Noon briefing of 25 March 2011

SECRETARY-GENERAL DISCUSSES JAPAN NUCLEAR SITUATION WITH SENIOR U.N. OFFICIALS

• The Secretary-General convened a high-level meeting this morning of senior officials of UN agencies, funds and programmes to take stock of the international response to the latest developments resulting from the situation at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan.
  

• The close collaboration between the international organizations involved in support and relief efforts has played an important role in bolstering the capacity of the Government of Japan and providing vital information to the public.
  

• The Secretary-General encourages States to consider lessons learned and to adopt appropriate measures in an innovative way to strengthen the nuclear safety regime and ensure that the highest possible standards are implemented to safeguard health, food supply and the environment, as well as reviewing the disaster risk reduction framework.
  

• The situation in Japan has nonetheless given rise to calls to reassess the international emergency response framework and the nuclear safety regime. The Secretary-General supports these calls.
  

• On behalf of all the international organizations involved in addressing this situation, the Secretary-General wishes to reassure the people and Government of Japan that we stand with them as they work to overcome this disaster and recover from the devastating earthquake and tsunami.
  

• In response to a question, the Spokesperson said that the Secretary-General convened this high-level meeting to ensure regular and effective communication between the various officials. He added that this was intended to respond effectively to the situation.
  

• Haq confirmed that this was the first such meeting and that other videoconferences could be expected over time.
  

• The Spokesperson said that although the Secretary-General and the other officials were concerned with the situation at the plant, they also praised the Japanese authorities’ reaction in light of the various crises the country had to face simultaneously. He also noted the steps taken by Japan concerning disaster risk reduction, which may have helped reduce casualties.
  

• Asked about the role of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Haq said that the Secretary-General had said that the Agency had a central role to play in the further development and universal application of the highest possible safety standards. He added that this is expected to be discussed at the 5th Review Meeting of the Contracting Parties to the Convention on Nuclear Safety, which will be held in early April.

NO EVIDENCE OF CEASE-FIRE IN LIBYA, SAYS BAN KI-MOON

• The Secretary-General briefed the Security Council on Libya yesterday, and said to reporters afterward that, despite repeated claims by the Libyan authorities, we continue to see no evidence of a cease-fire. Nor have we seen any steps by the Libyan authorities to fulfill their obligations under resolutions 1970 and 1973.
  

• He said that we have serious concerns about the protection of civilians and respect for human rights and international humanitarian law. Worrying signs include arrests, disappearances, threats and incitement, including by Colonel Qadhafi on national television.
  

• There is an urgent need for humanitarian access, with more than 330,000 people having fled the country. The Secretary-General reminded all parties of obligations to allow unimpeded access to populations in need.
  

• Asked if the Secretary-General supported maintaining Colonel Qadhafi in power, the Spokesperson said that the Secretary-General had repeatedly said that Mr. Qadhafi had lost his moral legitimacy in light of his actions in the country. Haq added that the Secretary-General did believe a political solution was possible and that his Special Envoy for Libya, Mr. Abdul Ilah al-Khatib, was holding wide consultations to that effect.

U.N. REFUGEE AGENCY HEARING REPORTS OF INCREASED DISPLACEMENT IN EASTERN LIBYA

• The UN Refugee Agency, UNHCR, is hearing consistent reports from new arrivals and humanitarian partners of increased internal displacement in eastern Libya.
  

• It has sent two convoys with medical supplies to Benghazi, in addition to thousands of blankets, sleeping mats and other items.
  

• The Agency is ready to dispatch enough supplies for up to 50,000 people if necessary.
  

• UNHCR reports that the number of people fleeing Libya has remained steady in recent days, with Tunisia and Egypt having seen some 2,000 arrivals each day from Libya.
  

• In transit camps at the Tunisia-Libya border, 8,500 people are awaiting evacuation or alternative solutions.
  

• As of Wednesday, more than 350,000 people have fled the violence in Libya.
  

• The World Food Programme (WFP) continues to pre-position food supplies in and around Libya. It has signed an agreement with the Libyan Red Crescent to help 105,000 people in and around Benghazi.

WORSENING SECURITY SITUATION TAKING TOLL ON LIVES OF IVORIAN PEOPLE, SENIOR U.N. OFFICIAL SAYS

• The Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, Atul Khare, briefed the Security Council this morning on the situation in Côte d’Ivoire.
  

• He said the deteriorating security situation and the escalation in the use of heavy weapons has had a serious toll on the lives and well-being of the Ivorian people. He also said the humanitarian situation is very grave.
  

• Khare mentioned some of the most serious incidents of the use of excessive violence against civilians. He also underlined the continued obstructions to operations by the UN Mission in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI).
  

• He added that UNOCI continues to investigate and document human rights violations and has gained access to some sites of alleged mass graves, which it is now investigating. He added that UNOCI had increased its patrols in vulnerable communities and neighborhoods and has also made arrangements for a permanent patrol to be stationed on a 24/7 basis in Abobo.
  

• In response to a question, the Spokesperson said that the Security Council was circulating a draft resolution on the country.

CÔTE D’IVOIRE: U.N. HUMANITARIAN CHIEF CALLS FOR ACCESS, RESPECT FOR CIVILIANS

• Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Valerie Amos called on those involved in the violence to respect civilians including aid workers and to allow rapid, safe and unimpeded access by humanitarian organizations.
  

• She said that the ongoing harassment and obstruction of aid workers from NGOs and the UN, the violation of UN humanitarian premises, and the theft of assets of aid agencies, seriously compromises the ability of aid workers to reach people who require assistance.
  

