UN / UNDOF

A Spokesperson for Secretary-General António Guterres clarified that Russian military police personnel reportedly patrolling the Syrian-Israeli border, “are not part” of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF). UNIFEED

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:02:05
• Production Date: 3 August 2018
• Asset Language: English
• Personal Subject: FARHAN HAQ
• Corporate Name: UNITED NATIONS DISENGAGEMENT OBSERVER FORCE - UNDOF
• Subject Topical: BORDER INCIDENTS; CONFLICT SITUATION; PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS
• Geographic Subject: ISRAEL; LEBANON; RUSSIAN FEDERATION; SYRIA
• MAMS Id: 2212825
• Parent Id: 2212825
• Alternate Title: unifeed180803c

Description

STORY: UN / UNDOF
TRT: 02:05
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 03 AUGUST 2018, NEW YORK CITY / FILE

Shotlist

FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, exterior United Nations headquarters

03 AUGUST 2018, NEW YORK CITY

2. Wide shot, Farhan Haq at the podium
3. Med shot, journalists
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General:
“The Russian personnel mentioned in press reports are not part of UNDOF. In accordance with the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement and its Protocol, UNDOF is comprised of members of the United Nations who are not permanent members of the Security Council.”
5. Med shot, journalists
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General:
“Currently, more than one-half of the Mission’s military personnel is deployed on the Bravo side, including its headquarters at Camp Faouar. The safety and security of UNDOF and Observer Group Golan personnel remain paramount as the Mission continues to implement its gradual return.”
7. Med shot, journalists
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General:
“As the Secretary-General noted in his latest report on UNDOF, since the resumption of patrolling on the Bravo side in February 2018, the UNDOF mechanized infantry company has conducted in excess of 30 protected patrols from Camp Faouar along designated routes in the northern and central parts of the areas of separation and limitation. The 2 August patrol to the Quneitra crossing point is part of UNDOF’s ongoing efforts to return incrementally to the area of separation. In this regard, UNDOF liaised with both the Syrian Arab Armed Forces through the Senior Syrian Arab Delegate (SSAD) and the Israel Defence Forces in advance of conducting the patrol to the Quneitra crossing area. The SSAD and Russian military police personnel simultaneously conducted a patrol to the area. Any Russian military police presence or planned deployment in the Syrian Arab Republic is separate and distinct from that of UNDOF.”
9. Med shot, journalist
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Farhan Haq, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General:
“Beyond that, UNDOF maintains regular contact with the Israel Defence Forces and Syrian Arab Armed Forces, as well as with relevant interlocutors related to the de-escalation zone in the south-west part of Syria, particularly on the potential implications for UNDOF in relation to the implementation of its mandate and ensuring the freedom of movement of the force as well as the safety and security of its personnel. And so, those contacts would continue.”
11. Wide shot, Farhan Haq walks away from the podium

Storyline

A Spokesperson for Secretary-General António Guterres today (03 Aug) clarified that Russian military police personnel reportedly patrolling the Syrian-Israeli border, “are not part” of the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF).

Speaking to reporters at UN Headquarters, Deputy Spokesperson Farhan Haq noted that “in accordance with the 1974 Disengagement of Forces Agreement and its Protocol, UNDOF is comprised of members of the United Nations who are not permanent members of the Security Council.”

Haq said that currently, “more than one-half of the Mission’s military personnel” is deployed on the Syrian (Bravo) side of the area of separation, “including its headquarters at Camp Faouar.”

He said, “since the resumption of patrolling on the Bravo side in February 2018, the UNDOF mechanized infantry company has conducted in excess of 30 protected patrols from Camp Faouar along designated routes in the northern and central parts of the areas of separation and limitation.”

The 2 August patrol to the Quneitra crossing point, he said “is part of UNDOF’s ongoing efforts to return incrementally to the area of separation. In this regard, UNDOF liaised with both the Syrian Arab Armed Forces through the Senior Syrian Arab Delegate (SSAD) and the Israel Defence Forces in advance of conducting the patrol to the Quneitra crossing area.”

Haq stressed that “the SSAD and Russian military police personnel simultaneously conducted a patrol to the area” and “any Russian military police presence or planned deployment in the Syrian Arab Republic is separate and distinct from that of UNDOF.”

The spokesperson noted that “UNDOF maintains regular contact with the Israel Defence Forces and Syrian Arab Armed Forces, as well as with relevant interlocutors related to the de-escalation zone in the south-west part of Syria, particularly on the potential implications for UNDOF in relation to the implementation of its mandate and ensuring the freedom of movement of the force as well as the safety and security of its personnel.”