REGULAR PRESS BRIEFING BY THE INFORMATION SERVICE

Alessandra Vellucci, Director, United Nations Information Service, chaired the briefing attended by spokespersons for the Office of the Special Envoy for Syria, the World Meteorological Organization, the United Nations Refugee Agency, the International Organization for Migration and the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe.

Syria

Jessy Chahine, for the Office of the Special Envoy for Syria (OSE), informed the press that Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura had been invited to participate in a trilateral meeting called by the ISSG co-chairs to discuss the situation on the ground in Syria and how to move forward on the political process. The meeting would take place today in Geneva and there would be no media opportunities around the exercise. However, the Special Envoy would brief the press after the meeting, in a stakeout format, at Hall XIV. An announcement would be sent out shortly. [Later on, it was confirmed that the stakeout would take place at 3.30 p.m., to be webcast live.]

In response to questions, Ms. Chahine said that trilateral meetings were usually initiated by the co-chairs themselves, so any requests for information related to representation should be directed to them. The United Nations was invited but was not allowed to give any information in regards to representation. Senior diplomats from both sides would be attending the meeting in addition to Mr. de Mistura.

Ms. Vellucci said that Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Stephen O’Brien had spoken before the Security Council on 25 July on Syria and the statement was available.

Heatwaves and record temperatures

Clare Nullis, for the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), said that WMO was examining a reported record temperature of 54 degrees Celsius reached in Kuwait on 21 July. On 22 July the Iraqi city of Basra had reportedly experienced a temperature of 53.9 degrees Celsius as part of a long-lasting heatwave affecting the region. A special rapporteur was examining weather and climate extremes to determine whether they constituted records. WMO would set up an ad hoc committee to examine the facts and figures around these record temperatures.

What had been seen in the Middle East was not isolated, as large parts of the world had been currently suffering from heatwaves. In the United States, a widespread heatwave had affected the centre and east of the country, where temperatures had reached 35 to 38 degrees Celsius. Taking into account humidity, the perceived temperature, however, could be around 43 to 46 degrees Celsius.

At the peak of the US heatwave, on 22 July, almost 124 million people had been under an Excessive Heat Warning, Excessive Heat Watch or Heat Advisory. A unique feature of the US heatwave was the fact that temperatures did not drop much at night. That was a cause of health risks, especially to the elderly.

Over the past 50 years, hot days, hot nights and heatwaves had become more frequent and that trend was expected to continue as the century progressed, due to climate change. In the past it had been said that it was impossible to attribute a particular heatwave to human-induced climate change, but today much scientific progress had been made in the field of attribution. It had become increasingly possible for scientists to study an individual heatwave, such as the European heatwave of 2003, and state that it had been due to climate change or exacerbated by it.

In a 2015 study WMO had found out that many extreme events over the past five years had become more likely as a result of climate change, and in the case of heatwaves it was by a factor of 10 or more. WMO was working in close consultation with the World Health Organization to increase people’s preparedness and resilience when faced with heatwaves. WMO had issued heat health warning guidelines so that national Governments could take action to prepare their population.

Ms. Nullis added that January to June 2016 had been the hottest six-month period on record. The year 2016 as a whole was on track to become the hottest year on record.
Ms. Nullis then introduced Omar Baddour, WMO Senior Scientist. Mr. Baddour provided a general definition of a heatwave: temperatures exceeding seasonal averages with a wide margin, extended over more than three days. In the Middle East, the average temperature in July ranged from 42 to 45 degrees. However, temperatures exceeding 54 degrees centigrade were being recorded in many parts of the Middle East, especially Iraq, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and Jordan. The recorded temperature of 54 degrees was a record for Kuwait. WMO would investigate whether it was also a record for the eastern hemisphere. The global record had been recorded in Death Valley in the United States and stood at 56 degrees centigrade.

Many parts of Northern Africa had also reported heatwaves. In Morocco, the Government had issued a heat health advisory in the past week to minimize the impact of the heat. Temperatures exceeding 43 and reaching 47 degrees centigrade had been recorded in parts of Morocco.

In 2015, temperatures exceeding 50 degrees had also been recorded in the same parts of the world, in the Middle East. In India, a temperature of 51 degrees centigrade had been recorded in 2016, a record for that country.

Attribution of extreme events including heatwaves to climate change was becoming increasingly possible. An IPCC report had said that the impact of climate change would affect heatwaves more directly, with increasing intensity, duration and frequency. On a daily basis, operational attribution had become a new, emerging science, and the next WMO annual statement would refer to the most up-to-date attribution of individual events. The heatwave in North Africa and the Middle East would be a subject of investigation as well.

