Noon briefing of 20 September 2011
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SPOKESPERSON’S NOON BRIEFING
BY MARTIN NESIRKY, SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON
TUESDAY, 20 SEPTEMBER 2011
SECRETARY-GENERAL UNDERSCORES U.N. SUPPORT FOR LIBYA
- The Secretary-General chaired
the High-Level Meeting on Libya
on Tuesday morning.
<![if !supportLineBreakNewLine]>
<![endif]> - In his opening remarks he said
that it was an historic day for Libya, as its new leadership
is formally welcomed into the international community. The new Libyan flag
flew for the first time at UN Headquarters this morning.
<![if !supportLineBreakNewLine]>
<![endif]> - He said that the Libyan people
have fought courageously for their fundamental rights and freedoms. As they
look to the future, he promised that the United Nations will support them
in every way that it can.
<![if !supportLineBreakNewLine]>
<![endif]> - The Secretary-General said that
his new Special Representative for Libya, Ian Martin, and his
team are already deploying. Meanwhile, UN humanitarians and engineers have
been on the ground for several weeks, distributing food and medical aid
and assisting Libyan authorities to deal with critical threats to the
country’s water supplies.
<![if !supportLineBreakNewLine]>
<![endif]> - This afternoon, delegates from Member States
and multilateral organizations will attend a meeting to discuss
international support for Libya
and how to coordinate that support.
<![if !supportLineBreakNewLine]>
<![endif]> - The meeting will be co-chaired by Dr. Ahmed Jehani, Chairman of the Stabilization Steering Group of Libya’s National Transitional Council (NTC), and Mr. Ian Martin, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Libya. The meeting is expected to announce the establishment of a Multi-Donor Trust Fund – known as the Libya Recovery Trust Fund - under the leadership of the transitional authorities to support the recovery phase.
POTENTIAL OF DRYLANDS MUST BE UNLOCKED TO COMBAT POVERTY, DESERTIFICATION – BAN KI-MOON
- The Secretary-General spoke at the
General Assembly’s High-Level meeting on addressing desertification on
Tuesday.
<![if !supportLineBreakNewLine]>
<![endif]> - He noted that the drylands of the Horn of Africa are experiencing the
most severe food crisis in the world, with more than 13 million people in
the region in urgent need of humanitarian aid.
<![if !supportLineBreakNewLine]>
<![endif]> - The Secretary-General
underlined that drought does not need to become famine, but the
international community too often reacts too late.
<![if !supportLineBreakNewLine]>
<![endif]> - Drylands hold the potential – both in
the immediate and long-term – to drive national economic growth and
sustainable human development, he said. By refocusing our development
agenda to include the potential of drylands, the
Secretary-General noted, we can break the links between poverty and
desertification, drought and land degradation.
<![if !supportLineBreakNewLine]>
<![endif]> - In other events during the day,
the Deputy Secretary-General participated in the United Nations Private
Sector Forum on Sustainable Energy for All on behalf of the
Secretary-General.
<![if !supportLineBreakNewLine]>
<![endif]> - The Secretary-General also
addressed the High-Level meeting on Food and Nutrition.
<![if !supportLineBreakNewLine]>
<![endif]> - On Tuesday afternoon, he will make remarks at the “Every Women, Every Child” event on maternal and children’s health, an event he launched one year ago. It mobilizes key actors - governments, civil society, the private sector and the UN - to stop the needless death of hundreds of thousands of women while giving life and prevent the death of millions of children before their fifth birthdays.
CHILDREN AMONG VICTIMS OF VIOLENCE IN YEMEN, U.N. AGENCY REPORTS
- The United Nations Children’s Fund
(UNICEF) says that its partners have
verified that four children had been killed and 18 others injured by live
ammunition in the latest round of violence in Yemen earlier this week.
<![if !supportLineBreakNewLine]>
<![endif]> - UNICEF says that the country is
on the verge of a humanitarian disaster. Malnutrition rates there are
among the highest in the world and increasing, especially among children
displaced by conflicts. Vaccination programmes are under threat, and
children have lost out on nearly two months’ worth of schooling.
<![if !supportLineBreakNewLine]>
<![endif]> - On Monday, the Secretary-General strongly condemned the excessive use of force by Government security forces against unarmed protestors in the capital Sana'a and called on the authorities to protect civilians and uphold their obligations under applicable international law. The Secretary-General urges all political players to engage closely with UN Special Adviser Jamal Benomar, who is in Sana'a to continue his good offices, working closely with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) and other international partners to help find a peaceful solution to the ongoing political impasse.
U.N. REFUGEE AGENCY STEPS UP SUPPORT FOR FLOOD-STRICKEN PAKISTAN
- Regarding the floods in Pakistan,
the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) is distributing thousands of
tents and other emergency aid - such as jerry cans, blankets, sleeping
mats and plastic sheets - to families displaced by the flooding in
southern Sindh, which has been particularly hard
hit.
