Office of the Spokesperson for the Secretary-General

CÔTE D’IVOIRE: SECRETARY-GENERAL CONGRATULATES OUATTARA AFTER CERTIFICATION OF RESULTS BY HIS ENVOY

• The Secretary-General supports today’s certification by his Special Representative of the result of the 28 November run-off presidential election in Côte d’Ivoire. He accepts his Special Representative’s analysis and evaluation, taking into account all aspects of the outcome of these elections is in accordance with the announcement made by the President of the Independent Electoral Commission on 2 December.  The Secretary-General commends the people of Côte d’Ivoire for their active participation in these historic presidential elections.

• The Secretary-General congratulates Mr. Alassane Ouattara of the Rassemblement des Houphouëtistes pour la Démocratie et la Paix (RHDP) on his election and calls upon the President-elect to work towards lasting peace, stability and reconciliation in Côte d’Ivoire.

• The Secretary-General also calls upon President Laurent Gbagbo to do his part for the good of the country and to cooperate in a smooth political transition in the country.

• The Secretary-General wishes to emphasize that the will of the Ivorian people must be respected, and calls upon all Ivorians to accept the certified outcome and to work together in a spirit of peace and reconciliation for the stability and prosperity of their country.   All persons must refrain from any violence or action that would cause any disruption in society.  The Secretary- General warns those who may incite or perpetrate violence that they will be held accountable.

• The Secretary-General assures the people of Côte d'Ivoire that the United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (UNOCI), in cooperation with the international community, will undertake all possible actions, within its mandate to preserve peace and security in the country.  He also wishes to emphasize that the United Nations remains deeply committed to supporting the successful conclusion of the Ivorian peace process in all its aspects, and looks forward to working closely with the President-elect and the future Government of Côte d’Ivoire to this end.

• The Secretary-General commends the efforts of all those who have worked tirelessly in support of the political process in Côte d’Ivoire. The Secretary-General also commends the work of UNOCI and the UN Country Team, under the leadership of his Special Representative Mr. Y.J. Choi.

• The Secretary-General has been extremely actively involved in monitoring and handling this unfolding situation.

• He has been speaking to several leaders and his Special Representative in Côte d’Ivoire, Choi Young-jin, to coordinate the response to the events there.

• He spoke with President Sarkozy of France yesterday. This morning and again just now he called Jean Ping, the Chairman of the African Union.

• The Secretary-General also spoke this morning with the Presidents of Burkina Faso and Nigeria, and with the President of the Security Council, United States Ambassador Susan Rice.

• Earlier, today, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative, Choi Young-Jin, read out a statement today in Abidjan, on the certification of the results of the second round of the presidential election, held in the country on 28 November.

• He said that even if all the complaints made by the presidential camp to the Constitutional Council were taken into account in terms of numbers of tally sheets, and consequently the votes, the outcome of the second round of the presidential elections as proclaimed by the IEC President on 2 December would not change, with candidate Ouattara being the winner of the presidential election.

• Choi added that the second round of the presidential election was, in general, held in a democratic atmosphere, as observed by all credible observer organizations.

• In response to a question, the Spokesperson said that UN peacekeepers have increased the number of patrols in major Ivorian cities and there were no major security incidents reported so far today.

• In response to a further question, Nesirky said that the sequence of publication of the sequence is that Independent Electoral Commission announces provisional results and submit them to the Constitutional Council. The Constitutional Council then reviews complaints and proclaims final results. Then, finally, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative certifies the results in keeping with his mandate as given him by the Security Council.

 

HAITI: U.N. CONTINUES TO TAKE ACTION TO COMBAT CHOLERA OUTBREAK, SECRETARY-GENERAL SAYS

• The Secretary-General addressed a General Assembly meeting on Haiti this morning, highlighting how the challenges arising from the January earthquake have been compounded by needs arising from Hurricane Tomas, the cholera outbreak and increasing political tensions.

• He stressed that this will not be a short-term crisis, noting that our response must be viewed within the broader context of recovery and long-term development.

• The Secretary-General expressed his determination to understand and address the manner in which the cholera outbreak occurred and was spread. The people of Haiti deserve nothing less, he emphasized.

• The UN, he said, is continuing to take action on three critical fronts. Firstly, the UN mission, known as MINUSTAH, is monitoring the situation closely, drawing water samples from various sources and ensuring that waste waters do not flow into the rivers. Second, the UN is deploying water, sanitation and hygiene experts to review all sanitation systems at MINUSTAH installations, and lastly, the Secretary-General has instructed the mission to actively follow-up on any additional information it may receive on the origins of the current outbreak.

• He also called on Member States to meet in full the appeal launched by the UN and its partners on November 11 for $164 million dollars.

