Noon briefing of 22 November 2011
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING
BY MARTIN NESIRKY, SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON
TUESDAY, 22 NOVEMBER 2011
SECRETARY-GENERAL LAUNCHES “RIO=20: THE FUTURE WE WANT” CAMPAIGN AHEAD OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT CONFERENCE
- This
morning, the Secretary-General participated in the launch of a new
campaign called “Rio+20: The
Future We Want.” He stressed the importance of sustainable development in
addressing the numerous challenges the world faces.
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<![endif]> - He also addressed the Peacebuilding Fund’s high-level stakeholders meeting. There, he emphasized the role of the United Nations in supporting local efforts to prevent any relapse to violence and nurture democracy and peace.
SECURITY COUNCIL BRIEFED ON PROGRESS IN TIMOR-LESTE, ADOPTS TEXT ON SOMALIA PIRACY
- Ameerah
Haq, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Timor-Leste,
told the Security Council this morning that the overall trend in that
country is positive, with Timor-Leste continuing to make progress towards
sustainable peace and development. She noted the start of preparations for
next year’s presidential and parliamentary elections, which she said will
be a major milestone.
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<![endif]> - She
detailed the reasons for optimism for Timor-Leste, first and foremost
among them the determination of the Timorese people.
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<![endif]> - Earlier, the Security Council adopted a resolution renewing its authorization for States helping to fight piracy off the coast of Somalia.
SECRETARY-GENERAL HAS CALLED FOR RELEASE OF POLITICAL PRISONERS IN BAHRAIN
- Asked
about Bahrain,
the Spokesperson said that the Secretary-General has repeatedly called for
the release of all political prisoners and respect for all international
human rights norms. He noted that an Independent Commission of Inquiry is
expected to release its findings on Bahrain on Wednesday.
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<![endif]> - The Secretary-General is convinced that this will contribute to conditions for national dialogue, reconciliation and reform, as sought by all the Bahraini people.
DURABLE AND PEACEFUL SOLUTION NEEDED FOR CLOSURE OF CAMP ASHRAF IN IRAQ
- Asked
about the impending closure of Camp
Ashraf in Iraq, the Spokesperson noted that the
Special Representative in Iraq,
Martin Kobler, spoke out on that topic earlier this month and said that
the United Nations is ready to assist in this matter.
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<![endif]> - This
is a matter of national sovereignty for Iraq, but it is also clear
that there needs to be a durable and peaceful solution to this problem,
which may involve the UN Mission and
the UN Refugee
Agency.
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<![endif]> - Asked about concerns about the camp’s closure, the Spokesperson added that the Secretary-General has been in touch with a number of officials on this in recent weeks.
IN ETHIOPIA, DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL STRESSES NEED TO CHANGE ATTITUDES TO CURB VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN
- The
Deputy Secretary-General is in Addis
Ababa today, where she emphasized the need to
change attitudes to curb violence against women.
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<![endif]> - She
was speaking
at the Association for Women’s Sanctuary and Development, which seeks to
advance women’s social and economic development and provide support for
women and girls facing physical and psychological violence.
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<![endif]> - The
Deputy Secretary-General stressed that there is never any excuse for any
form of abuse against women.
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<![endif]> - She
also underscored the need to speak out against harmful practices – such as
female genital mutilation and early marriage.
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<![endif]> - Attitudes are changing but we need to do better, she said. We need to make sure that universal values prevail over societal norms.
OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS
U.S. POLICE ACTION BEING REVIEWED: Asked about tensions during arrests at a protest at the University of California-Davis, concerning the Occupy Wall Street movement, the Spokesperson noted that there was an investigation into that incident, which was appropriate.
SECRETARY-GENERAL SPOKE WITH AFGHAN PRESIDENT: In response to a question, the Spokesperson confirmed that the Secretary-General recently spoke by telephone with Afghan President Hamid Karzai.
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