NEW YORK - Every weekday at noon, Stephane Dujarric stands before reporters at U.N. headquarters to deliver updates on wars, humanitarian crises and diplomatic efforts around the world.
After nearly 15 years as spokesperson for three U.N. secretaries general, he says one of the organization's greatest challenges is ensuring its message is heard.
"It is a fact that in times of crisis, international law gets trampled and ignored by the most powerful," Dujarric said.
Yet the 60-year-old spokesman remains convinced of the importance of the role he serves in.
"The secretary general has a voice," he said.
As spokesperson for U.N. chief Antonio Guterres, Dujarric is responsible for communicating the world body's positions on conflicts and crises ranging from Ukraine and Gaza to Sudan and Haiti.
His noon briefing is the main public forum where journalists question the organization about developments around the world.
The work begins long before he reaches the podium.
At 5:55 a.m., Dujarric edits a 20-page compilation of global news reports prepared by colleagues and distributed to approximately 3,000 U.N. staff members.
By 9 a.m., he is at headquarters reviewing briefing materials with communications officers from different U.N. departments before meeting senior officials and Guterres.
The meetings help him understand the secretary general's priorities for the day.
"It helps me get into his head," Dujarric said.
Born and raised in France and the United States, Dujarric worked as a journalist for ABC News for eight years before joining the United Nations in 2000 after a wave of layoffs at the network. Five years later, he became spokesperson for Secretary General Kofi Annan.
He described his relationship with Annan as a traditional hierarchical one.
"Never in my dreams would I have thought of calling Kofi directly," he said.
When Ban Ki Moon became secretary general in 2007, Dujarric moved to another position before returning to the spokesperson's role seven years later. He remained in the post after Guterres took office in 2017.
Under Guterres, Dujarric said, the working relationship became closer. While Ban often traveled with a large entourage, Guterres typically traveled with only a small group, giving the spokesman more direct access.
The role requires balancing diplomacy, communication and attention to detail.
On April 13, Dujarric instructed a colleague to draft a statement after talks between the United States and Iran failed to produce an agreement. The statement called on the parties to continue negotiations, preserve a ceasefire and respect freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.
Shortly before the noon briefing, he contacted his counterpart at the International Maritime Organization to add language expressing concern for seafarers affected by tensions in the area.
"We try to make sure that people are not forgotten," he said. "The people of Haiti, Sudan or Myanmar are not forgotten."
Once the briefing begins, the agenda can shift quickly.
Reporters from countries around the world ask about conflicts, humanitarian emergencies and political disputes. During one recent briefing, Dujarric fielded questions about the U.N. involvement in the U.S.-Iran talks, the situation in Sudan and a dispute between U.S. President Donald Trump and Pope Leo.
"We are not experts in anything, but we have to make a position," he said.
His answers often emphasize basic principles such as support for diplomacy, human rights and adherence to international law. In the past, when asked about anti-LGBT remarks by a senior Japanese government official, he stressed that no one should face discrimination because of whom they love.
The exchanges can also become tense.
"I want the U.N. to be clear on who should be held accountable" said Palestinian journalist Ibtisam Azem, arguing the world body should name Israel as a party responsible for restrictions on humanitarian aid to Gaza. While she believes Dujarric cares about people affected by conflict, she said the organization's language can sometimes feel frustratingly cautious.
Dujarric said the secretary general's role is shaped by the positions of member states.
"The challenge for the secretary general is that the worse things are between member states, the narrower his room for maneuver is," he said.
The United Nations has faced criticism over its response to conflicts including Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the war in Gaza. At the same time, as the Trump administration has withheld its payment to the world body, budget pressures have led to staffing cuts, including within the spokesperson's office.
"It is a horrible time for the U.N.," Dujarric said.
Still, he said the organization will continue to defend the principles set out in the U.N. Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
"If he does not defend the U.N. Charter or the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, who is going to do it?" Dujarric said of the secretary general. "He has no power, but he has a bully pulpit. He has a voice."
Guterres's term expires at the end of the year, and Dujarric expects his own long tenure at the United Nations to come to an end as well.
"Whoever comes in is going to want a change," he said.
He expects to remain briefly to help with the transition before stepping aside after more than two decades at the organization.
"I need to also walk away," he said.
