The United Nations Office at Geneva
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UNOG Bi-weekly press briefing 08 January 2021
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Press Conferences | OHCHR , UNHCR , UNOG , UNITED NATIONS , ILO , WMO
UNOG Bi-weekly press briefing 08 January 2021
UN75 final report
Mr. Hochschild announced that the final report on the UN 75th Anniversary would be formally launched this weekend. A “global reality check”, the report was an unprecedented effort by the UN to capture the world populations’ hopes for the future, as well as their expectations of international cooperation “to better address the gap between the world they want and the world they think” we risk ending up with.
The report also endeavored to capture the world’s post-COVID-19 recovery priorities. Among them, there was a clear call, in the short term, for much better access to basic services such as health, education, water, and sanitation; as well as, in the longer term, for the reduction of violence in all its forms, and for better international cooperation. In this regard, the COVID-19 crisis had induced a greater support for international cooperation, Mr. Hochschild remarked.
Answering questions from journalists, Mr. Hochschild stressed the importance of better communicating the actions of the United Nations. He noted that, according to the UN75 report, in all but one region the biggest concerns for the future were environmental degradation and climate change. The Assistant Secretary-General also deplored gaps in the availability of COVID-19 vaccines.
The final report, entitled “Shaping Our Future Together”, is available on the UN75 website. Its formal launch will take place in London this weekend, during an event entitled “We the Peoples”. More information will be forwarded to the journalists on how to take part in this event.
Geneva announcements
Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service, announced that the World Health Organization (WHO) would hold a global COVID-19 press conference, with Dr. Tedros, this afternoon at 5 p.m.
Rosalind Yarde, of the International Labour Organization, said the ILO would soon launch a new report about homeworkers worldwide, whose numbers have increased significantly since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Journalists will be sent embargoed copies of the report and its executive summary today or by next Monday at the latest; ILO experts are also available for interviews. The report will be officially published on 13 January.
Ms. Yarde also mentioned the launch of the new ILO multimedia platform called “Voices”. More information will be shared next Monday.
Clare Nullis, from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), said the Organization would publish, next Thursday – subject to data availability –, a press release on the 2020 global temperature figures. “2020 [was] on track to be one of three warmest years on record”, along with 2016, Ms. Nullis noted.
Vietnam: convictions and sentencing of journalists
Ravina Shamdasani, of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), said that, on 5 January, three independent journalists in Viet Nam had received sentences of between 11 and 15 years imprisonment after being found guilty of national security offences, a development that appeared to be part of an increasing clampdown on the freedom of expression in the country.
Despite assurances given by the Government that due process had been followed, there were serious concerns about whether their rights to a fair trial were fully respected. Particularly concerning was the use of vaguely defined laws to arbitrarily detain an increasing number of independent journalists, bloggers, online commentators and human rights defenders.
Ms. Shamdasani added that the High Commissioner for Human Rights and UN human rights mechanisms, including the UN Human Rights Committee, had repeatedly called on Viet Nam to refrain from using restrictive legislation to curtail fundamental freedoms and to uphold its international human rights obligations. Also concerning was the fact that individuals trying to cooperate with the UN’s human rights bodies were subjected to intimidation and reprisals, potentially inhibiting others from sharing information about human rights issues with the UN.
A briefing note can be found here.
In response to journalists’ questions, Ms. Shamdasani explained that other journalists in Viet Nam had been charged with “crimes against national security” after having published articles, in the press or in social media, regarding human rights or corruption. Some journalists were detained incommunicado.
Elections in the United States
Ms. Shamdasani said the High Commissioner on Human Rights, Ms. Michelle Bachelet, had been “deeply troubled by Wednesday’s attack on the US Capitol, which demonstrated clearly the destructive impact of sustained, deliberate distortion of facts, and incitement to violence and hatred by political leaders.” Ms. Bachelet had called on “leaders from across the political spectrum, including the President of the United States, to disavow false and dangerous narratives, and encourage their supporters to do so as well”.
Ms. Shamdasani stressed that the OHCHR was also concerned by the display of overtly racist symbols during the US Capitol events, as well as the targeting of media professionals yesterday – it was dangerous to call journalists “enemies of the people”, Ms. Shamdasani added.
Ms. Bachelet’s comment is available here.
Rhéal LeBlanc said the Secretary-General had expressed, on 6 January, his sadness over the events at the US Capitol in Washington, D.C. In such circumstances, it was important that political leaders impress on their followers the need to refrain from violence, as well as to respect democratic processes and the rule of law, Mr. Guterres had insisted.
Uganda: concerns over deteriorating human rights situation ahead of election
Ravina Shamdasani said the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights was also deeply concerned by the deteriorating human rights situation in Uganda ahead of parliamentary and presidential elections scheduled for 14 January, and by the challenges this situation may pose not only for voting day itself, but also for the post-electoral period.
In the run-up to the election, numerous human rights violations have been reported, including of the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and participation, as well as arbitrary deprivation of life, arbitrary arrest and detention, and torture. Between 18 and 20 November, at least 54 people were killed during riots and protests in at least 7 districts across the country over the arrest and detention of two opposition presidential candidates, Robert Kyagulanyi (also known as Bobi Wine) and Patrick Oboi Amuriat, and members of the political opposition.
In light of the Presidential Directives on COVID-19 issued on 18 March 2020, mass rallies were initially prohibited during the electoral campaigns, the rule being subsequently reviewed to allow campaign meetings with a maximum of 70 and later 200 people. In a further development, on 26 December, the Electoral Commission suspended general election meetings in 16 districts.
Human rights law may allow for restrictions to mass gatherings and physical campaigning for public health reasons, Ms. Shamdasani noted. However, OHCHR had observed that the COVID-19 restrictions have been enforced to curtail opposition electoral campaign activities in a discriminatory fashion. COVID-19 measures were being used as a ground to restrict public freedoms and political participation during the electoral process.
A more detailed press briefing is available here.
Reacting to journalists’ questions, Ms. Shamdasani said that the Office had a global mandate to promote and protect the human rights, and that it would “speak out publicly and alert the international community to violations that might be taking place, or speak on behalf of victims, especially in situations where (…) the freedom of expression and opinion [was] at risk”. The Office had acted accordingly after the arrest of 53 political activists in Hong Kong.
UNHCR: Central African Republic: Central Africans flee to neighboring countries
Boris Cheshirkov, from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), expressed the United Nations refugee agency’s concern about over 30,000 Central Africans having fled election violence, and taken refuge in neighboring Cameroon, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), and the Republic of Congo, and tens of thousands more displaced inside the country. Some 24,196 crossed the Ubangui River into the DRC’s provinces of Bas Uele and North-Ubangui. At least 15,000 arrived in Ndu village following attacks on the towns of Damara and Bangassou on 2 and 3 January.
Nearly a quarter of the Central African Republic’s population of 4.7 million had been forcibly displaced by the end of 2020, including 630,000 refugees in neighboring countries and 630,000 displaced internally.
Responding to journalists’ questions, Mr. Cheshirkov stressed that the UNHCR had its main presence along the Ubangui river, where it dispatched immediate assistance while planning temporary relocation further inland.
A full briefing note is available here.
Mr. Cheshirkov finally said he would get back to journalists with more information regarding the situation of Eritreans refugees in the Tigray region of Ethiopia.
Teleprompter
Good morning everybody.
Welcome to the second press briefing of the year.
I'm happy to see you all again.
Happy New Year from me too and already wish this to you on behalf of Unis.
I'm happy to do it.
So happy New Year to everybody.
And let's start this press briefing of the UN Information Service in Geneva with a special guest.
As you all may remember, one year ago here in Geneva we launched the UN75 initiative, which was intended to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the United Nations.
This year has been rich in learnings and dialogues with the people of the world.
And to tell us about the final result, results of this conversation, we have the great honour to have with us today.
And the Secretary General, Fabricio Och Shield, who's the special advisor to the Secretary General on the commemoration of the UN 75th anniversary.
the United Nations are launching today the final report of this initiative and we are happy to have Fabricio here to tell us about the findings and a little bit more.
Fabricio, up to you.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Thank you, Alessandra, and let me say what a what a pleasure it is to be with you.
It would be a great pleasure if it was in reality as opposed to analogue, but I hope also you're all safe and well.
As Alessandra said, today we're presenting, and for the first time here in Geneva, not in New York, the final report of what was a unique exercise never before undertaken by the United Nations.
And that was a sort of global reality check, an effort to capture across the world people's principles, aspirations for the future, their principal hopes, what they see as the biggest threats to the future they wish to see, and what their expectations are of international cooperation in order to improve.
To better address the gap there may be between the world they want and the world they think we might end up with if current mega trends continue unabated.
It was also the very first time that we attempted to capture, or anyone attempted to capture the world's post COVID recovery priorities.
