HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING
 
BY MARTIN NESIRKY, SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON
 
MONDAY, 2 APRIL 2012
 
 
SECRETARY-GENERAL SAYS MYANMAR ELECTIONS REPRESENT SIGNIFICANT STEP TOWARDS A BETTER FUTURE
  • The Secretary-General congratulates the people, Government and political parties of Myanmar for the peaceful and largely orderly manner in which Sunday's by-elections for vacant parliamentary seats were held. 
  • Candidates from various political parties, including the National League for Democracy (NLD), participated freely in the elections, a development that the Secretary-General believes is another significant step towards a better future for Myanmar.
  • He acknowledges, in particular, the courage and vision of President Thein Sein, which has made such progress possible.
  • A UN team has been on the ground since last week, and was able to witness the voting in a number of constituencies. 
  • Despite some complaints of irregularities during the voting, key stakeholders in Myanmar, including political parties, have stressed to the UN team their strong belief that these by-elections are a boost for the ongoing reforms and a very important step towards a more peaceful and democratic future in Myanmar.
  • The Secretary-General takes note of the constructive efforts and positive statements by the Government and other key stakeholders, including Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, in the lead-up to and following the by-election. He is encouraged by the initial reaction of the international community. 
  • The Secretary-General urges the Government and all political forces to cooperate and build on the important achievement of the by-election and to consolidate the country's democratic gains.  
  • He also calls on all of Myanmar's stakeholders to redouble their efforts toward genuine national reconciliation and long-term and durable peace.
SYRIA: JOINT SPECIAL ENVOY BRIEFS SECURITY COUNCIL ON LATEST DEVELOPMENTS
  • This morning, the Joint Special Envoy for Syria, Kofi Annan, briefed the Security Council in closed session by video-conference from Geneva on the latest developments concerning Syria.
  • The Council later discussed the situation in the Middle East.
  • The President of the Security Council for this month, Ambassador Susan E. Rice of the United States, spoke to reporters at the stakeout afterwards.
SECRETARY-GENERAL SAYS SOCIAL, ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL WELL-BEING ARE INDIVISIBLE
  • On Monday, the Secretary-General spoke at a high-level General Assembly meeting on “Happiness, Well-being and Prosperity,” hosted by the Government of Bhutan.
  • The Secretary-General said that Gross National Product has long been the yardstick by which economies and politicians have been measured, yet it fails to take into account the social and environmental costs of so-called progress.
  • We need a new economic paradigm that recognizes the parity between the three pillars of sustainable development, he said. He added that social, economic and environmental well-being were indivisible.
  • The Secretary-General also said that sustainable development recognizes that our economic, social and environmental objectives are not competing goals that must be traded off against each other, but are interconnected objectives that are most effectively pursued together in a holistic manner.
  • He said the outcome of the Rio+20 conference in June had to reflect this.
U.N. REPORT SAYS PARLIAMENTS ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER FOR POLITICAL LIFE
  • On Monday, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) launched a joint report which says that Parliaments are facing greater public scrutiny and pressure than ever before with fundamental questions on their ability to hold governments to account, but they have never been more essential to the political life of a country.
  • The first Global Parliamentary Report argues that to address the current low-level of trust in them, parliaments must engage with citizens, stay closely attuned to their needs and make every effort to meet them.
  • The report, in which more than 125 parliaments and 660 members of parliament participated, aims to help both legislative assemblies and politicians better understand and respond to the public pressures they are facing.
  • The report also points to the growth in the number of parliaments. Nearly all countries now have some form of parliamentary assembly, and overall, they are more accessible, more professionally run and better-resourced than 50 years ago.
HAITI: CHOLERA CLAIM IS HIGHLY COMPLEX MATTER WHICH REQUIRES THOROUGH CONSIDERATION
  • Asked about a recent New York Times article on cholera in Haiti, the Spokesperson said the UN had received claims related to cholera in Haiti and is studying the claims.
  • He said that this was a highly complex matter which will require thorough consideration. Given the unique nature of the claim, this will take some time, which is not unusual, he added. He also said that the UN had advised the claimant that it is looking into the matter. 
  • Nesirky recalled that, in January 2011, the Secretary-General appointed a panel of independent scientific experts to study all available evidence in order to determine the cause of the cholera outbreak.
  • In May 2011, the four-member panel concluded that it was not possible to be conclusive about how cholera was introduced into Haiti.
ON WORLD AUTISM AWARENESS DAY, SECRETARY-GENERAL CALLS FOR SOCIAL, EDUCATIONAL AND LABOUR INVESTMENTS
  • In a message to mark World Autism Awareness Day, the Secretary-General said that this annual observance was meant to spur action and draw attention to the unacceptable discrimination, abuse and isolation experienced by people with autism and their loved ones.
  • He said autism was a worldwide challenge that requires global action. “Our work with and for people with autism should not be limited to early identification and treatment; it should include therapies, educational plans and other steps that lead us towards sustained, lifelong engagement,” he added.
  • The Secretary-General also said that greater investments in the social, education and labour sectors were crucially important, since developed and developing countries alike still need to improve their capacities to address the unique needs of people with autism and cultivate their talents.
OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS
 
U.N. OFFERS SUPPORT TO FIJI AFTER FLOODING: The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) says that rains brought on by a tropical depression have caused flooding in large parts of Fiji, especially the country’s western region.The Government estimates that 150,000 people have been affected so far.The United Nations remains concerned about the situation in Fiji and has offered support to the Government, which is leading the humanitarian response.
 
U.N. VERY CONCERNED ABOUT SITUATION IN SOUTH KORDOFAN: Asked about the situation in South Kordofan, Sudan, the Spokesperson said that although the U.N. is very concerned about the situation in that region of Sudan, it is very difficult for us to be certain about developments there since we do not have direct full access there.
 
GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO DISCUSS FIGHT AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING: Tomorrow, there will be a General Assembly interactive dialogue on the theme, “Fighting Human Trafficking: Partnership and Innovation to End Violence against Women and Girls.”The President of the General Assembly, the Executive Director of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and United Nations Goodwill Ambassador against Human Trafficking, Mira Sorvino, will deliver remarks at the opening of that event.
 

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