REGULAR PRESS BRIEFING BY THE INFORMATION SERVICE

Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service, United Nations Office at Geneva, chaired the briefing, which was attended by spokespersons for the International Labour Organization, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, the United Nations Refugee Agency, the World Health Organization and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

ILO Conference

Hans von Rohland, for the International Labour Organization (ILO), said that ILO would be holding its World of Work Summit on Thursday 7 June to discuss the importance of employment and decent work for peace and resilience. The event would be attended by Michael D. Higgins, President of Ireland; Faustin-Archange Touadéra, President of the Central African Republic and Haider Jawad Kadhim al-Abadi, Prime Minister of Iraq. On the same day, a high-level interactive panel discussion would take place with Helder Da Costa, General Secretary of G7+; Sylvia Escovar, President of the Terpel oil and gas company, Colombia; Rosa Helena Flerez González, General Secretary of the Confederación de Trabajadores, Colombia; Filippo Grandi, UNHCR High Commissioner; Marianne Thyssen, European Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility; and Rokia Traoré, Ambassador for the Fondation Passerelle and renowned singer and songwriter, Mali.

A committee was meeting to discuss the possibility of formulating a convention and/or a recommendation on the subject of violence at work. It was important to note that the initiative was still at a very preliminary stage and that there was, as yet, no certainty that a convention or recommendation would eventually be adopted. In any case, that would only happen at the ILO Anniversary Conference in June 2019. A press briefing on the outcome of the committee’s work would be held on Friday 8 June, after its conclusions had been presented to the plenary and a vote had been held.

Responding to questions from journalists, Mr. von Rohland said that the plenary of the ILO Annual Conference on Friday would be webcast in the usual way. The text presented to the plenary would not be the final text of a possible convention or recommendation. It would be the starting point for further discussions. The final text would be presented to the ILO Conference in June 2019 when it might or might not be adopted.

In answer to an additional question from a journalist, Mr. Mr. von Rohland confirmed that Mr. Christian Ntsay, the ILO representative in Madagascar, had been appointed as Prime Minister of Madagascar. He was sorry to see the departure of Mr. Ntsay, who was an excellent colleague whose merits had earned him an internal ILO award. He could also confirm that Rokia Traoré, Ambassador for the Malian Fondation Passerelle was also a renowned singer and songwriter.

Egypt crackdown on freedom of expression

Ravina Shamdasani, for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), made the following statement:

“A renewed campaign of arrests, interrogations and detentions of activists, bloggers and journalists in Egypt over the last few weeks appears to indicate a significant escalation in the crackdown against the rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly in the country.

Among those detained just in the month of May are prominent blogger Wael Abbas; lawyer and civil society activist Haytham Mohamadein on charges including calling for illegal protests; Shady al-Ghazaly Harb, following tweets he had posted criticising the President’s plan to cede two Red Sea islands to Saudi Arabia – he has reportedly been charged with spreading false news and joining an illegal group; blogger Mohammed Oxygen; activist Sherif al-Rouby; activist Amal Fathy, who has been charged with using the internet and social media with the intention of promoting ideas and beliefs calling for the commitment of terrorist acts through spreading false news, among other charges; and comedian Shady Abu Zaid. These are just some of the emblematic cases, from just last month.

In many of these cases, the individuals were not presented with a warrant. Charges they face carry long prison terms. For example, journalist Ismail Alexandrani, who has been held in custody since November 2015, was on 22 May this year sentenced to 10 years imprisonment by a military court in Cairo on charges of belonging to an illegal group and disseminating false information.

The recent wave of arrests comes after a statement in February by the General Prosecutor ordering prosecutors to monitor social media sites that ‘spread lies and fake news’.

Also last month, on 3 May, the Supreme State Security Prosecution decided to renew the detention of Gamal Abdel Fattah, Hassan Hussein and Ahmed Manna for yet another 15 days. The three men have been in detention for more than three months after they called for a boycott of the presidential elections that were held in Egypt in March.

We are extremely concerned that arrests like this, often followed by harsh sentences, and often for simply exercising the rights to freedom of opinion, expression and assembly, have become commonplace. Arbitrary detention has become a chronic problem in Egypt.

The UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention regards deprivation of liberty as arbitrary when it results from the exercise of certain rights and freedoms including the rights to freedom of expression and assembly.

It is important that civil society, including human rights defenders, journalists and others, is able to highlight issues of concern and serve as watchdogs. But instead they are being jailed, including for mere tweets critical of the authorities, as well as being subjected to other reprisals, such as travel bans, freezing of assets, intimidation and harassment, and an extremely restrictive legal environment in which to operate.

We call on the authorities to fully ensure the rights of all detainees to their physical and psychological integrity, and to due process.

We call unequivocally for the immediate and unconditional release of all those currently being held by the Egyptian authorities for the legitimate exercise of their human rights.”

Answering questions raised by journalists, Ms. Shamdasani said that she had no exact information about how many people in Egypt had been arrested for the legitimate exercise of their human rights since June 2013. OHCHR highlighted only the emblematic cases, but clearly there were very many other cases that went unreported. She had no way of verifying reports that the figure ran into the tens of thousands. One of the chief concerns of OHCHR was the lack of due process guarantees and the fact that persons were often detained without knowing the reasons for their arrest or being shown an arrest warrant. In many cases pretrial detention was being renewed indefinitely. OHCHR was calling on the Egyptian Government to respect its obligations under international human rights law.

US immigration detention and family separation

Ravina Shamdasani, for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), made the following statement:

“We are deeply concerned that the zero tolerance policy recently put in place along the US southern border has led to people caught entering the country irregularly being subjected to criminal prosecution and having their children – including extremely young children – taken away from them as a result.

The practice of separating families amounts to arbitrary and unlawful interference in family life, and is a serious violation of the rights of the child. The United States is the only country in the world not to have ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child but it nonetheless has obligations in that regard.

The use of immigration detention and family separation as a deterrent runs counter to human rights standards and principles. The child’s best interest should always come first, including over migration management objectives or other administrative concerns. It is therefore of great concern that in the US, migration control appears to have been prioritised ahead of the effective care and protection of children.

Children should never be detained for reasons related to their own or their parents’ migration status. Detention is never in the best interests of the child and always constitutes a child rights violation.

Information from various sources suggests that several hundred children have been separated from their families since last October. The practice of separating children from their parents is being applied to both asylum-seekers and other migrants in vulnerable situations, and we note that the American Civil Liberties Union has brought a class action case on behalf of hundreds of parents who have been forcibly separated from their children.

The majority of people arriving at the US southern border have fled Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador – in many cases either because of rampant insecurity and violence, or because of violations of a range of other rights, such as health, education, and housing.

The US should immediately halt this practice of separating families and stop criminalizing what should at most be an administrative offence – that of irregular entry or stay in the US.

We call on the US authorities to adopt non-custodial alternatives that allow children to remain with their families and fulfil the best interests of the child, their right to liberty and their right to family life.”

Responding to questions from journalists, Ms. Shamdasani explained that it was vital to highlight that there was nothing normal about the detention of children, which was never in the best interests of the child and always constituted a human rights violation. According to the information available, children who had been separated from their parents were transferred to the custody of the US Office of Refugee Resettlement then reunited with their parents when the latter were freed from detention or, if their asylum request was rejected, deported back to their country of origin. Some of the separated children were extremely young, in one case just 1 year old. The current phenomenon of separating migrant children from their parents was a direct consequence of two migration-related executive orders signed by the US President in January 2017. The first cases of separation had been recorded in October 2017.

In answer to further questions, Ms. Shamdasani said that the figures in possession of OHCHR came from civil society sources within the United States. Although the US Government was claiming that children were separated so that they would not be held in detention alongside their parents, the truth was that the children were also separately being detained. In any case, irregular entry into another State should never be a criminal offence; therefore, irregular migrats should not be in detention in the first place. She had no information about the separated children’s access to legal support.

