 draught resolutions to be considered.
I just resent the programme of work with you.
I sent you a wrong link last night, but I just sent you an attachment moments ago.
The resume session turning to Monday, the resume session opens at 10 AM on Monday morning in the Assembly Hall.
Again, the session will reconvene with the general debate on Item 5, which is addressing subsidiary bodies of the Council, and the Council will then move on to its general debate on Item 6, which pertains to the Universal Periodic Review.
And then towards the end of the day on Monday, the Council will discuss a general debate, or rather agenda item number 7, which speaks to the human rights situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
This is when the **** Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, will be in the room to present reports on that agenda item.
In the interest of time, I won't recite the entire agenda for the week.
Rather, I'll encourage you to read the programme of work and consult the daily updates which I'll start sending you this evening.
And just to note that the session will move back to Room 20, which is the Human Rights Council Chamber on Thursday afternoon when the council members will consider the pending draught resolutions.
This is simply because room 20 is the only room at the Pele equipped for this type of voting.
Accordingly, fewer delegations will be allowed in this smaller room if it's of interest.
Room 20 has a normal capacity of 754 seats and a social distancing capacity of 99 seats.
Lastly, just a quick word on media arrangements.
As mentioned, we will have seats earmarked for the media in both the Assembly Hall and Room 20 at a reduced capacity in Room 20.
We are also making a range through the UNTV to try to provide some sort of pool coverage.
We'll discuss other details about that later.
And as mentioned, the entire session is webcast as usual.
Eunice, thankfully, is providing the bilingual press summaries.
And some good news for all of you.
We hope to have the majority, if not all, of the statements available on the HRC extranet before delivery, particularly as hard copies will not be circulated in the room vis A vis the COVID-19 measures.
And I'll remind you of the coordinates for the extranet in the update later today.
And a note to correspondence.
I understand Alessandro could confirm that.
A note to correspondence with all these media arrangements will be shared with you later today.
Very last note is to announce that on Monday at 1:30, the Council President, Elizabeth Teehee Fieselberger will give a press conference to update you on the programme for next week as well as some of the future proposals that are being discussed for upcoming the upcoming session, the 44 session.
On that note, I remind you that a virtual organisational meeting will start at 11:00 this morning to discuss the various proposals for this subsequent session.
Again, the 44th session, which incidentally was initially scheduled to begin next week.
This organisational meeting is webcast, if you want to follow that.
So just to be clear, we don't have confirmed dates for the 44th session nor a fixed programme.
I'll certainly share that information as soon as I receive it.
[Other language spoken]
Thank you very much.
Sorry.
Thank you very much Rolando for for this extensive briefing.
I see there are already questions, but just to confirm what you just said, the note for correspondent to correspondent is ready and we will send it out just after the briefing.
We just need to twitch a couple of of information.
So I will start with Jamil who starts for the floor.
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Thank you, Rolando.
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First of all, Rolando, I understand that some countries were against having this session.
Could you elaborate a little bit of how was the discussion basically and to Alessandra will double HO be with us today.
OK, I can answer straight away to the second question and then give the floor to Rolando for a more elaborate answer to your first question.
No, WHO would not be with us today?
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You probably have to ask them.
We have asked them this morning and let me finish, please.
We have asked them this morning and we were told that they will not participate.
[Other language spoken]
If, if you wish, I will bring your why to them just after the briefing.
Rhonda, you want to answer the first question that Amir asked.
[Other language spoken]
Yeah, Indeed, the decision to resume this session comes following several exchanges between delegations.
We had two formal briefings, virtual and formal briefings, including one this past Monday.
We've had regular council Bureau meetings, a steady stream of discussions with the UNOG staff, including conference services, technical staff, security, health officials, among others.
Now, the President of the Council took the lead on those efforts in order to ensure that the best possible conditions are in place to conduct a session in a safe environment.
Now, all states who have participated in negotiations, all states leading up to this decision have affirmed that the Council must continue its in session work.
I I expressed in session work because the Council has, in fact, as you know, been very busy over these last three months.
It's held several informal meetings, 8 Bureau meetings, countless bilateral meetings, as well as it adopted President's statement to The President's statement was adopted the week before last to highlight the human rights dimensions of COVID-19, in case you missed that.
And so states really affirm that it's important for the Council to continue its work in session to in order to fulfil its mandate.
Of course, there were some reservations expressed.
That's normal.
We're living in extraordinary circumstances.
There are the most important thing was to put in place safety and health measures.
And these are the some of the reservations that we've heard from several states from from various regions.
They want to make sure that when they step back in the room that the conditions are conducive to allow them to do their work in a safe enabling environment.
That's why we put in place all these measures.
I mentioned the hybrid approach, if you will.
So you know, I, if you wanted to get specific state positions, I would only encourage you to contact those states individually.
And that is also the role of, you know, that is why we've been working intensively with the Council Executive Bureau so that we make sure that all the conditions are met, including for the press to safely follow the the debates.
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Rolando, since the Swiss borders are mainly closed, does that mean that no one is travelling here and most of the interventions are done by the diplomatic missions?
Do you have a sense of how many people will be participating via via link, via virtual link?
And is Madam Tishi Fisselberger here in person or is she also just here virtually?
[Other language spoken]
Thank you, Rolando.
Yes, thank you, Christian.
