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U.N. Security Council Meets on Ethiopia Research; Major Averages Headed for Record Close after Jobs Report; U.N. Security Council Discusses Crisis In Ethiopia's Tigray; Boeing 737 Cargo Plane Makes Emergency Landing Near Honolulu; Australia Sets Four-Phase Pathway To Contain An Outbreak. Aired 3-4p ET
Aired July 02, 2021 - 15:00:00 ET
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[15:00:14]
RICHARD QUEST, CNN BUSINESS HOST: There's an hour to go before trading at the end of the week and the start of a long holiday weekend in the United
States, and the Dow, a good close and a record. We have nudged above it, the number you're looking for is 34,777, so we are a smidgeon below, but
who can tell what will be happening over the next few minutes.
The markets and how they look and the main events of the day. We'll be live at the United Nations where the Security Council is about to hold critical
meetings on Ethiopia.
Think of it as just the job, U.S. unemployment numbers have sent markets to those fresh time highs.
And Germany's Finance Minister tells CNN, he is confident a global tax deal can be achieved.
We are live in New York on Friday, second of July -- where has the year gone -- I'm Richard Quest and I mean business.
Good evening. The day's business agenda in just a moment after we bring you the breaking news coming from the United Nations.
For the first time since Civil War broke out in Northern Ethiopia, diplomats of the U.N. Security Council are preparing to discuss the
horrifying violence in Tigray.
Over the last eight months, the region has been scarred by brutal fighting and reports of atrocities by Eritrean and Ethiopian militaries. By many
accounts, the conflict bears the hallmarks of genocide. It has the potential to destabilize the wider Horn of Africa.
The violence has plunged the people of Tigray into humanitarian crisis. There are hundreds of thousands of people threatened by famine. A key
bridge used to deliver aid to the region has been destroyed. The U.N. says forces aligned with the European government are reportedly responsible.
Now, this meeting has been convened in part because of months of exclusive reporting from CNN's Nima Elbagir. She and her team have helped expose the
horrors being perpetrated by Ethiopian soldiers in Tigray for the world to see.
Here is the latest reporting in collaboration with Amnesty International.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
NIMA ELBAGIR, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice over): One by one, they enter the church, carrying in sacks all that's left of loved ones
executed by Ethiopian soldiers. Villagers risking their lives to retrieve these remains. But this is not just about closure, this is fresh evidence
of a genuine massacre.
Throughout the months-long conflict in its Tigray region, Ethiopia has promised to hold all who break the law accountable, but they haven't.
QUEST: Our CNN correspondent Richard Roth is at the United Nations in Europe and Larry Madowo is in Nairobi.
Richard Roth, how difficult has it been just to get this meeting regardless of whether anything useful is going to come from it?
RICHARD ROTH, CNN SENIOR U.N. CORRESPONDENT: For western countries, it has been extremely difficult. Ireland, Norway, the United States, U.K.
exasperated as the crisis rolled on and the death toll went up. They couldn't even get rest of the Council to agree hold a public meeting.
You're now watching the start of the first public discussion of this Tigray crisis. There were six private meetings where it was clear there were major
differences, as there are on issues ranging from Syria to Myanmar at the Security Council.
But this time today, we are going to have the Ethiopian representative speak publicly and defend his government's actions and he will probably
take a lot of criticism from the other countries -- Richard.
QUEST: There we see the Ethiopian representative to the United Nations taking his seat. Talk us through this, please, Richard, join me. These are
the various other people who are not members, either permanent or temporary members of the Council, but who are invited to join to give their point of
view.
ROTH: That is correct. Any time a topic, a country comes up, they are invited to speak usually. And they will not speak until, I believe, the
full Council, all 15 other countries, will speak. We'll hear some briefings from the humanitarian officials at the U.N. before that.
The U.S. Ambassador spoke to reporters just moments ago outside the Council chambers. She said this is first time we are showing quote, "That African
lives matter like lives around the rest of the world." She says, this shows the Council is acting.
[15:05:06]
ROTH: Earlier, she said that we want action. I don't think people struggling to survive in Tigray thinks that this is a great piece of
action. Let's listen to Rosemary DiCarlo, the Undersecretary for Political Affairs.
ROSEMARY DICARLO, U.N. UNDERSECRETARY-GENERAL FOR POLITICAL AFFAIRS: ... Ethiopian National Defense Force and the provisional Tigray administration
withdrew from Tigray's capital, Mekelle.
On 27th - 28th June, the Tigray Defense Force entered major towns and cities of Tigray, including Adwa, Axum, Shire, and Himora.
The TDF are now in Mekelle.
The situation in Mekelle is reportedly calm and the TDF appear to be in control of the city. The reports indicate that leaders of the previous
Tigray regional administration including its former President have returned to Mekelle.