Minimization of impact on young people and the elderly was effective when there was good infrastructure and hospitals. However, in the Middle East and Africa, there were vulnerable people such as displaced people and refugees, who were the most affected by such extreme events.

In response to questions, Mr. Baddour said that a record temperature of 58 degrees centigrade had been reported in Libya but had been questioned after assessment by a scientific committee of the WMO. The following record had been recorded on 10 July 1913 in the Death Valley in the United States, with a temperature of 56.7 degrees centigrade. This global record still stood. To reach such a record, a very complex combination of factors was necessary, including air circulation, the influence of the sea, the season, the environment etc. Those conditions were not met frequently. Because of climate change and the CO₂ concentration in the atmosphere it had become much easier to break the natural temperature records. Ms. Nullis added that the location of the world record had since been rechristened Furnace Creek.

In response to another question, Mr. Baddour said that heatwaves were becoming more frequent. Temperatures which had in the past been a departure from the norms, had become the norm. In the northern hemisphere, the US, North Africa, Europe and the Indian subcontinent experienced heatwaves.

In response to questions about deaths recorded as a result of heatwaves, and about work with the World Health Organization (WHO) to prepare for those events, Ms. Nullis said that deaths were under the responsibility of health authorities and the World Health Organization. In developed countries deaths were often a result of children being forgotten in cars and deaths by drowning as people sought to cool off. Warnings were aimed at those risk groups and at the elderly population. Developed countries had a very good capacity to cope. In Europe, due to lessons learned during the 2003 heatwave, a series of measures had been put into place. The United States also had a good heat health warning system in place. Developing countries were also becoming increasingly active in developing heat health warnings. In India for example, there had been a very bad heatwave in 2015, responsible for hundreds of excess deaths. In 2016, there had been a new national record temperature (51 degrees) and India had pioneered heat health warnings, which had been very successful. The number of fatalities was largely below 100. Ms. Nullis also said that WMO and WHO had a joint office on health and climate, which was very active on heatwaves and also on air quality.

In response to a final question, Mr. Baddour said that 54 degrees centigrade was likely to be the record for the eastern hemisphere and 56 would be the world record.

South Sudan

Adrian Edwards, for the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), said that South Sudan had been one of the major humanitarian issues of the past few weeks. Fighting which had broken out on 8 July had to date forced 37,491 people to flee the country to Uganda. To put this in context: in the past three weeks there had been more refugee arrivals in Uganda than in the first six months of 2016 (33,838).

On 25 July an estimated 2,442 refugees had been received in Uganda from South Sudan. Some 1,213 had crossed at the Elugu Border Point in Amuru, 247 in Moyo, 57 in Lamwo, and 370 in Oraba. Another 555 had been received in Kiryandongo Settlement. The majority of arrivals – more than 90 per cent - were women and children. People were coming from South Sudan’s Eastern Equatoria region, as well as Juba and other areas of the country.

Inside South Sudan the intensity of the violence had subsided somewhat since early July, but the security situation remained volatile. The new arrivals in Uganda were reporting ongoing fighting as well as looting by armed militias, burning down of homes, and murders of civilians. Some of the women and children had told UNHCR they had been separated from their husbands or fathers by armed groups, who were reportedly forcibly recruiting men into their ranks and preventing them from crossing the border.

The situation was extremely worrying. Daily arrivals had been averaging around 1,500 ten days ago but had risen to over 4,000 in the past week. Further surges in arrivals were a real possibility. The influx had been putting serious strain on the capacity of collection points, and transit and reception centres, which were too small for the growing number of arrivals. During the course of the past weekend, 23-24 July, humanitarian organizations had worked to decongest the collection points, as well as installing temporary shelters to increase capacities. UNHCR had deployed additional staff, trucks and buses to assist.

The management and expansion of reception facilities as well as the opening of a new settlement area remained key priorities. A new settlement area had been identified in Yumbe district that looked set to have the capacity to potentially host up to 100,000 people.

The humanitarian response to the influx of South Sudanese refugees was sorely lacking due to severe underfunding. UNHCR was seeking some USD 573 million in funding for South Sudan, but had received just over USD 84 million so far in 2016 (around 17 per cent).

South Sudan’s conflict, which had erupted in December 2013, had produced one of the world’s worst displacement situations with immense suffering. Inside South Sudan, some 1.69 million people were displaced internally, while outside the country there were now 831,582 South Sudanese refugees, mainly in Ethiopia, Sudan, and Uganda.

