The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today’s noon briefing by Stéphane Dujarric, Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

**Ambassador Reed

First of all, unfortunately, I have an announcement. The Secretary‑General expressed his profound sadness at the passing of Ambassador Joseph Verner Reed, whom he called an outstanding supporter of the United Nations.

Ambassador Reed’s long and distinguished service to the UN encompassed four Secretaries‑General and many roles, complementing a career in the private sector and the foreign service of the United States.

The Secretary‑General said Ambassador Reed was one‑of‑a‑kind – a skilled diplomat, a global citizen, an art lover and a dear friend.  The full statement is being issued as we speak.

**Syria

Concerning Syria, we continue to receive reports of ongoing aerial bombardment on eastern Aleppo city, as well as other areas in the Governorate, resulting in civilian casualties and severely damaging civilian infrastructure, including water networks, medical facilities and bakeries.

The United Nations calls for a cessation of hostilities, to put an end to the indiscriminate bombing and shelling to protect civilians, civilian infrastructure, and to enable urgent humanitarian life‑saving assistance.

And, at a minimum, weekly 48‑hour humanitarian pauses are needed to allow humanitarian aid to enter, to allow for medical evacuations and to take those in critical condition out, and to provide civilians respite from the barrage of bombs and attacks.

The UN and our partners have been ready, and remain ready, as soon as conditions allow, to deliver assistance to eastern Aleppo through cross‑border and cross‑line support.  Eastern Aleppo and its estimated population of 275,000 people is now declared as besieged.

**Yemen

And turning to Yemen, the Emergency Relief Coordinator, Stephen O’Brien, is expected to visit Djibouti and Yemen on 1-4 October.

In Djibouti, the Emergency Relief Coordinator is scheduled to meet with key officials and visit local communities supported by humanitarian assistance.

And in Yemen, where he will be from the 2nd to the 4th, Mr. O'Brien will meet officials in Sana'a and see first‑hand the situation of internally displaced families and others who urgently need humanitarian aid.

The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) will give you any information regarding media opportunities during the visit.

**Colombia

Women and men from the Government of Colombia, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia‑People’s Army – the FARC‑EP – and international observers from the UN Mission in the country have started working together at the joint bilateral ceasefire and cessation of hostilities Monitoring and Verification Mechanism Headquarters in Bogota.

On Monday, representatives of the Government, the FARC‑EP and the UN Mission begin joint activities in the first five of eight regional offices.  They are also planning and coordinating logistics for regional offices and zones where the separation of forces will take place.

And also on Colombia, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, wrapped up a six‑day visit to Colombia yesterday, during which he witnessed the signing of the Peace Agreements. He described it as a deeply moving experience.

The High Commissioner said that he would pay close attention to the fulfilment of the guarantees for the protection of members of the FARC from physical violence and stigmatization. Similarly, he said he would not hesitate to speak out or intervene if elements of the FARC fail to carry out their commitments.

The Government and the FARC, and everyone involved in this process, must now raise our game, Zeid said, stressing that we simply cannot afford to let things slip and disillusion set in.  His remarks are available online.

**South Sudan

And our colleagues from the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in South Sudan are increasingly concerned for the safety and well‑being of some 100,000 people trapped in Yei, South Sudan, about 150 kilometres south‑west of the capital Juba.

Over 30,000 people have reportedly been displaced in the area following attacks on civilians and looting earlier this month.  They joined several thousand others displaced from nearby Lainya County since mid‑July, and up to 60,000 town residents who remain in the town with no means to leave and who are now in as much need as those who have been displaced by the conflict.  More information online.

**Ukraine

And turning to Ukraine, our colleagues at UNHCR (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees) said today that restrictions on the movement of people in eastern Ukraine – now in their second year – have led to increased hardships and limited the access of thousands of people to health care and social payments.

The Agency called on authorities to ease the plight of 26,000 people crossing the dividing line between Government‑controlled and non‑Government‑controlled areas in eastern Ukraine.

The agency said that these people face exhausting procedures, including having to wait long hours in line to cross to see their relatives, purchase goods and medicines or resolve documentation issues in order to get their pensions and benefits.

**Press Briefing

After we’re done here, you’ll hear from the President of the General Assembly, the 71st Session, Peter Thomson.