As of today, the TDF has yet to agree to a ceasefire.
While there have been no reports of serious incidents, basic services to support humanitarian delivery are absent. Mekelle has no electrical power
or internet. Key infrastructure has been destroyed, and there are no flights entering or leaving the area.
Elsewhere in Tigray, the Eritrean Defense Force has withdrawn to areas adjacent to the border, while in the west of Tigray, the Amhara Regional
Force remains in place despite advances by the TDF.
On 29th June, the Amhara branch of the ruling Prosperity Party issued a statement warning that Amhara Regional Forces would oppose any attempts by
the TDF to take territory in western Tigray, which was seized during the conflict.
In short, there is potential for more confrontations and a swift deterioration in the security situation, which is extremely concerning. The
ceasefire announcement provides an opportunity that all parties to the conflict including the TPLF must seize and build upon.
In this regard, we urge the TDF to endorse the ceasefire immediately and completely.
As the Undersecretary General for -- as the Acting Undersecretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Relief Coordinator will outline, our immediate
concern is focused on those in urgent need of assistance in Tigray.
Food and security has only continued to worsen in recent days. We must scale up the response.
All parties must ensure the safe passage of humanitarian workers for the continued delivery of supplies. The destruction of the Tekeze Bridge on 1
July effectively cut off Central Tigray from western Tigray closing a vital artery for humanitarian assistance.
A ceasefire observed by all parties would not only facilitate the provision of humanitarian aid but would also be a starting point for the necessary
political efforts to chart a way out of the crisis.
The conflict in Tigray is a result of deep rooted political grievances that can only be resolved through dialogue and a credible political process.
QUEST: So, the words there from the Undersecretary, more confrontation and a swift deterioration of the current situation. There will be more
briefings.
Larry Madowo is with me from Nairobi.
The loss of the bridge and the direct link that took place that she referred to, this idea of more confrontation and the fundamental principle
that something must be done.
LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Richard, and the Ethiopian government today saying they cannot guarantee the safety of humanitarian
actors in Tigray or even the safe passage of aid to the people that need it unless the TDF, the Tigrayan fighters are forced to adhere to this
unilateral ceasefire they declared on Monday.
We know that the Tigrayan fighters have said this is a sick joke and they will not agree to it because they were not consulted when the Ethiopian
government, the Tigray military pulled out of Tigray because according to the military and according to the government for humanitarian reasons.
And so, the fear from the humanitarian community, from aid agencies, from the U.N., from people that work in this region, is that unless they agree
to this unilateral ceasefire and allow for access to the people that need it, allow for the withdrawal of Eritrean troops and allow for an
investigation, that there might be still violence here for months and weeks to come.
QUEST: So, to explain to those of us who are not as familiar with the details here, aid going in is threatened by whom? The Ethiopian/Eritrean
forces or the Tigrayan forces from the regional administration?
[15:10:15]
MADOWO: At this stage, it is more likely the Tigrayan forces because they are in control of a large part of Tigray, there are still parts in the west
that are under the Amhara Special Forces that the Ethiopian military say they have largely pulled out of Tigray even though there are reports that
there are still Eritrean forces also in this region.
So, these are the parties to this conflict. The Tigrayan government, this organization that the Ethiopian government considers a terrorist
organization, has also put up their own statement where they say they will support the access to the region for humanitarian workers, and so the
Ethiopian government is saying, listen, we've pulled out. You need to allow people to -- you need to allow aid agencies to access the people that need
help.
And the Tigrayan fighters are saying, we are allowing them to go through, however there is still very limited access. The World Food Programme only
today began to do some shipments and they are saying, they still don't have unfettered access to the entire region.
QUEST: Richard Roth, you're still with me. We are going to hear next, I believe from Ramesh Rajasingham, the Undersecretary for Humanitarian
Affairs. I'm guessing this is going to be a sort of a recitation of the appalling conditions and atrocities. But again, I come back to this because
I don't want viewers to be fooled. Is the Security Council doing any good here?
ROTH: Well, this may sound familiar to you, maybe not, but sometimes with these types of meetings held, sometimes you can put all the words in a
trash can at midnight in Manhattan and that's the exact outcome.
But some countries do listen to the Security Council eventually, sometimes they don't comply after some fake acknowledgement.
The idea was to use the opening of this unilateral declaration of a ceasefire by the Ethiopian government, use that as an opening to convince
the countries that were blocking this public meeting to get them on at least have this meeting and maneuver around them.
Look, sometimes you've seen different U.N. crises. Some go on for years and something can happen.
It doesn't look good, obviously. This is six months afterwards. This is what it takes to actually hold a public meeting. That is way the place here
has been set up.
