Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General
Department of Public Information . News and Media Division . New York
28 August 2025
The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today's briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesperson for the Secretary-General.
**Guest Today
Just in a short while, I will be joined by Edem Wosornu who is as you know is the Director of Operations and Advocacy at the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), and she will be here to brief you on her recent visit and travels to Sudan and Chad.
**Secretary-General's Travels
Speaking of travels, later tonight, the Secretary-General will travel to China to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Leaders' Summit taking place in Tianjin. At the summit, on Monday, the Secretary-General will address the "SCO-plus" session. He's expected to recall that as we are moving towards a multipolar world, we need to strengthen multilateralism, uphold the rule of law, and deliver for people - as reflected in the Pact for the Future. He is expected to underline the unique position of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to help shape a more inclusive and sustainable future.
While in Tianjin, the Secretary-General is scheduled to hold bilateral meetings with President Xi [Jinping], the President of the People's Republic of China, as well as with the Minister for Foreign Affairs of the People's Republic of China, Wang Yi. He is also expected to have a number of other bilaterals with leaders attending the meeting. We will share an update on those bilaterals as they happen.
On Tuesday, 2 September, the Secretary-General will arrive in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea. At the invitation of Prime Minister James Marape, the Secretary-General will take part in events to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the Papua New Guinea's independence.
On Wednesday, 3 September, the Secretary-General is scheduled to deliver an address to the Parliament, during which he will highlight how in just 50 years, in a land of over 800 languages and countless traditions, the people of Papua New Guinea have undertaken the task of forging a nation from profound diversity, with a shared commitment to speak with one voice for peace, for dignity and for progress.
He will also emphasize that this is his first trip to the Pacific since the landmark advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) — in which the region played a central role. You will recall that the opinion affirms that addressing the climate crisis is a legal obligation under international law. And finally, just to note that this will be the first visit to Papua New Guinea ever by a sitting UN Secretary-General. The Secretary-General will be back in New York on 6 September.
**Deputy Secretary-General/Chile
Our Deputy Secretary-General, Amina Mohammed, is in Santiago, Chile at the invitation of the Government. This morning, she delivered remarks at the World Summit on Teachers, organized by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Government of Chile. Ms. Mohammed highlighted the future of teaching in the age of Artificial Intelligence, the global shortage of teachers, and the ongoing education financing crisis. She also spoke about the challenges faced by teachers in conflict settings.
The Deputy Secretary-General stressed that quality education is the foundation of everything the world hopes to achieve through the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the 2030 Agenda: healthy lives, a healthy planet, opportunities, a sense of belonging, equality and peace. She also emphasized that, without teachers, none of it is possible, adding that teachers are the beating heart of education, the cornerstone of sustainable development and the guardians of our future, and we must support them.
While in Santiago, she held bilateral meetings with the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Chile, Alberto van Klaveren Stork, and with Minister for Education of Chile, Nicolás Cataldo Astorga. She also met with the UN country team, as well as youth and civil society representatives, listening to their perspectives on their priorities, challenges, and opportunities around sustainable development, human rights, and partnerships. Ms. Mohammed will be back in New York City tomorrow.
**Gaza
In remarks delivered to you this morning, the Secretary-General said that Israel's initial steps to militarily take over Gaza City signals a new and dangerous phase. Expanded military operations in Gaza City will have devastating consequences, he warned. Mr. [António] Guterres said that the levels of death and destruction in Gaza are without parallel in recent times. Famine is no longer a looming possibility — it is a present-day catastrophe, he added. The Secretary-General said that starvation of the civilian population must never be used as a method of warfare.
**Occupied Palestinian Territory
And turning to the situation actually on the ground as we speak in Gaza, our humanitarian colleagues are deeply concerned about the risk of a looming Israeli offensive on additional parts of Gaza City. Some neighbourhoods have already seen deadly attacks in recent days. Our humanitarian colleagues say the impact of a full-blown offensive would be beyond catastrophic — not only for those in the city but for the entire Gaza Strip.
Our colleagues tracking population movements report that about 1,300 people fled from northern to southern Gaza yesterday and today. That brings the total number of north-south movements since 14 August — which is the day the plan for the offensive was announced — to 20,000. Displacement is also happening within the north itself. Altogether, since 14 August, some 60,000 displacements originating from Gaza City have been recorded.
