Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General
Department of Public Information . News and Media Division . New York
20 November 2025
The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today's briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General.
**Secretary-General/Trip Announcement
All right, good afternoon. Today, the Secretary-General will be heading to the annual G20 Summit, as he does every year. As you know, the meeting this year is hosted by South Africa and will be taking place in Johannesburg on 22 and 23 November. The Secretary-General is set to address three of the sessions of the Summit. The first one is titled "Inclusive and sustainable economic growth leaving no one behind: Building our economies; the role of trade; financing for development and the debt burden" — that's just one session; and the second one is titled "A resilient world — the G20's contribution: Disaster risk reduction; climate change; just energy transitions; food systems". And the third session is titled "A fair and just future for all: Critical minerals; decent work; artificial intelligence".
While in Johannesburg, the Secretary-General will also hold bilateral meetings with a number of leaders who will be at the G20. Tomorrow at 5 p.m. local time, he will be holding a press conference with the media just ahead of the G20. And that press conference you can follow, thanks to our friends at the UN WebTV.
From South Africa, the Secretary-General will head to Luanda for an official visit to Angola, which celebrated its fiftieth anniversary since independence just last week. During the visit, the National Assembly will hold a special session to hear from the Secretary-General. While in Luanda, the Secretary-General will also participate in the seventh session of the African Union-European Union Summit. He will hold bilateral meetings with the President of Angola, João Manuel Gonçalves Lourenço, and will also meet other leaders attending the Summit.
**Secretary-General/COP30
And before all that, he spoke to your colleagues in Belém at the thirtieth Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP30) press event. He said that, over the past days, he has met with world leaders, ministers, negotiators, Indigenous Peoples, civil society and young people from every region, and one thing is clear, he said: We are down to the wire, and the world is watching Belém.
The Secretary-General pointed out that communities on the front lines are watching, too, counting flooded homes, failed harvests, lost livelihoods and asking: how much more must we suffer? The Secretary-General strongly appealed to all delegations to show willingness and flexibility to deliver results that protect people and keep 1.5°C alive. No delegation will leave Belém with everything it wants, he said, but every delegation has a duty to reach a balanced deal. His full remarks were shared with you.
Also this morning, the Secretary-General held a number of meetings with a number of leaders from different delegations, as well as with delegations from the Group of 77, the least developed countries and others.
**Haiti
I want to start off with a horrendous report we just received from our humanitarian colleagues regarding Haiti. And they warn that as Haiti continues to see alarming levels of gender-based violence, survivors and those at risk have very limited access to the essential support they need. This is due to insecurity, access challenges and funding shortfalls.
Between January and September, over 7,400 cases of gender-based violence were reported in Haiti — an average of about 27 per day; that's what our partners are telling us. Sexual violence made up just over half of the cases [about 3,700] and with nearly two thirds of these involving gang rape, that's about [2,500]. Two out of every three victims were displaced people.
During the same period, our humanitarian partners were able to reach only 7 per cent of the 833,000 people we aim to reach with specialized support to address gender-based violence, in total, our partners were able to reach just about 54,000 people. The response remains critically underfunded, with an overall gap of $13.5 million — 70 per cent of the over the money that is needed for this year.
If that funding is not received, nearly 780,000 women and girls — including survivors of gender-based violence and those at risk, will go without these critical services, including the clinical management of rape, mental health and psychosocial support, case management, legal assistance, safe spaces for women and girls, and dignity kits. Our partners also warn that persistent insecurity and access challenges continue to prevent many survivors — including people with disabilities and women living in remote areas — from receiving timely, confidential and adequate support.
Despite all of these constraints, humanitarian organizations continue to scale up life-saving services, including psychosocial support, medical care, safe spaces for victims, mobile clinics, legal assistance and the distribution of dignity kits. Between January and September, more than 32,000 information and awareness-raising sessions have been conducted, and some 560 front-line workers have received specialized training.
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) continues to work closely with our partners addressing gender-based violence in Haiti — as well as with national authorities in the country — all this to ensure that survivors can safely access essential services.