So we ask questions about what are people's specific expectations in terms of what should be the priorities, both for international cooperation and for others.
In the wake of COVID, we worked to collect data from as many different sources as possible, and we had five main data streams.
We undertook a direct survey of one point more than 1.5 million people in all 195 countries of the globe.
We also had much more in depth, more extensive so-called UN75 discussions around the same topics in 100 countries.
3500 such UN 75 conversations embracing hundreds of thousands of people and in order to have a reality check, we commissioned 2IN depth independent scientific surveys around the same questions by independent renowned survey companies Pew Research, which many of you will know, and Edelman, which is also a a a renowned world brand.
We also undertook innovative methodologies for understanding what the world thinks about where where the world is headed.
We used AI analysis to read sentiment in traditional and social media in 70 countries.
And finally, we reached out through universities and think tanks to get their responses on the same questions.
And we reached out to hundreds in all regions of the world.
And the results, which are summarised here in full for the first time, are very striking.
And I'll be brief because you can find them all here put in a much better way than I can possibly do.
First striking is the unity.
There is the unity across generations and across regions, especially in New York with with the Security Council at one's back door, but also in light of the many divisions there are within the General Assembly.
But not only in New York, with those two institutions nearby.
Just looking at social media or traditional media, one gets the sense of a deeply polarised world.
A world more characterised by fragmentation and divisions, by conflict and violence and disagreement than by any semblance of unity.
What comes out from our work is a set of very common concerns across generations, across regions, across income groups, across different levels of education.
Very large set of unity when it comes to people's hopes for their future, when it comes to people's fears of what they see as the biggest threats to that future, and when it comes to people's expectations of international cooperation.
And in specific terms, what some of the elements of that unity I'll highlight.
First, when it comes to immediate priorities post COVID, the world is united in wanting much better access to affordable basic services, affordable access to healthcare, affordable access to quality education, affordable access to water and sanitation.
And 2nd and related is the world seeks much greater solidarity, much greater solidarity with the hardest hit communities, much greater solidarity with the hardest hit places.
And related to that, an economic model that doesn't just boost inequalities, which is the scourge of our time.
In two out of three countries over the past 30 years, inequality has got worse.
Inequality has both been highlighted and been exacerbated by COVID and there is deep awareness of that in the millions of respondents to our initiative.
And people are calling for an economy, an economic model that is more inclusive.
When it comes to longer term priorities, again, we see a very **** degree of unity across the globe.
And it won't perhaps surprise you that the biggest concern longer term is the damage we're doing to our climate, the damage we're doing to our environment.
And that is a universal concern.
Related other concerns that are **** on the priority list longer term are conflict, violence and the many forms of violence, not only conflict between states or within states, but also violence, gender based violence and increasingly political violence.
Another concern is corruption linked to concerns around poverty and employment, and I'll come back to that.
And finally, a priority in one of the top three priorities everywhere is better respect for human rights and human dignity.
As regards to international cooperation, there is resounding support for international cooperation.
Over 97% of respondents see international cooperation at least as somewhat important, and a majority see it as absolutely essential to deal with today's challenges.
And they also recognise the role the UN has played and they believe the UN's role in the future is even more important.
Having said that, there is no room for complacency in the UN.
People want to see AUN that is more inclusive.
The better reflects the multiplicity of stakeholders today, the better reflects the diversity of power holders today, more inclusive of youth, of civil Society, of cities, of private enterprise, of regional organisations.
And they also want to see AUN that is more focused and delivers better and more accountable.
Now, those are the findings where there is a very large degree of unity across the world.
But having said that, we did detect important nuances both in terms of the timing of the respondents.
We started the work prior to the full onset of COVID in January.
So we were able to see the differences between responses gained before COVID hit with full vigour and after COVID hit with full vigour.
One thing is striking, a number of things are striking.
COVID induced greater support for international cooperation.
The paradox of people being more isolated, travelling less than ever, borders closures being more enforced than ever, people being confined more than ever, also induced people to be much more aware of their interdependence and interconnectivity and develop more awareness that we live in an interdependent globe.
So we saw during COVID the importance placed on global cooperation rise, not drop.
We also saw during COVID the concerns around employment and poverty rise.
So that's obviously not so surprising, but that grew in priority as COVID progressed.
There were also important regional differences, at least nuances.
It's striking that the finding I mentioned on the call for increased solidarity and support to the hardest hit communities is particularly strong in middle and low income countries and not so strong in the highest income countries.
Having said that, the demand for a change in economic model to make it more inclusive is particularly strong in the highest income countries.
So the idea of the need for greater inclusivity is predominant everywhere, but it's seen through a slightly different lens in developing and middle income countries, where the call is for greater solidarity than in in the most developed countries where it's seen through a call for more inclusive economies.
The other striking elements is differences in levels of optimism.
Perhaps paradoxically, in countries that are the poorest sub-Saharan Africa, in countries that are the hardest hit by conflict, levels of optimism about the future are the highest.
And in the most developed countries, levels of optimism of what the future will look like are are lower.
It's also striking the differences in levels of support.
Universally, there are **** levels of support for international cooperation, but the highest levels are in North America, in Latin America and in Europe.
When it comes to concerns around climate and the environment, again, universal concerns, but the highest are in Latin America and the Caribbean, not surprising against the backdrop of rampant deforestation and the impact of hurricanes, also in Oceana, not surprising against the backdrop of rising ocean levels, but also in North America, Europe, Eastern and southeastern Asia.
So there are many more nuances that you will will find in here and that I think give a give a very rich picture of what the world thinks and also counter the sense that we live in a time of unprecedented division and polarisation and discord.
The world wants very much the same thing.
And the world, especially young people, think globally.
They see no contradiction between being a patriot or a nationalist and being an internationalist.
They have a very pronounced understanding that no community is safe without it's leaders and it's participants also thinking globally.
So now we've published this report, we're putting all our data out on the data portal that is accessible to all for people to interrogate it as they wish.
There will be a follow up process in parallel to our exercise.
The the members of the General Assembly Heads of State agreed on the UN 75 declaration where they identified 12 commitments, 12 priorities for the UN moving forward, which were nurtured by initial versions of our findings, incomplete versions of our findings.
And the Secretary General was asked to come back with a a concrete recommendations for change, for a re imagined, reinvigorated, upgraded international system, to bets to justice to the world's aspirations and to bets to justice to tomorrow's challenges.
The Secretary General has initiated work on that and that will be moving forward in the months to come.
Meanwhile, we hope that the exercise we've done will help create the political will that is so essential to ensure that the solutions, many of which are already out there, can actually be implemented and adopted by Member States and by others in the months to come.
[Other language spoken]
Thank you very much, Fabrizio, for this extensive presentation of their findings of the reports.
Thanks for this big job that you've been doing.
And I would just like to remind journalists that they have received the full report this morning.
Yesterday you got the press release and the executive summary.
You got the the full report, which was embargoed until 10:30.
So now you should find all the information on the UN75 web website.
We have a few questions Fabricio for you.
[Other language spoken]
Jamil, Happy New Year, Thank you very much.
[Other language spoken]
Jamil is the our correspondent of the established Sao Paulo.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
It's actually a question regarding the briefing itself, not to.
It's in the.
We don't have, sorry, sorry, Jimmy, just one SEC.
We don't have the loudspeaker.
So can you repeat?
We have to put the earpiece on.
Can you repeat, please?
[Other language spoken]
But, but it's a question, a happy new year, first of all.
But it's a question about the briefing itself, not about the.
[Other language spoken]
It's not The question of the loudspeaker.
[Other language spoken]
Is that I'm looking at Enrico.
OK, let's try and go to the second question and then we'll come back to you.
Jamil, sorry we don't hear you.
Catherine Fiancon.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
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Hello connected Katrina.
[Other language spoken]
Happy New year to Alessandra and happy New year to Mr Ofchild.
I mean, this is a question related to the briefing, so maybe you, you would like as Jamil wanted also to ask.
So I don't know if you want me to ask this question after.
And I have a question also for Mr Ofchild.
[Other language spoken]
So if you don't mind to ask a question to Fabricio Akshit first and then I'll take the other questions for him.
And then we will come back to the briefing issue with that Jamil and you may have ask your question to Fabricio.
Thank you, Catherine.
Thank you, Alessandra and thank you Sir for coming.
I would like you please to elaborate a little bit on the importance of communication.
When UN agencies have important elements to share, they're supposed to share this information with the press and with the public through the the journalists.
And when they refuse to do so, because if I remember well, there is a resolution of the General Assembly about the importance of communication to all the people of the world.
So did you elaborate a little bit in the report?
Because, I'm sorry, I did not read it until now, about the importance of building bridges with professional press in order for the world to understand better the actions of United Nations and the importance of their actions.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
We, we didn't go into very detailed findings in that regard.
