REGULAR PRESS BRIEFING BY THE INFORMATION SERVICE

Rhéal LeBlanc, Chief of the Press and External Relations Section, United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired the briefing, which was attended by the spokespersons for the Secretariat of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), the World Food Programme (WFP), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO).

UN Environment/CITES CoP18

Michael Williams said that CITES CoP18, the Conference of the Parties to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, also known as the World Wildlife Conference, would be held from 17–28 August 2019 at Palexpo exhibition and convention centre in Geneva. The meetings would run from 9 a.m. to noon and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m., with a few evening sessions. Some 3,000 participants were expected. A press conference would be held that afternoon with the Secretary-General of CITES and senior staff to discuss some of the issues that would be covered during CoP18.

Protests in Hong Kong

Rupert Colville, for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), gave the following statement:

“The High Commissioner is concerned by the ongoing events in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (Hong Kong SAR) and the escalation of violence that has taken place in recent days.

The High Commissioner condemns any form of violence or destruction of property and urges everyone participating in the demonstrations to express their views in a peaceful way. She notes the Chief Executive’s commitment to “engage as widely as possible” and to “listen to the grievances of the people of Hong Kong.” She calls on the authorities and the people of Hong Kong to engage in an open and inclusive dialogue aimed at resolving all issues peacefully. This is the only sure way to achieve long-term political stability and public security by creating channels for people to participate in public affairs and decisions affecting their lives.

The rights of freedom of expression and peaceful assembly and the right to participate in public affairs are expressly recognized in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, as well as the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights which is incorporated in the Basic Law of the Hong Kong SAR.

OHCHR has reviewed credible evidence of law enforcement officials employing less-lethal weapons in ways that are prohibited by international norms and standards. For example, officials can be seen firing tear gas canisters into crowded, enclosed areas and directly at individual protesters on multiple occasions, creating a considerable risk of death or serious injury. The Office would urge the Hong Kong SAR authorities to investigate these incidents immediately, to ensure security personnel comply with the rules of engagement, and where necessary, amend the rules of engagement for law enforcement officials in response to protests where these may not conform with international standards.

The Office urges the Hong Kong SAR authorities to act with restraint, to ensure that the right of those who are expressing their views peacefully are respected and protected, while ensuring that the response by law enforcement officials to any violence that may take place is proportionate and in conformity with international standards on the use of force, including the principles of necessity and proportionality.”

In response to questions from journalists, Mr. Colville said there was concern that the situation could escalate further. It was for that reason that OHCHR was calling for prompt, impartial and independent investigations into incidents of excessive use of force as the lack of such investigations was fuelling discontent. Discussions between OHCHR and the authorities of China and Hong Kong were ongoing through the permanent mission in Geneva. There was no concern that the situation would spread internationally on account of some Western powers threatening to impose sanctions. While the extradition bill – on which there had reportedly been no public consultations – might have triggered the protests, the issues had broadened since. The press release had been issued in response to increasing tensions in order to urge all sides to seek meaningful participatory dialogue with a view to resolving the situation. The Office was deeply disturbed by some of the video footage it had reviewed, but was encouraged by the comments made that morning by Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam. There were clear guidelines on the use of non-lethal weapons, such as tear gas, including in very disruptive and volatile situations. Following them might not be easy, but it was essential to avoid abuse.

Situation in Aden

Hervé Verhoosel, for the World Food Programme (WFP), gave the following statement:

“UN international staff in Aden, as in other UN non-family duty stations around the world, regularly rotate out for short breaks.

On Sunday, a WFP-chartered vessel (VOS Theia) sailed from Aden to Djibouti with 38 passengers (21 INGO and 17 UN, incl. 4 WFP) after several days during which the airport had been closed, preventing staff rotations.

More UN international staff are expected to arrive in Aden in the next few days, and rotation cycles will continue.

WFP will continue to support the humanitarian community with regular vessel rotations for aid and aid workers between Aden and Djibouti.

WFP has the largest footprint of all UN agencies in Aden. WFP supports nearly 3 million people from our Aden office (and 9 million in areas controlled by the Sana’a based authorities).

WFP shipping operations at Aden Port have not been impacted by the instability. Operations had slowed over Eid Al Adha and will resume as normal from Wednesday.

30 percent of WFP humanitarian assistance is brought into Yemen via Aden port, around 40,000 MT per month.

The rest passes through the Hodeidah ports.”

Rhéal LeBlanc, for the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, recalled that the Secretary-General had expressed his deep concern for the recent violent clashes in Aden and was urging the parties to cease hostilities and to comply with international humanitarian law and international human rights law. The conflict in Yemen, the Secretary-General had emphasized, could only be resolved through a political solution.

Ebola orphans and unaccompanied children in DRC

Marixie Mercado, for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), gave the following statement:

“The number of children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) who have been orphaned or left unaccompanied due to the Ebola epidemic has more than doubled since April.

UNICEF and partners have registered 1,380 orphans, meaning children who have lost one or both parents to Ebola, since the start of the outbreak just over a year ago.