In answer to additional questions, Ms. Shamdasani explained that the Committee on the Rights of the Child had already expressed its concern about the way the US authorities were treating migrant children. Although it was the only country in the world not to have ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the United States was a signatory to the Convention and, as such, did have certain obligations. In addition, it had relevant obligations under other international human rights treaties that it had ratified

Answering questions from journalists William Spindler, for the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), said that UNHCR encouraged all States to use alternatives to detention for asylum seekers while their claims were being processed. Detention should be the last resort and special measures should be taken to ensure family unity. Preserving family unity was a fundamental tenet of refugee protection. The unity of the family was sacrosanct and needed to be preserved in the best interests of children and of society. He had no information as to whether asylum claims in the US had gone down but, if persons were in fact being denied the right to claim asylum that would constitute a violation of a fundamental human right as enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and in US domestic legislation

Ethiopia lifts state of emergency

Ravina Shamdasani, for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), made the following statement:

“We are very encouraged by the lifting of the State of Emergency Decree in Ethiopia Saturday, three months ahead of its planned expiration date. We also welcome the release on 26 May of a number of political detainees, bloggers and other individuals who had been detained following their participation in protests in recent years. The Attorney-General, in announcing these releases, said they were made with the intention to widen the political space, as part of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed’s agenda.

During his visit to Ethiopia in April this year, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein had witnessed the tremendous hope among civil society activists, traditional leaders and others in Ethiopian society that the new Government would act swiftly to secure human rights protections for everyone in the country. These latest developments are positive indications, and our Regional UN Human Rights Office for East Africa remains ready to help continue to advance the promotion and protection of human rights in Ethiopia.”

Office of the Special Envoy for Syria

Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service, United Nations Office at Geneva, said that, in response to queries received, the Office of the Special Envoy for Syria wished to clarify the state of affairs regarding developments on the establishment of a constitutional committee. Last week, the Special Envoy had received a list of 50 names from the Government of Syria. He was in intense communication with relevant diplomatic parties and was looking forward to continued consultations with them in the period ahead. He would make any further announcement in due course.

Ebola

Tarik Jašarević, for the World Health Organization (WHO), said that there were currently fifteen persons in Ebola treatment centres in Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) but there were no new confirmed cases of the disease. The most recent confirmed case dated from May 30 and was in the area of Iboko. Since 17 May, there had been no confirmed cases at all in Bikoro or in Mbandaka. Thus, from 4 April through 3 June 2018, a total of 56 Ebola virus disease cases had been reported in DRC: 37 confirmed cases, 13 probable cases and 6 suspected cases. In all, 25 persons had died. It was important to remain alert as just one person with Ebola could provoke numerous new cases merely by attending a social event. A total of 577 persons had been vaccinated in Mbandaka, 299 in Bikoro, and 323 in Iboko. In addition, a number of contacts were being followed up: 136 in Mbandaka, 169 in Bikoro, and 223 in Iboko.

In response to questions from journalists, Mr. Jašarević said that WHO had recommended five drugs in the context of its ethical protocol on the “Monitored Emergency Use of Unregistered and Investigational Interventions”. Discussions on protocols for the compassionate use of unregistered drugs – which also had to be approved by the national health authorities – were at an advanced stage and some of the drugs were already in the country. However, the use of the drugs had not yet begun. In order to be employed effectively, such drugs also required health facilities with appropriate levels of well-qualified staff, monitoring devices and laboratory capacity.

Responding to further questions, Mr. Jašarević explained that vaccination did not replace other anti-Ebola measures. It was an additional tool, but it did require a lot of advance epidemiological work. Social mobilization was a key factor as teams visited affected areas, raised awareness among communities, got people to consent to vaccination, prepared lists of patients, etc. Clearly, it was a positive development that people were accepting vaccination but it was vital not to give the impression that the current outbreak was contained or over. Not all the contacts had been reached and many of the affected areas were difficult to access. WHO had teams bolstering preparedness and response capacities in States neighbouring DRC, particularly the Central African Republic, which did not have a robust health-care system. Vaccination was voluntary but he had no information to suggest that people were refusing it or that such refusal had caused any serious gaps in coverage.

Sinking of Migrant Boat off Tunisian Coast

William Spindler, for the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), said that a boat carrying migrants had been shipwrecked on Saturday 2 June a few hours after its departure from the Tunisian port of Sfax. Fifty-two persons were confirmed to have lost their lives in the incident with a further 60 people still missing. As the coastguard had suspended its search due to poor weather, it was feared that the missing had also died, which would bring the final death toll to more than 110. The wreck was just one of a number of such worrying incidents in the central Mediterranean and was part of a broader movement of refugees and economic migrants around the coastal city of Sfax. It was difficult to determine the nationalities of the dead or missing in the latest incident but the survivors included two Moroccans, three Ivoirians, one Malian, one Cameroonian and one Libyan.

