CÔTE
D’IVOIRE: ANY ATTACK ON U.N. FORCES WILL BE AN
ATTACK ON INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY, SECRETARY-GENERAL
STRESSES

• In a
  
  statement issued on Côte d’Ivoire over the
  weekend, the Secretary-General made clear once
  more that any attack on UN forces will be an
  attack on the international community and those
  responsible for these actions will be held
  accountable. Any continued actions obstructing
  and constricting UN operations are similarly
  unacceptable. The UN Operation in Côte d’Ivoire
  (UNOCI)
  will fulfill its mandate and will continue to
  monitor and document any human rights
  violations, incitement to hatred and violence,
  or attacks on UN peacekeepers, the
  Secretary-General said.
   

• Today in
  Abidjan, the Secretary-General’s Special
  Representative, Choi Young-jin, said that UNOCI
  is focusing on two fundamental aspect of its
  mandate: the certification of elections and the
  maintenance of peace, which includes the
  protection of civilians and the Golf Hotel.
   

• Mr. Choi
  said that we estimate at least 50 deaths, 200
  people injured and 470 people arbitrarily
  arrested and detained. Many cases of
  disappearances have also come to light. He added
  that, despite being blocked and harassed, most
  essential UNOCI staff are carrying on with their
  work, and we are carrying out military and
  police patrols across the country.
   

• On
  Sunday, UN High Commissioner for
  Human Rights
  Navi Pillay
  
  expressed deep concern about the growing
  evidence of massive violations of human rights
  taking place in Côte d’Ivoire since 16
  December.  She noted the reports about the
  abduction of individuals from their homes,
  especially at night, by unidentified armed
  individuals in military uniform.
   

• Asked
  about the Gbagbo side’s lack of acceptance of
  UNOCI, the Spokesperson said that the Security
  Council has endorsed the recognition by the
  Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
  and the African Union of Alassane Ouattara as
  President elect. Laurent Gbagbo lost the
  election, and, as such, the international
  community has called for him to step aside and
  yield power to Mr. Ouattara. 
   

• Haq said
  that the matter will be brought to the attention
  of the Security Council, which established UNOCI
  and is the only body with the authority to
  terminate its mandate.

SECURITY
COUNCIL UPDATED ON RECENT DEVELOPMENTS IN CÔTE
D’IVOIRE, VOTES ON RENEWING PEACEKEEPERS’ MANDATE

• 
  Immediately following a briefing by Chairmen of
  subsidiary bodies, the
  
  Security Council began consultations on the
  situation in Côte d'Ivoire, where Council
  members received an update on recent
  developments by Under-Secretary-General for
  Peacekeeping Operations Alain Le Roy.
   

• The
  Council, in a formal meeting afterward, adopted
  a resolution urging all the Ivorian parties and
  stakeholders to respect the will of the people
  and the outcome of the election in view of
  ECOWAS and African Union’s recognition of
  Alassane Dramane Ouattara as President-elect of
  Côte d’Ivoire and representative of the freely
  expressed voice of the Ivorian people as
  proclaimed by the Independent Electoral
  Commission.
   

• The
  Security Council resolution also renewed the
  mandate of
  
  UNOCI, as set out in resolution 1933 (2010),
  until 30 June 2011.
   

• The
  Council also scheduled a meeting on threats to
  international peace and security caused by
  terrorist acts. Later, the Security Council held
  consultations on the UN Disengagement Observer
  Force (UNDOF)
  in the Golan Heights.
   

• On
  Sunday, the Security Council also held
  consultations on the situation in the Korean
  peninsula.
   

• Asked
  whether the Secretary-General would send an
  envoy to the Korean peninsula, the Spokesperson
  noted that, earlier this year, the
  Secretary-General had send
  Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs B.
  Lynn Pascoe to the Democratic People’s Republic
  of Korea. He added that, for now, the Security
  Council was considering the issue of the
  peninsula and that we would await any unified
  position by the Council.

DARFUR:
ALL STAKEHOLDERS IN U.N.-SUPPORTED MEDIATION VOICE
SUPPORT FOR DOHA PEACE PROCESS

• The
  Mediation working to finalize the Doha peace
  process for Darfur said in a statement that all
  stakeholders expressed their support to the Doha
  process, their readiness to endorse the outcomes
  from the talks, and their wish to be closely
  involved in the final phase of the peace
  process. The Mediation also plans to consult
  with the refugees in the near future.
   