Indeed, the Ambassador, the Council President, Ambassador Tiki Fisselberger is here.
She's remained here throughout.
So she'll be here in person, as will the **** Commissioner.
There are some experts, as you point out, travel restrictions are still in place for for much of the globe in fact.
But there are many of the experts, presenters are local.
So they will be here.
I can tell you definitively now if you give me just 10 seconds.
So we have, we have a debate incidentally on on Wednesday the 17th on the DRC, Democratic Republic of Congo.
So we have experts for example, who will participate, a Minister for Human Rights will participate from Kinshasa via VTC.
We have expert Mr Ngai who will be participating from Dakar, another expert Sheila Kithru participating from Mauritius and yet another expert participating from from Goma.
We also well the ambassador of Mali will be here in person.
I'm told we have the independent expert on Mali will be participating from Dakar.
Now I this not much I can confirm, but there are other things being negotiated of course.
The the idea is to ensure that we could have a fruitful exchange regardless of venue.
And this is really, we're breaking a new ground here.
The only time we did this virtual format was once in March at the very end of the session with the Yankee Lee, if you remember, and this was a rapporteur in Myanmar, she participated from Seoul.
So this is really a bit of a pilot project, but we want to make sure that we can have really constructive discussions.
Of course, every day when I send my updates, I'll give you very clear information on who's participating and how.
Hope that helps.
And also maybe to complete what Ron said, the, sorry, the press conference that we have announced for the Human Rights Council on Monday, 15th of June at 4:00 PM will also be, it's, it's also an experiment because we are going to, to adopt the hybrid model.
So you would be welcome into the room.
The ambassador will also be there, I guess with Rolando, but it will also be possible to connect to the press conference remotely.
So let me go to the next question I think is Stephanie.
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Wanted to hope that you Alessandra make representations to WHO forcefully that it's just not acceptable for them to not show up especially twice in one week.
They leave, you know, they make statements and leave things dangling and then we don't get a chance to to ask them about things that have emerged in between their press conferences every 48 hours.
So it really is important that they turn up even virtually.
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I will definitely do I, I mean, it's obvious that the colleagues in who are extremely busy with what's going on and it's understandable.
But I will definitely bring your, your request to them for sure and forcefully, as you said.
No, no, no, but I, I know they are really, really busy.
But but I will tell them definitely.
[Other language spoken]
Alessandra, first asking my question.
I I want to second Stephanie and Yamil, thank you.
Especially because they don't answer emails as well.
So it's kind of well, Rolando, do you know when is going to be the election of the new special rapporteur on freedom of expression?
And do you have a candidates that do, do we know who are them or can do can you send us the name And also on the on the sessions and everything, are we are going to wearing masks or not?
Well, thanks.
I think I'll leave the second question on the masks to Alessandra.
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I mean, we follow the advice of UNAG, of course, through WHO, but up to now I don't think it's mandatory, but maybe that's changed.
I, I thought Alessandra, allow that because of course we heed the advice of the host.
And in terms of the freedom of expression, there are a number of mandates that will be announced at the end of the week, next week on the 19th of June.
This is usually the last order of last order for of work for these sessions.
I will need to double check if I can send you the list.
There is a short list for that particular appointment.
[Other language spoken]
Sorry, Gabriella, if you don't mind.
And if so, I'll send you a link maybe this afternoon with with all the various candidates in the short list.
So that will be announced officially on the 19th.
And for the masks, we have had an intense discussion with colleagues about the use of the mask at the Palais.
But as you know, we followed the recommendation of WHO, which has recently updated the recommendation on the masks.
And we also had the Director General made a specific request to the board, to the entity that brings together all the doctors, the UN doctors in Geneva, you know, different doctors in different organisation.
We really ask them for an advice about the question of the masks.
And we also based ourselves on The Who updated recommendations.
So basically we're not forced to use masks.
Masks are recommended if there is a situation which you know that social distancing cannot be guaranteed.
Now for the meetings we obviously have, Rolando explained very well.
We have put in place measures for the discussions to happen in a safe environment.
Therefore masks are not compulsory.
If you want to put masks, of course you are absolutely free to do it.
But we are not asking people to put masks because in the room the safety measures can be implemented and are implemented, which is why we have these restrictions on the number of people that can enter the rooms.
I would like to use this opportunity to also tell you that because of this, we will ask you and it will be written in the in the nautical correspondent to refrain from grouping outside in the corridors when, for example, there's somebody who gets out of the room or that you would like to interview.
We will not be able to allow this sort of groupings of people because that will not be possible to respect social distancing.
So that is something what's that we will try to put in, in the note and, and Rolando and ourselves, we've discussed this.
So if there is an interest in interviewing, asking for a comment or to one of the speakers, we will try to organise this in such a way that the public health measures are respected.
Lisa, can Lisa be unmuted please?
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Hi, Rolando.
So nice to see you.
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Some of them may already be in the press note you sent us, in which case I apologise, but I'll be quick about what I have to ask you.
[Other language spoken]
I, I gather that Michelle Botchlett will not give an opening statement, is that right as she usually does at the opening of the council meetings?
And this is because this is a continuation of the 43rd session, is that correct?
So will it be mainly bureaucratic or admin stuff that will go on in the morning?
