The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today’s briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General.
**Briefings
We were supposed to be joined by the head of the UN Development Programme (UNDP), Alexander De Croo, and the High Commissioner for Refugees, Barham Salih, to brief you on Afghanistan. But unfortunately, they had to cancel due to a scheduling issue, but we will try to reschedule it for a later date at some point.
Tomorrow, I will have guests, and my guests will be Felipe Paullier, the Assistant Secretary-General for Youth Affairs, and Sahira Al Nahari, a Young Leader for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). They will be here to brief you on the issues surrounding mental health and football, as I think there are events scheduled later this week.
**High-Level Political Forum
Meanwhile, this morning, the Secretary-General spoke at the Opening of the Ministerial Segment of the High-Level Political Forum. He told the Member States that we have made important progress on the 2030 Agenda for the Sustainable Development Goals. He pointed to lower child and maternal mortality; greater access to social protection, safe drinking water, sanitation, electricity and the Internet; faster declines in harmful practices like child marriage; and exponential growth in renewable energy.
But Mr. [António] Guterres warned that our journey has faced some major setbacks in recent years, and we’re now entering the toughest stretch of our journey. He said that the world is now far from meeting SDG 6, with about 2.2 billion people still lacking safely managed drinking water, and 3.5 billion lacking safely managed sanitation.
The Secretary-General added that artificial intelligence must reduce inequalities and mitigate the environmental impacts and not multiply them.
And, last, the Secretary-General said that we need urgent action to close the SDG financing gap, which now stands at over $4 trillion annually.
**Iran
In a statement we issued yesterday, the Secretary-General expressed his deep concern at the serious escalation and renewed military confrontations in the Gulf region, including the Iranian attacks on ships in the Strait of Hormuz, the attacks by the United States on Iran, and the attacks by Iran ontargets in neighbouring countries. These attacks must all stop, he said.
Mr. Guterres calls on all parties to exercise maximum restraint, avoid further escalatory action and take immediate steps to, in fact, de-escalate.
The Secretary-General reiterates that a return to full-scale hostilities would have catastrophic consequences, for the peoples of the region, for international peace and security, and for the global economy. He further reaffirms the need for the restoration of the full freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
The Secretary-General urges Iran and the United States to urgently resume negotiations and to address outstanding issues through diplomacy.
Speaking of diplomacy, I can confirm that, on his first visit to Iran, the officer-in-charge of the UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon [and Personal Envoy of the Secretary-General on the Middle East conflict and its consequences], Jean Arnault, met Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi. Mr. Arnault outlined the UN efforts for the implementation of resolution 1701 and his understanding of the challenges ahead. He sought the views of Iran on the situation, and the support that countries in the region can provide to the Lebanese aspirations to peace, to sovereignty and to territorial integrity.
**Qatar
And I also want to add that you saw, over the weekend, the Secretary-General issued a statement expressing his deep sadness at the passing of the former Emir of Qatar, [Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al Thani], whom he called a visionary and transformative leader for his country.
The Secretary-General, obviously, extends his condolences to the family of the former Emir, to the people and the Government of Qatar.
**Yemen
Turning to Yemen, in light of heightened regional tensions, we are closely following recent developments related to Yemeni airspace and airports. The Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, has expressed deep concern over the risk of a wider regional escalation and its potential consequences for Yemen.
Mr. Grundberg is actively engaging with all actors, and his Office has been in contact with military representatives from all sides. We urge the parties to de-escalate and refrain from any actions that would risk a new cycle of violence in Yemen.
We call on the parties to engage in dialogue and negotiations under the United Nations auspices to find a way forward that preserves the relative calm Yemen has experienced since 2022 and advance efforts toward a sustainable and peaceful resolution of this conflict.
Separately, this afternoon, the Security Council will meet for a briefing on Yemen. They will hear from Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Europe, the Americas, Asia and the Pacific, Khaled Khiari, as well as Acting Assistant Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, Indrika Ratwatte.
That will be this afternoon. We will share remarks as they become available.