<![if !supportLineBreakNewLine]>
<![endif]> - Furthermore, the Agency is
bringing in 8,000 more tents from its warehouse in Peshawar.
<![if !supportLineBreakNewLine]>
<![endif]> - On Monday, the UN launched a
Rapid Response Plan yesterday for the sum of $357 million to assist the
people and Government of Pakistan.
<![if !supportLineBreakNewLine]>
<![endif]> - The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reiterates that funds to respond to the situation are urgently needed as the contingency stocks used by the humanitarian community need to be replenished as soon as possible.
U.N. MISSION IN COTE D’IVOIRE REPORTS VIOLENCE AT IVORIAN-LIBERIAN BORDER
- Asked about violence on the
Ivorian-Liberian border, the Spokesperson said that the UN Mission in Cote
d’Ivoire, UNOCI,
reported that during the night of 15 to 16 September, a group of
unidentified and heavily armed militia elements, had crossed into Côte
d'Ivoire from Liberia and raided two Ivorian villages along the border.
<![if !supportLineBreakNewLine]>
<![endif]> - He added that the Mission confirmed that 18 people were killed,
including one element of the Ivorian armed forces, the Forces Républicaines de Côte d'Ivoire. Many other civilians
were injured in the attack. In reprisal, the local population burned
several houses. The incidents caused localized displacement of parts of
the population towards the town of Tai.
<![if !supportLineBreakNewLine]>
<![endif]> - On Friday morning, Nesirky said, the Mission sent two patrols to the affected
areas to assess the situation. The Mission
will continue to monitor the situation in the volatile and heavily
forested border areas, including through coordination with Ivorian
security forces.
<![if !supportLineBreakNewLine]>
<![endif]> - The Spokesperson noted that UNOCI was reinforcing its military presence in western Côte d'Ivoire, and had stepped up coordination arrangements with the United Nations Mission in Liberia, UNMIL, which had also strengthened its deployment in the sensitive border areas.
REPORT BY PEACEKEEPING MISSION ON RIGHTS OF PERSONS OF DISABILITIES LAUNCHED IN TIMOR-LESTE
- The first report
by a peacekeeping mission on the rights of persons with disabilities was
launched today by the United Nations mission in Timor-Leste.
<![if !supportLineBreakNewLine]>
<![endif]> - The publication covers the
country’s achievements in fulfilling cultural rights and its efforts to
create policies respecting the rights to education, healthcare and
community-based rehabilitation for persons with disabilities.
<![if !supportLineBreakNewLine]>
<![endif]> - It found that women, children and persons with disabilities are the most vulnerable to discrimination on the basis of disability. The mission recommends that the Government take urgent action to protect these groups and raise awareness of the rights of persons with disabilities.
UPCOMING SECRETARY-GENERAL/UNITED NATIONS ACTIVITIES
20 - 30 SEPTEMBER 2011
(This document is for planning purposes and is subject to change.)
Tuesday, 20 September
At 8:00 a.m., the Secretary-General will attend the Francophonie Meeting chaired by Micheline Calmy-Rey, President of Switzerland and Chair of the Ministerial Conference of the Francophonie, in the United Nations Delegates’ Dining Room.
At 9:30 a.m., the Secretary-General will open the High-Level Meeting of the General Assembly on the theme, “Addressing desertification, land degradation and drought in the context of sustainable development and poverty eradication.” It will be held in the General Assembly Hall.
At 10:30 a.m., the Secretary-General will participate in the High-Level Meeting on Libya in Conference Room 3 (NLB).
At 11:30 a.m., the Secretary-General will speak at the High-Level Event on Food and Nutrition Conference Room 2 (NLB).
At 11:00 a.m., in the Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium, there will be a press conference with Georg Kell, Executive Director of the United Nations Global Compact Office, on the occasion of the Global Compact Private Sector Forum.
At 12:00 p.m., the Secretary-General will chair the United Nations Private Sector Forum 2011: Sustainable Energy for All, in the General Assembly Lobby.
At 1:00 p.m., in the Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium, there will be a press conference on the United Nations Convention for Desertification.
At 1:45 p.m., in the Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium, there will be a press conference with Stephen Harper, Prime Minister of Canada.
At 2:30 p.m., in the Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium, there will be a press conference on the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity.
From 4:00-6:00 p.m., the Secretary-General will host the High-Level Event entitled “Every woman, every child” in the ECOSOC Chamber (NLB).
Today, this year’s Treaty Event will begin on the 2nd Floor of the General Assembly Building. It will run from today to Thursday, 22 September, and from Monday, 26 September, to Tuesday, 27 September.
Wednesday, 21 September
Today is the International Day of Peace.