 

GUINEA: SECRETARY-GENERAL WELCOMES CONCLUSION OF PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION PROCESS

• The Secretary-General welcomes the conclusion of the presidential election process in Guinea following the 3 December certification by the Supreme Court of the final results of the 7 November run-off polls. The Secretary-General commends the people of Guinea, the national authorities, political leaders and their supporters for the conduct of the election and calls on all Guineans to accept the results and to move forward in peace and national reconciliation towards a stable and prosperous future. The Secretary-General congratulates Mr. Condé on his election and trusts that the President-elect will spare no effort in consolidating and promoting national unity.

• The Secretary-General deplores the episodes of violence, reports of human rights violations and the allegations of excessive use of force by the security forces following the release of the provisional results on 15 November. He was saddened by the resulting loss of life and sends his condolences to the families of the victims. He emphasizes the need to respect international human rights standards and calls on the security forces to ensure the protection of all Guineans. He warns those who may incite or perpetrate violence that they will be held accountable.
  The Secretary-General commends the efforts of all those who worked tirelessly for a peaceful transition in Guinea, including Guinea’s leaders, President Blaise Compaoré of Burkina Faso, in his capacity as the ECOWAS Mediator for Guinea, representatives of the African Union and ECOWAS, and Guinea’s other international partners. The United Nations will continue to support national reconciliation, peace building and development efforts in Guinea.

 

SECRETARY-GENERAL MEETS WITH COMMISSIONER OF INTERNATIONAL COMMISSION AGAINST IMPUNITY IN GUATEMALA

• The Secretary-General met today Commissioner Francisco Dall’Anese and expressed the United Nations’ strong support for the work of CICIG.  Commissioner Dall’Anese informed the Secretary-General about the Commission’s current activities. The Secretary-General expressed the view that through its investigations and activities conducted hand-in-hand with Guatemalan prosecutors, CICIG was helping convey the message that all Guatemalans are equal before the law.

 

SUDAN: U.N. MISSION PATROLLING SITE OF DEADLY ATTACK

• In response to a question on southern Sudan, Nesirky said that the United Nations is aware that a Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) truck with approximately 35 soldiers and their families was ambushed by unknown assailants on 1 December while traveling from Mayom to Bentiu.

• He said that a Joint Monitoring Team of Sudanese armed forces and SPLA and led by the UN Mission went to Bentiu hospital, where most of the casualties were brought.

• Nesirky added that the first report by the joint team has confirmed that 11 people were killed on the spot and another died in Bentiu hospital. Ten people were wounded, he said. Members of the joint team and the UN Mission will be conducting car and air patrols at the site of the incident and will meet with SPLA commanders and local authorities to investigate the attack.

 

TOP U.N. POLITICAL OFFICIAL ARRIVES IN NEPAL FOR TWO-DAY VISIT

• Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs B. Lynn Pascoe arrived in Nepal earlier today for a two-day visit to assess developments in the peace process and the arrangements to conclude the mandate of the United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN).

• During the visit, Mr. Pascoe is set to hold discussions with the government, political parties, the diplomatic community and other key stakeholders on what needs to be done to ensure a smooth transition to the post-mission period.

• Today, he met with President Dr. Ram Baran Yadav, acting Prime Minister and the Foreign Minister as well as leaders of the political parties and members of the Special Committee to supervise, integrate and rehabilitate Maoist army personnel.  They exchanged views on what needs to be accomplished in the remaining time before the completion of UNMIN’s mandate on 15 January next year.

 

U.N. HUMANITARIAN CHIEF CONTINUES VISIT TO PAKISTAN

• Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Valerie Amos continued her visit to Pakistan today, visiting the flood-ravaged parts of Sindh province, home to nearly half of the 18 million people affected by the floods.

• She met with people displaced by the flooding and reviewed the ongoing relief and recovery efforts.

• “Everything I saw and heard today confirmed that this disaster is far from over,” Ms. Amos said.

• Four months after the start of the emergency, millions of people in Pakistan are still living without the most basic necessities because their homes and livelihoods have been washed away, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).

 

U.S. SECRETARY OF STATE RAISED ISSUE OF WIKILEAKS WITH SECRETARY-GENERAL

• In response to a question, the Spokesperson said that at her meeting with the Secretary-General earlier this week in Astana, US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton was first to raise the Wikileaks issue. He said that Secretary Clinton clarified the matter at the start of the meeting and expressed her concern at the difficulties created by the leaking of alleged diplomatic cables.

• The Secretary-General reiterated his commitment to work in a transparent manner, and they reaffirmed the need for the US and UN to continue to work together on many issues of pressing concern based on mutual trust and confidence.

• They then swiftly moved to other matters, Nesirky added.

• Asked if the UN was able to certify the authenticity of the documents, Nesirky said that it was not the UN’s role to do so. Rather, this was the prerogative of the US Government.

U.N. REFUGEE AGENCY COMPLETES EMERGENCY SHELTER SCHEME IN SOUTHERN KYRGYZSTAN

• The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has wrapped up its emergency shelter programme in southern Kyrgyzstan, having provided temporary homes for more than 13,000 people whose houses were damaged or destroyed during the June violence.