**Occupied Palestinian Territory
Turning to Gaza, I can tell you that we are deeply concerned about the Israeli strikes that we've seen in which civilians were reportedly killed and injured yesterday — including children. This is a stark reminder of how fragile the ceasefire is. What we need is for all to ensure that the ceasefire holds and continues to hold. This is why civilians must always be protected and spared from harm.
Meanwhile, OCHA says that despite impediments that remain, aid groups are pushing hard to reach as many people as they can with critical assistance. As of Monday, the daily number of meals distributed has reached 1.4 million. This is up from fewer than a million meals just a month ago. We are currently supporting a network of 27 partners running nearly 200 kitchens across the Strip — and the scale-up is continuing. Our partners leading on nutrition say the number of sites offering outpatient therapeutic feeding for children with acute malnutrition has jumped from just 7 before the ceasefire to 146 today.
Shelter support is also ongoing. On Monday alone, partners distributed more than 4,000 tents, 39,000 tarpaulins, 28,000 bedding items and hundreds of clothing items to families in need. Child protection teams have been busy, as well. On Monday and Tuesday, they reached more than 2,700 displaced children and 1,700 caregivers with services ranging from mental-health support and counselling to recreational activities, targeted follow-ups for vulnerable children, and help to prepare for the winter.
More than 50 children at heightened risk received additional support, including registration, referrals and access to essential services. Among them were children who are unaccompanied or were separated from their families, those heading households or living with war injuries, and others lacking parental care or facing neglect. OCHA stresses that despite all this work, what we and our partners can currently provide is still far from enough. The situation remains extremely dire.
To give you an example: On Sunday and Monday, partners leading on-site management carried out a quick survey of displaced families staying along the shore in Khan Younis and the Mawasi area of Rafah. That's an area hosting more than 4,000 households. Early findings show that because there's no proper system for disposing of faecal waste, many people are forced to use the sea as a toilet. At the same time, rising sea levels are pushing into tented areas and risk submerging whole sections, while strong winds have already knocked down multiple tents.
OCHA says that while we and our partners seize every opportunity to help people in need, we are also continuing to negotiate and call for greater humanitarian access. Under our humanitarian plan for the ceasefire, aid operations rely on visas and permissions to bring in supplies — for both ourselves and our non-governmental organization (NGO) partners. And a wider range of equipment and essential goods must be cleared for entry, through all available crossings and routes.
**Ukraine
Turning to Ukraine. Rosemary DiCarlo, our Under-Secretary-General for Peacebuilding and Political Affairs, just left Ukraine and said that as she leaves the country, she was deeply moved by the bravery and resilience of its people. They have survived loss of loved ones, devastation and daily hardships. The UN, she said, remains firm in its call for an immediate ceasefire as a starting point toward a just, sustainable peace.
Just to note that, at 3 p.m., the Security Council will meet for a briefing on Ukraine. They will hear a briefing from Director of OCHA Edem Wosornu, and the Officer-in-Charge for Europe, Central Asia and Americas Divisions of our Political Affairs Department, Kayoko Gotoh. We will share those remarks with you as they become available.
**Cyprus
Earlier today, the Greek Cypriot leader, Nikos Christodoulides, and the Turkish Cypriot leader, Tufan Erhürman, met for the first time as leaders of both the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities. The meeting took place in the UN protected area and was facilitated by the Head of the United Nations Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP), Khassim Diagne.
The Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General, María Angela Holguín Cuéllar, also participated in this meeting, but she did so virtually. Our colleagues say this was an opportunity for the two leaders to have their first exchange of views in a cordial atmosphere. They looked forward to the visit of Ms. Holguín and agreed to have a joint meeting with her when she will be on the island in early December. They also expressed their readiness to work towards the next informal meeting in a broader format, to be convened by the Secretary-General.
**Sudan
Turning to Sudan and the horrific situation that is ongoing in North Darfur State. Our humanitarian colleagues say that more than 100,000 people have fled El Fasher and surrounding areas since late October, when the area was taken over by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF). Many people remain unaccounted for. Those who escaped El Fasher are arriving at displacement sites where conditions are — as you can only imagine — extremely dire and the scale of needs is massive.