In this same period, 2,469 children have been separated from their parents or caregivers — either left alone while adults undergo screening and treatment, or isolated because they’ve been in contact with someone infected. As at 1 April, there were 884 separated children and 657 orphaned children. This requires a ramp-up of specialized care to address the extensive physical, psychosocial and social needs of these children.

To date, UNICEF has trained 906 psychosocial assistants and psychologists who are trusted by the community to provide specialized assistance to these children. Given the more than doubling of children in need, we urgently need to scale up these services, especially in Beni, which has seen the largest increases.

For unaccompanied children, psychosocial teams provide dedicated care that includes food, psychological support and material assistance. UNICEF runs three nurseries next to Ebola treatment centers in the epidemic's hotspots, where Ebola survivors, who are immune to the disease, care for and closely monitor infants and very young children until their parents or caregivers have completed treatment.

For children with no surviving parents, the needs are longer-term. The teams work to place children with nurturing relatives or foster families, which is not easy given the economic burden of raising extra children and the pervasive fear of catching the disease or being associated with it. It often requires delicate mediation as well as financial support for food, school fees and other basic necessities.

All of these children require psychosocial assistance to mitigate the debilitating effects of loss, stigma and isolation.

As at 4 August, 787 children under 18 years infected with Ebola and 527 deaths. As at the end of July, our funding appeal of US$ 126 million was only 40 per cent funded.”

Replying to journalists, Ms. Mercado said that stigma remained pervasive, which made the role of psychosocial assistants so vital. The journalists had perhaps seen or heard news that the wife and child of the Ituri miner who contracted Ebola and traveled to Goba had been released from an Ebola treatment center. They provided an excellent example of the vital work done by the psychosocial workers.

In one case, after hearing about a minor from Ituri who was ill at home, When they heard that the miner was ill at home, the psychosocial assistants had convinced his family to take him to a clinic. It had been too late to save him, but assistants had managed to convince the family to get vaccinated and had worked with local chiefs to gain acceptance of ring vaccination of everyone in the community who had come into contact with the family. Assistants had also provided daily support to the family while the mother and youngest child were in the treatment centre and would continue to do so as they recovered from their experience. In addition, since the father had been the primary breadwinner, UNICEF would continue to provide food and other material support and would cover the children’s school fees. One major difference between the current epidemic in DRC and the one in Guinea in 2014 was that children accounted for approximately 30 per cent of cases, compared to 20 per cent elsewhere.

Ebola treatment trial

Christian Lindmeier, for the World Health Organization (WHO), said that Ebola patients would now receive one of two new medications, namely REGN-EB3 and mAb114. In a review of a randomized control trial involving 681 Ebola patients between 21 November 2018 and 9 August 2019, an independent data safety monitoring board had found that the two investigational agents outperformed the other two and saw greater survival rates. It was excellent news that would move experts closer to finding an effective treatment for Ebola. The fact remained, however, that the likelihood of survival rose the earlier the start of treatment. Therefore, all partners would continue to encourage ill persons to seek treatment as soon as possible. The only way to stop the epidemic was through good surveillance, effective infection prevention and control, enhanced community engagement and excellent vaccination coverage. In other words, the human factor was crucial.

In response to queries, Mr. Lindmeier said that the four drugs that had been part of the trial were used at all 14 treatment centres. Henceforth, only REGN-EB3 and mAb114 would be administered to patients, and agreements were in place with suppliers. The mortality rate among patients who had received REGN-EB3 or mAb114 early, in other words within three days of exhibiting symptoms, ranged between 6% and 11%, whereas among those who had received treatment late, any time after three days, mortality was 60% to 66%. For the other trial drugs, the mortality rate was 24% to 33% in the event of early treatment and 83% to 85% in the event of late treatment. As at 12 August, there had been 2,831 cases, including 1,891 deaths, 826 survivors and 100 patients under care. Vaccination was independent from treatment. Some 191,000 people had been vaccinated and the campaign was ongoing, as were community outreach efforts. The public had to be educated about Ebola, but not to the extent that people overwhelmed medical facilities when they presented with the slightest symptom as Ebola shared similar symptoms with other endemic diseases, such as malaria and measles. The virus that caused Ebola could not be eradicated as it was found in nature, and a complete cure might not ever be possible despite highly effective drugs and vaccines because of the human factor.

Sharp rise in grave violations against children in Mali

Marixie Mercado, for the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), gave the following statement:

“There has been a sharp increase in grave violations committed against children in 2019 in Mali, particularly in killing and maiming. Preliminary data recorded by the United Nations show that more than 150 children were killed in conflict-related violence in the first half of 2019, compared with 77 in all of 2018. Seventy-five were injured in violent attacks, compared with 24 during the same period last year. The injuries include gunshot wounds, burns and fractures. The recruitment and use of children in armed groups has doubled, with 99 cases in 2019 against 47 over the same period in 2018. These are figures the United Nations has verified; the true figures are without doubt higher. and more than 900 schools remain closed due to insecurity.