However, what became very clear in the report and in particular from some of the independent analysis done by Edenman and Pugh, which you will see in full on our website, was that while there's **** respect and support for the UN, incidentally, especially among women and the younger generation, there is also a perception that people are not adequately informed about the UN.
And that for at least half of our respondents, the UN is seen as rather remote and people and it's impact on people's lives is not adequately known.
So there is clearly a need for much greater focus on outreach, much greater focus on communication both by the UN and and by our partners.
So that did come across in in our survey.
And I have to say, at least as regards the Department of Global Communications and the Secretary General, it's a finding that the secretary General would be the first to acknowledge the need for the UN to upgrade, continue to upgrade and improve.
[Other language spoken]
But obviously I mean, I, I don't want to get into Alessandro's business.
But obviously especially on some political questions, there are sometimes very specific constraints to communicating as due to sensitivities or political constraints of the time.
But overall, there's clearly a need for the UN to to work towards being better understood and better known.
[Other language spoken]
We have a question from Byram Altuk of Anna Duranzi.
[Other language spoken]
Taking my question, I wish everybody a Happy New Year 2021.
I have a question for the gentleman.
He's been talking about unity and solidarity.
We have been hearing these two magical words last 10 months from WHO general director Mr Tedros.
Unity and solidarity at the point we came right now.
United States, France, Germany and England started vaccination, but other countries didn't.
So what sort of unity and solidarity?
We have, we have right now.
Do you really believe that solidarity and unity will be achieved?
In this current international system to defeat COVID-19 pandemic, because what we see now, everybody talking about all the system, talking about unity and solidarity, what we see now, which countries all out, all the vaccination programmes, vaccines and other countries are just watching desperately what's happening.
[Other language spoken]
In concrete terms, I'm sure WHO and and the spokesman of the Secretary General will be in a better position to say in concrete terms what is what is happening beyond the rhetoric.
But I think you will find the Secretary General is the first to acknowledge in very stark and straightforward words the, the the gross deficit in, in the current order of things and specifically with regards to the response to COVID, not only in global coherence, but also in global solidarity.
And I'd refer you to the speech he gave early on to the World Health Assembly when he was particularly critical in even stronger words than you about the problems in that regard.
And more recently he has lamented the the the unequal distributions of vaccines.
But he has not restricted himself to to lamenting him.
He has done his his utmost through the Kovacs and other initiatives to seek a remedial measures and to get fined financing for more equal distribution.
So believe me that the UN is not sticking in just promoting the rhetoric of solidarity.
We are doing and everything within our means and in particular the Secretary General and in particular colleagues from WHO and other agencies to give substance to that to that call.
But your assessment of a deficit in solidarity, I believe that the Secretary General would agree with and has articulated an even starker and more critical words than your own.
Thank you very much.
We have a question from Tamir White News Agency.
[Other language spoken]
The question is not related to to this briefing.
It is on on the briefing itself.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Sorry.
I understand there are quite a few journalists who've got questions on the briefing.
You, Jamil, Katrina the question.
So let me go to the next one.
I'll come back to the issue of briefing as soon as we're finished with a brief.
[Other language spoken]
Bear with me, please.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
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[Other language spoken]
Happy New Year to all of you.
My question is, is also on the briefing.
Thank you, Alexander.
OK, let's go to the next one, hopefully.
[Other language spoken]
Gabriela Sotomayor, Mexico Proceso, have you got a question for Fabrizio?
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
OK, yes, I have questions for Fabrizio and also about the briefing, but I will go first with Fabrizio.
2 questions if may I 1 you, you, I, I didn't have the opportunity to see the report, sorry.
But if you can elaborate a little bit on Latin America and deforestation and the problems with the climate change because in Mexico, the President of Mexico, I mean, is not very keen of this green technologies and everything.
So if you can talk a little bit about the importance for the UN on this issue.
And also you, you spoke that the people are more as isolated more than ever with with the COVID.
I don't know if the report talk about journalists because we have been really isolated more than ever as well.
I don't know if the report talk about journalism and COVID.
[Other language spoken]
The report, the report does not, does not go go into the, the particular constraints that the journalists face.
And, and I must say, and this is a personal observation, but one which I know many UN colleagues would share the, the heroic work that journalists have done during, during during the pandemic, often facing life threatening hostility or, or extreme difficulties.
That that's fully understood if if if not the subject of, of our report on the, on the issue of, of climate change.
You know, we asked people across the world to rank what they saw as the biggest threats to the world they want 25 years from now where they felt the international cooperation should be, should be concentrated.
And in all but one region, the, the biggest concern that was flagged for the future was environmental degradation and, and climate change.
And while it was ranked highest in all but one region, the, the, the region that ranked it ahead of all other regions was Latin America and the Caribbean.
We got a sizeable number of responses from Mexico, but I don't, I don't know what the breakdown was from Mexico in particular, but that will be available if it's not already available on, on our platform.
So the, the by you know you, you will be able on our online platform to interrogate it to see the individual responses by all the 195 member states.
But Latin America certainly LED the prioritising of that compared to, to to other regions.
But other regions were very ****.
I mean, Europe was very ****, Northern Africa was was very ****, Oceana and Antarctica were all very **** on that priority.
Thank you very much, Fabrizio.
I have another question here for you from Lisa Schlein, Voice of America.
[Other language spoken]
Just one second we are muting you takes time.
[Other language spoken]
Oh, no, you were unmuted and re muted Erico, could we OK, yeah, I think I might mute it right.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
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[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Good morning and happy New Year to everybody.
Thank you very much for your comprehensive and interesting briefing.
I, I'm fascinated by the, the, the issue of optimism in sub-saharan African countries, low income countries, countries in conflict.
Can you explain this sense of optimism?
Is it the sense that if you've hit rock bottom, you've got nowhere else to go except up?
And then I'm wondering how is it that you're actually going to be using this information that you that you have?
It's very rich and it's wide-ranging.
[Other language spoken]
No, I, I was worried I would get that question, Lisa.
So anyway, I mean, we, we didn't interrogate the reasons behind people giving specific answers.
And it is also very, very striking.
I mean, this is more a very personal observation because from my own reflections on that, on that finding, obviously those who, who come from a very disadvantaged state where they're enjoying huge deficits in, in, in access to to development opportunities, huge deficits in respect for their human rights, huge deficits in, in, in peace, you know, see the potential for improvement much more than than those of us who, who can tend to take those things for granted.
I mean, that's more a personal observation based also on having spent half of my career working among people in conflict zones and in the poorest countries in, in, in the world.
But I think what one has to acknowledge and I see this as a father of three teenagers and as someone who is privileged largely to grow up in developed countries and those who bore benefited most from the United Nations and the post war agreements that secured progress and peace for so many of us.
You know, I think if you I challenge everybody to reflect on this and maybe they'll agree or disagree with me.
I think largely our grandfathers believed.
Our grandparents, let me say, believed their children, our parents, would grow up in a better world, better access to education, better access to jobs, better welfare.
I think most of our parents believed that their children, us, would grow up in a world characterised by better access to employment, or at least better salaries, better access to quality education, better welfare.
I wonder whether we can say the same for our children.
I personally am not convinced.
I worry deeply.
It gives me awake at night about whether my children, all of them teenagers, all of them not yet entering the job market, will have the same opportunities that I had.
So I think there is a very real sense in the most developed part of the world, the continuous peace and progress we've enjoyed over so many decades, incidentally unparalleled, for example, in European history, will continue as it has continued in the past.
And some of the metrics bear me out.
I mean, in many developed countries for the first time in decades, the longevity rates are actually dropping.
So, so I, I mean, that's a very personal speculation behind, behind the reasons.
But I, but I, but I think they deserve further interrogation and on the use of our findings.
I mean, these findings will feed directly into the very concrete report that the Secretary Generals can present to member States.
And we have been working intensely over the past months with the team that is that is working on this report to give them granular findings of great detail with very concrete suggestions that are coming forth from our from our much more extensive UN75 discussions that can feed into the Secretary General's report, in particular on things like making the UN more inclusive or, or more accountable.
We are coming back with findings and we hope also, frankly, that the findings will will be used as an advocacy tool to, to rediscover a common base.
[Other language spoken]
Political divisions, arguably in 45 and certainly in the first years of the, of the UN were as grave, if not graver than today.
The, the, the divisions between South and N, the divisions between East and West were at least as acute as what we're seeing today between the superpowers.
But what made the progress we've enjoyed, what made the peace we've enjoyed possible was that despite those differences, there was a lot of common ground.
And despite those differences, there was a willingness to work together and build agreements, for example, on ensuring the use of nuclear power safe, on ensuring weapon control, on endorsing human rights, ensuring that differences were put to one side and common interests were pursued.
And we seem to have lost or at least grown distant from that sense of common interest.
