Daily Press Briefing by the Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General
Department of Public Information . News and Media Division . New York
22 October 2025
The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today's briefing by Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General.
Good morning, good afternoon.
**Guests
In a short while, I will be joined here by Andrew Saberton, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Deputy Executive Director for Management. He will be here to brief on his recent visit to Gaza and the West Bank. At 2:30 p.m., there will be a briefing here by Professor Ben Saul, the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, and Margaret Satterthwaite, the UN Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers, following the presentation of their reports to the General Assembly's Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural).
Then, tomorrow, my guest will be Carlos Gabriel Ruiz Massieu Aguirre, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Haiti and Head of the UN Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH). He will be here in this room to brief you on the situation in Haiti, and you will notice that he is briefing the Security Council this afternoon.
**Secretary-General's Travel
In Geneva today, the Secretary-General attended the annual conference of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), which is marking its seventy-fifth anniversary. In his remarks, the Secretary-General saluted the work of the WMO, especially its rigorous modelling and forecasting. Without it, he said, we would not know what lies ahead or how to prepare for it. The Secretary-General underscored the need to accelerate solutions for how communities can adapt to the rapidly evolving climate crisis. He focused on the Early Warning for All Initiative that he launched in 2022 and outlined three areas for urgent action.
First, he said that Governments must embed early warning systems across their policies, institutions and budgets. Second, Mr. [António] Guterres said, reaching every community with an early warning system requires a surge of financing. Last, we need to address the problem of climate disasters at their source: a rapidly heating planet. The Secretary-General said that countries must deliver bold new national climate action plans that align with limiting global temperature rise to 1.5°C.
In taking the floor after remarks by regional representatives, the Secretary-General said that it is clear that we will not be able to contain the rise in global warming below 1.5°C in the next few years. An overshoot is now inevitable, although he added that that doesn't mean that we are condemned to live with 1.5°C rise. With the right policies, backed by science, it will be possible for temperatures to go down again, he said.
The Secretary-General later addressed the sixteenth conference of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). He said that in the new world in which we live, some things remain the same, as developing countries continue to be short-changed. Notably, he added, trade barriers are rising, with some least developed countries facing extortionate tariffs of 40 per cent, despite representing barely one per cent of global trade flows. Protectionism might be inevitable in some situations but at least it should be rational, Mr. Guterres added.
**Occupied Palestinian Territory
The Secretary-General was asked in Geneva today about the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) concerning Israel's responsibilities in the occupied Palestinian territory. He said that this is a very important decision and that he hopes that Israel will abide by it. He added that the decision comes at a moment in which we are doing everything we can to boost our humanitarian aid in Gaza, and so the advisory opinion is decisive in order for us to deal with the tragic situation in which the people of Gaza still live.
The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports that, since the ceasefire entered into effect more than 10 days ago, the UN and our partners have made progress in scaling up our response efforts, especially in central and southern areas of the Strip. The continued closure of the Zikim and Erez crossings, which provide direct access to the north, makes it extremely challenging for the UN and partners to reach people there with vital support at the scale needed.
Our partners monitoring population flows across Gaza report that people continue to move towards areas that were off-limits before the ceasefire. More than 425,000 movements have been reported from southern to northern parts of the Strip since 10 October.
Yesterday, in North Gaza, our partners visited a displacement site in Jabaliya and two schools where displaced people are sheltering in Beit Lahiya. Humanitarian workers had been unable to reach these areas prior to the ceasefire due to military operations. The [145] families sheltering at these sites urgently need food, water, latrines, bedding kits and hygiene items — and we and our partners are doing everything possible to scale up assistance.
Yesterday, the World Health Organization (WHO) said that although the needs are immense, we will not be overwhelmed by the task ahead to rebuild and rehabilitate Gaza's health system. Yesterday, the UN teams were able to monitor goods coming through Kissufim crossing under the UN 2720 mechanism. This was made possible after the Israeli authorities facilitated access to our teams, as we mentioned earlier this week.
Inside Gaza yesterday, and out of 10 humanitarian missions coordinated with the Israeli authorities, 6 were facilitated, including the collection of water tanks, hygiene kits and fuel from the crossings into Gaza. Today, we managed to collect several tankers of fuel and hundreds of pallets of baby diapers.
On Monday, at least 145 UN-coordinated trucks carrying nearly 1,500 metric tons of aid were collected from the Kerem Shalom/Karem Abu Salem and Kissufim crossings — that's according to the UN 2720 mechanism dashboard. Almost three quarters of the aid picked up was food, but the UN and partners were also able to collect shelter materials, animal food, health supplies and water, sanitation and hygiene items.
