SECRETARY-GENERAL:
AGREEMENT OF GOVERNMENT FORMATION PROCESS A ‘MAJOR STEP’ FORWARD IN
IRAQ’S DEMOCRATIC PROCESS

• The Secretary-General
  
  welcomes the agreement of the government formation process
  in Iraq which represents a major step forward in the country’s
  democratic process. He commends all political parties and their
  leaders for reaching a compromise that will serve the collective
  of the Iraqi people. The Secretary-General congratulates
  President Jalal Talabani on his re-election, and welcomes the
  election of the Speaker and Deputy Speakers of the Parliament
  and the nomination of the designate Prime Minister. The
  Secretary-General calls on Iraqi leaders to continue
  demonstrating the same spirit of partnership in moving swiftly
  to conclude the formation of a new government. The United
  Nations is committed to assisting the people and Government of
  Iraq in their efforts to achieve national reconciliation and
  build a strong and prosperous country.
   

• Asked about the
  difficulties concerning government formation, the Spokesperson
  said that the United Nations was well aware of the problems
  encountered over the past eight months.
   

• However, he said, it was
  a hopeful sign that there had been an Iraqi-led process in which
  representatives from Iraq’s different political parties and
  ethnic groups had come together to bring us to the formation of
  a government. The Secretary-General, he said, now wanted the
  Iraqi parties to show the same spirit so that they can conclude
  the formation of a government.
   

• Asked about violence in
  Iraq, Haq said that the Secretary-General had recently issued a
  
  statement condemning the violence, and that he and his
  Special Representative for Iraq, Ad Melkert, had urged Iraqis to
  avoid having such attacks divide them along ethnic or religious
  lines.

 

SECRETARY-GENERAL URGES
G20 LEADERS TO KEEP PROMISES MADE TOWARDS ACHIEVING MILLENNIUM
DEVELOPMENT GOALS

• The Secretary-General
  
  addressed the Group of 20 leaders gathered in Seoul today,
  telling them that the promises made at the Summit on the
  
  Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) must be promises kept.
  Our words must translate into action on the ground.
   

• He said that the G20
  leaders could chart a way forward by keeping the focus on the
  MDGs, by demonstrating strong political will; by making
  strategic investments that multiply progress across all
  Millennium Development Goals; and by following through on our
  funding commitments. Economic uncertainty, he said, should not
  be an excuse to do less.
   

• He later spoke to the
  G20 leaders about climate change at a working lunch,
  
  saying that we need to make progress on all fronts. We need
  to move forward on efforts to protect forests, finance,
  adaptation and technology cooperation.
   

• The Secretary-General
  said that climate finance is crucial for unlocking progress in
  the negotiations and closing the gap in trust. He asked the G20
  developed countries to contribute fairly and transparently to
  fast-start funding for the 2010-2012 period. Developing
  countries are looking for new and additional funds, he told them
  -- not repackaged development aid.
   

• The Secretary-General
  will be back at UN Headquarters on Monday.

 

CÔTE D’IVOIRE: U.N. ENVOY
CERTIFIES FIRST-ROUND PRESIDENTIAL POLLS

• The Secretary-General
  has received from his Special Representative in
  
  Côte d'Ivoire, Choi Young-Jin, the statement certifying the
  first round of presidential elections in the country.
   

• Choi says that after a
  thorough analysis and evaluation of the final results of the
  first round of the presidential elections, which took place on
  31 October, he has concluded that the process leading to the
  proclamation of the final results was as a whole peaceful and
  democratic, and that the results of the elections were
  determined through a fair and transparent process.
   

• He calls on all
  stakeholders to remain committed to the holding of an open,
  free, fair and transparent second round of the presidential
  elections, with a view to bringing the Ivorian crisis closer to
  a conclusion. That second round is scheduled for 28 November.

 

U.N., PARTNERS LAUNCH NEW
CHOLERA PLAN FOR HAITI

• The United Nations and
  its partners are
  
  launching a new cholera plan for
  
  Haiti. More than $163 million are requested for the Cholera
  Inter-Sector Response Strategy for Haiti – which aims to support
  the Government of Haiti’s response to the current cholera
  epidemic.
   

• The Humanitarian
  Coordinator in the country, Nigel Fisher, says that although a
  major effort has already been made, the sheer quantity of relief
  items that need to be delivered in the days and weeks ahead is
  going to require more logistical and financial support by all
  humanitarian agencies and donors.
   

• According to the Office
  for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA),
  more than 12,000 Haitians have been hospitalised so far and more
  than 800 people have died during the cholera outbreak. That
  office adds that a total of 200,000 people are expected to show
  symptoms of cholera, ranging from cases of mild diarrhea to the
  most severe dehydration.
   

