SECRETARY-GENERAL URGES NEPALESE PARTIES TO REACH CONSENSUS BEFORE
CONSTITUTIONAL DEADLINE

• With Nepal's constitutional deadline less than one
  month away, the Secretary-General
  
  urges all parties in Nepal to exert the utmost effort in reaching
  consensus on outstanding issues, including the integration and
  rehabilitation of Maoist army personnel and fundamental issues regarding the
  new constitution.
   

• Nepal's peace process has already delivered significant
  achievements. However, the process remains overdue and incomplete due to
  continuing differences among the parties.
   

• At this decisive point in the process, the
  Secretary-General calls on all parties to exercise maximum flexibility in
  seeking a common political ground to enable them to fulfil their
  commitments, including the adoption of a new constitution by the Constituent
  Assembly.
   

• The United Nations will continue to support the parties
  in their efforts.

 

MOROCCO:
SECRETARY-GENERAL, SECURITY COUNCIL CONDEMN MARRAKECH BOMBING

• In a
  
  statement issued late Thursday, the Secretary-General said he was
  appalled by the bombing in Marrakech, which killed and injured Moroccans and
  foreign nationals. He reiterated his firm rejection of the use of
  indiscriminate violence against innocent civilians. The Secretary-General
  maintains that no political objective justifies or is served by such heinous
  acts.
   

• In their own statement to the press, the
  members of the
  
  Security Council condemned in the strongest terms the terrorist attack
  in Marrakech.  The members of the Security Council reaffirmed that terrorism
  in all its forms and manifestations constitutes one of the most serious
  threats to international peace and security, and that any acts of terrorism
  are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, wherever,
  whenever and by whomsoever committed.

 

YEMEN:
SECRETARY-GENERAL CONCERNED ABOUT VIOLENCE, EMPHASIZES NEED FOR DIALOGUE

• The Secretary-General on Thursday
  
  expressed his concern about the violent clashes earlier this week in
  Yemen and welcomed the efforts being made to promote a peaceful transition
  that will be acceptable to all.
   

• He appeals to all concerned in Yemen to exercise utmost
  restraint and desist from provocative acts. The Secretary-General emphasizes
  that broadly inclusive political dialogue and mutual understanding are
  critically important for overcoming the current crisis and preserving the
  country's unity and integrity.
   

• The Secretary-General reiterates his call on the Yemeni
  authorities to uphold their responsibility to protect civilians and abide by
  international human rights obligations.

 

LIBYA SPECIAL
ENVOY TO MEET OPPOSITION; CLASHES ESCALATE AT TUNISIAN BORDER

• The Special Envoy of the
  Secretary-General, Mr. Abdul Ilah Al-Khatib, travelled to Benghazi today to
  meet with representatives of the Libyan opposition.
   

• On Thursday, the Special
  Envoy met in Ankara with the Turkish Foreign Minister and in Rome with the
  Italian Foreign Minister to discuss the ongoing crisis in Libya in the
  framework of the implementation of Security Council Resolutions 1970 and
  1973.
   

• Next week, the Special Envoy
  will brief the
  
  Security Council about his activities in support of a peaceful solution
  for the Libyan conflict.
   

• The Spokesperson added that
  Mr. Khatib did not visit Tripoli in recent days.
   

• Asked about Ian Martin’s
  role, Nesirky said that he would be working on the planning for the
  post-transition period in Libya.
   

• Meanwhile, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR)
  is very
  
  concerned that people fleeing Libya could be caught in the crossfire, as
  Government and opposition forces battle for control in the border area with
  Tunisia.
   

• Escalating clashes at the Dehiba border crossing
  between Libya and Tunisia has stopped the outflow of refugees from Libya’s
  Western Mountains, the Agency reports.
   

• Before the fighting intensified on Thursday, there were
  long lines of vehicles packed with families lining up to cross into southern
  Tunisia.
   

• There was a renewed exodus of Libyans crossing from the
  impoverished Western Mountains region in recent days. More than 3,000 people
  crossed the border on Wednesday alone.
   

• The World Health Organization (WHO)
  says that its partner organizations in Libya are reporting a critical
  shortage of nurses, doctors and surgeons. Patients are being sent home
  before they have fully recovered.

 

WORLD FOOD
PROGRAMME LAUNCHES EMERGENCY OPERATION IN D.P.R.K.

• The World Food Programme (WFP)
  is launching an emergency operation to respond to the urgent hunger needs of
  the 3.5 million vulnerable people in the Democratic People’s Republic of
  Korea (DPRK).
   

