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 World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR).

Heatwave

Clare Nullis, for the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), said that many parts of Europe were expecting to see another heatwave this week. A number of new temperature records were forecast. The German Weather Service had shared a map showing that large parts of Europe would experience temperatures over 40 degrees Celsius, including countries such as Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg. The previous night, France had also reported new minimum overnight temperatures, including 24.8 degrees Celsius at a station in Bordeaux. Much of France and Switzerland were currently under an “amber alert”.

Météo France was warning that the heatwave would aggravate the existing droughts; there had been no rain in France since the end of the last heatwave, which had dramatic consequences for the farming industry. Spain was also predicting temperatures over 40 degrees this week and there were concerns about wild fires. In Portugal, the major issue at the moment was the wildfires; storms and lightning could set things ablaze; the European Union’s emergency service Copernicus had done rapid mapping, showing that the burned area in Portugal had increased by 2,000 hectares in a span of a single day.

Ms. Nullis said that the heatwave in the eastern United States had come to an end. There was a number of new temperature records, including almost 38 degrees Celsius in the State of New Jersey. The National Weather Service office based in Omaha had conducted an experiment of baking cookies in a car; the maximum temperature in the pan had reached 85 degrees Celsius. The purpose was to raise awareness of how dangerous it was to leave people or pets in hot vehicles.

Responding to a question on whether the current month of July would set any heat records, Ms. Nullis said there were reports we might be heading towards the hottest month on record ever, but that could not yet be confirmed at this stage. In June, sea surface temperatures had reached the record levels, partly because of El Niño, but also because of the global warming. Parts of the southern hemisphere had also experienced the hottest June on record. If that trend continued, July would be among the record months.

On the number of recorded deaths during the heatwaves in Europe, Ms. Nullis said that the World Health Organization would have better statistics; as far as the WMO was aware, the excess number of deaths was limited thanks to the mobilization campaign to protect the most vulnerable, including the elderly and people working outside. There were a lot of measures one could take and prepare accordingly. The current heatwave had already been announced the previous week, giving enough time for preparation. Heatwaves were becoming more frequent, were starting earlier and becoming more intense, said Ms. Nullis, but thanks to warnings and preparations, the incidents witnessed in Europe in 2003 should be a thing of the past.

On how long the current heatwave would last, Ms. Nullis responded that it would last differently in different countries, with the peak being on Wednesday and Thursday, at least in Germany, Switzerland and the Benelux countries. By Friday, the heatwave should be broken, and the temperatures should descend over the weekend.

Global Innovation Index

On behalf of the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO|), Mr. LeBlanc informed that WIPO would be launching the Global Innovation Index 2019 in New Delhi, India the following day, 24 July. The launch was expected around 1:30 p.m. in Geneva and it would be webcast; the link could be found on the www.wipo.int. Journalists could contact Samar Shamoon or Edward Harris of WIPO if they needed any material or more information.

Murder case in France

Asked to comment the murder of a Guinean researcher in Normandy, Mamoudou Barry and the activities of the UN to combat racism, Mr. LeBlanc responded that the United Nations took the problem of racism very seriously. The UN Secretary-General had recently unveiled his new strategy to combat hate speech. There were a number of campaigns underway at different levels, including the campaign “Together” to promote acceptance of migrants and refugees. It was an enormous task, and the work was never over.

Migrants in Libya and the Mediterranean

Asked to comment on the joint IOM-UNHCR statement from the previous day, Joel Millman, for the International Organization for Migration (IOM), referred to the language of the release, and stressed that the statement repeated the call to preserve human life in Libya and the Mediterranean. Charlie Yaxley, for the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), explained that the European government representatives had agreed on the need to take action, which was acknowledged as a positive step forward. There was still a long way to go. Arbitrary detention of people in Libya could not continue, emphasized Mr. Yaxley. UNHCR did not consider Libya to be a safe country for return. There was a need to end the arbitrary detention in Libya, and it was hoped that there was now momentum in that direction.

On the question related to the NGO boats helping migrants in the Mediterranean, Mr. Millman said that the position of the IOM had not changed over the years. The IOM always encouraged and welcomed private, commercial, military, police and other vessels to follow maritime law and rescue people in distress. The IOM firmly believed that people in distress out on the sea ought to be helped.

On another question, Mr. Millman explained that the IOM had programmes to help and support migrants, but not those rescuing them at sea.

The increase in the search and rescue capacity in the Mediterranean was welcome, stressed Mr. Yaxley. UNHCR had called on Italy to reconsider its latest proposal which would in effect criminalize search and rescue operations at sea. Saving people in peril out at sea was a fundamental legal obligation under the international maritime law. People saving lives should not be criminalized.

Asked whether the migrants in Tajoura, the bombed detention camp in Libya, were still being evacuated, Mr. Millman said that over 6,000 people had been repatriated from Libya over the last year, and some Tajoura survivors would have also been repatriated. Mr. Yaxley added that UNHCR took in some 300 of the Tajoura survivors, who were gathered in a departure facility. For the Tajoura survivors evacuation or resettlement needed to happen as soon as possible, to get them out of the harm’s way. The gathering and departure facility at the moment was way over its capacity.

Geneva announcements

Rhéal LeBlanc, for the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, said that the Human Rights Committee would hold three public meetings during the remainder of the week. This morning, the Committee would continue to review its draft General Comment on the right of peaceful assembly. On Wednesday at 3 p.m, it would hold a public meeting with State Parties to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. Finally, on Friday, the Committee would close the present session during a public meeting in the afternoon; exact time to be announced.

Mr. LeBlanc informed that today from 2 p.m. to 3:30 in Room XI there would be a briefing on the situation of state of nutrition in the world, with the representatives of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the World Food Programme (WFP), the World Health Organization (WHO), and the United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF).

Press conferences

Tuesday, 23 July at 3.00 p.m. in Press Room 1

Martin Griffiths, UN Special Envoy for Yemen, would provide a briefing on the mediation efforts for peace in Yemen. He would deliver a brief on-the-record statement at the beginning of the press briefing. After this, the rest of the briefing would be off-the-record, and all cameras would need to leave the room. All questions and answers would be off the record.

Thursday, 25 July at 11.00 a.m. in Press Room 1

In the lead-up to the World Hepatitis Day, 28 July, Dr Marc Bulterys, Hepatitis Team Lead, WHO, would brief the media on a new study that estimated the costs of eliminating viral hepatitis in 67 low- and middle-income countries by 2030.

More information on World Hepatitis Day: www.who.int/campaigns/world-hepatitis-day/2019

The webcast for this briefing is available here: http://bit.ly/unog230719