REPORT: AFGHANISTAN CONFLICT CLAIMED
HEAVIER CIVILIAN TOLL IN 2010

• The UN
  Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA)
  and the
  Afghanistan Independent Human Rights
  Commission have issued their latest
  
  annual report on the protection
  of civilians, which records more
  than 2,700 conflict-related civilian
  deaths in 2010. That represents an
  increase of 15 per cent compared to
  2009, and the fourth consecutive
  increase in civilian deaths from the
  previous year.
   

• 
  Anti-government elements were linked
  to more than 2,000 civilian deaths,
  and about three-quarter of all
  civilian deaths, which is up 28 per
  cent from 2009. Meanwhile,
  pro-government forces were linked to
  440 civilian deaths, which is down
  26 per cent from 2009. Nine per cent
  of civilian deaths in 2010 could not
  be attributed to any party to the
  conflict.
   

• Asked about the
  Secretary-General’s reaction to the
  report, the Spokesperson said that
  he shares the concerns expressed by
  his representatives in Afghanistan,
  including Staffan de Mistura.
  Whatever the cause, and whoever is
  at fault, one civilian death is too
  many, the Special Representative had
  said.
   

• De Mistura had
  also pointed to the need for action
  to reduce civilian deaths, to go
  along with the military surge.

REFUGEE AGENCY CHIEF CALLS FOR
CONTINUED SUPPORT FOR PEOPLE ESCAPING
VIOLENCE IN LIBYA

• The
  
  United Nations High Commissioner for
  Refugees, Antonio Guterres,
  together with the head of the
  International Migration
  Organization, wrapped up a two-day
  visit to Tunisia today. Guterres
  issued a call today for continued
  international momentum as people
  continue to escape the violence in
  the Libya by the thousands.
   

• The High
  Commissioner
  
  stressed that an open border is
  the most precious thing you can have
  in a refugee crisis. He said that
  the Tunisian Government and its
  people are setting an example of
  humanitarian generosity by opening
  their borders and their homes at a
  moment of tragedy.
   

• The UN Refugee
  Agency is particularly concerned
  about the increasing number of
  people fleeing Libya who come from
  war-torn nations, such as Somalia,
  who cannot return to their countries
  of origin.
   

• The
  Spokesperson noted, in answer to
  questions, the United Nations’
  concerns that some migrant workers
  who had left Libya have not been
  able to go back to their countries
  of origins. There is a pressing need
  for flights to convey them back
  home.
   

• Asked about
  credentials of the Libyan
  representatives at the United
  Nations, Nesirky said that is a
  matter for the Libyan Government to
  decide. The matter of credentials
  continues to be discussed, in what
  he described as an unusual matter.
   

• Asked about the
  UN humanitarian team that is waiting
  to enter Libya, the Spokesperson
  said the team is ready to go, but
  the conditions for their entry into
  the country need to be right and
  continue to be discussed.
   

• Asked about the
  Special Envoy for Libya, Abdul Ilah
  Khatib, Nesirky said that he will
  meet the Secretary-General on
  Friday, after which both are
  expected to speak to the press.

WESTERN SAHARA TALKS TO RESUME IN MAY 

• The sixth round
  of informal talks on Western Sahara
  wrapped up earlier today in Malta.
   

• The
  Secretary-General’s Personal
  
  Envoy, Christopher Ross, read a
  communiqué at the end of this
  two-day meeting. He said that each
  party continued to reject the
  proposal of the other as a sole
  basis for future negotiations.
   

• He also said
  that for the next informal meeting,
  the parties decided to tackle a
  number of innovative approaches,
  including measures of conciliation
  and the avoidance of any sort of
  provocation that could have a
  negative impact on the negotiating
  process. They will also tackle
  additional topics for discussion,
  including natural resources, and
  demining.
   

• The next
  meeting is expected to be in late
  May.
   

• Asked whether
  the Secretary-General is
  disappointed at the progress so far,
  the Spokesperson said that
  Christopher Ross continues to work
  with the parties to see how the
  process can move forward.

SECRETARY-GENERAL INITIATES U.N
BUDGET REDUCTION DRIVE

• The
  Secretary-General has instructed
  Senior Managers to prepare a
  
  budget with a 3% reduction as
  compared with the previous budget.
   

• He told
  managers, “We must be realistic
  about the current economic climate.
  Even the wealthiest nations are
  tightening their belts and cutting
  budgets. The United Nations must be
  no less disciplined. We cannot go
  about business as usual.”
   

• It will be up
  to Member States to discuss and
  decide on the ultimate budget to be
  adopted. The Secretary-General
  encourages all UN entities and UN
  Member States to find ways to do
  more with less.
   

• Asked about the
  scale of the cut, the Spokesperson
  said that it would be 3 percent of
  the previous budget figure, which
  was for $5.4 billion. The
  Secretary-General has stressed to
  his senior advisors that they should
  be creative in seeing where they can
  find savings.

WORLD COURT ISSUES NEW ORDERS TO
COSTA RICA, NICARAGUA OVER DISPUTED
TERRITORY

• The
  International Court of Justice gave
  its
  
  order on Tuesday on provisional
  measures in the case concerning
  Certain Activities carried out by
  Nicaragua in the Border Area (Costa
  Rica v. Nicaragua). The Court’s
  order is addressed to both Parties.
   

• By this
  order the Court requests the Parties
  to refrain from sending to, or
  maintaining any personnel in the
  disputed territory. It authorizes
  Costa Rica, in certain specific
  circumstances, to dispatch civilian
  personnel there, charged with the
  protection of the environment. And
  it calls on the Parties not to
  aggravate or extend the dispute
  before the Court or make it more
  difficult to resolve.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

CYPRIOT LEADERS
TO MEET AGAIN NEXT WEEK: The Greek
Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders
discussed issues related to citizenship
in Nicosia today. They will meet again
on Friday, 18 March.

U.N. BODIES
LOOKING AT QUESTION OF MISSING SRI
LANKAN JOURNALIST: Asked about a
letter from journalists’ rights groups
about a missing Sri Lankan cartoonist,
the Spokesperson said that the letter
from the five organizations has been
received. The Office of the High
Commissioner for Human Rights and UNESCO
have been looking into the matter of the
missing journalist and will follow up.
He added that the Secretary-General is
concerned about the disappearance of any
journalist.

U.N. MISION HAS
STEPPED UP PRESENCE IN ABYEI: Asked
about the violence in Abyei, in Sudan,
the Spokesperson noted that the UN
Mission in Sudan (UNMIS)
was instrumental in bringing the sides
together last week to secure an
agreement to halt fighting. The Mission
has also stepped up its presence in
Abyei with an additional company.