When the big powers, as Boutros Ghali and Kofi Annan used to say, when the big elephants are duking it out on the grass, you have got to make way.
They control the place and they can't agree.
QUEST: Larry, Ethiopia has a very checkered sort of public relations, if you like. The country is, you know, from its airline which is known to the
Prime Minister got the Nobel Prize to its wildlife parks, its exports, its coffee, everybody sort of has a touchy-feely good idea about Ethiopia.
But from what we are hearing and we have been hearing in the case of Tigray, it is a very different story.
MADOWO: That is the thing between wresting the public image of Ethiopia in the world and what is happening on the ground. So, for instance, the
Ethiopian government has been unhappy with CNN's reporting of the situation in Tigray. They are unhappy with Nima Elbagir and all of our investigative
work there.
And one Ethiopian Ambassador told me that they don't like CNN's quote, "one-sided reporting" on what is happening there even though majority of
what was reported has been independently verified by other humanitarian actors and whatnot.
Ethiopia is a proud nation. One of the few African countries that was never colonized. They like to say it is the birthplace of coffee.
Kenyan and Ethiopian runners compete all the time, and the Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed was the darling of the West when he won the Nobel Peace prize
only two years ago for his reform credentials, freeing political prisoners, ending a long-running war with Eritrea and yet now, this is the same man
whose army is accused of atrocities in the north of the country including ethnic cleansing, war, and rape as weapons of war which are against
international law.
So, really that public relations blitz that they try to put on comes up against these really devastating facts.
QUEST: Richard Roth, as the day goes on, and we hear from the various parties, with your experience, who should we be particularly listening out
for? I'm not sure Richard Roth can hear me.
ROTH: I could -- I have a very bad line. It almost sounds like I'm in Ethiopia compared to you in New York. If you could repeat that question,
Richard?
QUEST: Of course. Who should we be listening out for today? What are the key moments that we need watch out for?
ROTH: I think the next speaker might present some very stark horrifying numbers as to the people who face famine. The U.N. and World Food Programme
has talked about 350,000 people facing famine. They can't get the aid in. That's the next speaker.
QUEST: Let's listen -- let's listen to that speaker. It is Ramesh Rajasingham, the U.N. Acting Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian
Affairs.
[15:150:19]
RAMESH RAJASINGHAM, U.N. ACTING UNDERSECRETARY-GENERAL FOR HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS: ... with over 350,000 people in catastrophic conditions, the worst
famine situation we have seen in decades.
In the short space of time, since then, the situation has worsened dramatically. You've just heard from Undersecretary DiCarlo about the
political and security dynamics in Tigray and Ethiopia. What I would like to speak about is the humanitarian situation.
This, I'm afraid is more alarming than when you were briefed two and a half weeks ago. Two million people are still displaced and close to 5.2 million
people still require humanitarian assistance. The great majority of them, women and children.
One of the most distressing trends is an alarming rise in food insecurity and hunger due to conflict. More than 400,000 people are estimated to have
crossed the threshold into famine, and another 1.8 million people are on the brink of famine.
Some are suggesting the numbers are even higher; 33,000 children are severely malnourished and moreover, the food and security crisis will
continue to worsen through the impending rainy season as food supplies are exhausted and the risk of flooding and water-borne diseases including
cholera, increases.
Considering where we already are, this means that more people will die certainly if we do not reach them with humanitarian assistance.
Let me also emphasize that what we are seeing in Tigray is a protection crisis. On 22 June, an air strike on a busy market in Togoga killed and
injured dozens of civilians. This is just one of many times when civilians have been killed in the eight months of conflict in Tigray.
As has been widely reported by senior U.N. officials, the society, and others, we have multiple, credible, and widely corroborated cases of
serious sexual and gender-based violence. More than 1,200 cases have been reported with more continuing to emerge.
This is, likely, we fear only a fraction of actual cases as stigma, shame, fear of reprisals, as well as the lack of health and psychosocial services
leading to underreporting.
All parties of the conflict must respect their obligations under international humanitarian law. Attacks directly against civilians and
indiscriminate attacks are prohibited.
Allegations of serious violations must be thoroughly and independently investigated by the state and the perpetrators must be prosecuted
regardless of who they are.
Mr. President, to recall what should already be obvious to all of us, humanitarian workers must never be a target. Still last week, three
humanitarian colleagues from Medecins Sans Frontieres were brutally and deliberately murdered in Tigray. This, only weeks after aid workers from
the Relief Society of Tigray and the International Committee for the Development of Peoples were killed on 29 May and 28 April, respectively.
Twelve humanitarian workers have now been killed since the start of the conflict.