**Lebanon
Turning to the situation in southern Lebanon, our UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) peacekeepers continue to report violations of Security Council resolution 1701, including repeated violations of Lebanese airspace. Yesterday alone, peacekeepers detected 27 airspace violations, with high-intensity aerial activity observed along the coastal road near Al Mansuri. In two instances, peacekeepers reported armed drones departing from Al Bayyadah Hill and releasing grenades.
UNIFIL recorded 12 projectile trajectories attributed to the Israel Defense Forces. Also yesterday, two Merkava tanks halted at the gate of a UN position near Blida in Sector East and fired some 30 rounds of small-arms fire before withdrawing.
Peacekeepers continue to face restrictions on their freedom of movement as well, which remain unacceptable and obviously hampers the mission’s ability to fulfil its mandate, given to it by the Security Council. On Friday, another Israeli tank physically blocked the path of a UN convoy in Sector East.
UNIFIL personnel have in recent days discovered and mitigated multiple explosive hazards and ordnance threats in their area of operations. On Friday, an uncrewed aerial vehicle impacted the ground near Kafr Kela in Sector East, prompting the immediate deployment of a UNIFIL explosive ordnance team to neutralize the resulting unexploded [ordnance]. Yesterday, UNIFIL personnel safely disposed of 4,600 kilograms of liquid explosive (which translates to about 4.6 metric tons) that had previously been discovered stored in jerrycans.
Despite these challenges, UNIFIL facilitated two humanitarian missions in Sectors West and East, in coordination with OCHA (Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs). That took place Friday, after the briefing, I assume.
**Occupied Palestinian Territory
Turning to the Occupied Palestinian Territory, our Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, and Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Ramiz Alakbarov, yesterday condemned the recent obstruction of humanitarian operations by the de facto authorities in Gaza.
Dr. Alakbarov said that these actions have endangered humanitarian personnel, intimidated workers delivering life-saving food assistance and disrupted life-saving humanitarian operations.
He noted that on Saturday, humanitarian workers were forced to halt food distributions after armed personnel affiliated with the de facto authorities forcibly entered a food distribution point in Jabalia, in North Gaza.
Meanwhile, the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) tells us it was last permitted to bring animal feed into Gaza on 4 June.
Since early February, the prices of animal feed in the local market have doubled or even tripled. That depends on the type of feed that people are looking for. That, of course, has undermined recent successes achieved by FAO in decreasing livestock mortality and increasing the number of goats and sheep that are in Gaza.
To protect livestock and strengthen local food availability, humanitarians are calling for renewed access for animal feed imports and for the full and unrestricted entry of essential agricultural supplies by the private sector and aid community.
Turning to the West Bank, OCHA reports that today, a 20-year-old Palestinian trying to cross the Israeli Barrier in the Bir Nabala area into East Jerusalem, apparently in search of job opportunities, was shot and killed.
Since October 2023, the humanitarian community in the Occupied Palestinian Territory has documented the killing of 20 Palestinians and the injury of more than 290 others who were reportedly attempting to cross the barrier, as of 6 June.
Palestinians must always be protected; and, in law enforcement contexts, the use of lethal force must always be a last resort.
**El Niño
Turning to climate: Our friend Tom Fletcher, the Emergency Relief Coordinator, issued a statement earlier today on El Niño, noting that the climate phenomenon is back, and it is expected to bring extreme heat, droughts and floods across Latin America, Eastern and Southern Africa, Asia and the Pacific.
The Emergency Relief Coordinator warned that this comes as many countries are already facing conflict, displacement and high fuel, fertilizer and food prices, and at the same time, the humanitarian system is facing a deep financial crisis. He said the humanitarian community is acting now to reduce the impact, and we are ready to disburse up to $100 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) to support anticipatory action, building on more than $20 million already allocated in six countries.
Mr. Fletcher called for early, flexible funding to match the scale of the risk; for the world to prioritize conflict resolution and support those forced to flee; and for braver climate action.
His statement was shared with you.
**Venezuela
On Venezuela, our OCHA colleagues tell us that we, along with our humanitarian partners, continue to deliver aid and scale up the response in the areas most impacted by the earthquakes in that country. Efforts remain focused on addressing urgent humanitarian needs, such as shelter, water, food and various protection services.