We and our humanitarian partners are providing vital aid to displaced families; that includes fresh water, food sanitation and healthcare. In Tawila, the town that is hosting large numbers of people who fled El Fasher, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) tells us they've reached more than 3,500 patients with health and nutrition services since late October, and screened nearly 800 children for malnutrition and supplied 150,000 litres of water daily to meet the needs of about 20,000 people.
Meanwhile, escalating hostilities throughout the Kordofan region continue to force families from their homes. On Tuesday, more than 600 people were displaced from two villages in North and South Kordofan States, while access to the region remains severely constrained. Across North Kordofan, violence has displaced nearly 40,000 people between 26 October and yesterday; that's what the International Organization for Migration (IOM) is telling us. And in South Kordofan, key cities, including Dilling and Kadugli, the state capital, remain under siege, leading to acute shortages of food and medical supplies for people who remain there. We continue to call for safe and unimpeded access to deliver life-saving assistance to Kordofan, Darfur and all other parts of Sudan where communities need urgent support. We also appeal to donors to give generously to our appeals.
**Democratic Republic of the Congo
Turning to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, OCHA is alarmed by escalating violence in the provinces of North Kivu and Ituri Provinces, both in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In North Kivu, hostilities have intensified in Lubero Territory, where more than 45 people have been killed since 14 November, following attacks on several villages. That's what local humanitarian partners are telling us.
In one particularly horrific incident that night, a health centre was attacked, leaving at least 17 people dead, including patients, according to local civil society. Our partners also report that two health workers were kidnapped, medicine was looted, and the facility was set on fire. This surge in violence in Lubero has forced more than 30,000 people to escape their homes in less than a week, and families continue to flee today amid fears of further attacks. Insecurity is also hindering humanitarian access, but our partners are conducting assessments and delivering assistance wherever they can.
Our partners working on water and sanitation are rehabilitating water sources in the locality of Manguredjipa, which continues to host displaced families. Conditions there remain dire: access to safe drinking water is 40 per cent below normal levels, heightening the risk of waterborne diseases and forcing women and girls to travel long distances to fetch water, which is exposing them to physical risks.
In neighbouring Ituri Province, two attempted armed attacks on the Lolwa hospital in Mambasa territory were reportedly thwarted. Since the start of the year, more than 240 civilians have been killed and over 114,500 people displaced. We condemn in the strongest terms these attacks on civilians and on health facilities. We reiterate our call on all parties to respect international humanitarian law and ensure the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure. Attacks on civilians and health facilities are obviously unacceptable and must stop immediately.
**UN80
I was asked by one of your colleagues yesterday about a UN80 update, and I can tell you that tomorrow, at 3 p.m., our colleague Guy Ryder, the Under-Secretary-General for Policy, is scheduled to brief Member States on the initiative, more specifically on the UN80 Action Plan. The Action Plan, which was published a few days ago, brings together the proposals from across the three workstreams of the UN80 Initiative under one roof. All this to facilitate the process and to strengthen alignment and accountability. The document is available online, and the event will be webcast.
**Financial Contribution
We are pleased to report that Uganda has made its full payment to the Regular Budget and we thank them. This brings the number of fully paid-up Member States to 143.
**World Children's Day
Today is a number of days. It is World Children's Day. In his message, the Secretary-General reminds us that every child has equal rights, wherever they live. The future depends on how we care for the next generation. On this Day, and every day, let's listen to children, amplify their voices, and work together to build a safe, equal world for every child on this planet.
**Africa Industrialization Day
Today is also Africa Industrialization Day. In his message, the Secretary-General highlights Africa's determination to transform economies and build a sustainable future, with women and youth driving green industries, despite challenges like climate change, debt and insecurity.
