SECRETARY-GENERAL SAYS BIN LADEN’S DEATH IS WATERSHED MOMENT
IN FIGHT AGAINST TERRORISM

• The Secretary-General, in
  
  remarks to reporters this morning, said that the death of Osama bin
  Laden is a watershed moment in our common global fight against terrorism. He
  said that the crimes of Al Qaeda touched most continents, bringing tragedy
  and loss of life to thousands of men, women and children.
   

• The Secretary-General said that the
  United Nations condemns in the strongest possible terms terrorism in all its
  forms, regardless of its purpose and wherever it is committed. This is a day
  to remember the victims and families of victims, here in the United States
  and everywhere in the world, he added.
   

• He noted that the General Assembly
  has adopted a global counter-terrorism strategy, and on the basis of that,
  we will continue to work together with Member States of the United Nations
  to completely eradicate global terrorism.
   

• Asked how Osama bin Laden’s death
  affects the peace process in
  
  Afghanistan, the Spokesperson said that the UN position has consistently
  been that there must be a political solution to the conflict in Afghanistan.
  Armed conflict will not ultimately resolve the political differences in the
  country.
   

• Nesirky said that the Taliban and
  other anti-Government elements have an opportunity to move toward dialogue.
  This opportunity should not be lost - the cost in lives lost and suffering
  of the Afghan people is too high already.
   

• As mandated by the Security Council,
  the United Nations will continue to support the Afghan-led peace efforts.
   

• He noted, in response to further
  questions, that the Secretary-General had commended the work and the
  determined and principled commitment of many people in the world who have
  been struggling to eradicate international terrorism.

LIBYA: U.N. OPERATIONS CONTINUE FOLLOWING TEMPORARY
RELOCATION OF INTERNATIONAL STAFF

• The 12 UN international staff in
  Tripoli have temporarily left the Libyan capital due to unrest in parts of
  the city.
   

• Humanitarian operations are
  continuing, with the redeployed staff from Tripoli supporting operations in
  western Libya from Tunisia.
   

• The UN is exploring ways to re-enter
  the Libyan capital as soon as possible.
   

• As of Sunday, more than 12,000
  people had been evacuated from Misrata. The Office for the Coordination of
  Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)
  remains concerned about the deaths and injuries that continue to be reported
  from the fighting there.
   

• It also says that more than 665,000
  people have now fled Libya.
   

• Asked what happened to the UN
  compound in Tripoli, the Spokesperson said it was ransacked and some
  vehicles were taken. No staff were hurt.
   

• Asked about Abdul Ilah al-Khatib,
  the Spokesperson said that Mr. Khatib is in New York and will brief the
  Security Council this week.

SECRETARY-GENERAL TO TRAVEL TO BULGARIA, TURKEY AND
SWITZERLAND

• On Wednesday, the Secretary-General
  will travel to Bulgaria for an official visit. While in Sofia, he will meet
  with the President, Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Bulgaria, as well
  as with the Speaker and members of Parliament.
   

• The Secretary-General will address
  the “Sofia Platform,” a conference that will bring together politicians,
  non-governmental organizations, journalists and practitioners from Europe,
  the Middle East and the United States to look at the experience of Central
  and Eastern Europe since 1989 and the current changes in North Africa and
  the Middle East.
   

• The Secretary-General will also give
  an address to students and representatives of non-governmental organizations
  at the University of Sofia.
   

• The Secretary-General will then go
  to Istanbul, Turkey, to open the Fourth United Nations
  
  Conference on Least Developed Countries (LDCs). He will also meet with
  the President and Prime Minister of Turkey as well as with several Heads of
  States and Government attending the conference.
   

• The world's 48 most economically
  vulnerable nations are making a bid for economic self sufficiency and big
  gains against poverty at the first major development conference of the new
  decade. The conference takes place at a critical juncture.
   

• While in Istanbul, the
  Secretary-General will also receive the 2011 Global Women's Leadership
  Award.
   

• Before coming back to New York, the
  Secretary-General will stop in Geneva, where he will open the Third Session
  of the
  
  Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction and launch the 2011 Global
  Assessment Report. The Secretary-General will deliver a keynote address at
  the Global Platform, whose theme this year is “Invest Today for a Safer
  Tomorrow - Increase Investment in Local Action”.  The Secretary-General has
  called for a round table discussion on strengthening preparedness for
  nuclear accidents on the opening day.
   

