ARCHIVES
SPOKESPERSON’S DAILY HIGHLIGHTS
BY EDUARDO DEL BUEY, DEPUTY SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN
KI-MOON
FRIDAY, 13 JANUARY 2012
MYANMAR: SECRETARY-GENERAL WELCOMES RELEASE OF
POLITICAL PRISONERS
- In a
statement, the Secretary-General warmly welcomes the
long-awaited release of political prisoners in Myanmar today. This is the most significant release of
political prisoners to date and includes a number of key, prominent
figures. The Secretary-General
commends the Myanmar
leadership for this important development and hopes that all those
released will now be able to freely contribute to the process of national
reconciliation, as well as to the strengthening of democracy and the rule
of law within Myanmar.
- The
Secretary-General has also noted the important efforts being made by the Myanmar
authorities for renewed peace with the armed ethnic groups including
yesterday’s preliminary ceasefire between the authorities and the Karen
National Union as well as the initial peace agreements with other
groups. He welcomes these efforts and
encourages all concerned to build on recent progress and to work, through
an all-inclusive dialogue, for an end to hostilities throughout the
country, national reconciliation, stability and development for all the
people of Myanmar
- The
Secretary-General also calls upon the international community to respond
to these important developments within Myanmar by helping build
conditions for sustaining the reform process and for the betterment of its
peoples.
SECRETARY-GENERAL BEGINS LEBANON VISIT
- The
Secretary-General arrived in Beirut
on Friday.
- He has
met separately with the Lebanese President, Prime Minister and the Speaker
of Parliament and held a press conference.
- Asked
about reactions to the Secretary-General’s visit to Lebanon, the Deputy Spokesperson said that
the Secretary-General had chosen Lebanon as his first trip of
the year because of the importance of the country in the region. He also
noted that the Secretary-General respects people’s right to protest
peacefully.
U.N. REFUGEE AGENCY VOICES CONCERN OVER INSECURITY IN CAMPS FOR SOMALI
REFUGEES
- The
United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) says it is increasingly
concerned about insecurity in and around camps hosting hundreds of
thousands of Somali refugees in the Horn of Africa.
- UNHCR
adds that the situation is particularly worrying in the Dadaab refugee
camps in northern Kenya
where the threat of improvised explosive devices, kidnappings, vehicle
hijackings and banditry remains high.
- It
says that the ability of aid agencies to deliver services in the largest
refugee settlement in the world is being seriously curbed.
- However,
basic services are being maintained and UNHCR is also looking at
alternative ways of delivering these services, including through larger
involvement from the host community.
- Meanwhile
in Ethiopia,
a security incident occurred near the Dollo Ado camps on Wednesday morning
when three armed men fired at a vehicle belonging to an international
non-governmental organization.
- No one
was hurt and this was the first such incident in the Dollo Ado area, but
aid agencies have temporarily restricted all but essential activities and
movements in the camps.
IRAN: SECRETARY-GENERAL SPEAKS OUT AGAINST
KILLING OF SCIENTIST
- In
response to a question on the Secretary-General’s reaction to the killing
of a nuclear scientist in Tehran earlier this week, the Deputy
Spokesperson said that the Secretary-General said on Friday morning that “any
terrorist action or assassination of any people, whether scientist or
civilian, is to be strongly condemned. It is not acceptable. Human rights
must be protected.”
U.N. SYSTEM-WIDE TASK FORCE LOOKING INTO FINDINGS ON CHOLERA IN HAITI
- In
response to a question on the issue of cholera in Haiti, the
Deputy Spokesperson said that the UN Task Force is chaired by the
Assistant Secretary-General of the Department of Field Support (DFS) and comprises
senior staff from the World Health Organization (WHO), the Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the UN
Development Programme (UNDP), the UN
Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the Medical
Services of the Department of Management, the Department of Peacekeeping
Operations (DPKO), the
Office of Legal Affairs (OLA), and
DFS. The scope of the Task Force’s
mandate is to carefully study the findings made by the Independent Panel
of Experts and make recommendations to the Secretary-General. The Task
Force continues to make progress on important issues that have
far-reaching health, operational and financial implications.