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If you can remember that and take notes then I, I was wondering whether any, I, I know you'll be voting on the resolutions at the end of the week, but will there be any country reports that will be that weren't addressed earlier that will be coming up during this session?
And I'm particularly interested in knowing whether any new issues might be introduced, such as the concerns which are proliferating around the racism in the United States.
There are a number of human rights organisations of countries, I believe that have asked for or would like to ask for a special session on the United States regarding the killing of the ****** of George Floyd and other issues.
Will will those issues be coming up?
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Nice to, I don't see you, but nice to nice to engage with you.
It's been a while.
Yes, indeed, **** Commissioner, you said it yourself, the **** Commissioner, as this is just a resume session, we won't have the typical opening on this first day of this resume session of a **** Commissioner update.
She will, however, be in the room on Monday.
As I mentioned, she has some reports that she'll be presenting on Monday as well as on Wednesday, she'll be presenting a report on Congo.
And then later in the week, we have reports that she'll be presenting on Afghanistan.
So she'll be there throughout the week, but it won't be the typical opening for this resume session.
In terms of country reports, additional reports, if I understood that there are several, I would just encourage you to look at the programme of work I shared with you in terms of I just mentioned a few countries already.
In addition, we have Ukraine and Libya, Afghanistan, I mentioned the CAR and several others which remain to be addressed under those agenda items.
Now, in terms of what you prefer to the racism issue in the US, I can confirm that there was a letter that was sent to the president of the Council on Monday, yes, that's 8th June, this past Monday.
It was authored by a large group of NGOs, over 600 NGOs, I understand, which was led by the American Civil Liberties Union, ACLU, which was calling for a special session of the Council on the Situation of Human Rights in the United States in relation to the ongoing protests sparked by the death of George Floyd.
Just to remind you that for a special session to be held, a council special session to be held, 1/3 of its members must support the call.
And for the moment, there's no official request from states yet.
I can I can tell you that it's very likely that this issue is raised during the upcoming resume session.
We do have a dedicated agenda item, item 9, which speaks to racism and racial discrimination, which would be an appropriate time to raise this issue that is scheduled for Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning.
And I should just mention that, you know, combating racism and racial discrimination is, is really part of the architecture of the Human Rights Council and, and, and, and ***** thereon obviously often leads to further human rights violations in, in decaying society.
So structural racism and police violence are issues which are commonly raised by States and civil society at meetings of the Council, as are unlawful killings by police and racial bias in policing.
And the aim of course is to prevent such uphorrent acts.
So the one thing I would like to add just to some of you may not have missed, some of you may not have heard that there was a virtual and formal meeting on the 8th, as I mentioned, preparing for the upcoming sessions.
At that virtual meeting on Monday, states observed a minute of silence and expressed solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement.
This was at the request of South Africa, so it was first for the Council.
A virtual minute of silence, if you will, but rest assured there will be a certain discussion on this issue next week.
I should just mention one last note.
Sorry for taking so long to respond.
But if not a special session, there are other formulas such as an urgent debate, which is basically a special session within a regular session which could materialise.
But this is all very, it all depends on the state's willingness to to call for such a urgent debate.
More to come then.
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[Other language spoken]
When do you anticipate the this issue might come up for the debate?
And if it were approved, would the special session occur this week during the course of the 43rd session or would it be held at another time?
[Other language spoken]
So again, we, I can't tell you when or if frankly it's just it's up to the states, it's a state driven body and it's up to them to decide.
But what I can tell you is again, an urgent debate would take place next week.
That is a special session within a regular session, a special session would have to take place intersessionally.
So this is just the way it works, the mechanics behind it, but it all depends on what states decide at the end of the day.
So I will certainly keep you informed of any developments there on.
Thank you, Rolando.
Next question is from John Zerocostas, the last one I can see.
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[Other language spoken]
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I was interested to know which of the special rapporteurs are likely to make presentations to the session and if it's possible to have perhaps some hybrid or virtual briefing with some of these rapporteurs, because we haven't seen many of them for quite a while.
That's just sounding out something.
[Other language spoken]
Indeed, there are no thematic rapporteurs.
I mean, all of the thematic rapporteurs already presented the reports back in, in in March.
I should mention there are, however, a few experts that will be participating next week who have yet to present their reports.
I mentioned there is a rapporteur on Mali, an independent expert on Mali on Wednesday, for example.
And then we have a rapporteur on the Central African Republic will be participating in an interactive discussion.
Those are the only special procedures per SE.
There are other reports and country situations.
You know, I would just advise you maybe take a look at the programme carefully and, and should you want to have either an interview or a press conference, you know, put that question to me and I'll, I'll put it to them.
And of course, there's always a possibility of a virtual encounter, but that will coordinate with Eunice, of course.
[Other language spoken]
You mentioned earlier that the the more of the 600 NGOs had put a letter risk requesting a special session, but no member states had yet put in a request.
Is are there any other requests for a special session by member states or NGOs on any other pressing human rights issues right now around the planet, new ones that we don't know about that are in the pipeline?
Not that I've heard of, John.
This is the only thing we've seen.
This letter as I mentioned was sent on Monday.
That's the only thing that we've brought to our attention.
Of course, it's a prerogative.
It's, it's a as it's a state, the decision states would have to follow that formality as I mentioned.
And of course NGOs are often spearheading such calls.