The UN Population Fund (UNFPA) has strengthened gender-based violence prevention in camps, reaching more than 900 people through various awareness-raising activities. In addition, UNFPA and UNHCR (United Nations Refugee Agency) are providing psychosocial support, while UNICEF is providing psychosocial support to children and adolescents. The International Organization for Migration (IOM), for its part, has enhanced its work on preventing sexual exploitation and abuse.
We, along with our partners, are also supporting the transition towards early recovery and restoring essential services to the people in Venezuela impacted by the earthquakes. We are also monitoring the impact of heavy rainfall associated with a new tropical wave, which has caused flooding in parts of the states of Apure, Portuguesa and Amazonas, creating additional humanitarian needs, on top of what already exists.
**Ukraine
In Ukraine, our humanitarian colleagues tell us that intense drone, missile and glide bomb attacks over the weekend killed and injured civilians, and damaged schools, energy and port infrastructure.
The regions of Donetsk, Sumy and Zaporizhzhia were the hardest hit. The regions of Chernihiv, Dnipro, Kharkiv, Kherson, Kyiv and Odesa were also impacted.
In Odesa, attacks damaged a hospital and port infrastructure. The World Food Programme (WFP) warns that continued strikes on Black Sea ports could disrupt Ukraine’s grain exports and increase global food security.
Humanitarian organizations responded rapidly in the Sumy, Kyiv and Odesa regions, providing emergency shelter materials, hot meals, psychosocial support and emergency repairs to various facilities.
Despite continued insecurity, we, along with our partners, continue to deliver life-saving assistance to front-line communities. On 10 July, an inter-agency convoy reached the town of Antonivka, on the outskirts of Kherson City, with food, hygiene supplies and emergency shelter materials for residents affected by the fighting. So far this year, we and our partners have organized 27 humanitarian convoys, reaching more than 21,000 people in front-line areas.
**Afghanistan
I just want to flag a report by UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) highlighting that child food and nutrition insecurity is one of the primary drivers putting 3.7 million children under the age of 5 in Afghanistan at increased risk of undernutrition. The report comes as Afghanistan enters a peak wasting season, with recent data showing that wasting has worsened across 26 of the country’s 34 provinces compared with 2025. Wasting is an acute and potentially life-threatening form of malnutrition.
UNICEF noted that this deterioration is occurring before the July to September peak period, signalling an early and deepening crisis. Children under 2 are disproportionately impacted, accounting for 83 per cent of severe acute malnutrition cases and 77 per cent of moderate acute malnutrition cases.
More information online.
**The Global Higher Education Symposium II
As part of the events taking place alongside the High-Level Political Forum, the second Global Higher Education Symposium (GHES II) will be held today at 1 p.m. at UN Headquarters.
The event will launch the “Consensus Statement on the Unique Position of Higher Education in the Pursuit of Solutions”, developed to inform the global discussion on the role of higher education to shape just and sustainable futures.
It is being organized by UN Academic Impact, which is part of the Department of Global Communications, in partnership with the Sustainable Development Solutions Network, the International Association of Universities, UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) and others.
Adla, and then Gabriel.
**Questions and Answers
Question: Steph, I guess you’ve seen the news that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio wants to dismantle the ICC (International Criminal Court). Does the SG have anything to say?
Spokesman: While the ICC is an organization that is separate from the Secretariat and the UN, it remains for us a critical cog in the international justice system. It is supported by a vast number of Member States, and it helps bring accountability for serious crimes. Gabriel?
Question: Thanks, Steph. A couple questions. The first one’s a follow-up to Adla’s question. In the Wall Street Journal editorial by Marco Rubio, he said or he wrote that he framed it as sovereign States over globalism and called international law a “self-appointed priesthood”. Does the Secretary-General accept that characterization of the system the UN Charter is built on?
Spokesman: International law, the Charter of the United Nations, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, were created by sovereign Member States. And they have brought protection, they have brought relief to millions of people. And they are, as the Secretary-General has often said, under threat and under attack.
