BAN KI-MOON DEPLORES EXPANSION OF
ILLEGAL ISRAELI SETTLEMENTS IN EAST JERUSALEM

• The
  Secretary-General
  
  deplores the destruction on Sunday of the
  Shepherd’s Hotel in occupied East Jerusalem to make
  way for new settlement units in the heart of a
  Palestinian neighbourhood, which only serves to
  heighten tensions.
   

• It is deeply
  regrettable that growing international concern at
  unilateral expansion of illegal Israeli settlements
  is not being heeded. Such actions seriously
  prejudice the possibility of a negotiated solution
  to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
   

• The
  Secretary-General once again calls on the Government
  of Israel to take whatever steps are necessary to
  freeze settlement activity anywhere in occupied
  territory.

HIGH TURNOUTS, LONG QUEUES ON
SECOND DAY OF SOUTHERN SUDAN REFERENDUM

• Polling
  centres in Sudan and out of country voting sites,
  
  opened on schedule again today, one day after
  voting started. High turnouts and long queues were
  reported in Southern Sudan; the turnout in the north
  was more moderate.
   

• The Southern
  Sudan Referendum
  
  Commission announced today the official number
  of registered voters as more than 3.9 million. That
  includes 3.7 million registered voters in the south;
  more than 100,000 in the north; and more than 60,000
  outside the country.
   

• Meanwhile,
  the Secretary-General's Panel on the referendum
  continued its monitoring of the referendum in Sudan
  on the second day of polling, with the members
  visiting three states in the South. They visited
  polling centres, talked to voters and held meetings
  with Government and referendum officials.
   

• The Chairman
  of the Panel, Benjamin Mkapa, told journalists that
  “the turnout in the first day has been overwhelming
  but officials have coped very well with that, and we
  commend them for this.” 
   

• Asked about violence in Abyei,
  the Spokesperson said that the United Nations is
  extremely concerned about the reports of clashes
  around Abyei and the resulting casualties.
   

• While there have been varying
  figures reported on the number of casualties, he
  added, these remain unconfirmed. The UN Mission in
  Sudan (UNMIS)
  is in the process of confirming these numbers.
   

• In the meantime, Nesirky said,
  UNMIS is pursuing containment of the situation both
  politically and on the ground by enhanced patrolling
  activities and engagement with top leadership of
  both sides.

DARFUR ENVOY MEETS WITH DISPLACED
CIVILIANS IN KHOR ABECHE

• A UN-African
  Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID)
  patrol to Tabit village, 37 kilometres northwest of
  Shangil Tobaya, North Darfur,
  
  reported exchanges of fire occurred on 7 January
  between Government forces and Sudan Liberation Army-Minni
  Minnawi forces, in which three people are believed
  to have been killed. The Mission is investigating.
   

• Meanwhile,
  Joint UN-AU Special Representative Ibrahim Gambari
  visited Khor Abeche, where he met with the displaced
  community, who expressed their gratitude to UNAMID
  for assistance received in the wake of last month’s
  attacks on the civilian population. While the
  Mission has been providing security, medical
  attention and water, the citizens expressed concern
  over the lack of sufficient shelter, food, and
  clothing.
   

• Professor
  Gambari stated that peacekeepers would do everything
  in their power to assist.

OUTGOING MISSION CHIEF APPEALS FOR
CONSENSUS AMONG NEPALESE PARTIES

• With five
  days left until the end of the mandate of the UN
  Mission in Nepal, the Secretary-General’s
  Representative, Karin Landgren,
  
  calls on parties to form consensus on the most
  urgent issue requiring resolution: the future
  monitoring of arms and armies after the Mission’s
  exit.
   

• She said she
  remains hopeful, even at this late date, that the
  parties will find the flexibility to resolve this
  issue.
   

• And
  throughout Nepal’s peace process, the parties have
  shown that they are capable of putting aside their
  differences at the most critical times to forge
  last-minute consensus.

BAN KI-MOON REAFFIRMS SUPPORT FOR
SPECIAL TRIBUNAL IN MEETING WITH LEBANON PRIME MINISTER

• The
  Secretary-General
  
  met with the Prime Minister of Lebanon on Sunday
  evening, and they had a cordial and constructive
  meeting.
   

• On the
  Special
  
  Tribunal, the Secretary-General reiterated his
  support for the work of the Tribunal, and stressed
  that it is an independent body. He hoped its work
  would help end impunity in Lebanon. They also
  discussed regional and other efforts to promote
  stability. And the Secretary-General took note of
  the Lebanese concerns on maritime boundary issues.
   

• Asked about regional efforts
  regarding Lebanon, the Spokesperson said the
  situation is being analyzed and studied.

SECRETARY-GENERAL CONCERNED ABOUT DETENTIONS IN
BELARUS

• In response to questions, the
  Spokesperson said that the Secretary-General has
  followed developments in Belarus since the recent
  presidential election and has noted the serious
  concerns voiced by observer groups regarding the
  electoral process and post-electoral developments.
   

• The Secretary-General, Nesirky
  said, is concerned about the continued detention of
  journalists, opposition candidates and their
  supporters and calls for their release and the full
  observance of human rights and due process.
   

• The Secretary-General
  recognizes the important work of the office for the
  Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe
  (OSCE)
  in Belarus and regrets the decision of the
  Government of Belarus to close the OSCE office in
  Minsk.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

BAN KI-MOON
CONVEYS CONDOLENCES FOLLOWING ARIZONA SHOOTING:
The Spokesperson told
correspondents that the Secretary-General has spoken by
telephone with the US Ambassador to the United Nations,
Susan Rice, to convey his condolences following the
shooting incident in Arizona on Saturday, in which
several people were killed and Representative Gabrielle
Giffords was among the wounded. The Secretary-General
will also be sending a letter of condolence to
Ambassador Rice concerning that incident, Nersirky
added.

SECURITY
COUNCIL IS BRIEFED ON POLITICAL ISSUES:
The

Security Council heard an update today on a range of
political topics from the Department of Political
Affairs. Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs
B. Lynn Pascoe briefed Council members in closed
consultations.

**The guest
at the noon briefing today was Nigel Fisher, the Deputy
Special Representative of the Secretary-General for

Haiti and UN Resident and
Humanitarian Coordinator. Mr. Fisher joined the briefing
by video teleconference from Port-au-prince and updated
correspondents on the situation in Haiti.