In terms of aid entering Gaza: On Monday, [105] trucks from the UN and its partners were offloaded at the Kerem Shalom/Karem Abu Salem and Kissufim crossings. That's also according to the UN 2720 mechanism dashboard. The trucks were carrying 1,600 metric tons of aid — more than 40 per cent of which was food.
**Yemen
Earlier today, 12 UN international staff who were amongst those previously held in the UN compound in Yemen departed Sana'a on a UN Humanitarian Air Service (UNHAS) flight. Three other staff who were detained in the compound are free to move or travel. Currently, 53 UN colleagues remain arbitrarily detained by the de facto authorities. This is in addition to personnel from non-governmental and civil society organizations, as well as from diplomatic missions. The UN, at all levels, continues to be seized with the matter and is in constant contact with the relevant authorities in Sana'a and with concerned Member States and partners to secure their release. We renew the Secretary-General's call for their immediate and unconditional release.
**Former Prime Minister of Portugal
I was asked about the passing of Francisco Pinto Balsemão, the former Prime Minister of Portugal. We just heard from the Secretary-General, and he said that Portugal has lost a remarkable statesman and a brilliant media figure, and he has lost a dear friend.
**Syria/Security Council
Earlier today, Najat Rochdi, the Deputy Special Envoy for Syria, briefed Security Council members virtually from Damascus on the situation in Syria. She said that meetings with Syrian interlocutors showed broad support for temporary electoral arrangements amid civil registration and documentation challenges. However, some Syrians criticized the process as rushed and opaque. She emphasized that solutions must uphold Syria's sovereignty, unity, independence and territorial integrity, and address the Druze and Bedouin communities' safety and rights. The UN, she underscored, stands ready to support authorities and civil society.
From Geneva, Ramesh Rajasingham, the Director of Coordination Division at OCHA, said that Syria's humanitarian crisis is longstanding, but it is not static. The UN, he added, continues to work with the authorities and other partners to better tailor our assistance to the current needs. And like I said before, the Security Council will reconvene this afternoon for a briefing and consultations on Haiti (BINUH). The Special Representative for the Secretary-General for Haiti, Carlos Ruiz Massieu, will brief and he will talk to you tomorrow.
**Ukraine
Turning to Ukraine, our colleagues at OCHA tell us that another massive wave of overnight attacks across the country killed and injured civilians, including children. According to local authorities, the strikes mainly impacted the capital, Kyiv. Multiple residential buildings, a school and a kindergarten in Kharkiv were damaged, as well as other civilian infrastructure, including energy and port facilities in several regions, as reported by the authorities and aid workers.
Ukraine's Ministry of Energy confirmed that the attacks affected energy infrastructure nationwide, triggering emergency blackouts in most regions. Power and water supply disruptions were reported, while national railway services experienced delays due to damaged lines. We, along with our humanitarian partners, were on the ground from the early hours, supporting impacted communities and complementing the work of the State emergency services.
Today in the Kherson region, an inter-agency humanitarian convoy reached Urozhaine, a front-line community regularly impacted by shelling and drone attacks. We, along with our partners, delivered 11 metric tons of assistance for some 1,000 residents, including food, hygiene and dignity kits, warm blankets, solar lamps and medical supplies. This was the twenty-fourth humanitarian convoy to hard-hit areas of the Kherson region this year.
**Tropical Storm Melissa
OCHA is closely monitoring Tropical Storm Melissa in the Caribbean, which could strengthen into a major hurricane, potentially impacting the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica and eastern Cuba. Our humanitarian colleagues are working with UN partners and the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Authority to step up preparedness activities. The storm is expected to bring heavy rains and strong winds to Haiti — potentially leading to flooding, landslides and power outages.
Based on this forecast, $4 million has been allocated from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) for Haiti so the World Food Programme (WFP), UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) can support more than 100,000 vulnerable people before the storm hits. The funds were released as part of what we call anticipatory action efforts, which allow the humanitarian community in Haiti to get ahead of the direst consequences of storms and hurricanes. The response will focus on critical early warning messages and life-saving evacuation support, as well as cash transfers, emergency shelter management, and water, sanitation and hygiene kits.
