Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General

The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today's briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

**Guests

All right, good afternoon, everyone.

In a short while, we will be joined by our guest Jorge Moreira da Silva, who as you know is the Executive Director of the United Nations Office for Project Services, better known as UNOPS.

He will be joining us from Jerusalem to speak about his ongoing trip to the region.

Then, tomorrow, we will be joined by Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations. He will join us from Jeddah, in Saudi Arabia, to also brief on his recent trip to that same region.

**Priorities

António Guterres this morning presented to the General Assembly his priorities during his last year as UN Secretary-General, and he assured the Member States that he will make every day of 2026 count. He said that he is fully committed and fully determined to keep working, to keep fighting and to keep pushing for the better world that we know is possible.

The Secretary-General said that we are a world brimming with conflict, impunity, inequality and unpredictability. But even in this turbulence, he added, we have succeeded in claiming space for the United Nations where it was not a given, including in fields ranging from artificial intelligence to financing for development and climate change.

He noted that the UN80 Initiative he has presented is about building a UN system that delivers more effectively, more coherently and with greater impact, amid the reality of shrinking resources and rising needs. But he warned that today's situation is totally unsustainable. Either all countries, without exception, honour their financial obligations under the Charter, which no longer seems to be the case, or Member States must overhaul our financial rules to prevent a budget breakdown.

The Secretary-General outlined three basic priorities for the year ahead. First, he said, we must adhere to the UN Charter, fully and faithfully. He reiterated that the Charter is not an à la carte menu, it is prix fixe.

Second, he said, we must be relentless in our work for peace with justice, peace between nations and peace with nature. He noted, among others, the efforts to push forward with peace processes in Gaza, Ukraine and Sudan.

And last, he said, our priority must be to build unity in an age of division. Our challenge, and our priority, must be to build welcoming societies, not walled-off citadels. Instead of marginalizing migrants and other groups, we must build united societies in a world of united nations, the Secretary-General said.

**Secretary-General's Travel

This evening, the Secretary-General will travel to London, where he will take part in a special event, organized by UNA-UK, the UN Association in the United Kingdom, to mark the eightieth anniversary of the first meeting of the General Assembly.

On Saturday, the programme will begin with a civic service by Methodist Central Hall Westminster. Shortly after, Mr. Guterres will deliver the keynote address at the UNA-UK conference, entitled, "UNGA at 80: From 1946 to Our Future". You will recall that Central Hall is where the first meeting of the General Assembly took place in 1946. In his remarks, he will say that the General Assembly is the parliament of the family of nations. But it is also a mirror of our world, its divisions and its hopes.

Mr. Guterres is expected to add that as we face challenges that are ever more borderless and interconnected, the only way to address them is together. And that requires a robust, responsive and well-resourced multilateral system.

The Secretary-General will express his gratitude to the United Kingdom for being such a strong pillar of multilateralism, and his appreciation to UNA-UK and to civil society for honouring history with their eyes firmly fixed on the future.

While in London, the Secretary-General will hold a bilateral meeting with the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Keir Starmer. That meeting will take place tomorrow, and you can expect a readout. He is also scheduled to meet the Foreign Secretary, Yvette Cooper, on Saturday.

After London, the Secretary-General will arrive in Switzerland on Sunday for two main engagements. He will attend the annual retreat with his special and personal representatives and envoys.

He will then travel to Davos to participate in the World Economic Forum, where on Wednesday, 21 January, the Secretary-General will deliver a special address focusing on "Dialogue", as the Forum's 56^th Annual Meeting takes place under the theme "A Spirit of Dialogue". He is expected to outline four priorities: investing in peace amid record global conflicts; advancing justice and opportunity by tackling extreme inequality and reforming the global financial system; securing a liveable planet through accelerated climate action; and ensuring that technology, particularly AI, serves humanity through global governance and capacity-building.

While in Davos, Mr. Guterres is also scheduled to have bilateral meetings with leaders attending the Forum.

He will be back in the office on Thursday morning.

**Deputy Secretary-General's Travel

This evening, the Deputy Secretary-General will travel to Cannes, in France, to participate in the Mo Ibrahim Foundation Council Retreat. The retreat will convene current and former leaders, policymakers and experts to exchange perspectives on leadership, governance, peace and security, and sustainable development, with a focus on advancing inclusive and accountable governance globally.

Following her participation in the Retreat, the Deputy Secretary-General will travel to Switzerland to join the Secretary-General for the annual retreat for his special and personal representatives and envoys.

**Occupied Palestinian Territory

The Humanitarian Coordinator for the Occupied Palestinian Territory, Ramiz Alakbarov, wrapped up his visit to Gaza today. He visited the Gaza Power Plant in Nuseirat, which hasn't functioned since the war began. He was informed about plans to restore electricity to hospitals and wastewater sites if materials and fuel can be accessed. Before leaving Gaza, Dr. Alakbarov visited the Kerem Shalom/Karem Abu Salem crossing and saw the fuel being delivered from Egypt into Gaza.

