ARCHIVES
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE SPOKESPERSON’S NOON BRIEFING
BY MARTIN NESIRKY, SPOKESPERSON
FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON
TUESDAY, 21 JUNE 2011
GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO CONSIDER APPOINTMENT OF SECRETARY-GENERAL
- The General Assembly expects to take up
the agenda item “Appointment of the Secretary-General of the United
Nations” at 3:00 this afternoon. The Assembly’s action comes after the
Security Council’s adoption of Resolution 1987 last Friday.
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- The
Secretary-General will attend the General Assembly meeting. He intends
speak to reporters afterward, at approximately 6:00 p.m. That schedule
depends on events this afternoon and may change accordingly.
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- Asked about the Secretary-General’s relations with
Latin American countries, the Spokesperson noted the Secretary-General’s
frequent contacts with Latin American and Caribbean Governments, including
during his trip last week to Latin America.
SECURITY COUNCIL HEARS BRIEFING ON MODALITIES FOR SOMALIA ANTI-PIRACY COURTS
- The Security Council is holding a debate
this morning concerning piracy off the coast of Somalia. Patricia O’Brien, the
Under-Secretary-General for Legal Affairs, presented the
Secretary-General’s recent report concerning modalities for anti-piracy
courts.
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- She
emphasized that, if the Security Council wishes to request the
Secretary-General to address any of the modalities considered in the
report, with a view to moving toward the establishment of Somali
specialised courts, her office will do so as a matter of priority.
CYPRUS LEADERS HOLD TALKS FOCUSES ON THEIR
UPCOMING MEETING WITH SECRETARY-GENERAL
- The
leaders of the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot communities met today in Nicosia.
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- The
Secretary-General’s Special Adviser, Alexander Downer, told reporters that
it was a constructive meeting.
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- The talks
focused on preparing for the leaders’ meeting with the Secretary-General
in Geneva
on 7 July. They also discussed governance and power-sharing issues.
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- The
leaders will meet again on 30 June.
SYRIA: U.N. REFUGEE AGENCY SAYS JISR AL SHUGOUR
ALMOST DESERTED
- The
UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) participated
in a Government-organized mission to the Syrian town of Jisr Al Shugour on Monday.
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- A UNHCR staff member
reported that villages were increasingly empty from around 40 kilometres
away from Jisr al Shugour. There was no evidence of people working in the
fields. Jisr al Shugour itself was almost deserted, with most shops
shuttered and closed.
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- No
displaced populations were encountered, but the fact that Jisr al Shughour
and surrounding villages are empty indicates significant displacement.
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- The
Refugee Agency staff met briefly with staff of the Syrian Arab Red Crescent who
described food and medicine shortages in the area. Other than this brief
interaction, the mission was not able to conduct any humanitarian
assessments.
SECRETARY-GENERAL REITERATES NEEDS FOR END OF VIOLENCE AND GENUINE
DIALOGUE IN SYRIA
- In
response to a question from Monday on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s
speech earlier that day, the Spokesperson said that the Secretary-General
has spoken
before about the need for President Assad to stop the violence and to
initiate genuine dialogue and reforms before it is too late.
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- The
Secretary-General has taken note of reforms pledged by the President in
his speech on Monday, and he urges the President to carry out these
measures without delay and in a way that is both genuine and credible.
They should be part of a broad and inclusive process of change and
democratization.
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- Asked
about the last conversation between the Secretary-General and President
Assad, the Spokesperson later said it had taken place on 4 May.
U.N. FOOD DISTRIBUTIONS CONTINUE IN EL GENEINA, DARFUR
- In
response to a question on food distribution to El Geneina, in Darfur, the Spokesperson said that the World Food Programme has confirmed that the
food distributions to El Geneina are on track, and any reports suggesting
that such distributions have stopped are inaccurate.
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- As
for any reports of the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) losing control of heavy
weaponry, the Spokesperson said that the UN Mission in Sudan does not have heavy
weapons.
SECRETARIAT WORKING ON FOLLOW UP TO SRI LANKA REPORT
- Asked about UN follow-up
on the report
of the Panel of Experts on Sri
Lanka, the Spokesperson said that
response is being coordinated at the Secretariat.
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- He said that any follow-up
investigation would need either cooperation from the Sri Lankan Government
or a mandate from an intergovernmental body.
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- Asked about a recent documentary and its depiction of
the Secretary-General’s 2009 visit to Sri Lanka, Nesirky said that the
documentary did not depict his trip accurately, adding that the
Secretary-General had visited several communities of displaced people.
Office of the Spokesperson for the
Secretary-General
United Nations, SA-1B15
New York, NY
10017
Tel. 212-963-7162
Fax. 212-963-7055