Across the Gaza Strip, hundreds of thousands of families continue to live in overcrowded, undignified and unsafe conditions at displacement sites. Today, the World Food Programme's (WFP) Executive Director, Cindy McCain, called for faster approvals to move supplies into and within Gaza, as well as for safety for people to reach aid, and for humanitarian workers to reach those who need support. Ms. McCain also made this statement after visiting the Gaza Strip, where she saw the destruction and desperation firsthand.
With famine now confirmed in Gaza Governorate, Ms. McCain called for the right conditions to be put in place so WFP can reinstate its vast network of 200 food-distribution points, community kitchens and bakeries. She visited a nutrition clinic that's keeping children alive and spoke with displaced mothers who described their daily struggle to survive, often searching for scraps of food but finding nothing. As WFP noted, there has been a moderate increase in the amount of humanitarian and commercial goods entering the Strip. But, this is still far below what's needed to support 2 million people, many of them in extreme hunger.
On a positive note, yesterday, for the first time since March, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) was able to provide vital animal feed to herders in Deir al Balah. They announced that 200 herders received two 100-kilogramme sacks each — a crucial step to protect livestock and help curb the spread of famine.
Meanwhile, OCHA says that delays and impediments of humanitarian movements within Gaza continue, with movements that are approved by Israeli authorities still taking hours to complete. Teams have been left waiting on roads that are often dangerous, congested, or impassable.
Between last Wednesday and this Tuesday, out of 89 attempts to coordinate movements with Israeli authorities across the Gaza Strip, only 59 per cent were facilitated. Another 26 per cent were initially approved, but then impeded on the ground, 8 per cent were denied outright and 7 per cent had to be withdrawn by the organizers. Among the 23 impeded movements, 5 were fully accomplished, including to collect supplies from crossings and medically evacuate patients. The remaining 18 missions were not fully accomplished.
**Lebanon
And like all of you, we have just seen the Security Council adopt unanimously a new resolution that extends for a final time the mandate of United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) as it was set out by resolution 1701 (2006) until 31 December 2026. At the request of the Security Council, the Secretary-General will explore, by 1 June 2026, options for the future of the implementation of resolution 1701 (2006) after the withdrawal of UNIFIL. Acknowledging the changed situation on the ground and as requested by the Security Council, UNIFIL will continue conducting its operations in support of the implementation by the parties of resolution 1701 (2006) until the end of its mandate.
On 31 December 2026, the Mission will start within one year to carry out its orderly and safe drawdown and withdrawal, with the aim of making the Government of Lebanon the sole provider of security in southern Lebanon. UNIFIL's liquidation will begin after the conclusion of the drawdown and withdrawal phase. I can confirm to you that we will cooperate closely, obviously, with the Governments of Lebanon and Israel to ensure a safe and orderly transition in our area of operations. The United Nations Department of Peace Operations (DPO) will also closely engage with the troop-contributing countries to coordinate UNIFIL's forthcoming withdrawal. We reaffirm our commitment to supporting the parties in their efforts to fully implement resolution 1701 (2006) and take the necessary steps towards a permanent ceasefire and lasting stability for the people on both sides of the Blue Line.
**Ukraine
Turning to Ukraine: Today, the Secretary-General held a phone call with the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The Secretary-General and the President discussed the recent diplomatic efforts to end the war in Ukraine. The Secretary-General stressed the importance of sustaining the diplomatic momentum and reaffirmed the United Nations' principled position in support of a full, immediate and unconditional ceasefire as a first step towards a just, comprehensive and sustainable peace for Ukraine, in line with the UN Charter, international law and relevant resolutions of the United Nations. The Secretary-General further reaffirmed the commitment of the United Nations to continue to address Ukraine's humanitarian needs on the ground and support recovery and reconstruction efforts.
You will have seen that earlier this morning, we issued a statement in which the Secretary-General condemned the overnight missile and drone attacks by the Russian Federation on Ukrainian cities, which killed and injured many civilians, including children. The Secretary-General stressed that attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure violate international humanitarian law, are unacceptable and must end immediately. That full statement was shared with you.