Meanwhile, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that thousands of people continue to be affected by recent winter storms in Gaza. As of Tuesday, our partners report that more than 3,000 people are exposed to severe weather after hundreds of tents and makeshift shelters were blown away or severely damaged. More than 60 inhabited buildings could be at risk of collapse in Gaza City.

Since the beginning of the winter season and as of Wednesday, seven children have died from hypothermia, according to the Ministry of Health and our health partners.

The UN and our partners continue responding to flood alerts by distributing tents, tarpaulins, blankets and warm clothes, as well as nutrition, hygiene and sanitary items across Gaza. Heavy equipment for debris removal, as well as additional plastic sandbags and tools whose entry into Gaza is restricted, are urgently needed.

As we've mentioned previously, we and our partners continue to scale up the response, despite impediments. UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund) says it has reached more than 280,000 people with cash. The agency says that sustained cash support can help malnourished children consume a variety of food.

**Syria

From Syria, our humanitarian colleagues tell us that, as of yesterday, some 58,000 people remain displaced, while nearly 90,000 others have returned to their homes following recent clashes in Aleppo City.

We and our humanitarian partners continue to provide food, psychosocial support and other aid to displaced families and those returning.

The Syrian Humanitarian Fund and Syrian Cross Border Fund have allocated $2.5 million through national non-governmental organizations' partners to deliver rapid and crucial assistance to those who have been uprooted in Aleppo, Afrin and Idleb.

We continue to coordinate with local authorities and humanitarian organizations on the response.

**Sudan

Moving to Sudan: As the country marks more than 1,000 days of brutal conflict, the World Food Programme (WFP) says that it continues to deliver food assistance to an average of 4 million people every month, including in previously hard-to-reach areas across the Darfur and Kordofan regions, and Khartoum and Al Jazira States.

After more than two years of fighting, more than 21 million people face acute hunger in Sudan. And as you know, famine has been confirmed in parts of the country where months of fighting made access for aid workers largely impossible, and nearly 12 million people have been forced to flee their homes. Today, 3.7 million children and pregnant and breastfeeding mothers are also malnourished.

Since the resurgence of civil conflict in April 2023, WFP reached over 10 million of the most vulnerable women, men and children in Sudan with emergency food, cash and nutrition assistance.

In his speech at the General Assembly this morning, the Secretary-General reiterated that the parties must agree on an immediate cessation of hostilities and the resumption of talks to reach a lasting ceasefire and a comprehensive, inclusive and Sudanese-owned political process, stressing that civilians must be protected.

**Security Council

This morning, the Security Council was briefed in closed consultations by the head of our mission in Cyprus, Khassim Diagne.

And this afternoon, the Council will discuss the current situation in Iran in an open briefing. Martha Pobee, the Assistant Secretary-General in the Departments of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs and Peace Operations, will brief on our behalf, and we will share her remarks as soon as we get them.

**Honour Roll

We are pleased to announce that five more Member States have made this year's Honour Roll.

We say thank you to our friends in Canada, Iceland, Latvia, Luxembourg and the United Kingdom for their full payments to the Regular Budget.

This brings the number of Member States on the Honour Roll to 14.

That's it for me, are there any questions? After I speak, we will, of course, we will get to our guest. Yes, Namo?

**Questions and Answers

Question: Thank you, Farhan. A follow-up on Syria. You said 58,000 people remain displaced. Do your people tell you why they remain displaced? Are there obstacles?

Deputy Spokesman: Well, the problems have been that they were uprooted by the recent fighting. And, of course, it's difficult to return to your homes even after the fighting has resumed. We're providing assistance as we can get access to the people. But obviously, some of them will have to be able to make their way back once safety has been restored to the areas that had seen the recent fighting. Dezhi?

Question: On Iran, first, does the Secretary-General or other UN officials have any contact now with the Iranian Government?

Deputy Spokesman: I believe we're exploring the possibility of having some contact with the Iranian Government, but I don't have anything to announce just yet on that.

Question: So, UN initiated the request to talk to Iranian Government officials. Is that correct?

Deputy Spokesman: We're in discussions about setting up something. But nothing to announce just yet.

Question: Okay. So, we know that there are UN staff inside Iran. Can you get any information from those staff there?

Deputy Spokesman: Yes. We've been getting information from our staff, and they've been telling us about the process of the different protests and the conditions on the ground. There are staff who have been going back to the office, so it's not a case simply of people staying at their homes right now. But in the last day, there have been people going into the office.

Question: So, the tension has been gradually, how to say that, "eased"? Is that correct? That's why I am asking you… [cross talk]

Deputy Spokesman: There's still some tension on the ground. I'll refer you over to what the recent statements have been on this including just, I believe, a day ago by the High Commissioner for Human Rights. Abdelhamid? And then after that, you can…

Question: Thank you, Farhan. The Israeli Knesset approved the application of the death sentence on Palestinians whom they say participated in the 7 October attack. Do you have any thoughts on that?