Question: What would the Secretary-General’s message be to any countries that are going to be pressured by the United States to pull out of the ICC?
Spokesman: Member States will make their own their own decisions. I think our position on the International Criminal Court and its importance, I answered Adla.
Question: One more, if I may, Steph, on a separate topic. The President of the United States has said today that he plans to reinstate a 20 per cent fee on all ships in the Gulf, in the Strait of Hormuz, I’m sorry. We’ve seen this before, who knows what’s going to happen. My question to you is, does the Secretary-General accept the premise that any Member State can impose a fee on cargo in and out of the Strait?
Spokesman: Look, I think, as you rightly point out, we’ve seen a lot of rhetoric around the Strait of Hormuz. Throughout this crisis, the Secretary-General’s position has been consistent. He wants to see freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, and we said that as late as yesterday. Georgia, and then Abdelhamid.
Question: Thank you, Stéphane. Yesterday, The Independent published some details of the alleged Secretary-General’s and his Personal Envoy’s plan for the solution of Cyprus question. So, my question is whether this corresponds to the actual Secretary-General’s plan, partly or wholly, and do you have any other information to share on that?
Spokesman: I understand your interest and curiosity in the story published by The Independent. I mean, we’ve obviously seen it, we’ve read the story. The Secretary-General and his Personal Envoy, Maria Holguín, remain committed to supporting the leaders in Cyprus towards a resumption of the negotiations.
Question: Can I have one more question? The Secretary-General had a phone call yesterday with the President of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen. Was Cyprus part of the discussion?
Spokesman: Yes, it was. Abdelhamid?
Question: Thank you, Steph. Going back to the statement by Ramiz Alakbarov, he talks about these kinds of militias, but he didn’t specify who is arming them, whom they’re working for, why they are designated to attack convoys and humanitarian points for distribution. So, is that a repetition of Yasser Abu Shabab militia?
Spokesman: He talked about the de facto authorities in Gaza. That’s who he was referring to. He wasn’t referring to various armed militias. He was referring, as you should read his statement, he was referring to the de facto authorities who are in control.
Question: Which means Israel. That’s what I want to understand.
Spokesman: No, I think it does not mean Israel. I would take it as meaning Hamas. Sinan?
Question: Thank you, Steph. I have a question regarding the immigrants and asylum-seekers’ rights. According to credible reports, there have been violations in ICE custodies, and that’s in the US, mass Afghani deportations from Pakistan, over 50,000 deportations in South Africa. A Kurdish actor died in Japanese police custody, and his name is Murad Cicek. And Egyptian immigrants in the Italian custody, more and more. Does the Secretary-General believe independent UN-backed oversight of detention facilities is needed, or will he call for one? And in addition, maybe you can tell me what’s his reaction and what’s his message to those Governments?
Spokesman: I mean, we have seen, over the past years, horrific reports of migrants, asylum-seekers, being held in horrific detention, dying in detention, having their dignity violated, their rights violated, and that has happened — it’s happened in Libya. It’s happened in the US. It’s happened in various European places. Well, it’s happened all over the world, right? For the Secretary-General, what is clear is that every migrant, every asylum-seeker, has a right to be treated with dignity, has a right to be treated with respect to international law. When it comes to asylum-seekers, there are very clear policies when it comes to the Refugee Convention. There is no broad UN mandate to inspect these facilities. The primary responsibility for the respect and upholding of basic rights belongs to the States. They have to uphold those laws. They have to have the mechanisms in place. Obviously, in different places, there is sometimes UN involvement through various UN agencies, but all of these reports are truly shocking and very disturbing. Okay, Abu Sufian. Abu Sufian, I can’t hear you. You’re muted.
Question: Okay, sorry. Thank you, Steph, for doing this. According to DW report, more than 20 people were killed in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, Pakistani forces shooting people in peaceful protest. Does UN Secretary-General aware of it, and what is his comment on that?
Spokesman: I personally haven’t seen those reports, but we will look into it for you. Okay, thank you all for coming on this beautiful, hot Monday. Hasta mañana.