And at 11 a.m. on Monday, Lenni Montiel, the Assistant Secretary‑General for Economic Development in DESA (Department of Economic and Social Affairs), and Diana Alarcón, the Chief of the Development Strategy and Policy Unit at DESA, will present the World Economic and Social Survey 2016.

At 1 p.m., there will be a press stakeout by Kristalina Georgieva. That will take place on the 2nd floor GA (General Assembly) stakeout area.

And at 5 p.m., Ambassador [Vitaly] Churkin, the President of the United Nations Security Council for the month of October, will be here to answer your questions, which is what I’ll do now.

**Questions and Answers

Spokesman:  Masood?

Question:  Yes, sir.  Stéphane, this morning, Pakistan's ambassador to the United Nations met with the Secretary‑General and discussed the escalating tensions between India and Pakistan.  And do you have any sort of… as to what they discussed and as what… because she apparently, I believe, that she even asked him to call the Prime Minister of India and Pakistan.  Is that true? 

Spokesman:  Well, you seem to have a better readout than I do of the meeting.  Yes, they did meet at the request of the Permanent Representative.  You know, we do not give readouts of the Secretary‑General's meetings with the PRs.  I can obviously tell you that the Secretary‑General is following the situation along the Line of Control between India and Pakistan with great concern and the increased tensions along the Line of Control, as well as the escalating rhetoric between the two countries.  As I said yesterday, the UN Observer Group for India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) is aware of the reports of presumed ceasefire violations and is liaising with the concerned authorities to obtain further information.  The Secretary‑General urges the Governments of India and Pakistan to exercise maximum restraint and address the outstanding issues peacefully and through dialogue.  He would welcome all proposals in that regard as well as de-escalating initiatives… any de-escalation initiatives.  The Secretary‑General also recalls the role played by UNMOGIP, which is deployed to observe, to the extent possible, developments pertaining to the strict observance of the 1971 ceasefire and to report thereon to the Secretary‑General.  UNMOGIP has not directly observed any firing across the Line of Control related to the latest incidents. 

Question:  Thank you.  Does the Secretary-General have any plans to call the Indian Prime Minister? 

Spokesman:  If we have anything to share on that regard, I will share them with you.  Yes, go ahead and then Edie.

Question:  Sorry, what you just said, that UNMOGIP did not observe any firing across the Line; the Indians are saying basically that the surgical strikes did go.

Spokesman:  What I'm saying is that UNMOGIP has not directly observed any of the… any firing.  They're obviously aware of the reports of these presumed violations, and they're talking to the relevant… to the concerned authorities.  Edie? 

Question:  Thank you, Steph.  Does the Secretary‑General have any comment on the comments today by the President of the Philippines, who likened his drug war, antidrug war, to the massacre of 3 million Jews by Hitler and said, “There's 3 million drug addicts.  I'd be happy to slaughter them.”

Spokesman:  I think any use of the Holocaust and the suffering of the Holocaust in comparison to anything else, frankly, is inappropriate, and it's to be rejected.  The Secretary‑General, I think, has made it clear, as have others in the UN system, of the need for the fight against the illegal use of drugs to be done in accordance with human rights standards, with international law, with a focus on the users and rehabilitation.  And that is… has been his position.  Mr. Lee.  Then Carla. 

Question:  I wanted to ask you about two things that happened at the Human Rights Council today on topics on which the Secretary‑General has had some involvement.  One was on Yemen, where a call for an Independent Commission of Inquiry was rejected and, basically, it's going to have some UN component to a Yemeni inquiry.  There's also… so I'm wondering, does he think that that's sufficient, given the accountability issues?  And also, this move of the Central Bank.  Many humanitarian groups have said this is basically going to further exacerbate the humanitarian situation.  I wonder if it's something that he discussed with his envoy yesterday or has any thoughts on? 

Spokesman:  I think on the Central Bank, we'd answered when you asked that question, and our position was made clear to you, and there's no change in that.  The Secretary‑General had a very good update from his Special Envoy yesterday.  The Special Envoy is on his way to Saudi Arabia and then other points in the region to resume his discussions.  On your first part, I haven't seen the details of the… of what was agreed upon in the Human Rights Council.  Obviously, the Human Rights Council is the master of its own activities, but the Secretary‑General has always underscored the need for accountability for the crimes that have been committed and continue to be committed in Yemen.