And this is a very sizeable, I can tell you 600 plus NGOs is quite a number which expresses 1 solidarity, the gravity of the situation.
And states have already recognised that, as I mentioned in this observing a minute of silence.
But I think there are discussions going on on how to deal with this particular request.
In terms of other issues, I haven't heard anything, but again, should I?
[Other language spoken]
Thank you very much, Rolando.
Thanks for this extensive information.
And as I said, we'll keep informing both in writing and you will come with more news as they become available.
Katherine, you are next on my list.
And then we will go to Rupert.
Katherine as sector.
[Other language spoken]
And so I switched back to English to give the floor to Rupert.
Sorry to Rupert and to Marixi who have briefing items on Yemen.
[Other language spoken]
OK, good morning, everyone.
[Other language spoken]
So we're alarmed at the desperate situation in Yemen, where the healthcare system is on the brink of collapse, and we're fearful that countless lives will be lost not only to COVID-19, but as a result of malaria, cholera, dengue fever and other diseases.
We urge international donors to provide immediate relief to help the millions who've already endured five years of warfare in Yemen.
We echo the concerns of the UN Secretary General.
You said on the 2nd of June that it is now a race against time for Yemen.
Already 4 out of every five people, that's 24 million people in all need life saving aid in what remains the world's largest humanitarian crisis.
More than 30 of the 41 UN supported programmes in Yemen will close in the coming weeks if additional funds are not secured.
Now more than ever, the country needs the outside world's help and it's not really getting it.
Our office has received reports of hospitals turning away sick people, some of whom were struggling for breath and with a **** fever.
There is simply no beds, little equipment, few staff and next to no medicine available.
Sanitation and clean water are also in short supply.
The country is officially recorded more than 500 cases of COVID-19.
However, official reports are lagging far behind actual infections, especially in areas controlled by the de facto authorities.
In the North, the overall case fatality rate is over 20%.
Many functioning health centres lack basic equipment to treat COVID-19.
Health workers have no protective gear and most are receiving no salaries, resulting in health workers not reporting for duty.
We call on the parties to the conflict to agree on an immediate ceasefire, to abide by their obligations under international law and take every possible measure to protect Yemenis and ensure their access to medical treatment and information to contain the spread of the current deadly outbreaks in Yemen.
And we urge them to allow unhindered access and the delivery of much needed humanitarian assistance to civilians across the country.
Thank you very much, Rupert.
And now I will go to Marixi, who also would like to say something about Yemen.
Can Marixi be unmuted, please?
[Other language spoken]
Good morning, everybody.
In Yemen, the humanitarian needs have never been more acute or the funding more constrained.
As of today, UNICEF's $479 million appeal to sustain essential basic services for children is just 38% funded.
The most critical and immediate funding gap is for emergency water, sanitation and hygiene, or what we call WASH operations, including for the COVID-19 response off 8.4 million Yemenis whose access to WASH will be affected because of insufficient funding.
A total of 4 million people, nearly half of them children, directly depend on UNICEF.
They are among the most vulnerable Yemenis due to conflict, cholera and internal investment.
Unless UNICEF receives $30 million by the end of June, water, sanitation and hygiene services will start shutting down for these 4 million people in July.
This means UNICEF will not be able to provide fuel to operate water pumping stations or de sludge sewage or maintain crumbling water and sanitation infrastructure.
It means we will not be able to distribute basic family hygiene kits that include soap, which is so critical for preventing both cholera and COVID.
In a context where millions don't have access to hand washing facilities.
The criticality of maintaining safe water, sanitation and hygiene provision cannot be overstated in the context of a running collar and diarrhoea epidemic.
Over 137,000 cases have been recorded since the beginning of the year, nearly 1/4 of them among children below five years old.
UNICEF's COVID-19 response is also severely underfunded.
As of today, just 10% of UNICEF's third 53,000,000 funding requirement has been received.
In addition to WASH, UNICEF leads the sector focused on risk communication and community engagement, which raise awareness about the coronavirus and supports local efforts to prevent and contain infection.
UNICEF's plan response includes training and equipping frontline workers on infection prevention and control, sustaining essential maternal and child health services, and providing health facilities with test kits, oxygen concentrators, ventilators and PPE items.
Since the start of the outbreak, UNICEF has shipped over 33,000 N 95 respirators, 33,000 face Shields and 18,000 gowns, crucial personal protective equipment needed by frontline workers.
But this represents just 5% of the COVID supplies UNICEF requires.
Without $48 million immediately, UNICEF will not be able to provide PPE items and operation support to 25 frontline workers, including health staff.
We will not be able to provide safe water and sanitation services for 900,000 people in isolation centres and quarantine facilities.
And we will not be able to procure oxygen, constant pictures and benefit.
Children in the heart of the world's worst humanitarian disaster need help.
Funding Yemen's WASH needs and the COVID-19 response is critical to their survival.
We're appealing to donors to step up and dig even deeper to support this life saving work.
[Other language spoken]
Thank you very much.
Marixi And I have a long list of questions on this item, so I will start straight away with.
[Other language spoken]
Sorry, I'll, I'll answer in English, if you don't mind.
[Other language spoken]
With regard to our representative in Yemen, there's been quite a lot of misinformation, distortion I would say in media in in the region about the circumstances surrounding our plans to appoint a new representative in Yemen after our current head of office has effectively been denied entry into the country since the end of September last year.
