United Nations published this video item, entitled “Security Council programme of work for July – Press Conference” – below is their description.
French Ambassador Nicolas de Rivière today (1 Jul) told reporters in New York that in order for the United States and Iran to return to the full implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), “what needs to be done is to finalize a package on nuclear measures that Iran should take and finalize a package for sanctions relief measures that the US should take as well.”
De Rivière said yesterdays’ discussion at the Security Council “was not very helpful on this one,” adding, “I think the question is not who is responsible for what and who do what first. I think it just, you know, in a way it’s pretty irrelevant. And I think it’s a distraction to what needs to be done.”
Turning to Libya, the French Ambassador – who was briefing reporters on the Council’s programme of work for the month of July – said, “whatever the Council can do now to increase the political pressure on the Libyan stakeholders, on the regional stakeholders, to make a better job in terms of securing the ceasefire, in terms of monitoring the ceasefire, in terms of doing what it takes to organize good elections, also to urge foreign elements – whether it’s pro-Turkish or others – to pull out of Libya where they don’t have anything to do, and leave Libya to the Libyans, I think would be the right thing to do.”
On Syria’s cross border mechanism for humanitarian relief, due to expire 10 July, he said, “if you close the cross-border mechanism, this region – meaning the northwest of Syria will suffer a reduction of 50 percent of humanitarian relief. So, these are elders, women, children; they need food, drugs, blankets, sometimes education, and they will not get that anymore. So, it’s a hard choice to make. So, we strongly believe that humanitarian access should be preserved.”
De Rivière told reporters the Council will probably meet tomorrow on the situation in the Tigray region of Ethiopia. He said, “we’ll of course listen to Ethiopia should Ethiopia want to participate, and I encourage myself Ethiopia to participate. So, the meeting still needs to be confirmed, but it’s most likely that it will take place. And I think it’s timely, it can be useful. I am not sure, I don’t know if there will be any outcome, but we’ll see. We will certainly call on the parties to talk, and we will certainly wish to see the Council asking for better humanitarian access and progress on the humanitarian front.”
France holds the presidency of the Council for the month of July
United Nations YouTube Channel
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