• It also says that,
  according to epidemiologists, the epidemic will continue to
  spread throughout the country and resources will need to be
  mobilized for at least six months.
   

• Asked about the estimate
  that as many as 200,000 people could be affected to some degree,
  the Spokesperson said that this number was calculated based on
  other countries’ experiences, and calculations by the
  Pan-American Health Organization/World Health Organization (WHO)
  and the United States Centers for Disease Control.
   

• He noted that medical
  interventions supported by the UN system had helped to deal with
  cholera cases to keep down the number of deaths from cholera.
  But more support is needed, he added, given the scale of the
  problem.
   

• Asked about donor
  fatigue, he noted that there had been an outpouring of support
  for Haiti following the 12 January earthquake and voiced the
  hope that the urgency of the cholera crisis could prompt renewed
  pledges.

 

SECURITY COUNCIL TO MEET
ON KOSOVO

• The
  
  Security Council will hold an open meeting this afternoon on
  Kosovo.
   

• The discussions are
  expected to focus on the Secretary-General’s
  
  latest report to the Security Council on Kosovo, in which he
  welcomes the resolution adopted by the General Assembly on 9
  September and the readiness of the European Union to facilitate
  a process of dialogue between Pristina and Belgrade. He
  encourages Pristina and Belgrade to engage in it in good faith,
  in close consultation with the European Union.
   

• The Secretary-General is
  concerned over the recent report by the Kosovo authorities and
  the subsequent media commentaries against the presence of the UN
  Mission (UNMIK)
  in the north, which have risked placing United Nations staff in
  danger. UNMIK would be prepared to hand over its functions in
  northern Kosovo to a structure which is legitimate and
  acceptable to all communities, in accordance with the United
  Nations policy of status neutrality. Until then, the
  Secretary-General strongly urges all sides to continue their
  cooperation with UNMIK in delivering its mandate.

 

U.N. CALLS FOR MORE TIME
FOR MYANMAR REFUGEES BEFORE RETURNING HOME FROM THAILAND

• The Office of the UN
  High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
  is
  
  reporting that most of the 15,000 refugees who fled into
  northern Thailand have returned to Myanmar.
   

• The refugees escaped
  across the border when fighting broke out between ethnic Karen
  rebels and Government troops in eastern Myanmar, the day after
  last weekend’s elections. But some refugees have crossed back
  into Thailand due to resumed clashes.
   

• Together with the Thai
  Government, UNHCR is advocating for refugees to be given more
  time before being encouraged to return home.
   

• The
  agency said that it cannot assess the voluntary nature of all
  returns at this time.

 

SPECIAL TRIBUNAL FOR
LEBANON IS FAIR AND IMPARTIAL

• Asked about the
  impartiality of the
  
  Special Tribunal for Lebanon, the Spokesperson said that the
  Secretary-General believed that the Tribunal would do a fair and
  impartial job as it fulfils its mandate, provided under
  resolutions of the Security Council.
   

• He noted that the
  Secretary-General had
  
  urged all parties to cooperate with the Tribunal.
   

• Asked about the
  country’s stability, Haq said that, by dealing with the issue of
  impunity and providing a sense of justice, the Tribunal could
  help to provide stability to Lebanon.

 

U.N. REFUGEE CHIEF WELCOMES ADOPTION BY LATIN
AMERICAN NATIONS OF DECLARATION TO PROTECT THE DISPLACED

• UN
  
  High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres
  
  applauded yesterday’s adoption of a declaration on the
  protection of refugees and stateless persons by 18 Latin
  American countries. He said the declaration, adopted in Brazil’s
  capital, Brasilia, is a model for other regions of the world to
  follow.
   

• It is also a very
  significant show of political will, he said, stressing that by
  taking a unified approach to displacement issues, Latin America
  is at the forefront of efforts to enhance the protection of
  refugees, the internally displaced and the stateless.

 

RETURN OF UPROOTED TO PAKISTAN’S SOUTH WAZIRISTAN
WILL BEGIN NEXT MONTH, U.N. REFUGEE AGENCY REPORTS

• With a recent survey
  finding that the majority of people uprooted by the October 2009
  Pakistani army offensive against militants want to return home,
  UNHCR is
  
  gearing up to help the displaced return voluntarily to South
  Waziristan next month.
   

• Currently, some 8,000
  families – or 56,000 people – are displaced and living in South
  Waziristan.
   

• Nearly half of the 2,000
  uprooted families surveyed said they would like to return
  immediately, citing improved security, cultivating their land
  and sending their children to school as reasons for wanting to
  go back.
   

• UNHCR will provide
  transportation, tents and other supplies for those who return,
  and will also support ‘go-and-see’ visits to allow people to
  make informed decisions about whether to return to South
  Waziristan.

