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 Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

All right, let's go ahead.

**Secretary-General - India

As we have been telling you, the Secretary-General is in New Delhi, in India, where this morning he spoke at the opening ceremony of the AI Impact Summit. In his remarks, he said that holding the Summit in India has special meaning and brings this conversation closer to the realities shaping much of the world, because the future of AI cannot be decided by a handful of countries and the whims of a few billionaires.

Last year, the General Assembly took two decisive steps, he said. First, by creating an Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence, and second, by launching a Global Dialogue on AI Governance within the UN, where all countries, together with the private sector, academia and civil society, can all have a voice.

He told participants that real impact means technology that improves lives and protects the planet. And he called on them to build AI for everyone, with dignity as the default setting.

Throughout the day, he had exchanges and meetings with the government and tech leaders attending the Summit. He also met with our UN colleagues in India.

Tomorrow morning, he is scheduled to participate in a round table organized by the United Nations to discuss renewable energy and energy transition. Immediately after that, he will return back to the site of the AI Summit to take part in a panel on the Role of Science in International AI Governance.

The Secretary-General is also scheduled to have bilateral meetings with the [President] of India, Draupadi Murmu, as well as with the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi.

We will keep you updated on his programme.

**Sudan

This morning, the Security Council held an open briefing on the situation in Sudan. Rosemary DiCarlo, Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, described over 1,000 days of brutal war devastating the country. She noted that long-range drones and aerial strikes by both sides have severely affected civilians and civilian infrastructure, leaving no part of Sudan safe. DiCarlo emphasized that parties must respect international humanitarian law and human rights and that violators must be held to account. She stressed that progress on a political vision for Sudan's future is urgent, and any ceasefire must be anchored in a credible process toward an inclusive transition.

Edem Wosornu, the Director of the Crisis Response Division at OCHA (Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs), briefed the Council via videoconference from Geneva. Linking to DiCarlo's call for accountability, she highlighted the findings from the Independent International Fact-Finding Mission for the Sudan, which describe atrocities by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) in and around El Fasher in late October 2025 as "indicators of a genocidal path". The Mission documented coordinated attacks targeting people based on ethnicity, gender or perceived political affiliation, causing mass killings, serious physical and mental harm, sexual violence, arbitrary detention, torture, enforced disappearances and accompanied by dehumanizing rhetoric.

Civilians continue to bear the brunt of this conflict, as we told you again and again. Our colleagues at UNICEF (United Nations Children's Fund) confirmed that an earlier attack in West Kordofan on Monday killed 15 children. OCHA reports that yesterday a strike on an education centre near Rahad town in North Kordofan killed four civilians and injured four others. That is what local sources are telling them.

These incidents reflect a broader pattern of violence affecting civilians. We reiterate our call for the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, and for all parties to adhere to their obligations under international humanitarian law.

**South Sudan

Turning south to South Sudan. Our colleagues at the World Food Programme (WFP) report that they are scaling up the emergency response to reach the growing number of people forced to flee escalating conflict in South Sudan's Jonglei state. These critical food distributions, transported along river routes, come amid increasing insecurity that is hampering humanitarian efforts and threatening to drive hunger in the region to unprecedented levels.

Conflict and growing insecurity have displaced large populations in a state where approximately 60 per cent of the population - that is 1.2 million people - are already acutely food insecure. To address this urgent need, WFP plans to reach half a million people teetering on the brink of catastrophic hunger in Jonglei state, even as operations take place under extremely hazardous conditions.

And to give you an example of the hazards faced by humanitarians in South Sudan, earlier this week, a private contractor working with the World Food Programme to coordinate essential humanitarian airdrops was tragically killed by an unknown gunman in Upper Nile State. The incident remains under investigation by the authorities. We express, of course, our condolences to the family and colleagues of the victim and we reaffirm that humanitarian workers must never ever be targeted. Meanwhile, WFP has temporarily suspended all activities in the county until further notice. This, of course, undermines the wider humanitarian response as so many people are in desperate need of humanitarian assistance.

We continue to call on all parties to de-escalate violence, ensure safe, rapid and unimpeded access to all people in need and resolve all issues through dialogue.

