Tuesday, May 11, 2010
 

 MIDDLE EAST QUARTET WELCOMES FIRST
ROUND OF ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN PROXIMITY TALKS

• The Quartet welcomes the
  first round of proximity talks between
  
  Israelis and Palestinians.
   

• These talks are a
  significant step toward direct, bilateral negotiations and comprehensive
  peace in the
  
  Middle East based on the establishment of an independent and viable
  Palestinian state living side by side in peace and security with Israel
  and its neighbors.
   

• The Quartet calls on the
  parties to pursue these talks in good faith and offers its support for
  their efforts.
   

• The Quartet calls on all
  concerned to promote an atmosphere conducive to the talks and to act on
  the basis of previous agreements and obligations.

 SECRETARY-GENERAL CONDEMNS ATTACKS
IN IRAQ

• 
  Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon strongly
  
  condemns the wave of terrorist bombings and other attacks in
  
  
  Iraq yesterday that reportedly claimed the lives of over a
  hundred people and injured many more, mostly civilians. 
   

• The United Nations stands in solidarity with the
  Iraqi people in the face of these deplorable, unjustifiable acts.  

 UNITED NATIONS AND IRAQ SIGN
DEVELOPMENT AGREEMENT

• The United Nations and
  the Government of Iraq signed today the first United Nations Development
  Assistance Framework for Iraq for the period 2011-2014. That framework
  marks a new strategic partnership between the funds, programmes and
  agencies of the United Nations and the Government of Iraq.
   

• 
  
  Christine McNab, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for
  
  Iraq, said that today is an historic day for the UN and Iraq as they
  strengthen their partnership to achieve a better future for
  
  Iraq and its people.

 SECURITY COUNCIL BRIEFED ON WORK OF
VARIOUS COMMITTEES

• The
  
  Security Council today is holding an open meeting to receive updates
  from the chairs of its Committees dealing with al-Qaeda and the Taliban,
  Counter-Terrorism and Weapons of Mass Destruction.

 NEW GUIDELINES ISSUED ON PROTECTION
OF PEOPLE FLEEING SOMALIA

• The
  
  Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
  today
  
  issued new guidelines to governments on the protection of people
  fleeing
  
  Somalia. The guidelines seek to establish a consistent approach to
  assisting Somalis fleeing the violence in their country.
   

• They encourage governments to process applications
  for refugee status from people out of central and southern Somalia in
  the broadest possible way. This is already the practice in Kenya,
  Ethiopia, Eritrea, Djibouti and Yemen, the refugee agency says.
   

• UNHCR also advises all governments to extend other
  forms of protected status in line with international rules and practice
  where full refugee status is not granted.
   

• Somalis continue to flee the violence in ever
  growing numbers. UNHCR says that there are now some 1.4 million
  civilians displaced inside Somalia and more 575,000 Somali refugees in
  neighbouring countries.
   

• The
  
  Secretary-General will be attending a conference in Istanbul on
  Somalia next week.

 U.N.D.P. CHIEF, TANZANIAN PRESIDENT
DISCUSSED MDG PROGRESS

• On the last day of her four-day official visit to
  Tanzania, the Administraor of the
  
  UN Development Programme (UNDP),
  
  Helen Clark, met with President Jakaya Kikwete to discuss Tanzania’s
  progress on a range of
  
  Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), including high primary school
  enrolment and greater representation of women in decision making.
   

• Miss Clark also visited the UNDP-supported National
  Voter Registration Center. Overall, it is expected that the number of
  registered voters will be increased from 15.9 million to 21 million for
  this year’s national elections.
   

• UNDP’s support to Tanzania’s election includes
  voter education, training for media and political parties, and domestic
  election observation.  

 MAJOR ONLINE PETITION LAUNCHED TO
TACKLE GLOBAL HUNGER

• The
  
  Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) today
  
  unveiled a major online petition calling on people to get angry at
  the fact that around a billion people suffer from
  
  hunger.
   

• "The
  1billionhungry project" uses strong images to illustrate hunger at
  its worst. Bold language and typography grab attention saying that
  enough is enough.
   

• A yellow whistle works as an icon encouraging
  people to blow the whistle against hunger.
   

• The online petition calls upon governments to make
  the elimination of hunger their top priority.
   

• "We should be extremely angry for the outrageous
  fact that that our fellow human beings continue to suffer from hunger,"
  said FAO Director-General
  
  Jacques Diouf.
   

• "If you feel the same way, I want you to voice that
  anger. All of you, rich and poor, young and old, in developing and
  developed countries, express your anger about world hunger by adding
  your names to the global 1billion hungry petition at
  http://www.1billionhungry.org," he said.  FAO hopes the petition will
  spread through social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

 OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

NO DECISION YET ON ATTENDING THE FIFA WORLD CUP:
Asked about the FIFA World Cup tournament that is to take place in South
Africa, the Spokesperson said that the

Secretary-General is actively considering his presence there, although
no decision has been taken yet on a visit.

HUMAN RIGHTS COUNCIL ELECTIONS UP TO MEMBER STATES:
Asked about elections to the

Human Rights Council, the Spokesperson underscored that those elections
are in the hands of the UN Member States.

TEAR GAS USED DURING DEMONSTRATION IN HAITI:
Asked about the use of tear gas at a demonstration in

Haiti, the Spokesperson said that the Haitian National Police had used
tear gas. UN police were present, but the

UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti handled its duties without recourse to
violence. He added that one UN vehicle had been slightly damaged.