Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General
Department of Public Information . News and Media Division . New York
15 August 2025
he following is a near-verbatim transcript of today's briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
**Secretary-General/Plastic Pollution Treaty
Alright, good afternoon. I will start off with a statement from the Secretary-General on the just concluded meetings on plastics in Geneva. I call tell you that the Secretary-General deeply regrets that, despite earnest efforts, negotiations to reach an international legally binding instrument on plastic pollution, including in maritime environment, concluded without achieving a consensus. He welcomes the determination of Member States in continuing to work to beat plastic pollution and keep engaged on the process, united in purpose, to deliver the treaty that the world needs to tackle these monumental challenges to people and the environment. That statement has been shared with you as we speak.
**Trip Announcement
A travel announcement for you. The Secretary-General will be heading to Japan next week to attend the ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development, otherwise known and better known as TICAD. The conference, which is always led by Japan and co-hosted by the United Nations, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the World Bank and the African Union Commission, this year it will take place in Yokohama from 20 to 22 August, under the theme "Co-create innovative solutions with Africa".
In the remarks that he will deliver at the Opening Session of the conference, the Secretary-General will underscore the importance of TICAD as it highlights the potential of Africa, the world's youngest population, with abundant natural resources, and a vibrant entrepreneurial spirit.
While in Japan, the Secretary-General is also expected to hold bilateral meetings with Japanese leaders and delegations attending on the TICAD meetings in Yokohama. Before leaving Japan, the Secretary-General will also visit EXPO2025 which is taken place Osaka, and he will visit a number of pavilions, including of course, the UN's own pavilion there, and then, he will head back to NY.
**Trip Announcement/Peace Operations
Also travelling to Japan will be Jean-Pierre Lacroix, the Under-Secretary-General for Peace Operations. Mr. Lacroix will be in Tokyo for bilateral meetings with counterparts in the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Cabinet Office on International Peace Cooperation. On 21 August, he will participate in a TICAD side event titled "Toward a Mine-Free Africa: Launch Event of the African Mine Action Platform" with the Japan International Cooperation Agency, the Cambodian Mine Action Center and the United Nations Mine Action Service (UNMAS).
**Senior Personnel Appointment
A senior personnel announcement to share with you. The Secretary-General is appointing Robert Joseph van der Zee of the Netherlands to serve as his Acting Representative for the investment of the assets of the UN Joint Staff Pension Fund (UNJSPF). That will start on 16 August 2025 until 15 February 2026. Toru Shindo, the Chief Investment Officer in the Office of Investment Management, UNJSPF, is serving as Acting Representative of the Secretary-General until 15 August 2025.
A global, open and regular competitive selection process to find a permanent person for that post is under way. Currently serving as the Chief Financial Officer at the World Food Programme (WFP), in Italy, Mr. van der Zee brings 30 years of experience across various financial management roles, he possesses extensive and in-depth organizational and financial knowledge and expertise along with a strong track record of senior leadership in both financial services industry and international organizations.
**Occupied Palestinian Territory
Moving on to Gaza, and I can tell you that we once again warn that the already dire situation could worsen without a reliable, rapid, safe and unrestricted flow of supplies into the Gaza Strip. We and our humanitarian partners report that ongoing delays and other impediments, including bottlenecks at holding points and interference in the loading process at the platforms, are impacting our efforts to collect supplies from the crossings and bring them to people in need.
Yesterday, 5 out of 12 missions requiring coordination with Israeli authorities were facilitated without impediments. They included the collection of supplies from Kerem Shalom/Karem Abu Salem and the transfer of fuel to the north. Four missions were cancelled by the organizers and three others were impeded and only fully accomplished — these included the collection of food aid from Zikim and Kerem Shalom crossings.
And on the starvation crisis in Gaza, more deaths are being reported, including many children, who are regularly admitted to hospitals for malnutrition. The World Health Organization (WHO) warns that many healthcare facilities have run out of bedspace to treat malnourished patients. Access to healthcare must be restored immediately.
We continue to receive extremely disturbing reports of aid seekers being killed and injured. Between 27 May and 8 August, the Red Cross Field Hospital in Rafah treated more than 4,500 wounded patients, most of whom reported that they were injured while trying to reach food distribution sites. People also report being injured in the crush of the crowd or being beaten and robbed of their supplies immediately after receiving them.