**Syria

Moving to Syria, I was asked about Claudio Cordone's first visit to Syria. As you know, he is our Deputy Special Envoy for Syria and Acting Head of Mission. I can tell you that Mr. Cordone is currently in Damascus, where he is engaging with Syrian government officials and political actors, UN entities, diplomatic partners and civil society members, including women's groups. Discussions are focused on the UN Mission's support to the Syrian political transition process.

Meanwhile, Vanessa Frazier, our Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict (CAAC), concluded today a three-day visit to Syria, meeting senior government representatives, civil society and other partners.

The visit focused on exploring new opportunities for collaboration with the Governmentof Syria to strengthen child protection and expand UN support.

Ms. Frazier also stressed that unexploded ordnance and mines remain a major challenge and urged donors to support our efforts and Syria's own efforts in addressing this critical issue.

**Security Council - Middle East

Rosemary DiCarlo, our Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, briefed the Security Council on the Middle East yesterday afternoon, and she said that the Board of Peace meeting taking place in Washington, D.C., which just concluded, is an important step. She told Council members that we have a responsibility to work collectively to implement Phase II of the Gaza ceasefire and advance efforts toward a credible political path leading to a negotiated two-State solution.

She also said that we are witnessing the gradual de facto annexation of the West Bank, as unilateral Israeli steps steadily transform the landscape. She reiterated the Secretary-General's condemnation of the Israeli Government's 15 February decision to resume land registration procedures in Area C of the occupied West Bank. Israel should immediately reverse these measures, she said.

**Occupied Palestinian Territory

Turning to the situation on the ground in Gaza, our humanitarian colleagues tell us that as of this Monday, partners have reached some 670,000 people with the monthly general food assistance for February. The ration size remains reduced at 50 per cent, as the current stocks in the Gaza Strip are insufficient to sustain larger rations for the rest of the month.

However, humanitarian partners report that impediments persist, and in recent weeks, the entry of humanitarian supplies from Egypt has remained critically low due to high rejection rates by Israeli authorities. Partners also continue to call for the resumption of the Government-to-Government direct convoy modality from Jordan to enable the delivery of larger volumes, including food supplies.

In parallel, as of mid-February, more than 20 partners produced and distributed over 1.7 million meals every day through 180 kitchens - half a million meals in the north and 1.3 million in the south.

As we mentioned yesterday, partners are aligning the timing of cookedmeal preparations and distributions with Ramadan fasting hours. They have also added additional fresh produce and protein products.

Between 11 and [17] of this month, our partners provided tents, tarpaulins, sealing off kits, clothes and other essential items to over 11,500 households in North Gaza, Deir al Balah and Khan Younis governorates.

Shelter partners reiterate that these materials offer limited protection and deteriorate quickly. We call for longer-lasting housing solutions to be let in.

OCHA and humanitarian partners reiterate that impediments must be urgently lifted so that we can do more to meet the massive humanitarian needs in Gaza.

**Democratic Republic of the Congo

Turning to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, our peacekeeping mission there (MONUSCO) tells us that they are supporting the Congolese Government in strengthening its judicial system, in line with the Mission's mandate. Our colleagues in the DRC tell us that the UN Mission there continues their efforts to reduce prolonged detentions and reduce overcrowding in Aru prison, which is located in Ituri province. Since the beginning of this week, the UN Mission has been providing technical expertise and logistical support for mobile courts in the prison, deployed from the Military Garrison Court of Bunia, which is in the capital of Ituri.

The UN Mission will facilitate hearings for over a hundred pretrial detainees that have been detained since the establishment of a state of siege in the province in 2022. In parallel, the Mission is facilitating the digitization of military judicial data to improve transparency, efficiency and timely handling of judicial cases.

**Peacebuilding Fund

The Peacebuilding Fund has allocated $2.5 million for an initiative in Togo's northern Savanes region to support peaceful relations, stronger community ties and help prevent the spread of violence from the Sahel.

Implemented by the FAO, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), over 24 months, the project will bring communities together for dialogue, help prevent disputes over land, water and other resources, and also support inclusive and lasting ways to manage natural resources. It will also increase the socioeconomic resilience of vulnerable groups including women and youth.

**International Organization for Migration

And finally, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) today welcomed the launch of the new Global Shelter, Land and Site Coordination Cluster, which IOM co-leads globally with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC).