**World Philosophy Day
And I am going to leave with a quiz. Who said "I think, therefore I am"? [French philosopher René] Descartes, exactly. Which means, what International Day? Exactly. It is World Philosophy Day. A reminder to do what humans do best, which is: think before answering your questions. Think with purpose and ask questions freely and boldly. All right, Dezhi then Pam.
**Questions and Answers
Question: Yeah. Two different topics. First, yesterday, the Israeli Prime Minister [Benjamin] Netanyahu, alongside with the Minister for Defence and Minister for Foreign Affairs, visited Israeli-controlled Southern Syria, which draws strong condemnation from the Syrian authority. What is the position of the Secretary-General on the latest development there?
Spokesman: I would encourage you to read in full the transcript from yesterday's briefing, because I answered that question. But, you had a second question, so try again.
Question: Most likely, it would be asked. It has already been asked. So, there's reports that the White House has put a new proposal for Ukraine, talking about giving — how to say that — to get to recognize Crimea and other places as the Russian territory, as well as reduce the military presence of Ukraine, as well as the long-range weapons. We know that today, there's going to be a Security Council meeting on Ukraine. And yesterday, you just released a statement to condemn Russia's attack on Ukraine. So, how's the latest proposal going?
Spokesman: We haven't seen... at least, I'm not aware that we've seen the proposal in full, beyond what's been in the press. I think the Secretary-General's position has been very clear from the start — is that we stand ready to support and help any meaningful process that would lead to a full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire, leading to a just, comprehensive and sustainable peace that fully upholds Ukraine's sovereignty, its independence, territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders, in line with the Charter, international law and all relevant UN resolutions. Pamela?
Question: Yes. Thank you, Steph. And a follow-up on Ukraine. The 28-Point plan has been questioned by the European Union and Ukraine itself because Ukraine hasn't been consulted, and it makes many concessions that Ukraine does not agree with. Has the UN in any way been consulted, and what is the Secretary-General's view of a plan that doesn't involve Ukraine?
Spokesman: Well, we have not been consulted. As I told Dezhi, we have not seen... I mean, all we know about the plan is what we've read in the press. I'm happy to read my standard language again. But as I said, the Secretary-General's position has really not changed. Right? And this is: He is ready to support initiatives in line with what I've just read out.
Question: To press it one notch further, if Ukraine is not involved in the negotiations...?
Spokesman: Listen. These are all hypotheticals. What is clear, I think, for any conflict to be resolved in a just and sustainable manner is that all those that are involved in the conflict need to be at the table, but that's just a matter of principle. As for the plan, as I said, we haven't seen anything beyond what's in the press. Gabby, and then we'll go down that way.
Correspondent: Thanks, Steph. Just housekeeping. On the Secretary-General's travels to Angola, you said it was after COP, I'm sorry...
Spokesman: After G20.
Question: But do have the dates in Angola? Monday through when?
Spokesman: You're asking me questions that I should know the answer to. It's just right... it's after [23 November]. All right. That's right. He's not doing anything in between the G20 and Angola.
Question: No problem. Thanks. And then on COP30, you said that it obviously, it's down to the wire. Best of my understanding, there's not even a draft text yet, and we're less than 48 hours from this thing concluding. I mean, how is the Secretary-General going to determine if COP30 was a success or not, particularly given that an early agreement that many people hoped was going to happen, clearly, that ship has already sailed? It's not going to happen.
Spokesman: Well, first of all, 48 hours is a lifetime in terms of negotiating a text at the UN, especially when we have the God-given ability to stop the clock. Okay? So, let's not declare anything a failure. Our aim right now is to work for success. I'll get back to Volodymyr, Benny, Islam and then we'll go to Namo.
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. I've got two questions, if you don't mind. Today, Russia carried out a massive attack on Ukraine's civilian infrastructure in the city of Ternopil. At the site of the Russian missile strike, 26 people have been confirmed dead, including three children, and 93 others injured, including 18 children. What is your comment?
Spokesman: We continue to condemn the Russian strikes on Ukraine and especially ones that in which civilians are killed and civilian infrastructure is hit.