The we spent basically the last eight months trying various means to persuade the de facto authorities in Sana to change their decision not to re-admit our our representative.
But regrettably it became evident that nothing would persuade them to do so.
So we decided that the protracted impasse over this situation is no longer tenable, and the decision was taken in early June to appoint a new representative so that the office could fully and practically carry out its mandate inside Yemen.
Now, just to address the kind of misinformation I talked about earlier, the the been reports, for example, that our office in in Sanaa was stormed by the Houthi authorities, the de facto authorities in Sanaa.
This is absolutely untrue.
That's a total fabrication.
There are reports that the decision to appoint a new representative was based solely on pressure by the de facto authorities.
And that sort of supposed storming of the office was part of that that narrative.
Now, of course, it's it's true that the refusal to allow our current representative back in the country is a key element in the decision to appoint a new head of office there.
But the main reason behind the behind the decision is that pragmatic and necessary one and links to what I just said earlier about the situation in Yemen.
So given the extraordinary gravity of the situation in the country, including the possibility of a real calamity driven by COVID-19 and compounded by five years of conflict, you know, that's, that's imminent.
And so we have to try and ensure the, to the best of our ability that we can carry out our job to promote and protect human rights of the Yemeni people.
And for that, we need our full team, including the leadership on the ground.
So, you know, we've decided to to, you know, make a real effort to make sure that the entire team is there inside the country and able to operate.
And we have a total of some 40 staff in Yemen, including some consultants and so on, monitoring the situation in in several regions across the country.
So it's quite a big operation and it needs, it needs on this world leadership.
[Other language spoken]
I'm also going to respond in English if that's OK.
Here's a breakdown of the numbers.
So the pledging conference requested $2.4 billion for Yemen and basically it came up $1 billion for it.
UNICEF's appeal is for $479,000,000 and at this point that is only 38% funded.
This doesn't include $53 million which we are requesting for COVID-19 response, for which we've only received 5 million today.
What we're saying is without $30 million for our WASH, our water, sanitation and hygiene operations, we will start.
We will have to start shutting down services for 4 million people as of July.
And without funding for COVID, we will not be able to provide PPE and medical supplies or WASH services for people in isolation or quarantine centres.
[Other language spoken]
See, it would probably be very useful if you could share those.
That would be very useful.
And I see that Yance has asked for the floor.
I mean, he wants to also complete the issue of the funding.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
But you your mic is still, you make it still muted.
[Other language spoken]
You're on Yance.
[Other language spoken]
Thank you very much.
Just to to compliment on on that because I also think that interest is as to how much of what was pledged on the 2nd of June has actually been paid off.
Because of course we we were very strong in our messaging at the time that what is really critical that the donors pay off what they pledge.
So the status as of today is that after 1.35 billion that was pledged, 47% of that has been paid.
So we are halfway there.
Of course, our, our message to the donors remains the same.
It is very, very important that that they please pay those, those pledges in full and they pay rapidly.
And we will also be seeking more, more funding because we're hearing now from UNICEF and all the other partners that programmes will close.
And in fact, many of them have already closed because of the lack of funding.
[Other language spoken]
Thank you very much.
I have a long list of questions and I would like to ask everybody to be as short as possible, brief as possible because we have still quite a few briefing items.
And as you know, we have a press conference by Union AIDS after briefing, since it's the same platform we're going to use for the UN AIDS briefing.
We will have to the the the colleagues UN AIDS are have been told that we will be late.
[Other language spoken]
The executive director will wait, but we can't make a wait for too long.
So let's try and be brief, please.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
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The Wash.
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How much has the issue been aggravated by the destruction of water facilities in the hostilities?
You've got human rights monitors.
I'd be grateful for some information on how many of the water pumps etcetera have been destroyed either by bombing or by shelling and how much that has aggravated the situation.
It would be nice to have had WHO here, but unfortunately they're not.
Rupert, you're muted.
Can Rupert be OK?
[Other language spoken]
I don't have specific data on on sanitation, but I do have some some data on, on the tax on what, what we call public objectives.
So that would include those kind of facilities, but also schools, hospitals, clinics, pumping stations, electricity and so on.
So from the start of the conflict in March 2015 up until December last year, we verified a total of 589 public objectives destroyed due to military activities, 589.
Just in 2019 alone, we documented 21 attacks on schools and eight attacks on health centres, which was double the number of act of the previous year 2018.
And I have a bit more information on who was responsible for what attacks etcetera.
So sorry, the data I have is focusing more on on on health facilities because that was what we were highlighting most.
But sanitation facilities probably included among those 589 public objectives that were destroyed during the first four and a half five years of conflict.
Thank you, Peter.
[Other language spoken]
But before I do, I'd also like to make a comment on The Who, because APP has written to the Director General stating that we do not believe what they have three times a week are proper press conferences.
They are actually blind webinars and that's why it's essential for them to attend these twice weekly briefings.
The question for Rupert.
Rupert, I don't know whether you can answer this yet, but yesterday the United States issued an executive order against the International Criminal Court.
Does your office have any comment on that?
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
No thanks, Peter.
Yes, we do, actually.
So we regret the impact those measures may have on the investigations and trials under way in the ICC.