And we believe we've articulated, or the world has articulated the common interest that we must now use, not to pretend that we don't have any differences, but to build the sort of robust future that everybody wants beyond our differences.
Thank you very much, Fabrizio.
I'll take the three last questions for him and then we'll we'll go to the other questions.
And yes, Pedrero ISP and yes Fabrizio speak para Francais to opposite the Christian Francais.
We bonjour no affect the commissioner DK Paolo chat my my question concerned liberation.
[Other language spoken]
Hello, Alec is you we want Nick coming Bruce, New York Times.
Nick, is there a question for Fabrizio?
[Other language spoken]
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From your your your last comments, I wonder to what extent the findings have informed or given you any greater sense of how the architecture of the UN itself needs to be adapted.
[Other language spoken]
1 is given the level of polarisation within the Security Council, to what extent it is still fit for purpose to fulfil the objectives for which it was shut up.
And secondly, given how much we hear from the UN about the importance of human rights in terms of maintaining peace and security or developing peace and security, to what extent the human rights mechanisms of the UN, which are the third pillar, should get a greater share of UN resources and whether you think that's something that's on the card?
Thank you Fabric.
[Other language spoken]
I mean, the, the, the, the exercise we directed our attention to was directed at reaching the broadest possible audience, in particular younger people, in particular those who the UN doesn't hear enough from.
So by by definition and incidentally over 50% of our respondents were under 30.
So we succeeded in this in that regard.
So by definition, we were not primarily reaching out to those who were specialised in the UN and and very familiar with, with its its mechanisms.
Having said that, we did talk to universities and think tanks and gathered rich thoughts on what some of the ideas are there.
And we have a very rich bibliography and summary of the main thinking on on our website.
In that regard.
There were inevitably many calls for a form of of the Security Council and there were also ideas about how that could be gone about.
As as you're aware, that area is, is the centre of a contradiction between a huge amount of thinking and thoughts and a very small amount of political progress in order to bring about any any change.
But there are rich ideas there and inevitably I think it will be one thing that will be addressed in one form or another in the the more concrete, specific report the secretary General will be putting forward.
But I have it would be premature and I'm also, I don't know how the secretary general wishes to address it.
He is on record as having said that he believes no reform to the UN would be complete without also reform of the Security Council.
Where I do think there will be very specific proposals and where I have heard from ideas from the Secretary General, is to make the UN, as far as possible, more reflective of the diversity of stakeholders that play a role in the world today.
I mean, if we think back to the UNS origins and who had their hands on the levers of power, it is very different today.
The whole nation notion of power and how power is exercised is very different today.
And the UN has been slow in catching up to those changes.
And I think this exercise was one big attempt to catch up precisely by going back to the people.
I spoke about the origins of the UN.
The origins of the UN were very much about a few men coming together in A room.
The idea of the UN was born in August 1941 in a meeting between Franklin D Roosevelt and Winston Churchill, 2 male leaders who had the courage and tremendous foresight to think of an institution that could safeguard succeeding generations at the height of a war that was far from from 1:00.
And then in December, January, they gathered other Allied leaders around a similar idea, and that vision was later enshrined in the charter.
It was men gathered in a room.
The world doesn't change so much today by men gathered in a room.
It happens much more by voices on the street, voices across borders.
Voices of youth, and that's precisely who we tried to connect with through this initiative.
So I think there will be much more structured efforts in the Secretary General's proposal to bring in voices of youth, to bring in voices of civil society more systematically, to bring in voices of leaders of cities and local communities, and to have what the Secretary General refers to as more networked multilateralism with regional organisations.
Thank you very much for briefing.
I have two very short questions, final questions for you.
Please keep the question short and the answer short.
Gabriella, you had a follow up and then MF Arch from Reuters.
Gabriella, let's start with your follow up and then we will go to the next point.
Yes, thank you, Alessandra.
Well, actually it's not a follow up, but I will ask in light of the 75 anniversary of the UN, I would like to hear your thoughts on the ******* on democracy that we witnessed in the United States.
What what are your feelings, your thoughts?
[Other language spoken]
So if we, if you can comment on that, thank you very much.
[Other language spoken]
I, I, I, I can only refer to the comments that have been made, I think by the **** Commissioner for for Human Rights, which I saw yesterday, and by Stefan on, on behalf of the Secretary General.
I I would have nothing to add to those.
Thank you very much, Emma Reuters.
You have received the comments both from Mrs Bachelor and the Secretary General Spokesperson, Emma Reuters.
Yes, fully with the New Year, we can hear you.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Just briefly, do we know the timing of the Secretary General's response to this report?
Thank you very much.
Well, the, the, the, I mean, it is, it's not a secretary general report as such, because there was, you know, secretary General's reports happen when there's a formal mandate from a, from AUN body.
In this case, this was a secretary general initiative.
So in that sense, this reflect, I mean, I work as a special advisor of the Secretary General.
The, the report was an independent exercise in terms of how we captured the finding.
But this was an SG initiative that we're, we're actually doing a more formal launching of this in London over the weekend.
You know, London was the site of the first meetings of the General Assembly and the Security Council in January 1946.
So the the, the 75th anniversary of the first meetings of the Security Council and the General Assembly will be marked by a solemn event in Westminster Hall on on Sunday, I believe.
And the Secretary General will be speaking then and will also be referring in his remarks to these findings.
So, so that if you like, will be will be the formal launching by the Secretary General.
Indeed, that is that was my final point, that the Secretary General is starting on Sunday, in fact a a virtual visit.
Unfortunately, it's virtual because of the situation to the UK to mark this 75th anniversary and particularly the 75th anniversary of the first session of the UN General Assembly.
The events, uh, Fabric was referring to will happen at 5:00 PM London time.
Uh, it's a commemorative event entitled with the peoples and it will be the main event of this first official visit on a virtual basis for Britain will also participate virtually to this visit and to these events.
And we will give you more information on how you will be able to follow the event itself.
And the SG will stay in London for a couple of more days, well, virtually again with a number of events.
We'll send you an information, more detailed information about that because Fabrito will follow this event from Geneva.
He will be staying here.
And so I would like to invite all of those who would like to have an interview with him on a one to one basis.
I understand there is already one request to let Eunice know so that we can set this up.
I thank you very, very much, Fabrito for this participation.
And now I have a housekeeping problem because unfortunately we have an admitting in 10 minutes Real is going to replace me.
But I understand there are about 6 journalists who want to ask questions about the briefing, which I would like to hear.
So if Ravina and the other speakers bear with us, I would just give the floor to the journalist to ask these questions and then Real will replace me and we will go on with the other announcements and briefing points.
And I bear and ask you to bear with with us.
Can I ask Jamil Peter and yes Katherine Byram and Tamil who wants to ask question about the the briefing to maybe just be try to be brief so that I have a chance to answer before I ask Rial to replace me on the on the podium Jamil.
Yes, thank you, Alessandra.
We can be brief, but this issue has to be in a way dealt in a thorough way.
The issue is the absence of double HO.
At least we received an e-mail this morning saying that they were not going to be in this week.
[Other language spoken]
Without the presence of the possibility of asking questions.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
We are trying to get information.
We are not looking for sound bites.
Sound bites will not end this pandemic or this emphademic, as you want to put it.
We need access to WHO.
We don't have access to WHO today and this is a reality.
WHO cannot request, request countries, governments to be transparent if WHO itself is not.
So we can be brief here, but we have to solve this.
It cannot be that we don't have a chance to be at The Who, to ask WHO, to be answered by WHO, and to know what is happening.
Otherwise, Obviously this is not basically journalism that we're going to be doing any longer.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Thank you very much, Jamil.
Well noted, Peter.
Is that the same question, Peter *****?
Yes, I'd I'd like to support Jamil there and also ask that we can try to get The Who to have press conferences and not blind webinars and The Who should attend each unis press briefing.
I don't, I don't need to elaborate anymore.
[Other language spoken]
Thank you very much.
[Other language spoken]
I understand that it's not the first time that this happened.
It happened several time.
And I understand also that the question has been has been raised to, to, to real and to to you.
So I wanted to not to complain about the fact that WH is not here.
That has already been done.
I wanted to know if you have talked to them and what was their response.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
And yes, Katherine, ask a Salaman question with FC Boku Alessandra.
So I would like first to thank you Alessandra and Real for trying to find a solution with WHOI know that both of you are working.
I mean, doing your best in in trying to convey the queries of the Academy members.
And I won't repeat what the colleague said, but in such an environment of pandemic, it is absolutely not normal that professional journalists don't have access to WHO experts and to WHO simply to ask questions.
We don't have access and when they release information, they don't inform us.
So I would like to ask you, Akan, you did send several letters to Mrs Gabriela Stern, head of communication of WHO.
She never answered all letters.
So have you been able to contact her and ask her if she could kindly answer the letters?
That has been addressed to her and everybody has been copied in it.