• The
  Mediation says all those consulted particularly
  stressed the importance of an inclusive process
  that would deliver a comprehensive and
  sustainable peace for
  
  Darfur. As such they underscored the
  necessity for all armed movements to participate
  without delay.
   

• 
  Consultations between the Justice and Equality
  Movement (JEM) and the Mediation on the
  Movement’s return to the peace process have
  resulted in the resumption of ceasefire
  negotiations between the Government of Sudan and
  JEM in Doha.

SITUATION
IN KHOR ABECHE REMAINS TENSE, U.N.-AFRICAN UNION
MISSION REPORTS

• The
  UN-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID)
  reports that the current situation remains
  tense, following earlier clashes between
  Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and Sudan Liberation
  Army/Minni Minawi (SLA/MM) forces in Khor Abeche,
  north-east of Nyala in South Darfur.
   

• The
  mission said that, following overnight shelling
  heard in the outskirts of Khor Abeche, UNAMID
  expects more internally-displaced persons,
  currently believed to be hiding in the bush, to
  come to the team site. Urgent humanitarian
  support is therefore needed.

WESTERN SAHARA: TWO NEW ROUNDS
OF INFORMAL TALKS TO BE HELD IN 2011

• 
  Delegations from Morocco and the Frente
  Polisario attended a fourth round of informal
  talks on Western Sahara at Greentree, Long
  Island, from 16 to 18 December 2010.
   

• In a
  communiqué at the end of the talks, the
  Secretary-General’s Personal Envoy, Christopher
  Ross said that, by the end of the meeting, each
  party continued to reject the proposal of the
  other as a sole basis for future negotiations.
  
   

• Within
  the framework of the pertinent Security Council
  resolutions relevant to the ongoing negotiations
  process, the parties engaged in extensive
  discussions on innovative approaches to create a
  new dynamic in the negotiating process in 2011
  on the basis of regular meetings. In this
  regard, both parties proposed concrete ideas
  that will be developed at the next two rounds of
  informal talks, to be held from 21 to 22 January
  and in March 2011.

CLIMATE CHANGE CHIEF CALLS FOR
QUICK FOLLOW UP TO CANCUN AGREEMENTS

• Nations
  must follow up the successful UN Climate Change
  Conference in Cancún with higher global emission
  cuts and the rapid launch of new institutions
  and funds to show the world that a new era of
  international cooperation on climate change is
  an established fact, Christiana Figueres,
  Executive Secretary of the UN Framework
  Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC),
  
  said today.
   

• 
  According to the UNFCC, if all these targets and
  actions are fully implemented, UN estimates show
  they could deliver only 60 percent of the
  emission reductions that science says will be
  needed to stay below the agreed two degree rise
  in average temperatures; a two-degree rise does
  not guarantee the survival of the most
  vulnerable peoples.
   

• The
  Cancún Agreements also include the most
  comprehensive package ever agreed by governments
  to help developing nations deal with climate
  change, including new institutions, funding
  channels and a technology transfer mechanism to
  help the developing world build its own
  sustainable, low-emissions future, adapt more
  effectively to climate change, and preserve and
  protect its forests for the good of all nations.
   

• Figueres
  said that she expected in particular to see
  rapid decisions on appointing the board of the
  new Green Fund and the Committee of the
  Technology Mechanism.

OTHER
ANNOUNCEMENTS

SRI LANKA
PANEL ON TRACK TO SUBMIT ITS REPORT ON SCHEDULE:

Asked about the work of the advisory panel dealing
with Sri Lanka, the Spokesperson said that the
deadline for submissions to that panel was being
extended until the end of the year. He said the
panel was on track to submit its report on schedule.

U.N.
CONTINUES TO SUPPORT WORK OF THE SPECIAL TRIBUNAL
FOR LEBANON:
In response
to questions, the Spokesperson said that the United
Nations continues to support the work of the Special
Tribunal for Lebanon (STL).

***The
guest today at the Noon Briefing was Susan Malcorra,
Under-Secretary-General for Field Support.