It is imperative that we and our humanitarian partners are enabled to deliver aid at scale, using community-based mechanisms to reach the most vulnerable. Without these conditions in place, and if military operations continue or escalate, more deaths, forced displacement and destruction are inevitable, and this could prolong the ordeal of the hostages also being held in the Strip. And we also call again for their immediate and unconditional release.
One can only imagine that people in Gaza are gravely concerned by the potential impact of an expansion of operations in Gaza city. We reiterate that we will not participate in any forced displacement of the population. Fleeing civilians must be protected and the must have their essential needs met, and they must be able to voluntarily return when the situation allows. And if they choose to stay, they should not be threatened or put at risk.
And just to note that although the slight easing on the entry of commercial supplies has led to food price drops as we have been telling you, energy prices on the other hand have skyrocketed. Cooking gas has not been available in markets for the past five months, and firewood has become even less affordable. More people are resorting to using waste and scrap wood as alternative fuel sources for cooking, which only makes worse health and protection risks, and causes environmental hazards. Partners working on food security warn that both the quantity and quality of supplies entering Gaza remain far below the minimum requirements to meet most people's needs.
**Ukraine
Turning to Ukraine, our colleagues at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs tell us that today a humanitarian convoy delivered vital aid to the front-line in the Kherson region. Our Humanitarian and Resident Coordinator for Ukraine, Matthias Schmale, led this convoy which was organized by UN agencies and our humanitarian partners. The were able to deliver 30 metric tons of medicine, water and hygiene and dignity kits for nearly 500 residents.
Our humanitarian colleagues stress that this assistance remains vital, noting that both civilians and humanitarians are facing growing insecurity in the area, including from drone attacks. So far this year, we, along with our partners, have sent 18 humanitarian convoys to the front-line communities in the Kherson, carrying supplies to support nearly 20,000 residents.
Yesterday, the Humanitarian Coordinator, together with our partners, were in the Mykolaiv region, visiting the sites of recent attacks and seeing recovery and development projects. This year, the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund, which is the largest country-based pooled fund in the world, has provided $7 million, mostly to local NGOs, to deliver time-critical humanitarian support to 35,000 people in the Mykolaiv region.
Meanwhile, the ongoing hostilities are causing further displacement in the Donetsk Region. As the security situation worsens near the front-line town of Pokrovsk, local authorities said that yesterday alone, nearly 5,700 civilians, including families with children, were evacuated in the Donetsk region. As noted by Matthias Schmale, donor support remains critical as aid organizations continue to assist people fleeing hostilities and those remaining in front-line communities.
**Afghanistan
Turning to Afghanistan, our humanitarian colleagues warn that more than half of the population needs vital aid, four years after the de facto Taliban regime took over the country. Women and girls, as we have been saying repeatedly, are especially vulnerable in Afghanistan. As you are aware, the de facto authorities have imposed a series of increasingly restrictive policies which have excluded women and girls from education, the workforce and public life. Humanitarian aid is a lifeline for women and girls who are otherwise unable to access essential services and assistance. The continued presence of humanitarian workers in Afghanistan is also a vital form of protection by presence.
OCHA also warns that needs are increasing as the number of returnees to Afghanistan, how that number is swelling, both from Iran and Pakistan. Since the start of the year, 1.7 million Afghan citizens have returned to the country from Iran and Pakistan. Most have limited ties to the local communities and are struggling to find shelter and economic opportunities. The host communities themselves also lack adequate services and resources. To support the response, the Central Emergency Response Fund recently released $10 million - and additional funding is in the pipeline from the Afghanistan Humanitarian Fund. Yet in the wake of deep funding cuts, more resources are needed to ensure that people's needs are met.
The humanitarian community in Afghanistan is already preparing for another influx of returnees following the recent deadline by the Government of Pakistan for Afghan Proof of Registration cardholders to leave the country by 1 September. Meanwhile, almost all provinces in Afghanistan have seen below-average rainfall this year, with drought alerts issued across the northern, northeastern, central highlands and western regions. OCHA also stresses that additional funding is urgently needed to support the people of Afghanistan. This year's Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan is just 25 per cent funded, with $624 million received of the $2.4 billion that is needed.