[Other language spoken]
OK, Thank you very much.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Thank you, Alison.
I have a very short request.
[Other language spoken]
As Eunice excellent hybrid press conferences, so WHO is part of United nation of system, we do want hybrid press conferences from WHO 2 in order to protect women based journalist jobs.
[Other language spoken]
Thank you very much, Tamir.
Yes, Alexander, I support Jamila and Katherine and Byram and I would like to add, if you can share with us the KE, the KE the.
[Other language spoken]
The the responsibility tasks of the spokespersons, their duties, their responsibility, what are their obligations?
If you can share this information with us and if Eunice is not an ombudsman, just in case there is a problem with the spokesperson, who is the ombudsman in this?
[Other language spoken]
Thank you very much.
Thank you very much for this question, Gabriella.
And then I'll, I'll try to answer.
[Other language spoken]
Yes, thank you very much.
I would like to support Jamil and Catherine.
And also I just want to add that we are not the enemy.
That's that's it.
We are not the enemy.
[Other language spoken]
Thank you very much to all the journalists who have wished to express this concern about the presence of WHO at the UNIS briefing.
First of all, yes, we were told this morning by WHO that they will not be able to join the briefing.
But they also asked me, and I would have done it in the announcement to let you know that WHO will have a global COVID-19 press conference led by the Director General, Doctor Tedros at 5:00 PM today.
The access codes and Zoom link will be sent out as a media advisory later this morning.
So they are having a press conference today and they were asking us to read it.
But I also hear the other concerns that you have been expressing.
This is something that Akanu has brought to our attention.
We had a recent meeting with Akanu on Tuesday about this issue and we will definitely continue discussing this with WHOI would like to remind everybody, as as you all know, COVID is a global pandemic, WHO is holding many press conferences globally, but we also noted on several locations they request for a Geneva based press to also have technical briefings.
So I would like to thank everybody what you have just said has been put on records.
We will again discuss this with the colleagues of WHO, but please be informed that this afternoon there will be a global press conference by Doctor Tedros.
I'd like to ask Real now to replace me on the podium and I'll ask for your indulgence.
And we will have now our other points on the briefing while Real is coming to the podium.
And I'll maybe ask Ravina also to join us.
We have Rosalind for a short announcement from ILO on the launch of a report on a platform.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Rosalind, sorry.
Sorry for that.
Rosalind.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Good morning everybody and and happy New Year.
On Wednesday 13th of January, we'll be releasing a new ILO report.
That analysis, the situation of homeworkers worldwide whose numbers have increased significantly since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
And the term homeworking covers the hundreds of millions of workers worldwide who work from home in a range of jobs that can be divided into 3 areas.
Firstly, industrial home working, which involves the production of goods that would otherwise be done on a factory assembly line.
Secondly, teleworking, which many of us are doing now, which has increased dramatically since the COVID-19 crisis.
And thirdly, digital platform work, where crowd workers perform service sector tasks at the request of remote employer or intermediary.
Now this report provides the latest global estimates of home worker numbers, including by gender.
It gives a breakdown of sectors, working conditions and the risks they face working from home.
It compares the wages of home workers and non home workers, examines home worker regulations and makes a series of recommendations.
The report also assesses the likely impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the home working sector.
You should have received the media advisory yesterday and we're planning to send you embargoed copies of the report, executive summary and press release later today or by Monday at the latest.
Our experts are available for interview either under embargo before the report release or after the launch on the 13th.
So you can contact me on The Newsroom at ilo.org to set these up.
And just to remind you, all associated materials will be under strict embargo until the 13th of January at 12 o'clock 1200 hours GMT 30, which is 1300 Geneva time.
I also have a second announcement, but I'll see if you have any questions on that one.
Thank you, Rosalind, nice to see you again.
[Other language spoken]
Oh, that was a switch.
Yes, we're interchangeable at Eunice.
We have one question from Lisa, Lisa Schlein.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Happy New Year to you.
[Other language spoken]
I may have missed it, but did you say the press conference was going to be on the 14th and that the embargo was going to be lifted on the 13th?
I mean, don't you have the cart pulling the horse in this case?
Shouldn't you have the press conference before the embargo is lifted?
I mean, this is, you know, not really practical.
No, there, there isn't on this occasion because for logistical reasons we don't have a press conference.
So we will be releasing the materials to you today, but the embargo will lift on the 13th at 1300 Geneva time.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
No, there isn't.
All right.
So the individual interviews.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Yeah, but we will set up individual interviews.
That you All right.
Thanks for clarifying that.
[Other language spoken]
I think that's all you had.
Right, Roslyn, did you?
Well, there's no, there's Yes, I do have something else.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
So I, I also wanted to flag up a new multimedia storytelling platform that we're launching on Monday the 11th, which is called Voices.
And this new platform will showcase first person stories and blogs from the field that highlight world of work issues such as child labour, forced labour, climate change, green jobs, youth employment and many more issues.
In fact, the whole range of issues that we as an organisation work on as part of our Decent Work agenda.
And the platform also includes a podcast series of experts on issues relating to the future of work.
And all voices content is in English, French and Spanish.
So while these are not breaking news stories as such, the platform does provide fertile content for features and story ideas that you may find useful in your work.
And you'll we'll be sending you a link to the new platform on Monday morning when it launches.
Thank you Roslyn sounds very interesting.
We'll we'll be watching for that on Monday morning.
Are there any final questions for Roslyn?
I don't see any.
So thank you very much, Roslyn for being with us this morning.
And we'll go to Claire Nollis from the World Meteorological Organisation, who also has a short announcement for you.
[Other language spoken]
Good morning everybody and happy New Year.
Finally the the sun, the sun is out, which makes a very big difference.
As Mr Hochstchild said, you know, climate change was a major concern in the, in the, in the in the survey last year.
We at WMO will be issuing our press release on the 2020 global temperature figures next week.
We hope to issue it on Thursday.
This is subject to us receiving all the data that we that we need.
So WMO, we combine data from different international sources, so from NOAA, from NASA, from the UK Met Office, from the Japan Meteorological Agency, and from the European Union's Copernicus Climate Change Service to come up with the definitive single global figure.
We hope that we will get all the data by Thursday and release it on Thursday.
When NASA and NOAA are releasing their figures.
We are wait, you know, we are subject to us getting the necessary figure from the UK Met Office, but.
We will, you know I'll as soon as I know I'll, I'll, you know, I'll send you a press, a press release.
As we've said since December 2020 will be one of the warmest three years on record.
Copernicus, the European Union service came came out with their figures today saying that 2020 was the joint warmest year on record with 2016.
[Other language spoken]
Data sets might have a different, slightly different findings, which is why we come up with, you know, the one single consolidated consolidated figure.
And also just briefly in passing, while we're talking about 2020 figures, we posted a news story on our website a couple of days ago to say that the Antarctic ozone hole was one of the largest, the deepest and certainly the longest lived on record.
It finally closed at the end of December, which is much later than than than usual.
So if you want details on that.
[Other language spoken]
Thank you very much, Claire.
I think we have a question from Emma Farage.
[Other language spoken]
Good morning, Claire, everybody.
Just quickly, will the 2020 data be available under embargo and will there be a briefing?
[Other language spoken]
Under embargo, it will be a scramble, but just because, you know, there is a big question mark as to whether we will we will get the met, the UK Met Office figures in time.
But you know, we would like to release the consolidated figure at the same time as NASA and NOAA, which are definitely releasing their data on on on Thursday.
And what we've done in the past few years is to try and do it all together because otherwise, you know, there's gets confusion with, you know, some reports saying, well, it's the second warmest year on record, some saying, well, it's the first, which is, you know, why we tried to do the, the consolidated figure.
But the Met Office has just updated it's data set.
So there are, you know, there are a couple of delays for a briefing.
No plans for a formal one at the moment, but I can certainly put, put in, put in that request if you know, if there is a, if there is a demand, if there is a demand for it.
I mean, all, you know, all our scientists are here in Geneva.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Thank you very much, Claire.
I don't see any other questions for you.
So we'll close there for that and we'll go right to Ravina Samdazani from the Office of the **** Commissioner for Human Rights, who is here to talk to you about two issues, one on Uganda and the other one on Vietnam.
So Ravina, welcome and please go ahead.
Thanks, real, and hello, everyone.
Take this opportunity to wish you a happy, healthy 2021 on Vietnam in On Tuesday the 5th of January 3, independent journalists in Vietnam received severe sentences of between 11 and 15 years imprisonment after being found guilty of national security offences.
This is a disturbing development that appears to be part of an increasing clampdown on the freedom of expression in the country.
Fam Qi Dong MU Yen Tong TOI and Lihu Mintuan, respectively, the chairperson, vice chairperson and a young member of the Independent Journalist Association of Vietnam, were convicted by the People's Court in Ho Chi Minh City of and I quote making, storing, spreading information materials items for the purpose of opposing the state.