• The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) said today that up to one million people could now be displaced in Abidjan and the immediate surroundings. More than 100,000 have fled the country.

SITUATION IN SYRIA DETERIORATING, SAYS U.N. RIGHTS OFFICE

• The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights says that the situation in Syria has worsened considerably over the past week, with the use of live ammunition and tear gas by the authorities resulting in at least 37 people, including two children, being killed in Daraa.
  

• The Human Rights Office welcomes the Syrian Government’s decision to investigate the killings and reiterates its call for this investigation to be independent and impartial; those responsible for the killings must be held accountable.
  

• It also welcomes the release of those associated with the protests in Daraa, and hopes that all human rights defenders and political activists throughout Syria, who had also reportedly been arrested, would also be released without delay.
  

• In response to a question, the Spokesperson confirmed that the Secretary-General had spoken by phone this morning to the Syrian President, Bashar al-Assad. He said that the Secretary-General had discussed the concerns he had expressed in the statement he put out earlier this week.

TWO NEW U.N. FORCE COMMANDERS APPOINTED

• The Secretary-General has appointed Major General Juha Kilpia of Finland as Head of Mission and Chief of Staff of the United Nations Truce Supervision Organization (UNTSO). He will succeed Major General Robert Mood of Norway, who completed his assignment in February.
  

• The Secretary-General has also appointed Major General Luiz Eduardo Ramos Pereira of Brazil as Force Commander of the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH). Major General Ramos replaces Major General Luiz Guilherme Paul Cruz, also of Brazil, who will complete his assignment on 31 March.

U.N. MARKS DAY OF SOLIDARITY WITH DETAINED, MISSING STAFF MEMBERS

• Today marks the 26th Day of Solidarity with Detained and Missing Staff Members. It is commemorated annually in recognition of the serious threats to the freedom and safety of UN staff around the world.
  

• In his message to mark the occasion, the Secretary-General calls on all partners to do their utmost so that UN personnel can do their work in the safest environment possible.

SECRETARY-GENERAL URGES CONTINUED FIGHT AGAINST MODERN-DAY SLAVERY

• At a ceremony marking the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade, the Secretary-General said that our challenge is to remember slavery in the past and to continue the fight against its contemporary versions now.
  

• By studying slavery, he says, we give names and faces to people and places that had been made invisible.
  

• The Secretary-General stresses that by examining the prevailing assumptions and beliefs that allowed the practice to flourish, we raise awareness about the continued dangers of racism and hatred.
  

• On the occasion of the International Day, there will be a special concert performance this evening in the General Assembly Hall.
  

• The Living Legacy Concert will feature performances by Khaira Arby of Mali and Aurelio Martinez of Honduras, among others.

HAITI: U.N RECTIFIED BALLOT SITUATION DURING RECENT POLLS

• The UN Mission in Haiti, MINUSTAH, and the UN Development Programme (UNDP), have clarified that some incomplete electoral kits were identified before voting began last Sunday. These kits were in fact materials from 2009, which were kept for electoral training purposes and mistakenly deployed.
  

• This affected 69 voting centres in the Port-au-Prince region. That’s 4.6% of the 1,500 voting centres in the country.
  

• The UN Mission in Haiti, working closely with the Provisional Electoral Commission, immediately redistributed the missing material, between 8:30 and 11:00 a.m. The Provisional Electoral Commission also decided to extend the voting by one hour, until 5:00 pm, in the affected centres.

THE WEEK AHEAD AT THE UNITED NATIONS

26 MARCH – 1 APRIL 2011

Saturday, 26 March

There are no major events scheduled for today.

Sunday, 27 March

There are no major events scheduled for today.

Monday, 28 March

At 3:00 p.m., the Disarmament Commission will hold its organizational session in Conference Room 1 of the North Lawn Building (NLB).

Tuesday, 29 March

This morning, the Security Council will hold consultations on resolution 1701.

At 11:00 a.m., in the Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium, there will be a press conference on the launch of a new International Labour Organization (ILO) report, entitled “Growth, employment and Decent Work in the Least Developed Countries”, as a contribution to the upcoming Fourth UN Conference on Least Developed Countries (LDCs) in Istanbul on 9 May 2011.

At approximately 12.30 p.m., in the Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium, Michael C. Williams, the Special Coordinator for Lebanon, will speak to reporters following his briefing to the Security Council on the implementation of resolution 1701.

At 3:00 p.m., there will be a panel discussion on “Transformative policies for decent work in the least developed countries” and the International Labour Organization (ILO) report entitled “Growth, Productive Employment and Decent work in Least Developed Countries” will be launched in Conference Room 1 of the NLB.

Wednesday, 30 March

At 2:00 p.m., in the Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium, there will be a press conference focusing on the launch of the United Nations Development Programme’s Creative Economy Report conference followed by the screening of the 2011 Oscar nominated documentary, “Waste Land.” Participants will include Helen Clark, UNDP Administrator, and Edna dos Santos, Chief of the Creative Economy and Industries Programme of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).

Thursday, 31 March

At 11:00 a.m., in the Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium, there will be a press conference upon the conclusion of the Human Rights Committee’s 101st Session. Zonke Majodina, Chair of the Human Rights Committee, South Africa, and Mr. Krister Thelin, Committee Member, Sweden, will participate.

At 12:00 p.m., Michael Adlerstein, the Executive Director of the Capital Master Plan, will be the guest at the Noon Briefing.

Friday, 1 April

Today, Colombia assumes the monthly rotating Presidency of the Security Council.

Today, in Kenya, there will be a meeting of the United Nations System Chief Executives Board for Coordination (CEB).