Deputy Spokesman: Well, first of all, as you know, the UN stands against the death penalty everywhere in the world. Beyond that, of course we've raised our concerns about the legal treatment of Palestinians, and we want to make sure that that there is no inequality in laws that are applied to peoples in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

Question: My second question today, seven Palestinians were killed in Gaza. And the Israelis' bulldozers are destroying more houses, especially in Rafah and in Deir al-Balah, especially Deir al-Balah. At least 2,500 buildings were erased to the ground since the ceasefire. Probably, you saw the report of The New York Times about that.

Deputy Spokesman: Yeah.

Question: So, do you have any comment on that?

Deputy Spokesman: Well, we stand against the destruction of any of the civilian structures and infrastructure of Gaza. That was true when the fighting was going on, and it's certainly true during the phase of the ceasefire. Yes, please?

Question: Thank you, Farhan. Also on Gaza, perhaps a piggyback off my previous colleague's question. Reports indicate that Hamas and other representatives are in Cairo discussing phase two of the Gaza ceasefire deal, including the implementation of the technocratic committee that was outlined in the original deal. Given the Secretary-General's criticism over both insufficient aid access and continued military expansion beyond the yellow line, does he believe that phase one has been sufficiently fulfilled for phase two to even proceed? Thank you.

Deputy Spokesman: Well, from our standpoint, we believe that the announcement of phase two is an important step because, certainly, any initiative that contributes to alleviating the suffering of civilians, supporting recovery and reconstruction, and advancing a credible political horizon is a positive development. At the same time, of course, we want to make sure that all efforts are guided by the relevant UN resolutions, including the Security Council resolution 2803 and international law. Pan?

Question: Thank you, Farhan. I have several questions. The first one is a follow-up on Iran. The Iranian Foreign Minister sent a letter to the Secretary-General today, and I wonder if you can confirm that he has received a letter and what's his reaction. Thank you.

Deputy Spokesman: I believe we have been in contact with the Iranian authorities. If there's a letter to be circulated, we will, of course, circulate that.

Question: My second question is that the fifth consultative meeting on efforts to enhance peace in Sudan is held in Cairo. And I wonder if the two warring parties in Sudan were invited to attend the meeting. And can you elaborate a bit about the meeting? Thank you.

Deputy Spokesman: Well, what I can tell you, as we mentioned yesterday, our envoy dealing with Sudan, Ramtane Lamamra, was in Cairo and in fact has now left Cairo, but he was participating in these talks and trying to move forward with peace efforts for Sudan. And of course, we provided also a readout of his meeting with, I believe, the Foreign Minister of Egypt while he was there. Okay. And one more. Sure.

Question: A few European countries have sent troops to Greenland. What's the SG's response to this latest development?

Deputy Spokesman: I believe that's a bilateral arrangement between Denmark and the countries involved. Yes?

Question: Thank you, Farhan. We know that UN not directly involved in the ceasefire process. But even on the second phase, you don't have any personnel just to observe about the process, or do you have any possibility in the future you may involve in this important process?

Deputy Spokesman: Well, we are not ceasefire monitors, and we're not part of the monitoring mechanism that was established. We are willing to play a role as determined by the parties, and we are, of course, in touch with the various parties on the ground. But this is not part of our established responsibility under the ceasefire agreement. And with that, let me turn to see whether we can have our guest online. Can we please… hold on one second. We'll just have to wait for our guest. Stay in your seats and we'll have him up shortly. Oh, wait. Why don't we have a question while we wait?

Question: A news report says that there is some conflict inside Afghanistan among Taliban themselves. There is division. I know it's an internal issue, but can you share with us any information coming from Afghanistan?

Deputy Spokesman: Well, you're aware of the briefings we've conducted, in which we've talked about our dealings with the de facto authorities. Obviously, we have seen the same BBC report that you saw, but I wouldn't be privy to any particular information to share with you on this. Thanks very much. All right. Sure.

Question: Since we're still waiting, I want to ask something about UNOPS. We know that the former ASG [Assistant Secretary-General Vitaly] Vanshelboim, has been approved by the Spanish court to extradite it to US for the bribery case. So, what is the latest development now? Because I remember, I am probably the only one who asked this like, for the past year. Is there any development on this case?

Deputy Spokesman: Well, we certainly cooperated with the authorities on this. And we've been supportive of the efforts to make sure that justice is served in the case of Vitaly Vanshelboim, and we'll continue to cooperate as needed.

Question: Can the UN get the money back? Because as I understand, you need the money very much.

Deputy Spokesman: I believe on that, I will wait for our guest, the Executive Director of UNOPS, to talk to you, which should happen as soon as we get this connection going.