This is under Article 117 of the Criminal Code.
Fam Chi Tong was sentenced to 15 years in prison and three years on probation.
Muyen Tong TOI and Li Hu Mintuan were each sentenced to 11 years in prison and three years on probation.
All three individuals were held in lengthy pretrial detention and despite assurances given by the government that due process was followed, there are serious concerns about whether their rights to fair fair trial were fully respected.
We are deeply concerned by the use of vaguely defined laws to arbitrarily detain an increasing number of independent journalists, bloggers, online commentators and human rights defenders in violation of Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
They are then frequently held incommunicado for long periods in pretrial detention, with regular reports of violations of the right to a fair trial and concerns about their treatment in detention.
Several of them have received lengthy sentences following their conviction for crimes against national security.
The **** Commissioner for Human Rights and a number of UN human rights mechanisms, including the UN Human Rights Committee, have repeatedly called on Vietnam to refrain from using restrictive legislation to curtail fundamental freedoms and to uphold its international human rights obligations.
We also have serious concerns that individuals who try to cooperate with the UNS human rights bodies are subjected to intimidation and reprisals, potentially inhibiting others from sharing information about human rights issues with us.
We continue to raise these cases with the Government of Vietnam to call on them to stop the repeated use of such serious criminal charges against individuals for exercising their fundamental rights, especially to the freedom of expression, and to unconditionally release all those who have been detained in such cases.
We also urge them to revise and amend relevant provisions of the Criminal Code to bring them in line with Vietnam's obligations under Article 19 of the ICCPR, which relates to the freedom of expression.
People should be able to exercise these rights without fear of reprisals.
Thank you, Ravina, are there any questions?
Yes, buddy in the room.
Hi Ravina, thank you for coming today.
I have question well on on mostly on United States the how do you identify the demonstration what happened in United States?
[Other language spoken]
Real.
Would you like me to take this question now or are there any questions on Vietnam that we should?
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
I have Lisa Schlein also on the line.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
And I will piggyback on Bodhi's question.
So I'm happy to have you respond to him.
You will also be responding to me on on Vietnam.
How many, how many people, journalists, human rights defenders are actually in prison?
Would you consider them political prisoners actually?
And now what?
What actually are the charges against them?
I I don't get a sense of the specifics there.
Are they being prosecuted because they're criticising the government?
Is, is that mainly what is happening there?
I'd like to get a, more of a, a sense of, of why there is this crackdown on them and how wide-ranging it is.
And then on Bodie's question, yes, please do answer that.
And do you consider this insurrection or sedition?
What happened in terms of the ******* on the Capitol building?
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
So that's a few questions on how many this is difficult.
We, as I mentioned when I was reading out the note, there is a fear of reprisals and people are intimidated for cooperating or sharing information with UN and other international community.
But to the best of our ability, we've been able to document a number of cases.
So what we have been able to document, and again, I stress that this is not a comprehensive number, It's probably a very conservative figure.
We have found that in 2020 there have been around 60 cases of individuals arrested, charged and or sentenced for crimes against national security.
In 2019 we had 42 cases.
So you can see that there's an increase, 42 in 2019 and 60 this year.
And again, this is not a comprehensive figure.
There are other organisations as well, including Amnesty International and I believe Defend the Defenders, who do have also their own monitoring of these figures.
But yeah, as I said, because of fear of security, it's difficult to get comprehensive figures on the charges.
So these individuals were charged under the Criminal Code of the system, Article 117 of the Criminal Code.
Essentially, these are national security charges, and they were charged for making, storing, spreading information, materials, items for the purpose of opposing the state.
Now what they actually did is they published stories either on social media or in traditional media.
One of them for example Muyen Tong Toy, he had written web log commentaries on democracy and advocated for the freedom of expression.
In another case, we had a journalist who was gaoled for reporting on socio economic issues, including corruption, the environment and human rights issues.
And we have seen that there tends to be an uptick in these arrests, convictions and sentencing ahead of major political meetings.
And there is one coming up in Vietnam this month.
Your other?
Yes, No, I think I, I did cover all your questions there on the USI guess I'll take the questions together.
We'll just wait and see if we have anything further on Vietnam.
Yes, because I see we have other journalists with their hands raised.
Catherine Shankar, is this about Vietnam or another issue?
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
It's related to United States.
So would you like me to ask the question also now?
May as well ask the question, but we'll we'll take note of it and then we'll see if there are other questions on Vietnam will come to the US at the end.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
So my question in fact there are two questions, but the first, I know that Mrs Bachelet did make a statement about the event in the events in the USA.
Could you please elaborate a little bit Also more on the medias that the media that have been media professionals that have been targeted and that are regularly targeted now in the world regarding the the coverage of events And also about the the the rise of white supremacy.
Because behind all that you have also the rays of hate and racism and not only in in the United States, but in other countries.
But I would like your question to focus on the states.
[Other language spoken]
OK, Thanks, Catherine.
We will note that those questions.
We'll come back to them.
Nick Coming, Bruce.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
You mentioned concerns about the treatment of detainees.
Do you have evidence of torture?
And could you elaborate a little bit on the reprisals against people Co operating with the UN?
Do you think this is systematic?
Is it just random local authorities running sort of interference or is this government ministries a policy of central government?
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
On the on the kind of how they are treated when they're in detention.
First of all, many of them are kept effectively incommunicado in detention.
They do not have access to their families.
They also do not have access to lawyers in some cases.
I mean, for example, in the case of Sam Jidong, he was arrested on the 21st of November 2019.
He was held in pretrial detention for more than one year, no access to lawyer, could not receive visits from his family.
Now finally, in December 2020, just one month before his trial, he was allowed to meet a lawyer to to prepare his defence.
In other cases, we do have indication of ill treatment and we also have indications that there are individuals who have medical needs, whose needs are not taken into account and, you know, they don't have access to to adequate healthcare while they are in detention.
I think I answered both of your questions there.
Oh, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry.
[Other language spoken]
And if I could give you a little bit more on that.
In fact, Vietnam has featured in the Secretary General's report, annual report on reprisals against human rights defenders for interacting with the UN.
And I'm just going to try to pull out the reference here.
[Other language spoken]
No, in fact.
So this is what what has been said before about reprisals.
So we have serious concerns that in Vietnam, individuals and groups, including victims, human rights defenders, journalists and lawyers who cooperate or try to cooperate with the UN, its representatives and mechanisms in human rights, are often subjected to intimidation and reprisals.
UN special procedures have been able to document and report on such serious acts of intimidation as well against those who share testimony and information on the situation in the country.
Now, the kinds of reprisals and intimidation that they face can include just harassment, travel bans, loss of employment, physical attacks, as well as arbitrary arrest, detention, and torture.
And these intimidation, these kinds of reprisals and intimidation, I'm sure you understand they don't just affect the person directly, but they send a very strong message to others in the country that cooperating with the United Nations, seeking to express your concerns to the United Nations is a dangerous endeavour, and you should avoid doing it.
So it's very important for us to raise the alarm on this.
In the case of Fam Ji Dong as well, I understand that he had been active in raising concerns with the European Union about the human rights situation in Vietnam prior to his his arrest.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Is it on the US?
No, no, it's a human rights issue.
OK, We'll come back to you then later.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Well, not it's not about Vietnam, but it's about on China.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Journalist Shan Shan, Chinese journalist, gaoled for four years in China for reporting on COVID-19 in Wuhan when it began.
[Other language spoken]
She could die in prison.
So if you are concerned about her case, if you are aware of this, and yeah, that's it.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
I think we've exhausted the questions on Vietnam.
So do we want to turn to the US now?
[Other language spoken]
Thank you for the questions on the US.
Now I also had a request prior to the briefing for me to read out the the statement that was issued by **** Commissioner Michelle Bachelet yesterday on the events in the US.
So I'll do that first and then I'll I'll respond to some of your more specific queries.
So we are deeply troubled by Wednesday's attack on the US capital, which demonstrated clearly the destructive impact of sustained, deliberate distortion of facts and incitement to violence and hatred by political leaders.
Allegations of electoral fraud have been invoked to try to undermine the right political participation.
We are encouraged to see that this process has continued in spite of serious attempts to disrupt it.
We call on leaders from across the political spectrum, including the President of the United States, to disavow false and dangerous narratives and to encourage their supporters to do so as well.
We note with dismay the serious threats and destruction of property faced by media professionals yesterday, and we support calls from many quarters for a thorough investigation into Wednesday's events.
You asked as well about the the targeting of media.
So, you know, as we mentioned in this note, we do note, note with dismay that the serious threats and destruction of property that media professionals have faced yesterday.
