Noon briefing of 4 June 2012

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING

BY EDUARDO DEL BUEY, DEPUTY SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON
MONDAY, 4 JUNE, 2012

SECRETARY-GENERAL WRAPPING UP SAUDI ARABIA VISIT

• The Secretary-General will be returning to New York from Jeddah in Saudi Arabia overnight.
• On Monday, he met the Saudi monarch, King Abdullah, and visited the Islamic Development Bank.
• On Sunday, the Secretary-General opened an advisory board meeting of the UN Counter-Terrorism Centre with the Saudi Foreign Minister. In his remarks at the meeting, the Secretary-General said that the Centre was a key tool for the international community to achieve better coordination and effective action in fighting terrorism.
• Following his meeting with the Saudi Foreign Minister, the Secretary-General spoke to the press. In his remarks, he once more called upon the Government of Syria to uphold its responsibilities and abide by the Annan plan. He urged all members of the international community to use their considerable influence for a peaceful solution.

INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY TO MEET IRAN OFFICIALS

• The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said that the Agency will meet with Iranian officials on Friday, 8 June, in Vienna.
• Director General Yukiya Amano also invited Iran to sign and implement the Structure Approach document agreed between the IAEA and Iran last month as soon as possible.
• He said that the country is not providing the cooperation needed to enable the Agency to conclude that all nuclear material in Iran is for peaceful activities.
• On the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), Mr. Amano said that there is no immediate prospect of an Agency mission taking place there.
• He said that the IAEA’s knowledge of the current status of the country9;s nuclear programme is limited, and reiterated his call on the DPRK to fully comply with its obligations under relevant Security Council resolutions, to come into full compliance with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), and to cooperate promptly and fully with the Agency.
• In response to questions, the Deputy Spokesperson added that the Secretary-General and the international community had been asking Iran to allow for verification of the peaceful nature of its nuclear programme, and noted Iran’s continuing need to allow the IAEA to do so.

U.N. ENVOY CONDEMNS ATTACKS IN IRAQI CAPITAL

• Martin Kobler, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Iraq, condemned in the strongest terms the heinous attacks in central Baghdad on Monday, which have reportedly resulted in dozens of deaths and injured many more.
• He said that “these atrocious crimes against the Iraqi people need to stop and the perpetrators should be brought to justice.” He once more called for all Iraqis to remain steadfast in the face of violence.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

SECURITY COUNCIL ADOPTS JUNE WORK PROGRAMME: The Security Council adopted its programme of work for June in consultations on Monday.

SECRETARY-GENERAL’S PRESS CONFERENCE POSTPONED: Because the Secretary-General is arriving in New York from Saudi Arabia later than previously expected, his press conference on Rio+20 will be rescheduled for Wednesday at noon, New York time.

***The guest at the Noon Briefing was Georg Kell, Executive Director of the United Nations Global Compact, who spoke to reporters on the results of the Global Compact Annual Implementation Survey.