 

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

 

U.N. HUMANITARIAN CHIEF HAS
CALLED FOR INVESTIGATION INTO RAPES AMONG CONGOLESE MIGRANTS IN
ANGOLA: Asked
about the rapes that had occurred among Congolese migrants in
Angola, the Spokesperson recalled that Under-Secretary-General for
Humanitarian Affairs Valerie Amos had called for a prompt
investigation by the national authorities.

 

SECRETARY-GENERAL CONDEMNS
ALL TERRORIST ATTACKS:
Asked about an attack in the
Pakistani city of Karachi, the Spokesperson said that the
Secretary-General condemns all such terrorist attacks, regardless of
cause.

 

INTERNATIONAL LABOUR ORGANIZATION, STAFF UNION HOLD REGULAR
MEETINGS: Asked
about reported labour disputes at the International Labour
Organization (ILO),
the Spokesperson noted that ILO has said that the ILO Administration
and the Staff Union hold regular meetings and have reached agreement
on a number of matters relating to the working conditions of ILO
staff. Nevertheless, there is one area on which the parties differ:
the procedures concerning recruitment and selection.

 

THE WEEK AHEAD AT THE UNITED NATIONS[1]
13 November-19 November 2010

 

Saturday, 13 November

 

There are no major events scheduled for today.

 

Sunday, 14 November

 

Today is World Diabetes Day.

 

Monday, 15 November

 

Today, the Security Council
is expected to adopt a resolution on piracy off the coast of
Somalia. It will also hold an open debate on its 1276, 1373 and 1540
Committees.

 

At 12:30 p.m., in the Dag
Hammarskjold Library Auditorium, Valerie Amos,
Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency
Relief Coordinator, will brief journalists on her recent trip to
Sudan.

 

From 1:15 to 2:30 p.m. in
Conference Room 7 (NLB), the United Nations University will organize
a UNU Midday Forum with Justin N. Seruhere, Minister Plenipotentiary
at the Permanent Mission of the United Republic of Tanzania to the
UN, entitled “The Role of Entrepreneurship in the Attainment and
Sustainability of MDGs”.

 

Starting today and until 17
November, the World Health Organization (WHO) Global Forum on
Urbanization and Health will bring together city mayors and
government leaders with experts from around the world to address the
links between cities and health.

 

Tuesday, 16 November

 

This morning, the Security Council will hold a
debate on Sudan. The Secretary-general is expected to address this
meeting. In the afternoon, the Security Council will hold
consultations on Western Sahara.

 

At 11:00 a.m. in the Dag Hammarskjold Library
Auditorium, Mr. Jomo Kwame Sundaram, Assistant Secretary-General for
Economic Affairs will hold a press conference about the appointment
of actress Monique Coleman as UN Youth Champion for the
International Year of Youth. Participants include: Ms. Monique
Coleman, and Mr. Jean-Pierre Gonnot, Acting Director for the
Division for Social Policy and Development, who will moderate the
press conference.

 

A Candlelight Vigil will be held from 6:00 to
7:00 pm in Times Square as an urgent call to action on behalf of all
the children and youth who suffer from exploitation and abuse
worldwide. The event is sponsored by Covenant House International,
Religions for Peace, UNICEF, and the World Day of Prayer and Action
for Children.

 

Today is the International Day for Tolerance.

 

Wednesday, 17 November

 

Today is an official UN
holiday. UN Headquarters in New York will be closed.

 

Thursday, 18 November

 

Today, the Secretary-General will meet with the
leaders of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities, in the
framework of the on-going negotiation process to achieve a
comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem, conducted by the two
communities under the auspices of the United Nations.

 

This morning, the Security Council is expected to
adopt resolutions on Bosnia and Herzegovina and the United Nations
Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNIOGBIS). It will
also hold consultations on its 1701 report.

 

Today is World Philosophy Day.

 

Friday, 19 November

 

At 12:00 p.m.,
in the Dag Hammarskjold Library Auditorium,
the United Nations Industrialization
Organization (UNIDO) will hold a press conference to brief on Africa
Industrialization Day. Participants include George Assaf, Director
and UNIDO Representative to the United Nations; Ambassador Tete
Antonio, Permanent Observer of the African Union to the United
Nations; and Ambassador Oumar Daou, Permanent Representative of Mali
to the United Nations.

 

At 1:00 p.m.,
in the Dag Hammarskjold Library Auditorium,
the Outreach Division of the
Department of Public Information will hold a press conference on the
launch of UN Academic Impact. Participants include Mr. Kiyo Akasaka,
Under-Secretary-General for the Department of Public Information;
Michael Adams, President-elect of the International Association of
University Presidents (IAUP); and Madame Guo, Alliance of
Asia-Pacific Region Orchestras and China Symphony Development
Foundation.