We understand that there was insightful language that was even carved onto the Capitol building and that there were incidents where journalists had their equipment damaged and they faced intimidation and harassment from the the individuals who were involved in the events on Wednesday.
This violence has obviously been fed by insightful language that has been used depicting journalists and I quote, as enemies of the people.
This is dangerous and it has resulted in attacks against journalists.
And of course, we we don't need to remind you all that the free media is indispensable to democracy and attacks on independent media and media workers are assaults on all of us on, on the rest.
I mean, we also do regret the loss of life that resulted on Wednesday, including that of four individuals who were involved in the protests, as well as a police officer.
The circumstances are still unclear, which is why we support calls for a thorough investigation into the events on Wednesday and on the use of on the display really of symbols of white supremacy.
We are concerned that some of the protesters were clearly displaying symbols of racial and ethnic hatred and white supremacy, including the Confederate flag clothes displaying anti-Semitic logos.
And a noose erected from from across the capital.
We condemn this display of overtly racist symbols and we call on all the political leaders to also condemn the use of such overtly racist symbols.
I think I have responded to all the inquiries that you had on the US.
We also do have Uganda to Rene, yes.
And we'll, we'll turn to that very, very quickly.
But just to add to what Avina has said, you will have seen the statement by by the Secretary general as well that he issued just yesterday on the events in Washington where obviously he expressed sadness for what he saw happening at the US Capitol.
And as he reiterated, he reiterated, as he's said many, many times, how important it is for political leaders to impress on their followers the need to refrain from violence and also to respect the democratic processes and the rule of law.
And just to add, yesterday during the briefing in New York, also the question, there was a question about attacks on journalists on the media.
The spokesperson of the secretary general was was extremely clear, he said, attacks on the media, whether they're targeted, whether they're spontaneous or unacceptable.
And so this is very much, you know, our principal position on the importance of having a Free Press, a press that is able to perform its work unhindered as an essential part of democracy.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Yeah, mostly the question for you.
[Other language spoken]
Is that Secretary General, Mr Goodras, who has the announcement to say that to identify that is violence?
Or.
It's not clear.
[Other language spoken]
My question that is that Mister Guter has who said is that kind of violence or what is behaviour of him?
Is that not quite clear And, and is that the statement from him or from his big person?
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
It's a statement put out by the spokesman of the Secretary General who speaks on his behalf, but it's attributable obviously to the Secretary General.
So the statements that he put out yesterday, another question that it's pity that I have several questions for WHO and I it's not clear, Alexandra, who said which for us, we need to negotiating with WHO.
But could you guarantee us to make to intervention that if we can make any deals with David who made a team?
[Other language spoken]
But I think Alessandro is very clear.
I mean, we've been discussing this issue for some time now.
We've also met on Monday to discuss this Eunice and I can you and we are of course also very preoccupied by by your situation.
So we are definitely looking into the matter and trying to contact our colleagues at WHO and impress upon them the the concerns that you have.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
One more question on on the US How do you consider the personal responsibility of Donald Trump in this situation regarding the fact that he.
Encouraged his supporter to to protest and still refuse to to recognise the the result of of the election.
Thanks Elloy.
[Other language spoken]
We are deeply troubled by the incitement to violence and hatred by political leaders.
And we are calling on the President of the United States and other political leaders to to to stop, to disavow, openly disavow the false and the dangerous narratives that are being spread, including by casting aspersions on the electoral process in the US, including, you know, spreading disinformation about allegations of electoral for fraud and vote rigging.
This kind of insightful language can be very dangerous, as we have seen in the events of Wednesday at the US State Capitol.
OK, I think we've answered the questions on the USI know that we have another question from Gabrielle and John, but let's move to Uganda.
And then after that, we'll come to these other questions.
Sharon, Uganda We are deeply concerned by the deteriorating human rights situation in Uganda ahead of the parliamentary and presidential elections that are scheduled for the 14th of January and the challenges that the situation may pose not only for voting day itself but for the post electoral.
In the run up to the election, numerous human rights violations have been reported, including of the rights to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and participation, as well as arbitrary deprivation of life, arbitrary arrest and detention and torture.
Between 18 and 20th November, at least 54 people were killed during riots and protests in at least 7 districts across the country over the arrest and detention of two opposition presidential candidates Robert Kiagola Ani, who is also known as Bobby Wine and Patrick Ovoy Amoriat and members of his political of of the political opposition.
Indeed, harassment I'll treatment, arbitrary arrests and detention of opposition candidates and supporters have been worrying developments during the electoral campaign.
Kya Ghodlani, the candidate of the National Unity Platform, has been blocked from holding campaign activity several times.
Among recent incidents, Oboi Amoriat, the presidential candidate of the Forum for Democratic Change, was arrested on the 2nd of January as he was campaigning in Nakasangola district and released on bail later the same afternoon.
Journalists covering his campaign were reportedly beaten by security forces and ordered to delete videos and photos.
In light of the Presidential directives on COVID-19 issued on the 18th of March 2020 and subsequent regulations by the Ministry of Health, the Electoral Commission of Uganda on the 16th of June issued A revised road map for the 2020-2021 general elections.
This revised road map provides for what are termed low human contact elections or what they call scientific elections, prohibiting mass rallies during the electoral campaigns and providing for digital electoral campaigns.
The rule was subsequently reviewed to allow campaign meetings with a maximum of 70 and later 200 people.
In a further development, on the 26th of December, the Electoral Commission suspended general election meetings in 16 districts that were categorised as ****, sustained and diffused transmission districts or areas.
Now, human rights law under certain circumstances may allow for restrictions to mass gatherings and physical campaigning for public health reasons.
However, we've increasingly observed that the COVID-19 restrictions have been enforced more strictly to curtail opposition electoral campaign activities in a discriminatory fashion.
For example, on the 30th of December, 90 NUP supporters were arrested in Kalangala when security forces blocked a campaign event by Khaygodlani for violating COVID measures among other offences, and at their court appearance, some presented injuries resulting, according to them, from torture during detention.
In contrast, police have not enforced COVID-19 restrictions in such a strict manner for electoral campaign activities by the ruling party.
Such developments increase concerns that the COVID-19 measures are being used as a ground to restrict public freedoms and political participation during the electoral process.
And we're also concerned that the discriminatory enforcement of such restrictions has led to violence, arbitrary arrests and detention, and in some instances, reports of torture and I'll treatment by security forces.
We call on the Ugandan authorities to protect the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly and to ensure a free and peaceful election process that guarantees the right of the people of Uganda to participate in their country's public affairs, including by taking measures to prevent instances of electoral violence.
[Other language spoken]
I see we have a question from Peter Kenny.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
I just wanted to ask you about President Museveni.
He seems to have quite a lot of longevity.
He's been ruling Uganda since 1986.
Do you have any comment about leaders who become president for life?
Because that seems to be a situation that creates democratic problems.
In these countries.
[Other language spoken]
Our interest is in states ensuring that people's right to political participation, which includes the right to select political leaders, you know, freely chosen representatives by the people through free and fair elections.
What we are concerned about here is that the restrictions on the possibility for the opposition to conduct electoral campaigns are disproportionate and they are being restricted much more than the ruling party is in its campaigning.
And we are worried that this may not allow for the conditions where people are able to exercise their human rights to, you know, freedom of expression, assembly, association and to really freely exercise their right to political participation.
We are calling on the authorities to ensure that the elections do take place in a free and through a free and peaceful process that guarantees legitimate and credible participation of people in their country's public affairs.
[Other language spoken]
Are there other questions on Uganda for Ravina?
I don't see any.
So maybe we can close them with the two questions.
There was one from Gabriela on the Zhang Zhang in China.
And then we'll go to John Zaragoza for his question.
[Other language spoken]
Thanks for your question.
Gabriella, you had also asked generally about about the treatment of of journalists.
Now it is, as I said earlier, that an ******* on freedom of expression really is an ******* on all of us.
It deprives of us of essential information that we need to make decisions that could affect a whole host of our own human rights, whether it's the right to health, the right to political participation, the right to freedom of opinion and expression, and a whole host of other rights.
On this, on the situation in China, I know that the Special Rapporteurs have repeatedly expressed their concern and their dismay about the treatment of human rights defenders, lawyers as well as independent journalists in China.
And on this specific case, I'm afraid I don't have the updates on on her situation, but I will be able to get back to you after checking with colleagues on that.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Happy New Year, everyone.
Ravina, I've got a general question and a specific question.
You mentioned earlier the Universal Declaration Article 19, and I was.
Wondering if Article 19 and also Article 23, one of the Universal Declaration also apply to United Nations specialised agencies in the dissemination of information to the press.
As you've heard earlier, the complaints from colleagues about one agency of the UN, but it could also apply to your agency and others in the UN family, so.
[Other language spoken]
Does the Universal Declaration apply to the UN agencies or not?
