U.N. PEACEKEEPING CHIEF CONFIRMS FORMER IVORIAN PRESIDENT IN CUSTODY OF OUATTARA FORCES

• Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Alain Le Roy briefed the Security Council on today’s developments in Côte d’Ivoire in closed consultations this morning.
   

• He told reporters afterwards that he could confirm that former President Laurent Gbagbo and his wife are in the Golf Hotel, in the custody of President Alassane Ouattara’s forces. The UN Mission (UNOCI) is providing protection and security in accordance with its Security Council mandate.
   

• Mr. Le Roy said the United Nations had repelled an attack on Saturday by the pro-Gbagbo forces against the residence of President Ouattara.
   

• In a statement issued on Sunday, the Secretary-General had said that the continued use of heavy weapons against the civilian population and UN peacekeepers, as well as the attack against the Headquarters of the legitimate Government, had compelled him, once again, to instruct the Mission to use all necessary means to prevent the use of these weapons, pursuant to Security Council resolutions 1975 (2011) and 1962 (2010).
   

• The Spokesperson, in response to questions, clarified that the use of “all necessary means” applied to stopping the use of heavy weapons by Laurent Gbagbo’s side.

SYRIA: SECRETARY-GENERAL GREATLY DISTURBED BY LATEST VIOLENCE AGAINST PROTESTORS

• In a telephone conversation with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Saturday, the Secretary-General said he was greatly disturbed by the latest reports of violence against protesters and concerned about the reports of the number of people killed and injured on Friday.
   

• He said the killing of peaceful demonstrators was unacceptable and should be investigated. He took note of the President's intention to investigate and encouraged early action in this regard. The Secretary-General underlined that violence from any side was deplorable.
   

• The Secretary-General urged the release of detained demonstrators as soon as possible. He took note of President Assad’s announced reforms and said he was convinced that there was no alternative to an immediate and inclusive dialogue on comprehensive reforms.

SECRETARY-GENERAL TO CHAIR CAIRO CONFERENCE ON LIBYA

• Asked about the Secretary-General’s response to an African Union peace initiative on Libya, the Spokesperson said that the issue could be discussed at the Cairo Conference on Libya this coming Thursday, which the Secretary-General will chair, for discussions to ensure close coordination between the United Nations, the African Union, the League of Arab States, the Organization of the Islamic Conference and the European Union.
   

• He said that the Secretary-General supports efforts and initiatives that help achieve key objectives of Security Council resolutions 1970 and 1973: an end to hostilities; full access for humanitarian assistance; and a political process to address fully the legitimate demands and aspirations of the Libyan people.
   

• Asked further about the peace process, Nesirky emphasized the crucial need for a halt to the fighting.

U.N. ENVOY ON CHILDREN AND ARMED CONFLICT WRAPS UP VISIT TO PHILIPPINES

• The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, Radhika Coomaraswamy, concluded her visit to the Philippines on Friday, 8 April.
   

• Ms. Coomaraswamy and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) have agreed to develop an Action Plan, to be finalized in high level talks with the NDFP leadership, which will ensure that no children are among the ranks of the New People’s Army (NPA) or involved in the conflict.
   

•  During her trip to Mindanao, Ms. Coomaraswamy also met with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front leadership and agreed that the ongoing process of registration of children associated with the armed group will be completed in nine months.

***The guest at the Noon Briefing was Ivan Simonovic, Assistant Secretary-General of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in New York, who briefed reporters on the human rights situation in Côte d’Ivoire, following his mission there.