And on the ground, Mattias Schmale, the Humanitarian and Resident Coordinator for Ukraine, also condemned the attacks, stressing that they highlight the constant danger facing civilians in Kyiv and cities across Ukraine. And I also have some more details about the situation on the ground from our teams there. They tell us that at least 15 people were killed and 40 injured in the overnight attacks by the Russian Federation on the capital, Kyiv. According to authorities, the strikes destroyed a five-story building and damaged more than 100 residential buildings, a kindergarten, a shopping centre, media offices, the premises of humanitarian organizations, and also damaged the offices of the European Union Delegation and the British Council. The Ukrainian Railway Company also reported damage to their facilities and intercity trains.
Humanitarians and local authorities responded immediately. Humanitarian organizations provided psychosocial support and began registering impacted families for cash assistance, while local authorities arranged temporary shelter for people who lost their homes.
Meanwhile, hostilities in front-line regions continue. Local authorities report that six people were killed and dozens injured yesterday and today. Damage to civilian infrastructure was also reported in the regions of Kherson, Donetsk, Chernihiv, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia and Dnipro. In the region of Vinnytsia, authorities reported that strikes on energy infrastructure left some 60,000 households without electricity across 30 towns and villages. This follows earlier attacks on energy facilities in six regions, heightening the concerns ahead of winter. And in Donetsk, nearly 200 people, including 50 children, were evacuated over the past days due to escalating fighting.
**Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action
A number of you this morning have asked me about the letter sent from France, Germany and the United Kingdom to the President of the Security Council in accordance with resolution 2231 (2015). I can tell you that the Secretary-General is aware that today [28 August], the Security Council received this joint letter from the three countries.
The Secretary-General urges the JCPOA participants and the Security Council to continue negotiations to find a diplomatic solution that ensures the peaceful nature of the Iranian nuclear programme and brings about economic benefits to the people of Iran. In the next 30 days, there is a window of opportunity to avoid any further escalation and find a way forward that serves peace. The Secretary-General welcomes any efforts towards that end. He also underscores the imperative to exert all efforts to prevent a renewed military conflict and calls for prioritizing dialogue to address concerns related to Iran's nuclear programme and broader regional security.
**Haiti
This morning, if you remember that far, the Secretary-General briefed a Security Council session on the humanitarian situation in Haiti. The people of Haiti, he said, are in a perfect storm of suffering, he said as he reminded Council members that the country remains shamefully overlooked and woefully underfunded. Turning to the plight of children. The Secretary-General said children are bearing the brunt of this crisis. They are abducted, they are killed, they are recruited and they are used, and they are subjected to horrific sexual violence, including gang rape. These are crimes that scar bodies, minds and futures, he told Council members.
On the political situation, the Secretary-General noted emerging signals of hope. He urged the Council to act without delay and authorize an international force, supported by the United Nations through logistical and operational backing and predictable financing. Voluntary contributions to the Multinational Security Support Trust Fund remain essential, but assessed support would ensure impact and sustainability, he said.
Catherine Russell, UNICEF's Executive Director, also briefed and said one of the defining features of the crisis in Haiti is the rampant rights violations against children. She asked Council members to use all available leverage to protect children, and to demand that all armed groups end attacks on schools and hospitals, immediately release children from their ranks and allow secure, unimpeded access for humanitarian workers to safely reach communities. And she called on donors to show solidarity with the Haitian people and contribute to funding appeals. And as you will recall, Haiti is the least funded of all of our humanitarian appeals.
**Sustainable Development Goals Advocates
Also just to announce that the Secretary-General welcomes two new SDG Advocates: Masai Ujiri, Co-Founder of Giants of Africa and former Vice-Chairman and President of the Toronto Raptors, and also appointed Muniba Mazari, an award-winning advocate for disability rights, inclusion and gender equality. Mr. Ujiri uses basketball as a transformative tool to create opportunities for youth across Africa and beyond. And Ms. Mazari uses her voice and platform to champion marginalized communities. Our Advocates for the SDGs are influential leaders who support the Secretary-General in raising global ambition and action to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The group is chaired by Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados. That's it. Gabriel?
**Questions and Answers
Question: Thank you, Steph. On the JCPOA, you know we have this 30-day window, as you alluded to. We all know what happens at the end of September here. Is the Secretary-General thinking... what's his thinking in terms of perhaps convening some diplomacy under his good offices, when all the world leaders are here before that 30-day deadline kicks in?