Question:  How about a country rejecting a Human Rights Council resolution?  There's now supposed to be an independent panel on Burundi, but the Government in its comments… 

Spokesman:  I think every… I think all… every Member State has a duty to abide by the decisions made by legislative organs of this organization.

Question:  And do you have an answer on Nahimana, the Burundian…?

Spokesman:  No, sir.  Carla.  Then Sherwin. 

Question:  Thank you.  You may already have addressed this, but it's a bit confusing.  Last, I believe it was Wednesday, the Bulgarian mission gave a reception…  

Spokesman:  If you're asking about anything having to do with whoever my next boss will be, I would ask you to ask that question for the next PGA (President of the General Assembly).  To the next person [speaking], who is the PGA.

Question:  It's just very confusing, because they backed one candidate and said she was superiorly qualified.

Spokesman:  I'm not going to argue whether there was confusion or no confusion.  I just… it's not my remit to speak about those things and to try to unfortunately clear up the confusion, which I think people would like not to be confused.  Sherwin?

Question:  Maybe this is in your remit to comment on.

Spokesman:  So little is actually in my remit. 

Question:  The State Department has issued a travel warning for the DRC (Democratic Republic of the Congo).  In fact, most official travel to the DRC has been stopped, and family members of U.S. personnel have been ordered to leave the country.  What's the UN's reading of the situation, and what contingency plan is MONUSCO (United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo) putting in place?  Particularly in the cities, which isn't really… hasn't been really a focus.  I mean, they're very focused in Goma, on the eastern parts of the country.  What contingency arrangements are being made in case there's, as many suspect…  

Spokesman:  Well, you know, I think the peacekeeping mission in the country is very much aware of the delicate situation in terms of the potential for violence, as we've seen recently, and the need for people to be able to exercise their rights to express themselves freely without harassment from security forces.  So they're very much on top of the situation.  If you're asking me about contingency plans for the UN itself, obviously those are reviewed on a constant basis.  It's a peacekeeping mission in a challenging environment, so there are always contingency plans in place.

Question:  The UN has in the past called for political dialogue, as it does in most of these instances.  I mean, the crux of the matter is here that President [Joseph] Kabila's term will end in December and whether there will be an election or not and whether parties can agree to that.  What role is the UN playing in that dialogue?  What would you like to see from President Kabila?

Spokesman:  I think we would like to see a peaceful resolution to the current tensions, the Constitution to be followed.  The UN is there to play a supporting role in this political dialogue.  Mr. Klein?

Question:  Thank you.  Just want to clarify something you had said previously in response to another question.  If I heard you correctly, you said it is a duty of every Member State to follow the decisions of the legislative organs of the UN.  As far as I know, the only binding resolutions out of the UN on the Member States come out of the Security Council.

Spokesman:  I didn't say… I think… I think…  

Question:  I think you said it was a duty.

Spokesman:  We would expect… I think Member States should follow the decisions made by legislative bodies.  Obviously, different resolutions have different enforcement mechanisms, they're under different chapters or things like that.  It doesn't mean they can't and should not be followed.

Question:  Well, isn't that kind of an overgeneralization since in some cases, what comes out in some of these bodies, and I don’t know what you’ve defined…

Spokesman:  I'm a master of overgeneralization. [Laughter] And I know you have a law degree, which I don’t.

Question:  To be more specific, A), what do you define as legislative bodies of the UN?  Is it just the General Assembly?  Is the Human Rights Council a legislative body?  And, secondly, in some cases, you know, there's… there are claims that recommendations, decisions, outputs from these bodies interfere with the national sovereignty of the Member States.

Spokesman:  I don't disagree with your question, but I stand by my answer. 

Question:  Thank you, Steph.  Yesterday, after the afternoon session of the Security Council, the transmission for the stakeout was suddenly stopped, and later I learned that it was the ambassador of the Arab Republic of Syria, Ambassador [Bashar] Ja’afari, that was speaking at the stakeout.  Is there any reason for this? 

Spokesman:  I'm not aware.  It's the first I've heard of it.  I'm happy to look into it.

Question:  Is there any possibility, since I understand cameras were still rolling, to have a recording of what Ambassador Ja’afari said?