These numbers show the impact of longstanding insecurity in the north of the country, and a dramatic deterioration in the center, as well as border areas with Niger and Burkina Faso, especially since the beginning of the year, and particularly in the region of Mopti. Eighty-five children were killed in just one incident of intercommunal violence in March.

Behind the headline figures, however, are data that show how the spread of insecurity to the centre of the country, as well as to the border areas with Niger and Burkina Faso, is making it much harder for children living in these areas to access the most basic services.

At the close of the academic year, there were 920 schools closed due to insecurity. Two-thirds of these schools are in Mopti – nearly 600 in total, up from less than 250 in June 2017. Koulikaro, which was not considered a conflict zone, has reported school closures for the first time during the 2018/2019 school year.

Mopti has also seen a huge increase in unvaccinated children. Between 2017 and 2018, the number of children not vaccinated with Penta3 more than quadrupled, to over 70,000. The main reasons for this are fear but also because new security restrictions. For example, motorcycles have now been banned to reduce militant activity. This means vaccinators are now using donkeys, and in some cases dugouts (boats carved out of tree trunks) to reach isolated areas.

UNICEF is working with local authorities and partners to provide medical and psychosocial care for conflict-affected children, to support the release and reintegration of children from armed groups, to reunite separated children with their families and to provide care for survivors of violence.

Funding is a major issue. From 2016 to 2018, UNICEF’s child protection in emergencies programme in Mali was only 26 per cent funded. In 2019, UNICEF is requesting US$ 4 million to meet the child protection needs of children and women in Mali. As of today, we still have a funding gap of almost 70%.”

Fielding questions, Ms. Mercado said there was no evidence of deliberate targeting of children, but the impact of the violence was nonetheless devastating for them. Most of the shuttered schools had been closed pre-emptively as a protection measure. Access was a problem for humanitarian workers and had been deteriorating over the past year. Humanitarian workers took advantage of every opportunity and lull in the fighting to reach children in need, but ultimately, the hostilities had to end.

In reply to a journalist, Rupert Colville, for the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), said that the MINUSMA site contained information on the human rights response to the escalating violence in Mali.

Measles global quarterly surveillance data

Christian Lindmeier, for the World Health Organization (WHO), said that, in the first six months of 2019, global reported cases of measles were at their highest since 2006, thereby straining health care systems and leading to serious illness, disability and death in many parts of the world. Between 1 January and 31 July 2019, nearly 365,000 measles cases had been reported to WHO by 182 countries, compared with 130,000 over the same period the previous year and 354,000 for the entirety of 2018. WHO estimated that fewer than 1 in 10 cases were reported. The Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar and Ukraine had reported the most cases in 2019, though nationwide emergency measles vaccine campaigns had dramatically reduced the number of cases in Madagascar in recent months. Major outbreaks were also ongoing in Angola, Cameroon, Chad, Kazakhstan, Nigeria, the Philippines, South Sudan, Sudan and Thailand. The largest outbreaks were in countries with low measles vaccination coverage, either currently or in the past, which had left large numbers of people vulnerable to the disease. However, the reasons for people foregoing vaccination varied significantly and included lack of access to quality health care or vaccination services, availability of drugs, conflict and displacement, and misinformation. In a number of countries, measles was spreading among older children, youth and adults who had missed out on vaccination in the past.

In response to journalists, Mr. Lindmeier said the combination of factors in the resurgence of measles differed between communities and countries, but the anti-vaccination movement was certainly a component in some places. Although WHO felt it was important to convince parents and communities of the relevance, safety and effectiveness of vaccination, it did not comment on the measures taken by specific countries in that regard. Thus far in 2019, the rise in measles cases was 900% in the African region, 120% in the European region, 50% in the Eastern Mediterranean region and 230% in the Western Pacific region. The South East Asian and Americas regions had both seen a 15% drop in cases.

Geneva announcements

Rhéal LeBlanc, for the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, said that the Conference on Disarmament would hold a public plenary meeting that afternoon to discuss the working paper “Back to Basics: the programme of work” presented by the Netherlands. The Conference would remain under the presidency of Viet Nam until the end of the week, to be taken over by Zimbabwe until the end of the 2019 session.

Mr. LeBlanc also said that the Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination would start its consideration of the report of the State of Palestine that afternoon and would also review Iceland, Mongolia and the Czech Republic over the course of the session.

Press conference

Tuesday, 13 August at 1:30 p.m. in Room III

Briefing on World Wildlife Conference – CITES CoP18, Palexpo, Geneva, 17-28 August 2019

Speakers:
• Ivonne Higuero, CITES Secretary-General
• David Morgan, Chief, Governing Bodies and Meeting Services
• Haruko Okusu, Chief, Knowledge Management and Outreach Services
• Tom De Meulenaer, Chief, Scientific Services
• Juan Carlos Vasquez, Chief, Legal Affairs & Compliance
• Ben Janse van Rensburg, Chief, Enforcement Support