**Central African Republic
We have an update from the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in the Central African Republic (MINUSCA) who continue to support the country's peace process, including through the Disarmament, Demobilization and Reintegration process. From 16 to 20 October, MINUSCA facilitated the disarmament and demobilization of ex-combatants in Bangui, the capital city, and in Mobaye, in the southern part of the country, providing technical, logistical, security and financial support to the national disarmament programme. As you will recall, in recent months, the two most active armed groups in the country, namely 3R and UPC, have returned to the Peace Agreement. Since 10 July, 692 ex-combatants have been disarmed and demobilized, and more than 500 weapons have been collected.
**Senior Personnel Appointment
We have a senior personnel announcement: Today, the Secretary-General announced the appointment of Steven Hill of the United States as Assistant Secretary-General for Legal Affairs. He succeeds Stephen Mathias, also of the United States, to whom the Secretary-General expresses his deep gratitude for his dedicated service and long-standing commitment to the Organization.
Mr. Hill brings over twenty years of experience working on international legal issues in multilateral organizations, national government and in academia. He is currently serving, since 2022, as Executive Secretary of the International Institute for Justice and the Rule of Law, an intergovernmental organization. Mr. Hill previously held the position of Legal Adviser and Director of the Office of Legal Affairs at the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) (2014-2020).
**Methane Report
And lastly, a report released today by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) shows that Government and industry responses to UNEP's more than 3,500 satellite methane alerts climbed from one to 12 per cent in the past year. Nevertheless, UNEP stresses that action must accelerate to minimize global temperature rise and achieve the Global Methane Pledge goal of curbing methane emissions 30 per cent by 2030.
Inger Andersen, Executive Director of UNEP, noted that reducing methane emissions can quickly bend the curve on global warming, so it is encouraging that data-driven tools are helping the oil and gas industry to report on their emissions and set ambitious mitigation targets. But, to keep the Paris Agreement targets within reach, she said, the important progress on reporting must translate into cuts to emissions. Ms. Andersen said that every company should join the Oil and Gas Methane Partnership 2.0, and both governments and operators must respond to satellite alerts, and then, they must act to reduce emissions. Any questions for me before we go to our guest? Yes, Ibtisam.
**Questions and Answers
Question: Thank you, Farhan. So, the Israeli Knesset approved today in a preliminary vote a bill to annex the West Bank. Any comments on that?
Deputy Spokesman: As you know, the status of the West Bank remains for negotiations. And we, of course, support a two-state solution, and we oppose any efforts to affect the status quo unilaterally.
Question: What do you mean, the status of the West Bank remains for negotiation? I thought it's part of the...
Deputy Spokesman: It's part of the Occupied Palestinian Territory. And as you know, it's up to Israel and Palestine to negotiate the status of Palestine. Palestine, as you know, is an observer state of the United Nations. It has its territory, and the territorial integrity of Palestine needs to be respected. Pam?
Question: Thanks, Farhan. On Gaza aid, the [Donald J.] Trump Administration today... Jared Kushner said there was... surprisingly, he said, but strong coordination between the United Nations and Israel, which seems to be a change. Does the Secretary-General agree with that? I mean, does the UN agree with that? And does that make the ICJ decision or at least some of their opinion on lack of coordination out of date? Thanks.
Deputy Spokesman: I think, if you've been paying attention to the daily briefings we've been doing from Gaza, you will have noticed aspects in which we've had aid that we were able to get in and aspects in which we've had aid get blocked. Every day, we have information on that. In fact, I read out some of that just a few minutes ago. So, that is what the state of coordination is. Certainly, the Secretary-General welcomes the issuance of the opinion by the International Court of Justice. But, one of the things to focus on is that the court emphasized the obligation of Israel to allow and facilitate humanitarian relief schemes by the United Nations, including by UNRWA, the UN Relief and Works Agency [for Palestine Refugees in the Near East], and other impartial actors for so long as the population in Gaza remains inadequately supplied. So, that is the cooperation that we expect to have, and as the ICJ determined, that is part of Israel's legal obligation.
Question: But, just to clarify, both Tom Fletcher and Jared Kushner said there was a lot more aid going in under the new plan. Is that not the view of the UN?
Deputy Spokesman: I just told you that there is more aid going in, but right now, if you listen to the first thing I said at the start of the briefing, I pointed out that only two crossing points, Kissufim and Kerem Abu Salem, are open right now. We need to have more crossing points open. We need to get more aid in. So, yes, the cooperation has improved in recent days since the ceasefire, but much more needs to be done. Dezhi?