The independence of the ICC and its ability to operate without interference must be guaranteed so that it can decide matters without any improper influence, inducement, pressures, threats or interference, direct or indirect, from any quarter or for any reason.
Victims of gross human rights violations and serious violations of international humanitarian law and their families have the right to redress and to the truth.
The measures do not only impact ICC officials but also their family members.
So, you know, I think we just underlined that the ICC is an extremely there was a broken egg in the glass that I I caught as it was stolen.
Can you put it in around this?
[Other language spoken]
They muted.
Sorry, Sorry, Rupert, go ahead there.
[Other language spoken]
Sorry about the broken glass.
[Other language spoken]
Just to stress, you know, the ICC is is an extremely important part of the sort of international architecture and obviously we in the UNUN human rights office, UN in general, our full support behind the court, which was an extraordinarily important development when it was created.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
I think it's it should be for for Rupert.
The UN mission in in Libya has expressed a horror at reported mass graves in Libya.
I think they were found in territory which was controlled by Commander Hafta.
And I was wondering if if you have any comments on this mass graves yet.
Thanks, Andre.
[Other language spoken]
Chris Wooden's mill gave a little bit of information on this yesterday.
We don't have much additional information at this point but we are in touch with the authorities and if they ask for assistance we will try to mobilise assistance to to help them look into this.
So basically last Sunday, UNS Mill also called for an investigation into 106 bodies they discovered at a hospital tariff.
Tarahuna Hospital, sorry, some of whom may have been executed.
So that's separate the mass graves we're you know, we will be trying to interview families and and verify deaths and so on.
But right now there's not too much I can say it it's very early after this discovery.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
My question is on Brazil.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
But just to to let you know that Rupert has another item for briefing, but just go ahead.
[Other language spoken]
It's just the fact that for the last couple of months you've mentioned how important it is access to information regarding COVID.
And in the case of Brazil, we have the situation where the President and the government has have changed the rules of access to information, making it difficult for the population and for journalists to know what what are the current numbers of deaths and cases.
Do you have a comment on that?
[Other language spoken]
Yeah, Jamil, I don't have anything specific on that, but I think there was a court ruling, wasn't there?
Basically running information should be restored.
So, yeah, I mean, the bottom line as as you said is during a pandemic, this type, obviously the the passage of information to the population both on how best, you know, based on the available knowledge how best to to avoid catching and spreading COVID-19 is essential.
And an essential part of that is actually knowing the prevalence and, and how many cases there are and how many people have died.
So, so yeah, I mean, we will we back the, the the court so ruling suggesting the information should be restored.
[Other language spoken]
I believe others have stepped in to try and keep up the, the flow of information in, in the public area.
[Other language spoken]
Two more questions and then we go to your second item.
We'll try to speed up a little bit for the UNA Expresser.
Ahmed, you're on the next.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
I don't have Rupert has an answer or not.
Do we have an idea, Rupert, about how many hospital in Yemen received the the patient of COVID-19?
No, I mean, well, we're not a medical agency, so you might want to contact WHO and MSF, but I think there's extremely limited facilities for, for testing for treating COVID-19 specifically.
I think MSF is, is, is fairly key in that effort.
But as we, as we said earlier, the, you know, the health centres lack basic equipment to treat COVID-19.
They don't have protective gear for the health workers and the health workers in many cases aren't even receiving salaries.
So in in those circumstances and also there is not simply COVID-19, you've got all the all the other diseases, particularly cholera, but also dengue, feger fever and others threatening life.
And in such a fragile situation where people are so debilitated anyway because of the horrendous situation in Yemen over the past five years, obviously that is extremely fertile ground for COVID-19 to spread really fast and violently.
So, you know, I think and you've seen what happens in other countries, even countries with very, very developed health systems, you know, once it reaches that kind of tipping point where the increase is exponential, it can be catastrophic.
So, you know, I think we all need to ring the number.
It tells very loud and clear that, yeah, I mean, it's going to need assistance, really serious assistance to to keep COVID-19 at Bay.
And it's clearly not got the infrastructure, the staffing, the whole set up the equipment to to deal with it at the moment.
[Other language spoken]
I'm not going to take a follow-ups because we will not make it for the for the press conference your needs.
But I'm taking note of your questions.
And since I write to WHO, I'll also put it in the in the message.
But please also contact them if you want more details on their side.
[Other language spoken]
Yes, you have asked for the floor.
You wanted to say something about that.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
OK, Just just one second, Lisa, sorry, Jens, wanted to add something.
[Other language spoken]
Yes, I, I just wanted to add that what we have from the humanitarian country team in Yemen today in terms of the numbers.
So between the 10th of April, when the first case was confirmed and yesterday, the authorities in Yemen have announced 564 COVID-19 cases, including 130 deaths.
The case fatality rate is alarmingly **** at more than 24%.
So that is, I believe more than three times the average case fatality rate.
The highest number of confirmed cases are in Aden, where up till the 6th of June there were 130 cases including five deaths, followed by Hadramaut where there were 126 cases including 48 deaths.
Individuals will, with mild and modern moderate symptoms, are often not seeking healthcare and only treatment when they are critically I'll.
That is, fear of stigma, concerns about safety, inability to access testing and the perceived risk of seeking care may explain why people are not seeking treatment earlier.
Aid agencies in Yemen are continuing to do all they can to scale up the response.