• Deadly clashes that month claimed the lives of more than 400 people and uprooted 375,000 others.

• The agency’s focus in Kyrgyzstan is now shifting to reconciliation, in particular promoting the rule of law and human rights.

 

 

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

 

NEW SECRETARY-GENERAL REPORTS TO THE SECURITY COUNCIL NOW AVAILABLE: Available now on the racks and online are several reports by the Secretary-General to the Security Council. They include reports on the work of our peacekeeping force in Cyprus (UNFICYP) and the Secretary-General’s mission of good offices in that country. Other reports concern the situations in Iraq, Cote d’Ivoire, and the Central African Republic.

 

DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL TO DEPART FOR ITALY: The Deputy Secretary-General will travel to Turin, Italy, over the weekend. On Monday 6 December, Asha-Rose Migiro will chair the annual meeting of the Board of Governors of the United Nations System Staff College (UNSSC).

She will return to New York on 7 December.

 

NO QUARTET MEETING ON MARGINS OF O.S.C.E SUMMIT: The Spokesperson, in response to a question, clarified that no formal Middle East Quartet meeting was held on the margins of the recent summit of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Astana, Kazakhstan.

 

 

THE WEEK AHEAD AT THE UNITED NATIONS
4-10 December 2010

 

Sunday, 5 December

 

Today is International Volunteer Day for Economic and Social Development.

 

Monday, 6 December

 

This morning, the Security Council will hold a debate on the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR).

 

Today, IFAD will launch the Rural Poverty Report 2011.

 

Today, Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro will chair the annual meeting of the Board of Governors of the UN System Staff College (UNSSC) in Turin, Italy.

 

Tuesday, 7 December

 

Today, the Secretary-General will be in Cancun, Mexico, to open the High-Level Segment of the UN Climate Change Conference. The High-Level Segment will run until Friday.

 

Today, the Security Council will hear briefings and hold consultations on the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in the Central African Republic (BINUCA) and the United Nations Operation in Côte d'Ivoire (ONUCI).

 

At 10:00 a.m. in the Dag Hammarskjold Library Auditorium, the Coalition for the International Criminal Court (CICC) will hold a press conference about key issues to be debated at the Assembly of States Parties of the International Criminal Court Rome Statute.

 

At 11:00 a.m. in the Dag Hammarskjold Library Auditorium, there will be a joint press conference by the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM) and the Women's Initiatives for Gender Justice about the launch of the 2010 report card on gender and the International Criminal Court.

 

At 1:00 p.m. in the Dag Hammarskjold Library Auditorium, there will be a press conference by Ambassador Christian Wenaweser of Liechtenstein, President of the Assembly of States Parties of the International Criminal Court; Judge Sang-Hyun Song, President of the International Criminal Court; and Luis Moreno-Ocampo, Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court. about the Assembly of States Parties of the International Criminal Court.

 

Wednesday, 8 December

 

At 12:00 p.m., Alain Le Roy, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, will be the guest at the Noon Briefing.

 

This afternoon, the Security Council will hold consultations on Cyprus and Liberia sanctions.

 

Thursday, 9 December

 

This morning, the Security Council will hear a briefing and hold consultations on the United Nations Integrated Office in Burundi (BINUB). It will also hold consultations on the United Nations Mission in Nepal (UNMIN). In the afternoon, the Security Council will hear a briefing on Sudan (International Criminal Court).  

 

At 12:00 p.m., Luis Moreno-Ocampo, Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, will speak to correspondents at the Security Council stakeout position following the Security Council meeting that day.

 

At 12:00 p.m., the guests at the Noon Briefing will be Aminata Toure, Chief of the Gender, Culture and Human Rights branch of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and Sofia Gruskin, Director of Harvard's Programme on International Health and Human Rights, who will brief correspondents on new training materials for implementing a human rights-based approach to development assistance.

 

From 6 to 8:30 p.m., at the Ford Foundation Auditorium, the "Get Up, Stand up, Speak Out...Stop Discrimination" event will mark Human Rights Day, celebrated tomorrow. Human rights activists will speak out about their fight against homophobia, xenophobia, racism and other forms of discrimination at a special event to commemorate Human Rights Day. Guest speakers include Michelle Bachelet, Under-Secretary-General for UN Women, Joseph Deiss, President of the General Assembly and activists from Nicaragua, South Africa, Uganda and the United States.

 

Today is International Anti-Corruption Day.

 

Friday, 10 December

 

Today is Human Rights Day. The theme this year is "Human rights defenders who act to end discrimination."

 

This morning, the Security Council will hear a briefing on its 1737 Committee.

 

At 10 a.m., in Conference Room 4 (NLB), the International Year of Peoples of African Descent will be launched. Speakers will include the Secretary-General, the President of the General Assembly, the Chair of the Working Group of Experts on People of African Descent and representatives of Member States.

 

At 12 p.m., Mark Bowden, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia, will be the guest at the Noon Briefing.