Question: Sorry. Bear with me. I have several questions. You just described that among 10 humanitarian operation inside Gaza, 6 have been granted, which means 4 have been rejected. What's the excuse for the rejection?
Deputy Spokesman: I applaud you for your math skills, and I would refer you to Israel for any reasoning about why things were rejected.
Question: I was wondering, because we have another ceasefire this January. Can you compare these two ceasefires so far? Is the scale-up of the humanitarian operation in this ceasefire as much as the previous one? Or this one has been cut, due to the crossings issue you just mentioned?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, I did mention what the issues are this time around, including the fact that several of the crossings we need remain closed. We really want the Erez Crossing and the Rafah Crossing to be opened. Beyond that though, the real test is whether this ceasefire lasts longer than the previous one. Our sad experience of the previous one is that we were able to get sufficient aid in for many months of food, water, and fuel. But after two months of ceasefire, everything closed down.
Question: Right. Another thing is among those humanitarian operations inside Gaza — is there a presence of UNRWA you just mentioned?
Deputy Spokesman: UNRWA continues to be present and continues to go about its work. We have long stated and accurately stated that UNRWA is the backbone of our humanitarian operations. They go into the communities and provide a lot of the services that are needed.
Question: So, Secretary-General, in his response to the ICJ ruling, he said that he hopes that Israel would abide by the opinion. Butm today, multiple Israeli officials, including the Ambassador of Israel to the UN, Ambassador [Danny] Danon, said that this decision is "a shameful decision". And he said he should blame these UN organs, not Israel. So, it's a very clear objection. It's a clear rejection to what this opinion, how would that go. What's the response from the Secretary-General?
Deputy Spokesman: We are counting on the Government of Israel to abide by its legal obligations. I'm not going to respond to the rhetoric by this or that official. Yes. Stefano?
Question: Yes. As a follow-up, Norway said that it's going to present a resolution of the General Assembly on this issue. What does the Secretary-General think that it's a good idea to also have a resolution by this General Assembly then enforce what the Court of Justice just said?
Deputy Spokesman: That's not the first time that the General Assembly has done that. Obviously, matters like that are in the hands of the Member States, and we leave it to them. Kris, and then Abdelhamid.
Question: Farhan, it's being reported this morning that President Trump and President [Vladimir V.] Putin are no longer going to be meeting, and that Foreign Minister Sergey V. Lavrov will not be coming to the United Nations later this week. Is the SG playing any kind of role in trying to revive these talks? And any insight as to why the Russian [Federation] Foreign Minister will not be coming later this week?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, regarding that, the bilateral talks between the two countries remain for them to resolve. We will leave that matter to them. We, of course, are willing and ready to support all efforts to address the crisis in Ukraine.
Question: Has the SG had any kind of conversations or talks with the Trump Administration on this or with the Russian [Federation] Government?
Deputy Spokesman: Not on this particular set of meetings. Obviously, he's been in talks, including on the margins of the UN General Assembly, with the US and Russian officials about the issues in Ukraine, and you're aware of where we stand on that issue. Yes, Volodymyr?
Question: Thank you, Farhan. President [Volodymyr] Zelenskyy has said Ukraine is ready to end the war through diplomacy with a ceasefire along the current line of contact, a position supported by the Secretary-General. However, Putin's Russia continues to reject all peace proposals. In your view, what arguments and levers could be used to compel Russia to make peace?
Deputy Spokesman: Ultimately, for us, we want to make sure that all the nations of the United Nations press upon both Ukraine and the Russian Federation so that they can pursue a negotiated solution in line with the UN Charter, in line with UN resolutions, and in line with the territorial integrity of Ukraine. Abdelhamid?
Question: Thank you, Farhan. It's been 12 days since the ceasefire. Can you give us numbers how many Palestinians killed during this ceasefire period and how many Israelis? And who's to blame for violating the ceasefire?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, the numbers we have of Palestinians killed are from the Gaza Ministry of Health, and we'd refer you to them for that. And of course, Israel has put out numbers, including several soldiers who were killed there. Obviously, when there's any ceasefire, it takes some time for a complete cessation of hostilities to take effect on the ground, and we are aware of that. But we implore both sides to do everything they can to make sure that the ceasefire lasts and that there are no further casualties.
Question: My second question, about sports and politics, what is the UN position? Should sport be separated completely from politics, or should it be included? For example, like South Africa was banned from participating in global sports, similar case as Russia. But, now when the issue is raised, Israel should be included, should be banned from World Cup, or they say we should separate politics from sport. What is the UN's exact position?