They are prioritising suppression of virus transmission through community engagement and public information campaigns.
Some of that we are seeking money for the pledges that I mentioned earlier, some of those pledges will go to exactly those kind of programmes.
They're also prioritising procuring and distributing medical supplies and equipment and saving lives by supporting COVID-19 clinical readiness and response capacity.
And thank you.
Would you, will you send these notes to the journalist please?
Yes, thank you very much, Lisa.
Yes, hi, thank you, Robert.
Very quickly, John Zeg interrupted you when you were talking about the measures of the IC the US is taking on the ICC impact on families.
If you could read that portion of your statement.
And then a quick additional question is whether the the US, whether it is illegal for the ICC to investigate the United States since it is not a member of the ICC.
This is an argument that Pompeo has made.
And Jens, very quickly for you, you said that some of the programmes in Yemen have already been closed.
Could you tell us which ones?
That's it.
Thank you, Rupert.
[Other language spoken]
So if I could, I'll just repeat what I said on the ICC.
I'll leave you to deal with John later.
So yes, we we regret the impact such measures may have on the investigations and trials on the way in the ICC.
The independence of the ICC and its ability to operate without interference should be guaranteed so that they can decide matters without any improper influence, inducement, pressures, threats or interference, direct or indirect, from any quarter or for any reason.
Victims of gross human rights violations and serious violations of international humanitarian law and their families have the right to redress and to the truth.
And the measures do not announced do not only impact the ICC officials but also impact on their family members in in terms of, you know, what the United States is saying.
I mean, that's the investigation in question is in Afghanistan.
It's not in inside the United States, it's in Afghanistan.
So that's, you know, to get into the legalities of that you I would suggest you talk to the ICC itself.
[Other language spoken]
And Jens, can you unmute?
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
10,000 healthcare workers who are staffing, functioning, they're still functioning.
Hospitals and healthcare facilities in Yemen are no longer receiving payment.
We as the UN to Goa payment what we call incentives for these healthcare workers, simply because the government has been unable to do so.
They're no longer receiving any money.
We fear that a breakdown of the health system now comes at the worst possible time because of course, even if you have the equipment, if you don't have staff that can use it, well, you're in the same situation as before.
We also know that eight and a half million people in the north are only receiving food every two months now, so rations have been cut in half.
The third example is mind risk education and Victim Support for 2 million children have stopped.
[Other language spoken]
OK, I'll take Elizabetha and as I said, I will stop here, give the other spokesperson the possibility to talk and then I'll come back to Ahmadine Peter if we have time later on.
[Other language spoken]
I have a question to Rupert, actually.
And it's not related to Yemen.
It's actually related to George Floyd.
On Monday, apparently his lawyers and his family sent a letter to the **** Commissioner on human rights asking to intervene to intervene in the case of George Floyd's death and encourage the US government to press federal criminal charges against involved officers.
So the simple question is like, have you received this letter and what are you going to do with it?
Rupert, to check on that?
Elizabeth, Are you sure there's not some confusion with the letter requesting action in the Human Rights Council and and which Fernando addressed earlier?
Actually, I can, actually, I can send you a link to the letter which stated that it was sent to the Office of the **** Commissioner of Human Rights.
OK, well, I'll, I'll check on that.
But if you could send me the link, that would be helpful.
But I, I, I think something was sent to the Office of **** Commissioner, but it concerned the council and, and you've heard what Rolando had to say about that.
So, but I'll, I'll check whether that's a confusion or as a separate letter.
[Other language spoken]
Rupert, keep the floor to tell us about your second item on the list, please.
Yeah, put my sophisticated teleprompter interaction on Bahamas, right?
That's correct.
[Other language spoken]
So this this concerns citizenship in the Bahamas.
So, we welcome recent court ruling in The Bahamas regarding the country's citizenship laws, which are a positive step towards promoting gender equality and reducing the risk of statelessness.
So, on the 25th of May, the Supreme Court ruled that anyone born in The Bahamas was entitled to citizenship at birth if at least one of the child's parents was a citizen of the country, irrespective of whether they were married or unmarried.
Until now, a child born in The Bahamas to a foreign mother and the Bahamian father out of wedlock was not granted citizenship and many children were effectively rendered stateless as they could only apply for Bahamian nationality on turning 18 years old.
So this ruling in May stipulates it.
Quote, Every person born in the Bahamas after July 9th, 1973 shall become a citizen of The Bahamas at the date of his birth, if at that date either his parents as a citizen of the Bahamas, irrespective of the marital status of the parents at the time of birth.
So this brings the legal framework of The Bahamas more into line with international standards on the right to nationality and equality and non discrimination.
And we encourage the government of The Bahamas to build on this ruling and take the necessary legislative, policy and procedural steps to eliminate discrimination on the basis of gender in their nationality laws.
And that was a strong recommendation by Cedar, the Committee on the Elimination of Forms of Discrimination Against Women.
The ruling came during the consideration of a case of cases of children reported to have been fathered by bohemian men out of wedlock.
And the mothers were Jamaican and Haitian.
So we do welcome this development and hope it leads to further developments of that type.
Thank you very much, Rupert.
I don't see apart from Ahmed and Peter who had asked before for the before then nobody's asking questions specifically on that.
So if you don't mind, Rupert, to stay with us 10 more minutes at 45.