In response to questions, Mr. Edwards said that UNHCR did not have any comment on individual appointments within the South Sudan executive but was profoundly worried about the situation that had been unfolding over the past few weeks. There had been a dramatic initial rise in displacement when the conflict had started, and there had been a relatively steady increase since then. The trend was worrying given the extremely limited capacities available. He also said that with such a level of funding shortages it was essential to focus on priorities and on the most vulnerable. That is why the focus was on providing basic life-saving assistance, hot meals, water and shelter. However, several years into the displacement crisis, longer-term solutions for the displaced children and families were needed, and that was missing from the equation.

IOM-UN

Leonard Doyle, for the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said the that on 25 July the UN General Assembly had unanimously adopted a resolution approving the agreement to make IOM a related organization of the United Nations. The signing of the agreement between UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and IOM Director-General William Lacy Swing would take place during the Summit for Refugees and Migrants on 19 September. It was the continuation of the longstanding and very close collaboration between IOM and the UN. IOM was very present in the field, with 95 per cent of its staff being field-based, and had already been coordinating closely with the UN. The new agreement however gave IOM a seat at the table and a voice in the increasingly important debate on migration.

The relationship with the UN would be akin to other related organizations such as IAEA and the WTO. The new arrangement would underpin the importance with which migration was being viewed within the international community. Migration encompassed many aspects, including internally displaced people, and IOM worked extensively in the field of resettlement of refugees along with UNHCR. IOM would now be sitting at the table with other UN agencies and with the same funding available as any other UN agency, although no dramatic change was anticipated in that regard.

Ms. Vellucci reminded the press that the statement of the Spokesperson of the UN Secretary-General on the issue had been circulated on 25 July.

In response to questions, Mr. Doyle said that IOM and UNHCR already worked in very close partnership. For example, the 25,000 Syrian refugees who had been resettled in Canada in 2016 had been assessed by UNHCR in the field, then medical assessments had taken place by IOM and the refugees had been transported with IOM. The two organizations worked hand in glove in the field already and were two sides of the same story. That would not change, and if anything the collaboration would only become closer.

At the moment, IOM was strictly an intergovernmental organization and had been since 1951. The new agreement would lead to more coordination and more coherence with the UN family overall.

In response to other questions, Mr. Doyle said that differences between numbers on arrivals or death tolls were usually due to the differences in reporting by States. Both UNHCR and IOM were reporting the same numbers today regarding arrivals and deaths in the Mediterranean. He also said that in the discussions with the UN, Member States had insisted on the importance of the organization retaining its flexibility, which had become its brand in the field. IOM had a very low bureaucracy. The UN was keen to learn from IOM how to run such a big organization with such a low bureaucratic footprint and high effectiveness. At the same time, IOM had to guard against losing the nimbleness of touch that they had been known for, as now the organization would need to get involved in a lot more coordination. IOM was determined to remain flexible, it was in its own interest and in the UN’s interest, and it was a commitment of the Director-General.

Responding to other questions, Mr. Doyle said that it was extremely important for both IOM and UNHCR to retain great clarity on the distinction between refugees and migrants, and on the legal underpinnings of the Refugee Convention and the rights of refugees. It was very important to convey that in the organization’s messaging.

Mr. Edwards, for the Refugee Agency, added that UNHCR’s position was that the distinction was very important. There had been increasingly a conflation of perceptions, with refugees being seen as related to migration and immigration. Refugees had specific protection needs and States had specific legal obligations in regards to international law. The September summit was geared towards coming out with two key compacts, one on refugees and one on migration. UNHCR believed very strongly that migrants of all kinds needed their human rights to be protected and needed proper care, but refugees were people with extreme vulnerability, who were fleeing war and could not go back home as their lives were at risk.

In response to a question on what the decision changed for migrants, Mr. Doyle said that now there would be an organization solely dedicated to the issue of migration, at the UN table, advocating on behalf of the one billion migrants in the world. This could not come at a more important time, given the tide of xenophobia enveloping the world, which was threatening to undo a lot of good work that had been done over the past 70 years. Any unravelling of international agreements, which was based on a misunderstanding of the contribution of migrants globally, was wrong and tragic.

Venezuela

In response to a question, Mr. Doyle, for IOM, said that the Government of Colombia had opened its border in solidarity with the people of Venezuela. Neither country was calling it a humanitarian crisis, but there were clearly humanitarian issues there. IOM had been collaborating with Colombia for many years, helping train border guards, ensuring that they were sensitive to the needs of migrants, etc. That work was continuing. IOM could help the Government on how to count those coming across. IOM had also worked and continued to work in Venezuela supporting with humanitarian aid Colombians who had fled into Venezuela (some 1,049 people in 2016). IOM was not counting how many people had crossed the border into Colombia, but was supporting authorities in border management.