**Democratic Republic of the Congo
Turning to the worsening situation in the eastern parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, our humanitarian colleagues say that insecurity is on the rise in Djugu Territory, in the Ituri Province. According to local authorities and our humanitarian partners on the ground, over the past month, clashes between various armed groups and the Congolese armed forces in several areas have resulted in almost 50 civilian deaths and more than 30 injuries in Ituri Province.
During the same period, violence and insecurity has displaced more than 80,000 human beings in Djugu. Homes have been looted, homes have been burned and those who fled are now sheltering in schools, churches and other public buildings. Attacks have also targeted three sites hosting people who are now internally displaced because of the violence. The clashes have also severely hampered humanitarian access, depriving some 250,000 people of essential services. Nine out of the 12 health facilities are now out of service in Nizi health district in the Ituri territory.
We and our humanitarian partners are ready to respond, but we need unimpeded and safe access to these communities. All parties must take urgent measures to protect civilians and facilitate humanitarian access. Civilians must be protected at all times, in line with international law.
**Central Emergency Response Fund
And just to mention an update for you from our own Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), which we talk about here regularly. Today, the Secretary-General has appointed a dozen new experts to the group that advises him on where CERF money should go. The body has a total 23 members from all over the world who serve a single three-year term. The new set of advisers hail from Azerbaijan, Canada, Côte d'Ivoire, Denmark, Gambia, Germany, Netherlands, Niger, Norway, Qatar, South Africa and Sweden.
Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher thanked the outgoing members for their work and congratulated the new appointees. He said that with humanitarian needs outpacing available resources, CERF is more critical now than ever, serving as a trusted, indispensable fund to enable rapid, effective responses to crises worldwide.
In the first half of this year, CERF allocated $214 million to help people in two dozen countries, including to get ahead of a drought in Afghanistan and to back climate resilience in a number of other places. Over the last 19 years, CERF has channelled over $9 billion in life-saving aid to people in need in over 110 countries and territories. This has been made possible by contributions from 143 out of 193 Member States, which is not bad, and also observers and other donors.
**Financial Contribution
Finally, we got some money today. We have a quiz for you, and it is a good one. This country is the world's largest producer of ylang-ylang, a plant whose extracted essential oils is a key ingredient in the production of many perfumes. That is a tough one. But, I will give you more interesting geographical information. This country is the only member of the League of Arab States located entirely in the Southern Hemisphere. It is an archipelago. [...] The capital of that country starts with an M. It is in the League of Arab States. It is an archipelago, so it is at the sea, and it is entirely in the Southern Hemisphere. The Comoros, so we thank our friends in Moroni. And we thank David, who came up with this brilliant quiz today. Gabriel, do you have any questions, anybody have any questions? Otherwise... yeah, why not.
**Questions and Answers
Question: I'll keep you at the podium. Has the Secretary-General seen the video of imprisoned political leader Marwan Barghouti, being essentially interrogated on video and what is his reaction to it?
Spokesman: I can tell you that the video is disturbing, we're aware of the video and it's worth reminding that prisoners need to be treated in a way that abides by international law and that respects their inherent dignity.
Question: His family is worried that his safety is at immediate risk and they are calling on anyone with any influence to protect him as best they can; would the Secretary-General lend his voice to that call?
Spokesman: I think he, like any other prisoner needs to have his right fully respected and his safety needs to be ensured. Yes Yuya, please go ahead.
Question: Thank you, Stephane. My question is about Secretary-General's travel to Japan. Why did the SG decided to attend TICAD in Japan, this time? And a one more: what are the SG's expectations for cooperation between Japan and African countries and the UN? Thank you.
Spokesman: The Secretary-General always wanted to attend TICAD, because of scheduling reasons he hasn't been able to attend every year. TICAD is a forum that has been extremely important, in supporting development issues. I think it also underscores Japan's leadership role in this area; and the fact that it aligns with the development goals that the UN has, and I think that's why you see such a big UN participation in that event. Yes please.
Question: Since it's a Friday, let me ask you this. For events like The Alaska Summits, does the Secretary-General follow this event\ himself?
Spokesman: The Alaska Summit, yes, of course, he'll be following... as we will all be, the events.
Question: Is there a favourite TV channel for him?
Spokesman: He will, the Secretary-General is a channel surfer. Okay. Enjoy the weekend.
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