Question: There's another question. Russia is deliberately shedding electrical substations that are critical for nuclear safety as they provide power to nuclear plants. Has the Secretary-General considered commenting on this issue?
Spokesman: Listen. We've been... I not sure I have the details to the exact situation you mentioned, but we have been very clear and are concerned about the fate of Ukraine's nuclear facilities, regardless who has effective control of them. And what is the most important is that they need to be kept safe, and out of combat. Benny, then Islam.
Question: Also a couple of questions. First one, so yesterday, President [Donald] Trump said that he intends to mediate in Sudan. What do you think, since you mentioned Sudan in your briefing, what do you think the United States contribution could be? And is there a plan to cooperate between the US?
Spokesman: We welcome the efforts of the United States and those of any and all Member States who are working to support the end of this conflict, to support humanitarian access, the protection of civilians, and to work towards lasting peace. I can tell you that whether it's Mr. [Ramtane] Lamamra or Tom Fletcher, they've all been in touch with both US and, obviously, a lot of other counterparts.
Question: Has the Secretary-General tried to mediate between the two supporters of the two sides in Sudan, United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia?
Spokesman: Look, Secretary-General and his envoys have had various contacts with the parties and also as well as regional parties.
Correspondent: And the second question is...
Spokesman: That's a third.
Correspondent: No. The first was a follow-up on this.
Spokesman: I'm counting question marks, Benny, but go ahead.
Question: I didn't know there was going to be math. So, yeah, yesterday... today, I think, actually, the US representative at the UN for management was saying... was going after the General Assembly resolutions on Israel, saying it's the same resolution every year. Is that the concern, since it came from the guy who was in charge of management? Is that a concern for the Secretary...?
Spokesman: I am not going to comment on what every Member state says in the General Assembly. It's a deliberative body. They deliberate, and they vote on resolutions. The Secretary-General is not involved in that process. Islam?
Question: Thank you very much, Stéphane. Yesterday, I asked question about the yellow line, and I think there was some confusion about it. So, I would like to clarify the situation on, if I may say, east side of the yellow line and west side of the yellow line were under the Israeli forces' control. What would you say about the population-wise, what is the situation in both sides? We know on the west side is where the most Gazans stay in. But, what about the east side? Are there any civilians, any Gazans still there?
Spokesman: So we're clear, in speaking in the zone that is between the so-called Yellow Line and the Gaza border, that is where Israeli military remains. We do not have access to that area for humanitarian operations. The only access we have is going from the crossings to the other side of the yellow line. So, I don't have any information I can share with you publicly on that. We continue our efforts on the other side between the so-called yellow line and the Mediterranean, where we focus our humanitarian work. Ideally, we would have access to all Palestinians in Gaza, regardless of where they are.
Question: But do we know at least there are still people in...?
Spokesman: I mean, that's an assumption, there are people there. I don't have a number I can share with you. Okay. Yes, sir?
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. UNICEF issued a major warning on Iraq today on Children's Day saying "Iraq's deepening water crisis is robbing millions of children of their fundamental rights and jeopardizing their future". Are there any immediate steps that the Secretary-General is urging UN agencies, the international community and Iraqi authorities to take on this matter?
Spokesman: Well, I mean, we follow... for the Secretary-General's point, we follow UNICEF's lead, which is also in terms of the situation in Iraq. We share their concerns. UNICEF is the lead agency on water and sanitation for the UN system, and we hope that all the Iraqi authorities at various levels will work with UNICEF to try to correct the problem. We also hope that the donors, Member States, will give generously to UNICEF's work in that regard. Okay. Yeah.
Question: Thank you, Steph. You mentioned earlier in your briefing that Israeli air strikes killed 30 Palestinians today, which has marked one of the gravest provocations since the ceasefire on 10 October. While it's been abundantly clear that the UN is not an arbiter towards tracking violations of the ceasefire, does the SG still truly believe that there even is a ceasefire?