Despite the challenges, humanitarian workers continue to work to reach people in desperate need. In the last two months, 3.7 million people have
received emergency assistance, 167,000 displaced persons have received nonfood items, and 630,000 people have been reached by water trucks.
However, it is estimated over 2.5 million people in rural Tigray have not had access to essential services over the last six months. This includes
many of the people facing famine and is also part of reason that they face famine.
The lives of many of these people depend on our ability to reach them with food, medicine, nutritional supplies, and other humanitarian assistance,
and we need to reach them now, not next week -- now.
As you've heard us say before, to do so, we need timely, unimpeded, safe, and sustained access. International humanitarian law requires all parties
to a conflict to facilitate this.
Let me explain what this looks like and be clear about what exactly we are asking for.
Over the past few days, our colleagues in Mekelle have been able to move towards Abd Adi and Samre and from Shire teams have reached Selekleka and
have travelled from Axum to Adwa. This is positive and we now plan to dispatch convoys with humanitarian supplies to areas -- many of the areas
which have been difficult to reach for us before.
But we can only do so for as long as we have something to deliver.
Today, WFP has enough food for only one million people for the next month in Mekelle. This is a fraction of what we need for the 5.2 million people
who need food aid. However, we have also almost run out of health, water, sanitation and other nonfood items kits. Food alone does not avert a
famine. Water, sanitation, and nutrition supplies are essential in such a response. We also desperately need to prevent a cholera outbreak or people
dying from other communicable diseases.
[15:20:26]
QUEST: There we have -- that is the U.N. Acting Undersecretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs with an extremely grim review of the current
situation.
We're going to continue to monitor what's happening at the Security Council because we're going to want to hear later on, maybe not in our time, but
from Ethiopia, their point of view, and of course, hear from the other major parties. That's coming up.
We have our business agenda which we will turn to. The Dow is at a record high after the strongest U.S. jobs report in months. There you see the
numbers. It is QUEST MEANS BUSINESS. We are back in a moment.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
QUEST: Every possibility of records all around on Wall Street as we come to the finish of the week. We'll continue to watch events at the United
Nations while we look at the market.
At the moment, S&P is headed for its seventh consecutive record close. The NASDAQ and the Dow, record closes, too. The NASDAQ has to be up 12 points
to finish at a record. The Dow has to be up around 145, so as can see what both are over at the moment.
U.S. markets are excited about the headlines jobs figure. That's what it was. The estimate was 706K, the actual was 850K, well above estimates.
President Biden took credit saying the historic progress was thanks to his Rescue Plan.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
JOE BIDEN (D), PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: This is historic progress. Pulling our economy out of the worst crisis in a hundred years driven in
part by our dramatic progress in vaccinating our nation and beating back the pandemic, as well as other elements of the American Rescue Plan.
None of this happened by accident. Again, it is a direct result of the American Rescue Plan and at the time, people questioned whether or not we
should do that even though we didn't have bipartisan support. Well, it worked.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
[15:25:07]
QUEST: The leading sectors for job growth show the shape of the recovery. Leisure and hospitality, mainly they were the ones of course that took us
down first. Government, business, services, and retail. It is leisure and hospitality at the focus. The pandemic absolutely devastated that sector.
Now in the U.S., a mixture of ingredients into the pot that is now simmering and arguably will be back on the boil.
The first, vaccines. Shots have gone into the arms quickly, more quickly. That's allowed the dropping of social distancing rules that made it
difficult to operate restaurants and bars, and clubs.
Then, combine this with a massive stimulus from the Federal government, trillions of dollars in cash, when consumers have now pent-up spending
power and led to a rebound in domestic tourism.
This Independence weekend will rival pre-coronavirus era. With load factors on planes expected to be in the 90s. Amtrak adding trains, road trips
record highs, even gas stations running out of fuel.
Clare Sebastian is here. I don't know anybody that thinks this wasn't a very good jobs report.
CLARE SEBASTIAN, CNN BUSINESS CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Richard. This is the kind of number that a lot of people and many of them on Wall Street have been
waiting for. The last few months have missed expectations. This is really much more in line with what people had hoped for, given what we've seen in
terms of the recovery and consumer spending and GDP projections going forward.
Leisure and hospitality as you say, really important, about 40 percent of the jobs gains came from that area. So, that is significant. But still,
about 13 percent, almost 13 percent below the level that we saw in jobs in leisure and hospitality before the pandemic.
One area really important to focus on is wages. This is something the Fed is going to be closely scrutinizing. We saw average hourly earnings,
Richard, up by 10 cents on the previous month. That's building on significant gains in April and May as well, so that is going to be closely
scrutinized by the Fed.
And some are pointing out that that number could have been even higher because of course, many of the jobs added were in lower wage areas. So, is
it transitory or is it not? The key question for the Fed, I think with wages that is a sticky issue, because once you put them up, it is really
difficult to bring them down again.