Spokesman:  I watched… I think I watched the… he spoke for about 25 minutes at the stakeout.  I watched it later on Web TV, and it worked fine.  But I'm happy to check into the issues you raise.  Pam?

Question:  On the security of other agencies and councils, the Human Rights Council's appointed panel of experts suggested that the United States pay reparations for slavery, for the slave trade.  Has the Secretary‑General made any comments on that? 

Spokesman:  No.  I haven't read it fully.  I have nothing to say toward that.

Question:  Would you consider the fact that he made this recommendation a duty of the United States to follow?

Spokesman:  A recommendation is a recommendation.  I think we'll leave it at that, Counselor. 

Question:  Stéphane, I was wondering if you have an update on the Secretary‑General's consideration of various options to investigate the bombing of the aid convoy? 

Spokesman:  Yes, I had been expected to be able to announce something to you today, so it may come either later today or Monday.

Question:  Can you tell us a bit more? 

Spokesman:  I wish.  [He later issued the following statement:  The Secretary-General has decided to establish an internal United Nations Board of Inquiry to investigate the incident involving a United Nations – Syrian Arab Red Crescent relief operation to Urum al-Kubra, Syria, on 19 September 2016. In the evening of 19 September, as 31 trucks delivered lifesaving assistance in Urum al-Kubra, a few kilometres west of Aleppo city, humanitarians came under fire.  At least 18 people, including the head of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent in Urum al-Kubra, were killed.  The warehouse where supplies were being unloaded, as well as a nearby medical clinic, were also severely damaged.  The Board of Inquiry will ascertain the facts of the incident and report to the Secretary-General upon the completion of its work.  The Secretary-General will review the report and decide what further steps to take.  The Secretary-General urges all parties concerned to cooperate fully with the Board.]  Sherwin.  Then Edie.

Question:  When can we expect… I mean, maybe I missed this.  When can we expect the report on the investigation into the Terrain Hotel in South Sudan?  It’s the end of the month now.

Spokesman:  Soon-ish, I would hope.

Question:  You're running a bit late.

Spokesman:  Clearly.  No, I think there were some delays… I think as we said… in their travel, due to the Security Council mission which went to Juba, and that limited the ability for the… of the peacekeeping mission, given the current circumstances, to host both at the same time.  Edie?

Question:  Who represented the United Nations at the funeral of Shimon Peres? 

Spokesman:  Nickolay Mladenov, the Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process.  Mr. Lee?

Question:  A couple of letters and then something else.  I had asked you yesterday about this letter that's been circulated in the Fourth Committee from the Frente Polisario to the Secretary‑General.  Have you… you said… 

Spokesman:  I have not seen it yet.

Question:  Okay.  Well… okay.  I'm assuming you've seen this one.  The staff union yesterday wrote to the Secretary‑General, cc Mr. [Yukio] Takasu, critical of decisions that he's made to basically circumvent considering consultation with the unions.  This follows their criticism of this outplacement of staff from the… off… the Executive Office memo.  So I'm wondering, what is the process?  Is there… do you have an interlocutor in terms of the New York staff union, and what's your response to this letter from the union? 

Spokesman:  Well, I think there are mechanisms to which the staff union can express themselves, and they're using it.  As far as I know, the lack of clarity or confusion, to use the term used earlier in this briefing, on the New York staff union continues. 

Question:  And I wanted to ask, yesterday I tried to ask you something, and it ended rather abruptly.  I just want to ask you a factual question. 

Spokesman:  I'm really sorry.

Question:  No.  No.  I mean, so you say.  But I want to ask you something very factual because it's… and this comes from… this is a labour… you're saying that they have a right to say it, but the number of people that are concerned about the particular promotion… you said that there are many ways to move from G to P.  And I've read staff rules 4.16-2i that says there's only one way, and it's called competitive exams.  There are people within staff union and just members that want to know, did that take place?  And they also have asked me to ask, and I'm asking, is Eun-ha Kim a relative of Mrs. Ban? 

Spokesman:  I make a case of not talking about personal cases, but I would say, because this colleague's name has been dragged through the mud, thanks to your… It’s a fact.  It’s a fact.  She has absolutely no relation to the Secretary‑General or his spouse.  Every process is being followed.  If people feel process is being violated, there are various mechanisms through which that can be addressed. I will get the PGA.