IOM noted that this marks a significant step towards strengthening humanitarian coordination and ensuring faster, fairer and more effective support for people affected by crises and displacement. IOM pointed out that this new approach will help to simplify coordination, reduce duplication, and make responses more accountable and closer to affected communities.

**Questions and Answers

Spokesman: Gabriel?

Question: Steph, during the Board of Peace meeting, you might have heard that President [Donald] Trump made a comment that he's expected to speak with the Secretary-General, if I heard Trump correctly. Do you know any more about this?

Spokesman: Yes. We've heard, and we understand we're expecting a call. So as soon as that happens, we'll share that with you.

Question: And has the Secretary-General been briefed on the Board of Peace meeting? There are several comments made about the UN. Has he been briefed on it? I know he's not in New York.

Spokesman: Yes. I mean, he watched part of it, and I've spoken to him a number of times to relay to him the comments that we heard.

Question: And what was his reaction?

Spokesman: Listen, as we've said, we will work and continue to work for the Board of Peace on Gaza, as it was approved and anointed in a way by the Security Council, and we want things to succeed.

Question: And there's been some reporting that the UN has endorsed the Board of Peace. I know, your reply to these kinds of questions is always "what UN", of course. We know the Security Council resolution 2803, but from the Secretariat's standpoint, is it correct to say that the UN has endorsed the Board of Peace?

Spokesman: We're not going to tell people what to say, but we would encourage people and through journalists to understand what resolution 2803 is, what it approved. Our work with the Board of Peace is within the framework of that Security Council resolution. Yes, please, Minlu.

Question: Just one more question following Gabriel's question. So, among all the comments and discussions between the Board of Peace and the United Nations, Trump says the Board of Peace is going to almost be looking over the United Nations and making sure it runs properly. Is that how the United Nations going to work?

Spokesman: What is clear, if you look at the Charter of the UN, which remains our guiding principle, the work of the UN is overseen by Member States through the General Assembly and the Security Council. Yes, Namo?

Question: Thank you, Stéphane. About Cordone's visit to Syria, does he plan to visit Kobani and other areas?

Spokesman: I don't have those details. I would encourage you to get in touch directly with our colleague, Jenifer Fenton, who does communications for his office, because she will give you fresher information because otherwise, you ask me these questions, I ask her, then she comes back to me, then I tell you. So, be in touch with her directly.

Question: Thank you. Just one last question on Sudan. You talked about the fact-finding missions report that was published today. My question is, I mean, we've seen warnings like this since at least mid-2024 about the risk of atrocities in El Fasher, and really no effective measures were taken. How does the Secretary-General plan to address this failure in civilian protection incidents?

Spokesman: The Secretary-General is the first one to say how frustrated and outraged he is by the continuing killings of civilians. I mean, we've seen both the Government and the RSF use drones. I mean, we've talked to you about that horrific attack in El Fasher, where gunmen went into a maternity hospital and killed women, doctors and babies. There will need to be accountability. And I think the independent fact-finding commission's work is critical in that step towards accountability. Okay. Yes, please. Pan?

Question: Thank you, Steph. You said yesterday that there was no UN representative at the meeting this morning, the Board of Peace this morning. So, was there any UN involvement at the meeting at all?

Spokesman: As I said, there was no representative. We fed information in terms of our humanitarian work, which I think was reflected in some of the comments made by Ambassador [Michael] Waltz. Okay. Thank you. Oh, sorry, please.

Question: Does the Secretary have any words of wisdom regarding the build-up in the Persian Gulf that keeps growing?

Spokesman: I think the Secretary-General, like others, is very concerned about the military build-up we're seeing, the war games that we're seeing, the training that we're seeing. That's why we were encouraging both the Islamic Republic of Iran and the United States to continue their discussions, as facilitated by Oman. Thank you. Yes, yes, please. Sorry. I just have some place I need to get to but go ahead. [cross talk]

Question: On the detention of former Prince Andrew, considering the comments by UN experts, I understand UN experts, does the Secretary wish for more international scrutiny on the [Jeffrey] Epstein files?

Spokesman: Look, I have no comment on the particular circumstances and the reasons of the detention of Mr. Windsor-Mountbatten today. That's not for us to get involved in. But as we've said before, there should be increased investigations into the abuse of women and girls that we have seen by Mr. Epstein that spans many different countries and jurisdictions. Thank you.