QUEST: Right, but related to all of this is obviously, the number of people out of work. The amount they are getting paid. But the anecdotal evidence,
even now is still that it is hard to find workers. And regardless of the reason, some of the signing-on bonuses are quite large.
SEBASTIAN: Yes. Anecdotally, we're certainly hearing, and particular, in leisure and hospitality and retail and some of those lower wage sectors
that employers are really pulling out all the stops to bring workers in.
Wages are the biggest indicator of what looks like a pretty tight labor market out there in this data. But we are also seeing another areas where
there was really high numbers of people quitting their jobs. That actually shows that people feel empowered in this economy to sort of take time-out
and reassess. So, that was certainly an interesting number as well.
I think, again, we have to look over the summer, Richard. Is some of this going to abate as the virus continues to goes down, as children goes back
to school, and as those enhanced unemployment benefits go away in all states in September?
That is really what we should be watching, it is how the next few months play out.
QUEST: Clare Sebastian. Clare, thank you.
We will stay with COVID and the Euro 2020 tournament, which goes into the quarterfinals. Increasing concern tonight that football's premier European
business is starting to look like a potential super spreader event
Look at those pictures and you will see why.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
[15:31:58]
QUEST: I'm Richard Quest. More QUEST MEANS BUSINESS in just a moment. The World Health Organization's warning, the recent euro 2020 matches may have
been super spreader events. Virgin Galactic's head Richard Branson plans to go where no billionaire has gone before one week before Amazon CEO Jeff
Bezos. Before we do that, this is CNN and here are the facts come first.
U.N. Security Council's meeting now and discussing the war in Ethiopia's Tigray region. The federal government declared a unilateral ceasefire last
week, but forces integrators rejected it and vowed to continue their counter offensive. The U.N. officials warning there could be swift
deterioration in the security situation urging Tigrayan forces to accept the ceasefire.
Two pilots forced to land their Boeing 737 cargo plane off the coast of Hawaii have been rescued. The pilots told air traffic controllers one of
their engines failed moments before the plane went down and they're worried about the second engine as well. The pilots were rescued by the Coast Guard
and local fire department.
Australia's Prime Minister's unveiled a four-phase plan to contain the country's COVID outbreak. Scott Morrison's announcement comes as more than
10 million people across the country who manage a lockdown. Mr. Morrison says such restrictions will become a last resort and to the first phase of
the plan.
The German Chancellor Angela Merkel says Britons who are fully vaccinated should eventually be able to visit Germany without going into quarantine.
Mrs. Merkel met the British Prime Minister Boris Johnson in London at his weekend treat. She said she's worried about big crowds at Euro 2020 in
Britain and elsewhere. The Prime Minister says there are no plans to reduce stadium crowds because of the success of the U.K.'s vaccine program.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
BORIS JOHNSON, BRITISH PRIME MINISTER: The position is very clear in the in the U.K. which is that we have certain events which we can put on in a very
careful and controlled manner, with testing of everybody who goes there. And the crucial point is that as I said earlier on here in the U.K., we
have not built up a very considerable wall of immunity against the disease by our vaccination program.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
QUEST: Mrs. Merkel also met the Queen. That was her last trip to the U.K. as German leader.
Angela Merkel has been in power for 16 years. She steps down by the end of this year. And she isn't the only one concern about euro 2020's impact on
the spread the Chancellor that is.
Italy is now banning English fans from Saturday's match versus Ukraine. That says even if you've got ticket. The WHO reports that a 10 percent
uptick in U.K. COVID cases across Europe is tied to easing restrictions for the competition.
[15:35:10]
QUEST: It comes after 10 weeks of declines. Barbie Nadeau is in Rome. This linkage, Barbie, that the WHO has made to euro 2020 is really startling.
And will if the organizers accept the link, change the way they have to hold them out just going forward.
BARBIE NADEAU, CNN CONTRIBUTOR: Well, that's the big debate right now whether or not these final three matches that start -- will culminate in
the final on the 11th of July should be held in London so that that the fans don't travel. You know, 11 different countries, host countries have
participated in this including places like St. Petersburg, which has seen a large spike in COVID cases.
Fans go there, they bring it back to their homeland. Now this is the main reason the Italian government has pushed to make sure that the U.K. fans
that are based in the U.K. don't come to this match on Saturday night, they don't want people to come here that haven't properly quarantined, or that
maybe sort of have come in through the back door on some level. And you know, it's a really concerning issue in Italy because of course, this was a
country that was just gripped by this pandemic early on.