• In Geneva, he will also attend the
  opening session of the 2nd International Forum on Sport for Peace and
  Development.

U.N. SUDAN ENVOY SAYS SOUTHERN KORDOFAN ELECTIONS SHOULD LEAD
TO INCLUSIVE GOVERNMENT

• Haile Menkerios, the head of the UN
  Mission in Sudan (UNMIS)
  said on Sunday that the elections in Southern Kordofan should not be a
  “make-or-break” process, but should lead to an inclusive government. Mr.
  Menkerios spoke to the press after meeting with two candidates for the
  governor’s position, saying that both candidates had pledged their
  commitment to this.
   

• Mr. Menkerios also met with the
  state security committee that is responsible for ensuring security for the
  election. He said that the army should play no role whatsoever in securing
  the elections.
   

• Asked about armed incidents in
  southern Sudan, the Spokesperson said that the United Nations was informed
  on Sunday by the Abyei authorities that a clash between unidentified armed
  men and the Abyei police took place in the vicinity of Todach (Abyei Area)
  between 16.00-17.00 hours.
   

• In reaction, UNMIS dispatched a
  patrol in the same evening to verify the information; however, it was
  stopped by a hostile crowd at Diffra Market.
   

• Today, Nesirky said, UNMIS
  dispatched a second patrol to the scene of the fighting and found 14 dead
  bodies (11 in Joint Integrated Unit uniform, and three in civilian clothes).
  Another Joint Military Team (JMT) was dispatched for further investigation.

DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL ATTENDS WOMEN’S AND CHILDREN’S
HEALTH ACCOUNTABILITY COMMISSION

• The Deputy Secretary-General is
  currently in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, to attend the second and final meeting
  of the
  
  Commission on Information and Accountability for Women's and Children's
  Health, chaired by President Jakaya Kikwete of Tanzania and Prime Minister
  Stephen Harper of Canada.
   

• The main deliverable of the
  Commission will be an accountability framework and recommendations,
  including a plan of action for taking forward the agreed recommendations.
   

• The Deputy Secretary-General will
  arrive back in New York on Wednesday.

U.N. HUMAN RIGHT CHIEF URGES AUTHORITIES TO HALT EXCESSIVE
USE OF FORCE IN UGANDA

• The UN High Commissioner for Human
  Rights Navi Pillay on Sunday
  
  urged the Ugandan authorities to halt the use of disproportionate force
  against protesters and the repeated ill-treatment of opposition politicians,
  which, she said, has clearly contributed to the rising unrest, as well as
  eight deaths and more than 250 people being hospitalized over the past three
  weeks."
   

• The High Commissioner said she was
  “appalled by the treatment of Dr. Kizza Besigye,” the leading opposition
  politician, who has been arrested four times in three weeks, was shot in the
  hand on 14 April, and reportedly still has not fully recovered his sight
  after being sprayed at point blank range with pepper spray on Thursday.
   

• According to information collected
  by Pillay’s
  
  office, since the “Walk to Work” protests began on 11 April 2011, the
  Uganda Police Force and the Uganda People’s Defense Force have
  indiscriminately used teargas, pepper spray, and both rubber and live
  bullets against protesters, and even against individuals who were not
  involved in the protests.
   

• Pillay urged the Government to
  conduct thorough, prompt and impartial investigations into the human rights
  violations committed by the security forces.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

SECURITY COUNCIL TO DISCUSS PROGRAMME
OF WORK ON TUESDAY: France has assumed the
rotating Presidency of the

Security Council for the month of May. The Security Council expects to
discuss its programme of work on Tuesday, after which Ambassador Gerard Arraud
will talk to reporters at 5:00 pm, to discuss the Council’s work over the coming
month.

U.N. REITERATES SRI LANKA’S RIGHT OF
RESPONSE TO REPORT: Asked about 1 May
demonstrations in Sri Lanka, the Spokesperson said it was everyone’s right to
demonstrate peacefully. He recalled that the United Nations had offered Sri
Lanka the right to respond to the

Panel of Experts report, and to have its response published; that offer
still stands.

U.N. CONCERNED ABOUT LACK OF ACCESS
INTO AND OUT OF GAZA: Asked about Egypt’s
announcement that it may open its borders to Gaza, the Spokesperson noted the
UN’s concern about the lack of access into and out of Gaza for people and goods.