• WFP says it is commencing its operation because
  Government rations were currently providing only half of people’s daily food
  needs.
   

• 
  UNICEF has launched a $20 million appeal to prevent chronic malnutrition
  in the country from developing into acute malnutrition.
   

• UNICEF says that its assistance will focus on the five
  most food insecure provinces with the highest rates of malnutrition.

 

OTHER
ANNOUNCEMENTS

 

FRANCE TO ASSUME MAY PRESIDENCY OF SECURITY COUNCIL:
Over the weekend, France will assume the Presidency of the

Security Council for the month of May. The French Permanent Representative,
Ambassador Gerard Araud, is expected to brief the press on the Council’s
programme of work on 3 May, at 12:30.

 

SECRETARY-GENERAL APPOINTS DEPUTY CHIEF OF UNICEF:
The Secretary-General has appointed Ms. Geeta Rao Gupta, a United States
national born in India, as Deputy Executive Director of the United Nations
Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
Ms. Geeta Rao Gupta will succeed Mr. Saad Houry. Before becoming a Senior
Fellow, Global Development at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Ms. Rao Gupta
served for over a decade as the President of the International Center for
Research on Women.

 

NO FORMAL RESPONSE RECEIVED FROM SRI LANKA ON REPORT:
Asked about a response to the

Panel of Experts report on Sri Lanka, the Spokesperson said that the United
Nations has not seen an official response from the Government of Sri Lanka. The
United Nations would wait for a formal response from the Government, as it made
clear in earlier statements. The Secretary-General, Nesirky noted, had said that
Member States can see the report and is sure that all Member States will take it
seriously and act accordingly.

 

THE WEEK AHEAD
AT THE UNITED NATIONS

30 APRIL – 6
MAY 2011

 

Saturday, 30 April

 

There are no major events scheduled for today.

 

Sunday, 1 May

 

Today, France will assume the monthly rotating presidency
of the Security Council.

 

Today, Rebeca Grynspan, Associate Administrator of the
United Nations Development Progarmme (UNDP), will begin a week-long visit to
Zambia and Angola. In both countries, she will meet with senior officials,
women’s groups, civil society and other partners, as well as visit UNDP
projects.

 

Monday, 2 May

 

At 11:00 a.m., in the Dag Hammarskjöld
Library Auditorium, there will be a press conference with Sha Zhukang,
Under-Secretary-General of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, on the
Commission on Sustainable Development.

 

Today, the 19^th session of the Commission on
Sustainable Development begins in Conference Room 4 of the North Lawn Building
(NLB). It will run until 13 May.

 

Today, Najat Maalla M’jid, the United Nations Special
Rapporteur on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography,
will begin a visit to Mauritius. The visit will end on 11 May.

 

Tuesday, 3 May

 

Today is World Press Freedom Day.

 

At 11:00 a.m., in the Dag Hammarskjöld
Library Auditorium, there will be a press conference with Hania Zlotnik,
Director of the Population Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs,
on the “World Population Prospects: 2010 Revision.”

 

Today, the 186^th meeting of the Executive Board
of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
begins in Paris. It runs until 19 May.

 

Wednesday, 4 May

 

At 10:00 a.m., in the Dag Hammarskjöld
Library Auditorium, there will be a press conference to launch the Watchlist
report entitled, “An Uncertain Future? Children and Armed Conflict in the
Central African Republic (CAR).” The press conference is sponsored by the
Permanent Mission of Canada.

 

At 1:00 p.m., in the Dag Hammarskjöld
Library Auditorium, there will be a press conference with Jânis Kârklins,
Assistant Director-General of the United Nations Educational Scientific and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO), on World Press Freedom Day.

 

At 1:45 p.m., in the Dag Hammarskjöld
Library Auditorium, there will be a press conference with Luis Moreno-Ocampo,
Prosecutor for the International Criminal Court (ICC).

 

Today, there will be a press briefing on the Global
Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in Brussels. Paola Albrito of the United
Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (ISDR) will be among the
participants.

 

Thursday, 5 May

 

At 11:00 a.m., in the Dag Hammarskjöld
Library Auditorium, there will be a press conference to launch the flagship
report of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP),
entitled “Economic and Social Survey of Asia and the Pacific 2011.” Participants
will include Jomo Sundaram, Assistant Secretary-General for Economic Development
in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

 

Friday, 6 May

 

At 10:00 a.m., in the Economic
and Social Council (ECOSOC) Conference Room of the NLB, the IV Ministerial Forum
for Development, organized by the UNDP Regional Bureau for Latin America and the
Caribbean, will be held.