But also the vaccination rate here is very low, less than 50 percent of the population has had both doses of the vaccine. Some of that is because of
the mixed messaging with AstraZeneca. People were afraid to take it. Some of that is just the logistical nature of it and the way the country has
rolled out their vaccinations. Yet the country is open to tourism, there are lots of less restrictions just a week ago.
The mask mandate for outdoors was dropped. All of these things contribute to the nervousness of this country. Nobody wants to go back to where we
were last fall, when we had to go into new lock downs that actually resulted in case numbers going down. Now they're going back up again over,
you know, what many people think is just football. Those fans, of course, think it's much more than that and likely worth the risk, Richard.
QUEST: Richard. But Barbie, they're trying to do the impossible here, in the sense that this -- by its very raison d'etre, this is bringing together
thousands of people. It's either safe, or it's not. You're either vaccinated or not. I mean, this is exactly what the issue is all about.
NADEAU: That's right. And it's not just what happens in the stadium, certainly here in Italy, everyone has to show that they've had a negative
COVID test. But there are at least a dozen fan centers around Rome with big screens where the fans that aren't in the stadium can gather, those people
are yelling, hugging, high fiving. Having a great, great time. And those are some of the issues that the Italian authorities are certainly worried
about.
What about those venues outside of the stadium? Those people don't have to be checked to see if they have COVID or not. And that's what's leading to
the spread. That's what's leading to the nervousness. You know, when this tournament opened up here in Rome a couple of weeks ago, everybody was
worried about whether this was a good idea or not, but the authorities at the time, UEFA at the time said it's going to work out, it's going to be
just fine.
Now we're going to see actually, probably a couple of weeks after this is over, how far off the bit mark they really were with that prediction.
QUEST: Barbie, thank you. Thank you very much. In the E.U. -- the British or the U.K.'s permanent representative to the United Nations is speaking
now. We were talking about it. Let's just listen for a moment.
TARIQ AHMAD, BRITISH MINISTER FOR SOUTH ASIA AND THE COMMONWEALTH: -- for both dialogue, and importantly, reconciliation. And for an inclusive
political process to be initiated. The United Kingdom welcomes and endorses African Union Commission Chairperson Faki's call for all parties to uphold
their responsibilities under international law to protect civilians. He is of course right that a comprehensive and all-encompassing permanent
ceasefire is absolutely necessary to pave the way for sustainable peace in Tigray.
We will support the African Union in its efforts in pursuit of peace and stability in Tigray. Ethiopia and indeed the wider region. And we encourage
the United Nations system to consider how it can also assist as the situation develops as part of a very much joined-up process and coherent
strategy. And finally, Mr. President, Special Representative Patten and High Commissioner Bachelet have highlighted serious allegations of human
rights abuses and violations.
They also described systematic sexual violence which, as the United Kingdom Prime Minister's Special Representative on Preventing Sexual Violence in
Conflict, I have been particularly moved by. The United Kingdom is supporting the ICRC and U.N. agencies to provide essential services to
survivors of sexual violence and an extra 16.7 million pounds of funds were announced in June will support and drive towards accountability.
[15:40:15]
And this week, Mr. President, we have additionally deployed an expert to advise on support for the safe collection -- and this is vital, this is
imperative for the safe collection and preservation of evidence, in order to bring the perpetrators of sexual violence to justice at the appropriate
time. The United Kingdom welcomes the proposed inquiry of the African Commission for Human and People's Rights and it fully supports the ongoing
Joint Investigation between the U.N. Office for the High Commissioner, for Human Rights and the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission.
We will also co-sponsor a resolution on Tigray at the Human Rights Council in Geneva this month. Mr. President, transparency and accountability will
be vital if Ethiopia is truly to move past this tragic conflict. We collectively owe this to the victims. We owe it to the survivors. Our
message is clear, it is time for all sides to put down their weapons, it is time to allow unrestricted access for humanitarian aid.
And it is time to put now the interests of Ethiopian people first. I hope this council can now work constructively, with the African Union and
partners, to ensure progress on these most critical of issues and turn around the situation for the sake of the people of Tigray and the sake of
all Ethiopians. Thank you, Mr. President.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE (through translator): I thank His Excellency Lord Tariq Ahmad of Wimbledon for his statement, and I now give the floor to the
representative of Ireland. Thank you very much, Mr. President.
GERALDINE BYRNE NASON, IRISH AMBASSADOR TO THE U.N.: (INAUDIBLE) insightful, yet deeply troubling briefings today. Mr. President, Ethiopia
is a long standing and important partner for Ireland. For this reason, the deterioration crisis in the Tigray region and its severe humanitarian
consequences is of genuine and deep concern for us. It's the situation which we have consistently raised and sought to have this council address
since we joined the Council in January.
