Noon briefing of 3 May 2011

SECURITY COUNCIL APPROVES MAY PROGRAMME OF WORK; SET TO MEET ON LIBYA

• The Security Council held its first consultations under the French Presidency this morning and approved its programme of work for May. Ambassador Gerard Araud of France, this month’s Council President, will brief reporters on the programme of work this afternoon.
  

• Also this afternoon, the Security Council will hold an open meeting, followed by consultations, on Libya. Council members will receive a briefing from the Special Envoy for Libya, Abdul Ilah al-Khatib.

EXODUS FROM LIBYA INTO TUNISIA RESUMES, U.N. REFUGEE AGENCY REPORTS

• The exodus from Libya’s Western Mountains region into Tunisia has resumed following a brief interruption last week caused by clashes between Libyan Government and opposition forces, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) reports.
  

• Over the weekend, more than 8,000 people – mostly ethnic Berbers – arrived in Dahiba, in southern Tunisia.
  

• Their situation has been made worse by a violent sandstorm that has battered the area. The Agency and its partners are struggling to maintain nearby camps.
  

• The Agency also reports that more people have been fleeing Libya by sea to Italy, with some 3,200 people, mostly from sub-Saharan Africa, have arrived at the island of Lampedusa in recent days.
  

• This brings the total number of arrivals in Italy from Libya since 26 March to 8,100.
  

• Asked about reports that the port area in Misrata has been mined, the Spokesperson said that the United Nations is aware of the reports. The World Food Programme (WFP) is trying to obtain more access to Misrata given the needs on the ground.
  

• Asked about the agreement reached on humanitarian access, Nesirky said that agreements had been reached with the authorities in Benghazi and Tripoli and humanitarian teams went to both places. But after the recent unrest in Tripoli, the decision was taken over the weekend for the humanitarian team to relocate to Tunisia.
  

• Over the weekend, he added, a UN office in Tripoli had been ransacked, and an apology has been received from the Libyan authorities concerning that incident.
  

• The Spokesperson said that the United Nations intends to go about its humanitarian work in Libya, as long as the conditions on the ground are secure.

COMMISSION OF INQUIRY INTO ALLEGED RIGHTS VIOLATIONS IN LIBYA WRAPS UP FIELD VISITS

• Last week, the International Commission of Inquiry established to investigate alleged human rights violations in Libya concluded its field visits to Egypt, Libya and Tunisia.
  

• In Benghazi, the Commission visited the Benghazi Medical centre, as well as the Al Jalaa Hospital, and interviewed over 30 injured or wounded patients. The Commission reminded the authorities of the need to treat all detainees in accordance with international standards.
  

• In Tripoli, the Commission discussed the fate of a number of journalists who are being detained and gave the authorities a list of 18 names, asking for their whereabouts. It also brought to their attention the situation of 86 detainees currently held in El Jdaida Detention Centre, in relation to the events which took place in February and March 2011. The Commission interviewed a number of detained people and also asked for their release on humanitarian grounds.
  

• The Report of the Commission will be submitted to the Human Rights Council at its next session in June.

TOP U.N. OFFICIALS URGE STATE AUTHORITIES TO DO MORE TO PROTECT JOURNALISTS

• In a joint message marking World Press Freedom Day, the Secretary-General, the High Commissioner for Human Rights, and the Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) stress that State authorities must do everything to counter impunity and to protect the safety of journalists.
  

• They underline that violations of human rights cannot go unanswered.
  

• In the past decade, more than 500 journalists have lost their lives, with 60 killings reported worldwide in 2010 alone.
  

• The statement says: “We will never forget the courage of journalists who paid with their lives for our right to know.”

COLOMBIA: MILLIONS AFFECTED BY FLOODING, U.N. HUMANITARIAN ARM SAYS

• With the onset of this year’s rainy season in Colombia, some 3 million people have been affected by flooding, with more than 400 dead and nearly 500 others missing, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reports.
  

• Governors of some affected departments have reported that this year’s new flooding in some areas is already worse than that of last year, when more than 2 million people were affected.
  

• OCHA says that the flooding extends into many areas affected by the long-standing armed conflict and by activities of new illegal armed groups.
  

• Between January and March 2011, the World Food Programme (WFP) carried out an assessment, which found that the food security and nutrition situation in the areas affected by the floods has deteriorated overall.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

SECRETARY-GENERAL CONDEMNS TERRORISM IN ALL FORMS: Asked about Osama bin Laden’s death, the Spokesperson said that the Secretary-General had once more condemned terrorism in all its forms and noted the human cost of the terrorism carried out by al-Qaeda.

CONVERSATION BETWEEN SECRETARY-GENERAL AND SRI LANKAN OFFICIAL CONFIRMED: In response to a question, the Spokesperson confirmed that the Secretary-General had spoken some days ago with the Foreign Minister of Sri Lanka.

SECRETARY-GENERAL CALLS FOR RESPECTS FOR RIGHTS, DIALOGUE IN BAHRAIN: Asked about reports of human rights violations in Bahrain, the Spokesperson said that the Secretary-General has repeatedly called for the respect of fundamental rights and freedoms in Bahrain and encouraging dialogue on genuine political, economic and social reform. The Spokesperson added that it was expected that anyone injured in recent events should receive medical care.