At 9:00 a.m., the Secretary-General will speak at the opening of the General Debate of the sixty-sixth session of the General Assembly in the General Assembly Hall. It will be held from today until Saturday, 24 September, and from Monday, 26 September, to Tuesday, 27 September.
At 11:00 a.m., in the Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium, there will be a press conference on the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity.
At 11:30 a.m., in the Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium, there will be a press conference with Evo Morales Ayma, President of the Plurinational State of Bolivia.
At 1:15 p.m., the Secretary-General will host a State Luncheon for the Heads of Delegation to the sixty-sixth session of the United Nations General Assembly in the Visitors Lobby of the General Assembly building.
At 1:15 p.m., there will be a briefing on “The role of mediation in the settlements of disputes by peaceful means,” co-organized by the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the Office of the President of the General Assembly, in Conference Room 6 (NLB).
At 4:00 p.m., a special event on “Empowering women and girls: Innovative collaborations to combat human trafficking” will be held in Conference Room 5 (NLB).
Thursday, 22 September
At 8:00 a.m. the Secretary-General will convene the High-Level Meeting on Nuclear Safety and Security in the General Assembly Hall. He will speak at the closing session at 12:00 p.m. in Conference Room 2 (NLB), after which he will address the press at the Stakeout location outside Conference Room 1 (NLB).
At 9:00 a.m., the Secretary-General will make remarks at the High-Level Meeting of the General Assembly to commemorate the Tenth Anniversary of the Adoption of the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action in the General Assembly Hall.
At 12:30 p.m., in the Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium, there will be a press conference with Sebastián Piñera, President of the Republic of Chile.
At 12:30 p.m., there will be an interactive luncheon on the theme “Empowering Rural Women for Food and Nutrition Security” at the Sentry Centers on 730 Third Avenue. Josette Sheeran, Executive Director of the World Food Programme (WFP), and Michelle Bachelet, Executive Director of UN Women.
At 2:30 p.m., in the Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium, there will be a press conference with Demetris Christofias, President of Cyprus.
This afternoon, the Secretary-General will attend the Security Council’s High-Level Meeting on preventive diplomacy.
At 3:30 p.m., the Secretary-General will attend the meeting on Cooperation with Member States on preventing and responding to Sexual Violence in Conflict in Conference Room 4 (NLB).
At 4:00 p.m., the Secretary-General will make remarks at the opening of the Round-table Discussion to commemorate the untimely death of former Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld in 1961 in the Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium.
Friday, 23 September
At 10:00 a.m., the Secretary-General will make remarks at the opening ceremony of the Thirty-fifth Annual Meeting of Ministers for Foreign Affairs of the Group of 77 in Conference Room 2 (NLB).
At 11:00 a.m., the Secretary-General will participate in the Conference Facilitating the Entry into Force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty. The Secretary-General will speak to reporters afterwards at Stakeout Location outside Conference Room 1 (NLB).
At 11:00 a.m., in the Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium, there will be a press conference by Nabil El Araby, Secretary-General of the League of Arab States.
At 2:00 p.m., in the Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium, there will be a press conference with Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu, Secretary-General of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC).
At 3:00 p.m., the Secretary-General will attend a Mini-Summit on Somalia.
At 5:00 p.m., the Secretary-General will attend the High-Level Meeting on the Yasuni-ITT Initiative with Rafael Correa, President of Ecuador, in Conference Room 5 (NLB).
Saturday, 24 September
At 10:00 a.m., the Secretary-General will attend the Ministerial Mini-Summit on the Humanitarian Response in the Horn of Africa in Conference Room 4 (NLB).
Sunday, 25 September
Today is World Heart Day (World Health Organization).
Monday, 26 September
<![if !supportLineBreakNewLine]>
<![endif]>
This morning, the Security Council will receive a briefing and hold consultations on Libya and the Libya Sanctions Committee.
Tuesday, 27 September
This morning, the Security Council will receive a briefing and hold consultations on the Middle East.
At 3:00 p.m., the Secretary-General will attend a Ministerial Meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the United Nations in Conference Room 5 (NLB).
At 5:00 p.m., the Secretary-General will attend the High-Level Meeting of the “Group of Friends” on Myanmar in Conference Room 6 (NLB).
Wednesday, 28 September
At 10:00 a.m., the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1373 (2001) concerning counter-terrorism will hold a special meeting commemorating the tenth anniversary of the adoption of Security Council resolution 1373 (2001) and the establishment of the Committee, in the Economic and Social Council Chamber (NLB).
At 1:30 p.m., a civil society side event on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of the adoption of Security Council resolution 1373 (2001) and the establishment of the Counter-Terrorism Committee will be held in the ECOSOC Chamber (NLB).
Thursday, 29 September
This morning, the Security Council will receive hold a debate on the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). In the afternoon, the Security Council will hold consultations on the Sudan Sanctions Committee.