SECRETARY-GENERAL APPOINTS SENIOR OFFICIALS FOR U.N. POPULATION FUND, SOUTH SUDAN
- The
Secretary-General on Friday appointed Ms. Anne-Birgitte Albrectsen of Denmark
as Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Executive Director for
Management of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
Ms. Albrectsen will replace Mari Simonen. The Secretary-General is grateful to Ms.
Simonen for her dedicated service and commitment to the United Nations.
- Ms.
Albrectsen brings to UNFPA nearly 20 years of development and managerial
experience, having held leadership positions in her government and previously
in UNDP and UNFPA.
- Mr.
Raisedon Zenenga of Zimbabwe
has been appointed Deputy Special Representative (Political) in the United
Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS).
- Mr.
Zenenga brings over 28 years of service in the United Nations, government
and diplomatic positions, including more than ten years at the management
level in complex United Nations peacekeeping operations.
OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS
SENIOR APPOINTMENTS
TO BE ANNOUNCED AS THEY ARE READY: In response to questions on senior
appointments, the Deputy Spokesperson said that the announcements would be made
when they are ready and that there was no specific number of appointments or
deadline to announce them.
NO EVIDENCE TO
SUPPORT CLAIMS OF THOUSANDS DEAD IN SOUTH SUDAN, SAYS U.N. MISSION: Asked
about casualty figures following the recent clashes in Pibor, South Sudan, the
Deputy Spokesperson said that to date, patrols by the UN mission there (UNMISS) have found only 15 bodies in and
around Pibor Town, and no local witnesses have offered evidence to support
claims that the number of dead ranged from 1,000 to over 3,000.
THE WEEK AHEAD AT THE UNITED NATIONS
7 – 13 JANUARY 2012
(This document is for planning
purposes and is subject to change.)
Saturday, 14 January
Today, the Secretary-General continues his visit to Lebanon.
He will also visit the United
Arab Emirates, where he will convene his
High Level Group on Sustainable Energy for All and attend the World Future
Energy Summit. General Assembly President Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser will also
attend the Summit, before travelling to Bahrain
for an official visit.
Sunday, 15 January
Today, Catherine Bragg, Assistant Secretary-General for
Humanitarian Affairs and Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, will begin a
visit to Côte d’Ivoire.
Her mission will end on 18 January.
Today, Rashida Manjoo, Special Rapporteur on Violence
against Women, will begin a visit to Italy which ends on 26 January.
Monday, 16 January
This morning, the Security Council will be briefed and hold
consultations on the United Nations Office for West Africa (UNOWA).
Today and tomorrow, Ambassador Matthew Nimetz, the Secretary
General’s Personal Envoy for the talks between Greece
and Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia,
will meet with Ambassador Adamantios Vassilakis of Greece
and Ambassador Zoran Jolevski of Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia in New York.
Today, Marzuki Darusman, Special Rapporteur on the situation
of human rights in the Democratic People’s Republic
of Korea, will begin his second
official fact-finding visit to Japan.
His mission ends on 20 January.
Tuesday, 17 January
This morning, the Security Council will hold consultations
on Iraq,
the Development Fund for Iraq (DFI) and weapons of mass destruction.
Wednesday, 18 January
There are no major events scheduled for today.
Thursday, 19 January
This
morning, the Security Council will hold an open debate on justice and the rule
of law.
At
3:30 p.m., the United Nations Oral History website will be launched in the Dag
Hammarskjöld Library.
Friday, 20 January
There are no major events scheduled for today.
Office of the Spokesperson for the
Secretary-General
United Nations, SA-1B15
New York, NY 10017
Tel. 212-963-7162