The Council's voice matters on this issue. Today Finally, we meet publicly and all council members have an opportunity to send a clear message to the
parties on the ground. This conflict must and humanitarian needs must be urgently addressed. We call for today's meeting, because it's clear that a
humanitarian catastrophe is unfolding in Tigray. It is clear that the threat of famine looms and that hundreds of thousands of people could
already be starving.
It is clear that without further intermediate scaled up action, many more will die. We all have a responsibility to act immediately to save lives.
Indeed, our action is overdue. Mr. President, the prospect of a large scale famine in Ethiopia today is real. The evidence we've heard today is
indisputable. And the consequences of inaction are chilling, and all too predictable. As the specter of a large scale famine again looms for the
people of Ethiopia, the international community is ready to mobilize the necessary response.
However, the political steps needed to facilitate that response lie with those who are party to this conflict. Leadership to forge a path towards a
political solution is needed. Mr. President, the declaration by the Ethiopian government of a unilateral ceasefire is a welcome step. However,
any ceasefire must include actions that serve to improve the humanitarian situation on the ground, not create further obstacles to the humanitarian
response.
Reports that humanitarian access continues to be cut off, including through the destruction of key routes for humanitarian supplies are deeply
worrying, and frankly, shocking. We urge all parties to the conflict to cease hostilities, to protect civilians, and to allow for immediate,
unimpeded, and safe humanitarian access to all parts of Tigray. We call on the Ethiopian authorities to demonstrate their commitment to the ceasefire.
[15:45:05]
NASON: The ceasefire they declared by immediately facilitating human humanitarian access. The next few days are absolutely critical in this
regard as the humanitarian response restarts. We also call on the government to establish a functioning civil and military coordination
mechanism to immediately restore essential services and to reopen airspace for humanitarian deliveries.
Tigrayan forces must also refrain from any actions that encourage conflict or restrict humanitarian access. Beyond the food security crisis, we are
deeply concerned about the wider humanitarian and human rights situation. Reports last week of the airstrike on the village market of Togoga in
Northern Tigray killing and injuring hundreds of civilians, many of them children are alarming.
We call on the Ethiopian authorities to conduct an independent investigation into the incident. Last week's brutal murder of three MSF
staff underlines the dangers faced by humanitarians. Humanitarian workers must never be targets. Such outrageous attacks must cease, I paid tribute
to the efforts and courage of humanitarian workers in highly dangerous circumstances. We condemn reports that international NGOs and U.N. vehicles
and their equipment have been destroyed or appropriated in violation of international humanitarian law.
Humanitarian actors' rights under international humanitarian law needs to be respected in accordance with the obligations of all parties to the
conflict. We remain horrified by the conflict related sexual violence and atrocities described by Special Representative Patten. It is clear that
systematic abuses are being perpetrated by armed doctors in the conflict. This council has demanded that these and other violations end immediately.
We strongly support the work of High Commissioner Bachelet lay in her office and attach great importance to the joint investigation with the
Ethiopian Human Rights Commission. Accountability must be ensured for all violations of international, humanitarian and human rights law to control
impunity, prevent for further future violations, and provide justice for victims and survivors.
QUEST: The Irish ambassador to the United Nations. Richard Roth is still with us at the U.N. And Larry Madowo is in Nairobi. Richard, over all the
speakers I've heard an enormous number of U.N. reports and U.N. further investigations. But in reality, what does happen next?
RICHARD ROTH, CNN SENIOR U.N. CORRESPONDENT: What happens is based upon years of watching this, sadly, things have to get worse before the Security
Council really unites and maybe threatens further actions, whether it's sanctions and other embargoes, or something that might make a dent in the
government of Ethiopia's position, maybe they have to threaten to take back their -- the Nobel Peace Prize that was awarded them.
That's happened in sports occasionally. I mean, I know the Irish ambassador, I've watched her on Zoom briefings, and she's been very
passionate about the abuses of human rights violations, the attacks on women and children in Ethiopia. And sadly, she sounds here like she's
reading one of the old Manhattan telephone books from when the U.N. was created in the 1950s, which I will tell her not to take sides.
But I mean, you're not getting what -- the words are there on paper. But I think the performances inside the Security Council, you wouldn't know what
kind of crisis this is, as you know, and you've spoken with me the droning effect of all this, but the ambassadors or the United States ambassador
says they are hearing as the world is watching. Let's see.
QUEST: Larry, you got the last word tonight. Within Africa, particularly within Ethiopia tonight, will they be concerned about what's happening in
New York?
LARRY MADOWO, CNN CORRESPONDENT: They will be watching what's happening here, but probably satisfied enough that they will say we've done
everything possible. We have withdrawn our troops from Tigray. We're asking that the terrorists as they call them, the Tigrayan fighters also allow for
agencies to access the people that need the help. And we are discussing whether to address the withdrawal or a return troops from there to allow
for an independent investigation.