And my second question is, you've seen, I presume the the spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in Geneva has refuted the comments by the **** Commissioner's spokesperson yesterday in Hong Kong.
And they've specified, they've asked the Office of the **** Commissioner to stop immediately meddling in Hong Kong's affairs and interfering in China's internal affairs in any form.
If you have a comment on that, thank you.
Sure, John on Article 19, it's actually Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
So that's the ICCPRII cannot weigh into your, your concerns with, you know, what you're what you're getting from, from different UN agencies.
Yes, the Universal Declaration is indeed universal.
That applies to to all of us.
The obligations set out in the ICCPR applied to member states of the United Nations.
Those who have signed on to the ICCPR are obviously bound by it, but even those who have not signed it signed on to the ICCPRA.
Lot of the provisions of the ICCPR have now entered, you know, the realm of international law, which is customary international law.
So they would apply anyway.
I have now forgotten your other question and so has real.
[Other language spoken]
Thanks Real.
Yes, on China, China and Hong Kong, yes, we have seen the response.
Now we would prefer not to engage in in kind of a public back and forth with, with any government.
We have made our concerns clear and the **** Commissioner has a global mandate on the promotion and protection of human rights.
And when she feels that or when the Office feels that there is a need to speak out publicly and alert the international community to violations that may be taking place, or to speak on behalf of victims, especially in a situation where it seems that the freedom of expression and opinion is at risk, the **** Commissioner and the Office will need to speak out.
And this is what we have done in the case of the arrests of these 53 political activists in Hong Kong.
OK, thank you very much for having.
I think that's it for you.
We are going to try to finish this marathon briefing with our last speaker, Boris Cheteko from the Refugee Agency.
Boris, thank you very much for your patience.
You're here to tell us a little bit more about the Central African Republic.
[Other language spoken]
Mary, thanks, Rael and happy New Year to everyone.
They say, of course patience is a virtue.
I'm sorry to prolong the briefing for for longer, but we do have an item today on the Central African Republic.
UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is concerned that violence and insecurity surrounding the 27th December general election in the Central African Republic has forced more than 30,000 people to flee.
Flee into neighbouring Cameroon, Chad, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the Republic of Congo.
10s of thousands more have been displaced inside the country.
Some 24,000 crossed the Ubangi River into Dr CS provinces of Basuele and N Ubangi.
[Other language spoken]
The arrivals at Ubangi, which has a population of just 3500, have placed a massive strain on resources and host families.
UNACI has strengthened its presence along the Ubangi River to respond to the needs of new arrivals and to prepare for registration and temporary relocation further inland for safety reasons.
Another 4400 people arrived in Cameroon, some 2100 in Chad and about 70 have reached the Republic of Congo.
Inside the Central African Republic, since the 15th of December, an estimated 185,000 people have fled, mostly as a preventative measure into the Bush and the forests of that #113 1000 have since returned to their places of residence.
This is an estimate from UN OCHA, but some 62,000 people remain displaced.
We are concerned about reports of human rights violations taking place inside CAR and we urge governments in all neighbouring countries to continue granting access to asylum and supporting local authorities to register the new arrivals.
Most arrivals are staying with host communities or makeshift shelters.
They urgently need water, shelter, access to health and adequate sanitation to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and other diseases.
We are working closely with national and local authorities and humanitarian partners to support some of the most vulnerable.
In Cameroon, A dedicated site at Gobble near the border will host the arrivals and registration will be conducted there.
Registration is also taking place in Chad.
WFP is providing food to the new arrivals and UNHCR has set up a mobile health clinic.
The voluntary repatriation of Central African refugees returning home after years of exile in Cameroon and DRC had restarted in November 2020 but has now been temporarily paused inside CAR.
We continue our close work with authorities and partners to monitor, deliver assistance and to support returners and in reintegration efforts.
Nearly 1/4 of cars population of 4.7 million was forcibly displaced at the end of 2020.
This number includes 630,000 refugees in neighbouring countries and 630,000 more internally displaced.
I'll leave it there.
There's some additional details in our note which you have you should have received.
[Other language spoken]
Thanks very much, Boris.
We have a couple of questions online.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Will you forgive me for asking a question about Ethiopia or do you want to take it in a minute?
Happy to take that question, Emma, but should we see first if there's something on the note for Carr?
[Other language spoken]
Let's, let's keep on Central African Republic.
We'll come back to you, Emma, Catherine Shamcon.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Thank you for being there.
I'd like to know what your relations are with DRCS authority regarding the refugees and what kind of help is provided, because when refugees are in host communities, usually they get less international help and support.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
And thank you, Catherine, for that question.
[Other language spoken]
So for those who have been arriving there, UNHCR is working closely with the provincial government and the National Commission for Refugees and of course with other UN agencies.
And in our operational and implementing partners.
The main presence that we have right now is the Longview Bangu River, where the majority of the people have been coming in, including this one village of Undo.
We are helping prepare for registration.
There are also temporary relocations planned for the inland to ensure the security.
Some of the incidents that we've seen include unfortunately and very, very tragically a boy that was struck by a stray bullet because of fighting on the other side of the of the river.
Of course we're also raising awareness about the situation with those that are arriving and we're we're helping dispatch the essential and immediate assistance that they that they need.
[Other language spoken]
Katherine, you still have your hand up.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Yes, thank you so much.
Real.
It's to ask Boris if he could articulate some figures, financial figures.
Could you remind us how much you did the bill for DRC globally or for certain situation or are you need of of money?
How is the situation for the moment at the beginning of 2021?
[Other language spoken]
Many thanks Catherine.
I don't have the figures at my fingertips and especially for these latest displacements that have been happening essentially since mid-december and especially in the new year back towards the 31st of December.
So at the end of 2020 we we hadn't received reports of more than 4000 people reaching DRC.
Now that number is upwards of 24,000, so significantly higher and we still are to see what the fund funding needs will be for this latest situation.
And I, I can check and get back to you on our funding for 2020 and what our appeal has been looking back at the global appeal that we had at the beginning of December.
But unfortunately I don't have it at the fingertips right now.
[Other language spoken]
Thank you, Boris.
We have a question from Lisa Schlein from Voice of America.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Boris, good morning and happy New Year to you.
You mentioned that you're essentially appealing to neighbouring countries to continue granting asylum to the to refugees fleeing the CAR.
Is there reluctance on the part of any of these governments to, I mean, they're overburdened in many ways, but is there a reluctance to grant them asylum?
And is there also fear on their part that the fighting in CAR might dip over into their countries?
[Other language spoken]
What we have seen so far is that restrictions because of COVID-19 exist at the borders.
So this has been an obstacle so far for some people to move.
At the same time, we see that there have been people have had the ability to move.
The reasons why they move have been several.
Most are linked to the fear of violence and also as a preventative measure.
In fact, especially for those who have stayed inside car, we have had reports that they're staying nearby home because they they want, they see this as a preventative measures until the situation calms.
For those who have been arriving in countries, including in Cameroon for one example, they do report to us in many cases that they did witness violence and, and they have pled because of that ****** or because they heard that violence was nearby and they had heard of violent incidents.
So, so in both cases, that's true for the governments that have been receiving, of course, they have situations that they're grappling with already.
And this is this in the case of DRC is a significant new issue with the number of people that have come in.
Most of the people that have arrived though are staying with host communities or they are finding their way, they're staying with compatriots.
But nonetheless, the need to be provided with assistance is there.
On the issue of people spilling in violence, spilling in, what we have seen are some reports from Cameroon of a few dozen disarmed soldiers that have been found by authorities and deceived by authorities, but UNHCR was not present when those people were received.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
Thank you very much about this.
I think that's all the questions we have on Central African Republic.
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
On Ethiopia, if I can get you to jump over there, there were reports overnight on Asena TV on thousands of Eritreans being forcibly taken back to Eritrea from Hitsat's camp overnight.
Also reports that the camp was then burnt down by Ethiopian authorities.
Can you comment on whether this is true and provide any details?
[Other language spoken]
[Other language spoken]
I may have missed some updates because I've been focusing on, on the item that I've I've just delivered.
But just to say that we're, we are very worried about the safety of, of the Eritrean refugees who remain in Tigray.
We don't have access to Hitas and Shamelba camps.
We've only recently started to gain gradual access to some areas of Tigray.
We've been calling for that.
This includes 2 refugee camps, my Aimi and Adi Karush.
We have been calling for full, effective and sustainable access across the region, especially for those who who have already been displaced within and they're hosted within the region.
But I can get back to you with details and ask colleagues on the latest developments if if that's OK with you.
[Other language spoken]
Thank you, Boris.
I think that's it for questions today.
So thanks very much for being with us this morning and we look forward to having you back.
That's all that I have today for the briefing.
So on this will close here.
Wish you all a very Good Friday afternoon and a very good weekend and we'll see you next week.
[Other language spoken]