In response to another question, Mr. Edwards said that there had been a news article quoting a UNHCR representative in Colombia and there had been some differences of opinion as to whether he had been accurately represented. He would strive to clarify the situation.

Mediterranean update

Mr. Doyle said that Mediterranean arrivals for 2016 would have reached a quarter of a million today. More information was available in the press release.

China’s ratification of the United Nations TIR Convention

Jean Rodriguez, for the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), announced China’s ratification of the United Nations TIR Convention, bringing the number of Contracting Parties to the TIR Convention to 70 on all five continents. The Convention would enter into force for China on 5 January 2017. That would create a continuum of the contracting parties of the TIR Convention from China all the way to Western Europe, allowing potentially to open new trade routes for bilateral trade and affect international trade routes in the medium to long run. The bilateral trade between the EU and China had reached EUR 520 billion in 2015, and some 60 per cent had transited by sea, according to Eurostat estimates, while rail and road had accounted for some 10 per cent of China’s exports to the EU, and 3.2 per cent of the EU’s exports to China.

UNECE Executive Secretary Christian Friis Bach had commented on the accession, saying: “China’s accession to the TIR Convention will open new efficient and faster transport opportunities and transport routes between China and Europe. It can become a real game changer for international trade and is a strong contribution to the Chinese vision for ‘One Road One Belt’”.

Under TIR, a truck could be loaded in the country of departure, sealed, with all the paperwork for customs, and could cross as many borders as necessary without being opened until the country of destination, provided that all the countries along the way were contracting parties of the TIR Convention. That could reduce time and costs of transportation, reinforce efficiency and strengthen security given that the trucks were sealed. The TIR transit system was also an intermodal system, constituting a major facilitation tool for both transport and trade.

The average transport time by sea between China and Europe was approximately 28 days, with significant variations. Road transport would cut that down by one week and rail transport, by two weeks.

In parallel, China was actively studying acceding to other, complementary United Nations Conventions serviced by UNECE. In 2015 Pakistan had ratified the TIR, and a number of countries along the Gulf Coast and the eastern coast of Africa were also looking at the opportunities to ratify the Convention.

Somalia

In response to a question regarding whether or not there had been any UN casualties following the bomb blast in Mogadishu, Ms. Vellucci said that she did not have information on the subject and would check and get back to the press. [Later on, the following note to correspondents was sent to the Geneva press corps:

Quote
SRSG Keating strongly condemns attack near Mogadishu airport
Mogadishu, 26 July 2016
The Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General (SRSG) for Somalia Michael Keating condemned in the strongest possible terms today’s terrorist attack in the vicinity of Mogadishu International Airport that killed at least a dozen people.

Suicide bombers detonated two vehicles laden with explosives near the perimeter of the airport enclave this morning. No United Nations personnel are among the confirmed dead.

“Al-Shabaab have once again carried out a ruthless attack that has claimed the lives of at least a dozen Somalis,” said SRSG Keating. “The overwhelming majority of Somalis have rejected such terrorist tactics and the use of violence to achieve political objectives. This horrific incident is a fresh example of the extremists’ desperate attempts to disrupt political progress. Neither the Somali authorities nor the United Nations will be deterred from moving forward.” Limited franchise elections are due to be held later this year.

“On behalf of the entire UN community in Somalia, I extend our heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of the deceased and wish a speedy recovery to the injured,” said SRSG Keating.
Unquote]

Geneva Events, Announcements and Press conferences

Mr. Edwards announced a UNHCR press conference on the launch of the supplementary appeal for the Somalia situation, on 26 July at 2.30 p.m. in Room III.

Ms. Vellucci informed that the Committee Against Torture, which had opened its fifty-eighth session on 25 July at Palais Wilson, would complete in the afternoon of 26 July its review of the report of Kuwait. During the session, which would run until 12 August, the Committee would also review the reports of Burundi, Honduras and Mongolia in regards to their implementation of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.

The Conference on Disarmament would hold the third and last part of its annual session from 2 August to 16 September 2016. Its next public plenary would take place on 2 August at 10 a.m.

Ms. Vellucci also said that she would be away for a few days and Michele Zaccheo, Chief of UNTV and UN Radio, would be Officer in Charge of the Geneva UN Information Service.

The webcast for this briefing is available here: http://bit.ly/unog260716