I've just returned from Ethiopia, Richard and Tigray is on the minds of everybody but they're all very strong hardline positions and that is best
represented by the government position where they still have considered the war which is raged for eight months as a law enforcement operation that
they were going to win and they're going to win quickly.
[15:50:13]
MADOWO: And they have support within Ethiopia from the African Union, which has been very slow to condemn any of the atrocities when they were
reported, even when they were confirmed. And when they did issue statements, for instance, either they were very cold, tepid statements. And
there are African countries who will be supporting them, even at this U.N. Security Council meeting on top of Russia and China, probably.
QUEST: Larry -- thank you, Larry and Richard, I appreciate it. Record highs on the markets. We're in the last 10 minutes of trading. The Dow is looking
to join the NASDAQ and the S&P 500 all-time highs as we go into an Independence Day weekend. QUEST MEANS BUSINESS. Good evening to you.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
QUEST: There is Blockchain and there is artificial intelligence. What happens when you put the two together to leverage the gains? Now companies
are working to do just that, which is what we explained in today's Think Big.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KIM KELAITA, CNN REPORTER: Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, cryptocurrencies can be difficult terms to understand. But these buzz words
brought together thousands of crypto enthusiasts in Dubai. Marcello Mari was one of them. He believes combining A.I. and Blockchain will
revolutionize the financial services sector.
MARCELLO MARI, CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, SINGULARITYDAO: The big idea behind A.I. and Blockchain is democratizing access to this incredibly powerful technology.
KELAITA: It's a big idea of potentially saving financial companies up to $12 billion a year. So what exactly is A.I. Blockchain? If I'm going to ask
anyone about these technologies, it's going to be tech scientists Professor Scott Stornetta.
SCOTT STORNETTA, PARTNER, YUGEN PARTNERS LLC: My friends call me Your Majesty. For the record, that that Your Majesty thing was totally joking.
KELAITA: But he's commonly known as the godfather of Blockchain.
STORNETTA: We felt that it could be a great leveling force, a great equalizing force.
KELAITA: Blockchain is essentially a chain of tiny bits of information called blocks stored on different servers. Experts say those tiny blocks
and prove the transparency, security and traceability of digital transactions. So how does A.I. fit into all of this?
[15:55:07]
KELAITA: A.I. is the human-like intelligence used by me machines to automate problem solving and data analysis.
STORNETTA: Having all the data standardized due to the use of Blockchain to make it interoperable is just like a thesis for A.I.
KELAITA: We have Blockchain that stores an ocean of information and A.I. which selects only the drops necessary to make informed decisions based on
that ocean of massive data sets.
MARI: With over 10,000 cryptocurrencies out there in the market is very difficult for anybody to make educated decisions.
KELAITA: By combining Blockchain and A.I. to predict cryptocurrency performance, if prices are set to go down. Marcello's company will advise
customers to sell or buy if they're predicted to rise.
MARI: The average user can just go chase the dinosaur token. And that's it. There's not much more than the need to do. And the A.I. will do everything
else automatically.
KELAITA: Now, that sounds amazing, right? But critics say this tech is still developing and could take years to truly make an impact. But as
companies continue experimenting, businesses won't be deciding between A.I. or Blockchain, but rather a combination of the two. Kim Kelaita CNN, Dubai.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
QUEST: Fascinating. We'll have a profitable moment after the break.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
QUEST: Tonight's profitable moment. There'll be a lot of Jose, Can You see? Over the next few days, as the United States celebrates July the 4th
Independence Day, as a Brit living over here, I was a little uncomfortable at that particular point, since that was the time they kicked us out. But
that's a different story for a different day. There is much to celebrate and it comes into force in the form of the triple stack.
And the Dow 30 and the Dow Jones Industrial Average, the three market numbers that we'll show you again and again, as the market is rising
sharply. Record highs on all major indices. And yet I'm slightly embarrassed to be talking about this. Earlier today. At all this week, I've
been presenting one world for Zane Asher. And now we know of course that Africa is in a terrible position. Latin America is in a dreadful position.
Large parts of the world, Southeast Asia terrible position because of COVID. And yet in the United States on European bosses, things are looking
up. The hope here though, has to be that as the U.S. economy remains strong, followed by other global developed economies remaining strong, that
when the rest of the world is vaccinated and doing well. There'll be trade and business for all.
Now that's worth celebrating on July the 4th. And that QUEST MEANS BUSINESS for today. I'm Richard Quest in New York. Whatever you're up to in the
hours, I hope it's profitable.
QUEST: To the stock exchange, well, the closing bell is ringing. Happy July the 4th.
END
