PAKISTAN: SECRETARY-GENERAL
CONDEMNS ASSASSINATION OF PROVINCIAL GOVERNOR

• The
  Secretary-General strongly
  
  condemns the assassination today of the
  Governor of Punjab Province in Pakistan, Mr.
  Salman Taseer, a prominent politician whose
  death is a heavy loss for Pakistan.
   

• The
  Secretary-General extends his condolences to the
  family of Mr. Taseer and to the Government and
  people of Pakistan.

IN TALKS WITH IVORIAN
PRESIDENT, SECRETARY-GENERAL REAFFIRMS U.N. POSITION
ON ELECTION OUTCOME

• On New
  Year’s Day, the Secretary-General
  
  called the President of Côte d’Ivoire,
  Alassane Ouattara, and reaffirmed the UN’s
  principled and unwavering position on upholding
  the election outcome based on the will of the
  people of Côte d’Ivoire. The Secretary-General
  told President Ouattara that he was alarmed by
  the reports of egregious human rights
  violations. He said that the UN Mission,
  
  UNOCI, had been instructed to do everything
  possible to gain access to the affected areas,
  both for prevention and to investigate and
  record the violations so that those responsible
  will be held accountable.
   

• 
  Meanwhile, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF)
  is providing supplies of supplementary and
  therapeutic foods for the treatment of more than
  20,000 children suffering from acute
  malnutrition in Côte d’Ivoire.
   

• A small
  number of Ivorian asylum-seekers have arrived in
  Mali, Burkina Faso and in Ghana, where they are
  being registered and protected by partners of
  the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR).
  
   

• The
  Secretary-General continues to follow extremely
  events closely in Côte d’Ivoire. He has just
  completed another video conference call with the
  Mission involving the senior leadership of the
  mission and senior officials and advisers in New
  York.
   

• He is
  obviously disappointed that the latest visit by
  the Economic Community
  of West African States (ECOWAS)-African Union (AU)
  delegation didn’t produce the desired result,
  but he continues to believe that ECOWAS and AU
  are playing an important role.
   

• Asked
  about the UN response, the Spokesperson said
  that the Secretary-General spoke today with Jean
  Ping, Chairperson of the African Union
  Commission, and hopes to speak with Nigerian
  President Goodluck Jonathan to discuss their
  assessment on the way forward on Côte d’Ivoire.
  He noted the UN’s support for the efforts being
  made by ECOWAS.
   

• Asked
  about rumours that the blockade around the Golf
  Hotel had been lifted, Nesirky said that the
  blockade has not been lifted.
   

• As far
  as the United Nations is aware, he said,
  Alassane Ouattara will not be meeting with
  Laurent Gbagbo.
   

• Asked
  about a raid on a political party headquarters
  in Cocody, the Spokesperson said that UNOCI was
  looking into that report. He appealed once more
  for calm.
   

• Asked
  about the sustainability of the UN force on the
  ground, Nesirky said that the UN peacekeepers
  were working hard under difficult circumstances.
  The Secretary-General has been in close contact
  with the Mission by videoconference to show
  support for the Mission’s work and ensure that
  it can carry out its mandate to the best of its
  ability.

U.N.-AFRICAN UNION MISSION
VERIFYING REPORTS OF INTER-TRIBAL CLASHES IN WEST
DARFUR

• The
  UN-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID)
  is
  
  verifying reports of inter-tribal violence
  between the Misseriya and Rizeigat communities
  in the village of Treij, in West Darfur.
   

• 
  Meanwhile, the security situation in all areas
  affected by fighting last month is reported to
  be calm, with the resumption of public
  transportation to some locations. At the same
  time, aid continues to reach thousands of people
  displaced by the clashes, many of whom had
  sought shelter outside UNAMID team sites.

ONE WEEK FROM SOUTH SUDAN
REFERENDUM, U.N.-BACKED TRAINING SEMINARS FOR
POLLING CENTRE STAFF WRAP UP

• With the
  referendum on South Sudan less than a week away,
  the South Sudan Referendum Commission, in
  cooperation with the two UN Missions in Sudan,
  is concluding a series of training seminars for
  staff at the 20 polling centers in the three
  Darfur states.
   

• There
  are an estimated 23,000 people registered to
  vote on the referendum in the Darfur states.
  During the referendum, UNAMID will work to
  ensure the swift transportation of polling
  materials and the peaceful completion of the
  voting process.
   

• In a
  continuing effort to reach areas inaccessible by
  road, the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS)
  
  airlifted voting materials to the Central
  Equatoria State payam of Tali this week. The
  materials included ballot papers, kits and boxes
  along with voting screens, stationery and
  banners.

NEW MEMBERS OF SECURITY
COUNCIL TAKE THEIR SEATS

• With the
  onset of the New Year, five new elected members
  of the
  
  Security Council are taking up their seats:
  Colombia, Germany, India, Portugal and South
  Africa.
   

• Bosnia
  and Herzegovina is assuming the rotating
  Presidency of the Security Council for the month
  of January. Bosnian Ambassador Ivan Barbalic
  will brief reporters on Wednesday regarding the
  Council’s programme of work for the month.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

SECRETARY-GENERAL CONDEMNS EGYPTIAN CHURCH ATTACK:

In response to questions, the Spokesperson noted
that the Secretary-General strongly condemned the
recent attack at a Coptic Church in Egypt in a

statement. The Secretary-General conveys his
sincere condolences to the families of the victims
and to the Government and people of the Arab
Republic of Egypt.

U.N.
STANDS READY TO PROVIDE HUMANITARIAN AID TO
AUSTRALIA IF ASKED:
Asked about
Australia, the Spokesperson noted the
Secretary-General’s growing alarm at the
humanitarian situation, but noted that so far,
Australia has not requested humanitarian assistance.
The United Nations is ready to help should its help
be requested. He said that the Secretary-General
intends to write a letter to the Prime Minister of
Australia.

IRAN
SHOULD COMPLY WITH SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTIONS AND
COOPERATE WITH IAEA:
The
Spokesperson, in response to questions, reiterated
that Iran should comply with existing Security
Council resolutions and cooperate fully with the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

NO UPDATE ON
POSSIBLE VISIT TO SRI LANKA BY SECRETARY-GENERAL’S
PANEL:
Asked
whether the Secretary-General’s advisory panel will
visit Sri Lanka, the Spokesperson said that, at the
moment, there is no information to provide on a
potential visit to Sri Lanka.