Guatemala eruption

Responding to a question from a journalist, Jens Laerke, for the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), said that he was not aware of any official request for support from the Government of Guatemala. OCHA did have permanent staff in the country, including a disaster response advisor.

Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service, United Nations Office at Geneva, said that the Secretary-General of the United Nations had expressed his regret at the tragic loss of life and the significant material damage caused by the eruption of the Fuego volcano in Guatemala. He had sent his condolences to the families and expressed his hopes for a speedy recovery to the injured. He had also confirmed that the United Nations stood ready to support national rescue and relief efforts.

William Spindler, for the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR), said that an interagency evaluation mission, of which UNHCR was part, was currently taking place in Guatemala to assess damage and evaluate needs.

World Environment Day

Alessandra Vellucci, Director of the United Nations Information Service, United Nations Office at Geneva, said that 5 June marked World Environment Day. For the occasion, the Secretary-General of the United Nations had issued a message to remind people that a healthy planet was essential for a prosperous and peaceful future. Everyone had a role to play in protecting our only home and the current World Environment Day focused on one request: beat plastic pollution.

Ms. Vellucci said that, in the spirit of the Secretary-General’s message, the Palais des Nations was hosting a number of initiatives including a photo exhibition on plastics in Lake Geneva and screenings of the documentary films “Plastic Soup Surfer” and “River of Gold”. In addition, the cafeteria in the Palais would no longer be using non-biodegradable plates and cutlery and measures were being progressively introduced to improve recycling and resource recovery.

Announcements

Wednesday, 6 June at 11:00 a.m. in Press Room 1
WHO
Release of WHO Mental Health Atlas 2017
The Atlas provides information on the existence of policies, plans and laws for mental health, and their alignment with human rights instruments; the human and financial resources available; the type of facilities providing care; and mental health programmes for prevention and promotion. (The Embargoed copy of the ATLAS is available on demand)
Press Conference by Dr Tarun Dua, Programme Manager, Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, WHO; Dr Fahmy Hanna, Technical Officer, Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, WHO
https://bit.ly/2smpuM9

Wednesday, 6 June at 12:30 p.m. in Press Room 1
OHCHR / Committee on the Rights of the Child
Concluding Observations by the Committee on the Rights of the Child
Press conference by Renate Winter (Chair); Clarence Nelson (Vice-Chair); Jorge Cardona; Hynd Ayoubi Idrissi
https://bit.ly/2J93hfJ

Wednesday, 6 June at 5:00 p.m. in Room III
UNCTAD
Publication of the Compendium: Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals in the Least Developed Countries
Press conference by Amina J. Mohammed - Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations; Mukhisa Kituyi - UNCTAD Secretary-General
https://bit.ly/2rQvNr9

Thursday, 7 June at 11:00 a.m. in Room III
OHCHR
Press Conference by the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) by Tomas Ojea Quintana, The Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)
https://bit.ly/2J93hfJ

Friday, 8 June at 1:00 p.m. in Room III
OCHA
Press Conference by four Humanitarian Coordinators from the Lake Chad Basin about one of the world’s most severe, and most neglected, multi-country humanitarian emergency, by:

• Mr. Edward Kallon, Humanitarian Coordinator for Nigeria
• Ms. Allegra Baiocchi, Humanitarian Coordinator for Cameroon
• Mr. Stephen Tull, Humanitarian Coordinator for Chad
• Ms. Bintou Djibo, Humanitarian Coordinator for Niger
https://bit.ly/2KMWjJG

Monday, 11 June at 12:30 p.m. in Press Room 1
UNIDIR
Geneva launch of The Global Peace Index 2018 (The UN Secretary General's Agenda for Disarmament and its links to building and supporting peace)
Press conference by Serge Stroobants, Brussels Representative, the Institute for Economics & Peace; Renata Dwan, Director, UNIDIR
https://bit.ly/2xFdDPk

The webcast for this briefing is available here: http://bit.ly/unog050618