Spokesman: I'm sure this will be an issue raised in a number of bilateral that the Secretary-General will have. The decision now is up to Security Council members, but I think as I've just stated, there is that window, right? And we hope that all JCPOA participants will use that window to avoid any further escalation.
Question: And on UNIFIL, if I may, we've all read the resolution, so I'm not going to ask specifically about that. But, what is the SG's thinking in terms of 2027? Is that the wind-down period for the entire year, or how does he view that year?
Spokesman: Yeah. I mean, it goes you know, the mandate will end at the end of 2026, then there is a withdrawal period and then the liquidation period. I mean, it's sort of standard operating procedure. We saw it with our Mission in Mali. That being said, he will present, very soon, options to the Council on how to continue to implement 1701. I mean, UNIFIL is a key element at this moment in the implementation of 1701. And as we tell you every day, almost every day, there's progress being made, right? I mean, the weapons caches, this stability, more or less, but more than less, along the Blue Line since the November ceasefire was agreed upon. Dezhi?
Question: Also on UNIFIL, today in the Security Council chamber, we heard some Member States, they said that some of the mandates of UNIFIL haven't yet to be met, have been failed to meet. And also Israeli Government obviously criticized UNIFIL also failing of, you know, disarm Hizbullah. So, I just sort of want to know, what is the Secretary-General's reaction on this?
Spokesman: Well, the best way for UNIFIL to fulfil its mandate is for all parties in the conflict to allow it to fulfil its mandate.
Question: But oh, sorry... this Monday, I asked you that Secretary-General has a strong preference of not to end the operation, but you said it's in the wise hands of these members of the Security Council to decide. What does he think about this result?
Spokesman: Listen. The Council... this is the organization that he runs, right? The Security Council creates and de-creates peacekeeping missions. They've taken a decision, but let's look on the more positive side: that there is an extension until the end of 2026. There will be options presented to the Council on how to continue to implement 1701, because 1701 remains a very relevant resolution and it remains a very relevant part of our effort, along with the parties to bring stability to southern Lebanon. Stefano Vaccara?
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. This morning when the Secretary-General closed his speech on the stakeout, he says, no, you know, he said no more excuses, no more obstacles, no more lies. What can we know exactly what he was referring about the lies? Who is...?
Spokesman: The truth is one of the first victims of war. And what we've always repeatedly called for, especially in this conflict, is for journalists to be allowed in to report, to ensure that people know the truth about what is going on.
Question: But for the Secretary-General, what is the biggest lie that in this conflict has been?
Spokesman: I'm not going to start to rank disinformation.
Question: And then another question on what we just saw with the Russian Ambassador and what's going on with the Iran sanctions. The Russian Ambassador at one point, answering a question, said that the action of Germany, France and UK is equivalent to gangsters. Must say they're just gangsters and doing what they're doing. So, what is the Secretary-General's opinion on what's going on with Iran in this moment about this issue of sanctions?
Spokesman: Well, I think I just shared it with you.
Correspondent: Yeah. But, he's, in this case... I'm just saying, you know, the Russian calling the Germans gangsters...
Spokesman: I will be the last person to insert myself in the colourful dialogue between Security Council members. Yes, please?
Question: Thank you, Steph. I wanted to ask a slightly different question about the letter sent on behalf of more than 500 OHCHR [Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights] workers to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, chief Volker Türk. The letter urges the chief to publicly describe the war in Gaza as a genocide, saying his office's failure to do so undermines the global rights-protection system. Just curious if there were any comments by the SG.
Spokesman: I think the High Commissioner has been extremely vocal, extremely strong about what was going on in Gaza. I can tell you that he has the full and unconditional support of the Secretary-General. As we've said here repeatedly, for the UN, the labelling of an event as a genocide is up to a competent legal authority. And I think, if you look at the criticism that Mr. Türk has faced from the Israeli Government, I think that should give you a pretty good picture of his position on Gaza. Okay. Yes, sir. And then we'll go to our guests.
Question: The US ambassador said that the US and Panama would table a draft resolution on the next Haiti force. I wanted to know whether this new force is a replacement of the MSS or it's kind of a... what's the format of this new arrangement?
Spokesman: My understanding is that this isn't... listen. Let me take a look at the... I misspoke yesterday when I answered a question on the Council in Iran. I don't want to do it today, so I'll get you an answer on that. Alright. I'd like you to stay in your seats, and I will go get my guest.
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