SECURITY
COUNCIL TO DISCUSS SYRIA TODAY; SECRETARY-GENERAL CONDEMNS VIOLENCE AGAINST
DEMONSTRATORS

• This afternoon at 3:00, the Under-Secretary-General for
  Political Affairs, B. Lynn Pascoe, will brief the members of the
  
  Security Council on the situation in Syria, in closed consultations. The
  Secretary-General said Tuesday that he would have Mr. Pascoe provide more
  detail about the latest developments in Syria as the Security Council
  considers its response.
   

• The Secretary-General also
  
  spoke to the Security Council on Tuesday, and said afterward that he
  utterly condemned the continuing violence against peaceful demonstrators,
  most particularly the use of tanks and live fire that have killed and
  injured hundreds of people.
   

• He emphasized that Syrian authorities have an
  obligation to protect civilians and respect international human rights. That
  includes the right to free expression and peaceful assembly. And he once
  more called for an independent, transparent and effective investigation.
   

• This Friday, the Human Rights Council has
  
  scheduled a special session to consider the situation in Syria.

MANDATES ARE
EXTENDED FOR SUDAN, WESTERN SAHARA PEACEKEEPING MISSIONS

• This morning, the
  
  Security Council unanimously adopted resolutions extending the mandates
  of two UN peacekeeping missions.
   

• The Security Council extended the mandate of the UN
  Mission in Sudan (UNMIS)
  until 9 July of this year.
   

• The Council extended the mandate of the UN Mission in
  Western Sahara (MINURSO)
  by one year, until the end of April next year. The Council also welcomed the
  parties’ commitment to the process of holding small, informal talks in
  preparation for a fifth round of negotiations.

THOUSANDS OF
CIVILIANS IN COTE D’IVOIRE FACE ENORMOUS HUMANITARIAN NEEDS

• In
  
  Côte d’Ivoire, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
  
  says that thousands of people face enormous humanitarian needs. Their
  vulnerability is aggravated by a lingering lack of security in certain
  places, as well as by the difficulty in obtaining access to essential
  health, education and sanitation services.
   

• The United Nations has deployed an evaluation and
  coordination team (UNDAC)
  to Abidjan and the western part of the country since 19 April, to identify
  the needs of the most vulnerable people.
   

• In the western part of the country, the team’s findings
  confirmed the existence of persistent humanitarian needs in the areas of
  shelter, food security, health care, water and sanitation, access to
  education and protection.
   

• In Abidjan, the assessment revealed the need to assist
  the Government in the areas of civilian protection, health, education and
  public hygiene.

U.N. TEAM ARRIVES IN LIBYA TO ASSESS
HUMAN RIGHTS CONDITIONS

• A three-person team looking at human rights in Libya
  arrived in the country today. The team is led by Profosser Cherif Bassiouni,
  and also includes Asma Khader and Philippe Kirsch. The team was sent by the
  
  Human Rights Council and is to present its findings to the Human Rights
  Council in June.
   

• Asked about support for the rebels in Libya, the
  Spokesperson said that the United Nations was focusing on obtaining an
  immediate cease-fire and trying to expand humanitarian access in the
  country.

SECRETARY-GENERAL HAS CALLED FOR RESPECT OF FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS IN BAHRAIN

• Asked about Bahrain, the Spokesperson said that the
  Secretary-General raised the matter in the
  
  Security Council on Tuesday. He added that the UN Country Team in
  Bahrain is interacting with the authorities there and keeping the
  Secretary-General fully informed.
   

• He added that the Secretary-General has
  
  expressed a consistent and principled message calling for the respect of
  fundamental rights and freedoms and encouraging dialogue on genuine
  political, economic and social reform.
   

• Nesirky said that the Secretary-General has
  called on the Bahraini authorities to exercise maximum restraint and to
  avoid excessive use of force.
   

• The Secretary-General firmly believes that
  security and stability can only be achieved through dialogue and a political
  process that meets the aspirations of all Bahraini people.

MISSION IN
DARFUR LAUNCHES WATER DISTRIBUTION PROJECT

• The UN/African Union Joint Special Representative for
  Darfur, Ibrahim Gambari, has
  
  launched a large-scale project to assist and protect thousands of
  formerly displaced people on their return to Darfur. The UN-AU Mission in
  Darfur (UNAMID)
  will manage the effort to distribute high-capacity rolling water containers,
  among other items, to eight returnee villages.
   

• Mr. Gambari officially launched the project in Kuma
  Garadayat, in North Darfur, which is home to 3,000 returnees. He noted that
  one of the major sources of conflict in Darfur is access to water.

W.H.O. SAYS NONCOMMUNICABLE DISEASES ARE LEADING KILLER

• The World Health Organization (WHO)
  today
  
  launched the first global status report on noncommunicable diseases (NCDs).
  It shows that noncommunicable diseases are the leading killer today and are
  on the increase.
   

• In 2008, 36.1 million people died
  from conditions such as heart disease, strokes, chronic lung diseases,
  cancers and diabetes. Nearly 80% of these deaths occurred in low- and
  middle-income countries.
   

• "The rise of chronic noncommunicable
  diseases presents an enormous challenge," says WHO Director-General Dr
  Margaret Chan. "For some countries, it is no exaggeration to describe the
  situation as an impending disaster; a disaster for health, for society, and
  most of all for national economies."
   

• But WHO says that millions of deaths
  can be prevented by stronger implementation of measures that exist today.
  These include policies that promote government-wide action against NCDs:
  stronger anti-tobacco controls and promoting healthier diets, physical
  activity, and reducing the harmful use of alcohol; along with improving
  people's access to essential health care.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

UNITED NATIONS TO REVIEW ITS ACTIONS DURING SRI LANKA
CONFLICT: Asked whether the United Nations did not accurately count
fatalities during the last stages of the conflict in

Sri Lanka, the Spokesperson said that the United Nations would review its
actions during the final stages of the conflict. He noted that, for security
reasons, UN staff had to be withdrawn from parts of Sri Lanka during that period
and were unable to make assessments as a result.

ELECTORAL COMMISSION LOOKING AT HAITI ELECTION RESULTS
Asked about election results in Haiti, the Spokesperson noted concerns about
some results, adding that Haiti’s Provisional Electoral Commission was looking
into the matter.

HEAD OF U.N. DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME
SPEAKS TO PRIVATE SECTOR, YOUTH IN INDONESIA:
During her visit to Indonesia, the Administrator of the UN Development Programme
(UNDP),
Helen Clark, today addressed the Business for Environment Forum, which aims to
boost private sector solutions and services for a clean economy.  Helen Clark
also took part of a Youth Dialogue with Indonesian students to discuss the young
generation’s role in environmental sustainability.