Deputy Spokesman: Well, you'll have seen the role we've had. We've sometimes encouraged the use of sport as a way to bring nations closer together. And similarly, in the case, as you've just pointed out, of South Africa, there was a way in which sports was used as an avenue to try to engineer some positive change in South African society. And so that is the case of sports. It can be used for such ends, and we leave it to Member States and the discretion of Member States to determine when they believe it's appropriate to do so. Okay. Islam, and then Pam again.
Question: Thank you, Farhan. Yesterday, a US Democratic senator sent letter to President Trump to take stronger public stance against any Israeli move to annex parts of the occupied West Bank. Does the UN support this goal?
Deputy Spokesman: Of course, we are in favour of all steps that discourage any changes to the status quo in the West Bank.
Question: And second question, maybe this is asked before, but I would like to ask again. Gaza officials say that Israel has released around 150 Palestinian bodies who died in prisons. They say some of them tortured brutally, even shot in close range. Plus, some of them has missing parts, suggesting that their body parts were stolen, like eyes, corneas and other body parts. What is the UN reaction to that?
Deputy Spokesman: We're aware of these reports, which are very disturbing. We've always called for the rights of all those detained by the Israeli authorities to be fully respected. And as you know from our human rights office, we've expressed our concerns that those rights are sometimes violated. Pam?
Question: Farhan, turning to Asia, North Korea tested its first nuke — I mean, tested a ballistic missile today for the first time in quite a few months. Does the UN have a reaction?
Deputy Spokesman: We're always concerned about ballistic-missile attacks by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, and we urge all parties on the Korean Peninsula to return to negotiations on the peaceful denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. Alex?
Question: Thanks so much, Farhan. I have a question on completely different issue on the US Government shutdown. Is it somehow affecting the communication between the Secretariat and the US Mission?
Deputy Spokesman: No. We continue to be in regular contact with the US Mission. Farnoosh, you have a question online?
Question: Yeah. Thanks, Farhan. I'm wondering if you could disclose more details about the 12 UN international staff who left Yemen today after being held by Houthi rebels. Does that mean that there's three still left detained? And additionally, did they leave on the country on their own accord, or were they forced to leave?
Deputy Spokesman: They left on their own accord. Regarding the three who are there, those staff had previously been detained in the compound, but they're now free to move, and they're free to travel, if they so choose. But, we do intend to maintain some international staff in Sana'a. So those three are there. And if there's any changes to that, we'll let you know at that point. As for the 12 who moved, some of them, I believe, are now relocating nearby to Amman, Jordan. And we'll let you know of their further travels or their movement back to Yemen, if they come back. Yes, please?
Question: Thank you, Farhan. Just touching a little bit more on the question that was asked previously by my colleague about the ICJ advisory opinion. I know that you said you would rather not comment on some of the rhetoric, but the Israeli foreign ministry rejected the ICJ opinion so much that the statement released today added Israel will not cooperate with an organization that is infested with terrorist activity, saying that UNRWA was infiltrated by Hamas and complicit within the 7 October [2023] massacre. I mean, this is a very bold allegation, and I feel...
Deputy Spokesman: It's a bold allegation that we've refuted several times over the last two years. There have been some individual staff members where concerns were raised. And when those were substantiated, we did in fact take action and we let go of those staff. But, we're talking about an organization that employs thousands of people. And those thousands of people have been vital to our continuing aid efforts that have kept tens of thousands of people alive over the last two years. Alright. Dezhi, and then we'll go to our guests.
Question: I'm very sorry. Since we're talking about UNRWA and Hamas, last time last year, we have the OIOS [Office of Internal Oversight] investigation. I remember last time we heard it, Steph [Dujarric] told us there are people who has been clarified, and some of them has been I mean, some of the cases they have been they have been confirmed and some of them have been, you know, said it's not lack of evidence. But, some of them, you said were still waiting for some more evidence from Israeli authority?
Deputy Spokesman: Yes.
Question: Have you got that? It's one year since that time.
Deputy Spokesman: If we had, we would have given you an update. So, the fact that we haven't means that we did not get it.
Question: Okay. One last thing. This Friday marks the eightieth anniversary of the United Nations. That's exactly the date. Will the Secretary-General come back and commemorate it with the UN staffers here?
Deputy Spokesman: No. As we pointed out to you, he will be in Vietnam, but he will commemorate it from there. Alright. Let's go to our guest. Hold on.
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