*U.N. Headquarters will
be closed on Friday, 24 December. The noon briefings
will resume on 4 January 2011.

CÔTE
D’IVOIRE: U.N. MISSION REPORTS SEVERE RIGHTS
VIOLATIONS, ACTS OF INTIMIDATION

• The UN
  Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI)
  reports that severe violations of human rights
  and acts of intimidation continue to be noted in
  many neighbourhoods of Abidjan and in the west
  of the country. These acts include identifying
  dwellings by marking them with distinctive
  signs.
   

• As the
  violence goes on, the number of dead, wounded
  and missing persons is increasing rapidly. UNOCI
  will continue to do all in its power to ensure
  the protection of the population, while
  documenting the facts so as to help the
  competent bodies to take measures to ensure that
  those responsible will be held accountable.
   

• 
  Meanwhile, the UN Mission reports that the
  heavily armed forces of Laurent Gbagbo’s camp,
  supported by masked individuals armed with
  rocket launchers, continue to block the road to
  Anyama, around N’Dotre, the village just outside
  Abidjan where allegations point to the existence
  of a mass grave. At times this obstruction is
  backed up by masked individuals armed with
  rocket launchers.
   

• 
  Impediments to UNOCI’s activities persist,
  particularly in Abidjan and in the west of the
  country. UN supply trucks and patrols continue
  to be blocked. Similarly, UN patrols continue to
  be followed by armed men travelling in vehicles.
   

• Asked
  about the marking of homes, the Spokesperson
  said that this was alarming since homes seemed
  to be marked differently depending on the
  ethnicity of the inhabitant. The
  Secretary-General was particularly concerned
  about this, Haq said.
   

• Asked
  who was behind this, he indicated signs that
  this was being done by forces linked to Laurent
  Gbagbo’s side.

U.N.
RIGHTS OFFICIAL VOICES CONCERN OVER VIOLATIONS IN
CÔTE D’IVOIRE

• 
  Meanwhile, in a special session of the
  
  Human Rights Council on the situation in
  Côte d’Ivoire, Deputy High Commissioner for
  Human Rights Kyung-wha Kang
  
  expressed her deep concerns over the
  violations of rights in the West African nation.
   

• 
  Following the proclamation of election results,
  the political stalemate has been characterized
  by the excessive use of force by Laurent
  Gbagbo’s supporters to repress public gatherings
  and carry out extrajudicial killings, among
  other violations.
   

• Ms. Kang
  emphasized that these acts are blatant
  violations of obligations under international
  human rights law.
   

• She also
  repeated the UN’s call on Ivorian leaders to
  prevent violations of all human rights and to
  refrain from any incitement to violence and
  hatred.

U.N.
WORKING TO DE-ESCALATE TENSIONS IN GAZA, SOUTHERN
ISRAEL

• 
  Following the recent escalation of tensions in
  Gaza and southern Israel, the
  
  UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace
  Process, Robert Serry, and his team have
  been engaged in efforts to help de-escalate the
  situation.
   

• Serry
  said that the UN does not want to see any
  renewed intensification of conflict and has been
  sending a message of utmost restraint and
  concern for the protection of civilians in Gaza
  and Israel. Serry was encouraged to hear a clear
  desire from all concerned to de-escalate the
  situation and respect calm and he appeals for an
  end to acts of violence.

SECRETARY-GENERAL WELCOMES U.S. VOTE TO SUPPORT
RATIFICATON OF NEW START TREATY

• In a
  
  statement issued Wednesday afternoon, the
  Secretary-General welcomed the vote of the
  United States Senate to support the ratification
  of the new START Treaty. This sends a firm and
  clear message in support of nuclear disarmament
  and non-proliferation.
   

• The
  Secretary-General believes that the United
  States’ ratification will help maintain the
  hard-won momentum in recent years for nuclear
  non-proliferation and disarmament. The
  Secretary-General reaffirms his full commitment
  to working toward achieving nuclear disarmament
  and non-proliferation.

URUGUAYAN
APPOINTED HEAD OF U.N. MISSION IN INDIA AND PAKISTAN

• The
  Secretary-General has decided to appoint Major
  General Raul Gloodtdofsky Fernandez of Uruguay
  as Chief Military Observer and Head of Mission
  of the United Nations Military Observer Group in
  India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP).
  
   

• Major
  General Gloodtdofsky will replace Major General
  Kim Moon Hwa of the Republic of Korea, who
  completed his assignment on 27 November 2010.

OTHER
ANNOUNCEMENTS

NO
ANNOUNCEMENT YET ON TRIP BY SRI LANKA ADVISORY
PANEL:
Asked
whether the Secretary-General’s Advisory Panel on
Sri Lanka would visit that country, the Spokesperson
said that the Panel was discussing possible
arrangements, but there was no trip to announce at
present.

WORK
PROCEEDING ON HAITI CHOLERA OUTBREAK PANEL:
Asked
whether a panel looking into the cholera outbreak in
Haiti would be announced soon, the Spokesperson said
that work was proceeding to ensure that experts in
epidemiology, microbiology and water and sanitation
would be on that panel.