We will have to start up an up anyway.
So I will now go and ask for your and thank for his patience.
I will now go to the bar as HCR has a couple of points for briefing and if we have time, we'll get back to the questions that were addressed to you.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Very Well, go ahead.
Thank you very much, everyone.
Today we are focusing on Greece with worrying reports of pushbacks at sea.
Unit CR, the UN refugee agency, is urging Greece to investigate multiple reports of pushbacks by Greek authorities at the country's sea and land borders, possibly returning migrants and asylum seekers to Turkey after they had reached Greek territory or Greek territorial waters.
Unit CR has continuously addressed its concern with the Greek government and has called for urgent inquiries into a series of alleged incidents reported in media, many of which have also been corroborated by non governmental organisations and through direct testimonies from those who have made it inland.
Such allegations have increased since March this year and reports indicate that several groups of people may have been summarily returned after reaching the Greek territory.
Some 3000 asylum seekers arrived in Greece by land and sea since the start of March this year, but we have seen a drop from previous months and compared to previous years as well.
Yet the number of reported pushbacks, particularly at sea, which appears to be a new trend, has been rising.
Greece has the legitimate right to control its borders and manage irregular migration, while respecting international human rights and refugee protection standards.
Controls and practises must guarantee the rights of asylum seekers and they should not be turned away at Greece's borders, either at sea or at land.
The Hellenic Coast Guard of Greece has shown exceptional dedication and courage to save countless refugee and migrant lives at sea.
However, the The present allegations go against Greece's international obligation and can expose people to grave dangers.
The right to seek and enjoy asylum is a fundamental right and all asylum seekers should be provided with access to asylum procedures and protection from Riful, MA or informal forced return.
Keeping the COVID-19 measures in view, Unit CR has been calling on states to manage border restrictions in a way that also respects international human rights and refugee protection standards, including through quarantine and health cheques.
With the need to reduce risk to public health, Unit CR has been supporting increased efforts and calling for additional and adequate spaces for 14 day quarantine of those arriving.
[Other language spoken]
Thank you very much, Babar.
And before I given the floor, I give the floor to the journalist.
Would you also mind tell us about the other announcements so that they can ask you questions altogether?
[Other language spoken]
So the other other announcement is related to the crisis in the Sahel.
You may have seen our statements 1 was issued yesterday.
Today, **** Commissioner Grandi is presenting A funding appeal to our donors for the Sahil crisis and and refugees and displaced people.
So we will get you all those details as as they become available.
But UNICI is really alarmed over escalating violence in the Sahil region which has seen hundreds of innocent civilians targeted in recent weeks, triggered by more displacement and is seriously hindering the humanitarian activities.
Attacks by armed groups and ensuing counter insecurity operations have led to more people fleeing for their homes for security and put even more pressure on stretched host communities already facing immense hardship from dealing with those displaced, often relatives from previous violence.
There was a latest attack in the Binidama village in central Mali's volatile Mopti region on June 5 that left dozens killed.
I'll leave it here, will share with you more details later today.
[Other language spoken]
Thank you very much, Babar.
So I'll open the floor to questions.
Anybody has a question for Babar, for HCRI?
Don't see any hands up.
[Other language spoken]
So we have 3 more minutes and I will ask then Ahmad to take the floor.
I think it's for Rupert, not for Babar, but just in case, Ahmad Sandra is for Rupert.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
It's about Libya actually.
Rupert, do we have any observations about the violations of human rights in the regions or the cities taken recently by Sarraj government?
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
As I said earlier, it's a little bit, it's a little bit early.
I mean, there are these reports of, of mass graves, as I said, of possible extrajudicial killings in a hospital.
But you know, I, I think obviously more information will, will emerge over time.
But you know, you know, what human rights work is like you have, we have to kind of verify information and be, you know, so I can't just tell you off the top of my head all, all the things that are being discovered at the moment.
I will have to look into it and I'm sure we'll have some thoughts and more information on this down the line.
Thank you, Peter.
Yes, thanks.
It's just a quick request for Ruth, but if it's possible, could you share some of your notes on the ICC that you read out?
Thank you very much.
If you can also, I would like to see if you're interested in this subject.
Yesterday, Stefan Jarik answered a couple of questions on that at the noon briefing, if you want to also check that.
Jamil, sorry, it's not a question to them, it's to you.
Whenever you're done with that issue, you're speaking to me or I, I, I couldn't hear the beginning is a it is a question to you.
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Because I think we have no other hands on for, for Ruperto or Babar.
So go ahead, right, By not having Double HO with us, we were just someone, actually one of us just found out that the chief scientist of Double HO is at this moment having a sort of a chat on social media that we were not informed.
None of us have received this apparently and it is happening at this moment as we speak, so not only we don't have access to them, but now we don't even have access to the events that they organise.
It would be very important if we had all of this.
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Thank you for the information.
I will definitely put it in my, in my message.
Thank you to all and I apologise here because it won't be on the next Zoom.
To our colleagues of UN AIDS, but now they are on.
And as you know, you've been asking for a while to get to know the Executive Director of UN AIDS, we need Biannia Nima.
So you will be able now to switch off this link and connect to the new one is the same platform but with another address and you will be able to speak with the Executive Director of unit.
Thank you very much to everybody for being with us and have a nice weekend.
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