Spokesman: Anything that undermines the ceasefire is very concerning. We have to work towards the keeping that ceasefire alive. We have to work towards getting to phase two. I mean, the situation... as we've been saying, we're not getting enough humanitarian aid in, but we're getting much more humanitarian aid in than we were before the start of the ceasefire. Yep.
Question: Thank you, Steph. Well, United States will not send a delegation to the G20 summit. It sent a letter to South Africa in which Washington expressed his objection to the issuance of any outcome document presented as G20 consensus without US consent, and it says it will only accept chair's statement reflecting a lack of consensus. So, is the SG is the concern that the letter will have a negative impact on that account...?
Spokesman: The Secretary-General is not... the UN is not a member of the G20. The Secretary-General attends as a guest of the presidency, and we're very thankful to the Republic of South Africa to have extended that invitation to us. I think the question, we were aware of the issue you've raised. The question about the legitimacy of what comes out of that summit will have to be asked to the Presidency of the G20. Any questions online? Yes. Please go ahead, Dora. Go ahead. Go ahead. Go ahead. I can. Yes, please.
Question: I can ask my question?
Spokesman: You may ask your question.
Question: Yeah. Thank you. I have a question regarding Iran. The IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency] Board of Governors have adopted a resolution proposed by the US and three European countries against Iran. According to the IAEA report, the suspension of certain safeguards activities and the withdrawal of inspectors were a result of circumstances following attacks on Iran's nuclear facility. And this decision was made based on security consideration. Now what's the Secretary-General reaction to the IAEA report and the board's resolution? And does this resolution risk undermining diplomacy, and what advice does the Secretary-General have for the US and three European countries?
Spokesman: Okay. It's not for us to comment or analyse the decisions taken by an executive board or governing body of a UN specialized agency. The IAEA is there for the UN system to lead on nuclear-related issues. The Secretary-General's position is unchanged, which is that he would like to see a cooperation between the IAEA and Iran in dealing with its Iran's nuclear programme. Any other question?
Question: Does this resolution risk under mining diplomacy?
Spokesman: Look. We it's not for us to predict what will happen. I mean, I think that's a questions for analysts to answer. Yes. Islam. Oh, sorry. There's another question, I think, from your colleague, Marva, online. Go ahead.
Question: Yes. Hi, Steph. This is Marva from Anadolu. So, my question is actually about West Bank. The situation in West bank has been worsening since October 2023. And you have mentioned so many concerns about this, but the Human Rights Watch today released a report, saying that the forcible displacements amounts to war crimes. So, what does the SG say about this? What concrete steps could be taken towards this? Thank you.
Spokesman: I mean, as you say, Marva, we've been talking about what is going on in the West Bank for quite some time. We're well aware of the report that Human Rights Watch issued today, and I think our representatives, both on the ground and in front of the Security Council, have been very clear about the situation in the West Bank, especially those of Palestinian civilians, notably during the ongoing olive harvest. We have raised this issue directly and both privately and publicly with Israeli authorities, and we will continue to do that. Let's go to Anadolu in the room.
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. I just would like to follow-up latest Israel strike and the ceasefire situation. Gaza Health Ministry says that, you know, past 40 days, 312 Palestinians died because of the Israel fire. And, also, news reports that over 400 Israeli violations on the ceasefire. The question is, does the Secretary-General thinks Israel is upholding the ceasefire, or ceasefire is in effect as long as Hamas doesn't respond back?
Spokesman: Look. I think you're asking me almost a legal question that I I'm not able to answer. Our... we are not an observer or guarantor of the ceasefire. Right? Our focus, and this was also highlighted in the UN resolution, in Mr. Trump's plan for the UN right now at this moment, is on delivering humanitarian aid. We are doing the very best that we can in using every space that is allotted to us to deliver that humanitarian aid. Our concern is the fragility of the ceasefire, whether a ceasefire so that... that's where our focus is. It's not for us, given our lack of participation as a guarantor, to say the ceasefire is holding or not holding. People are getting killed. Palestinians are getting killed, and that needs to stop. Okay. Thank you all. Enjoy the I was about to say enjoy the weekend, but not yet.
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