Note to Correspondents

New York Headquarters Ceremony to Honour Memory of 101 United Nations

Personnel Killed In Haiti Earthquake, 9 March

 

The United Nations will hold a memorial ceremony at New York Headquarters at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, 9 March, to honour the 101 civilians, military and police personnel of the Organization who perished in the 12 January Haiti earthquake.

Since the General Assembly Hall is not available due to construction repairs, the ceremony will be held instead in the Trusteeship Council Chamber, with the Economic and Social Council Chamber and the “old” Conference Room 2 serving as overflow rooms.

In attendance will be a large number of the victims’ family members, as well as senior officials led by the Secretary-General, representatives of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) and of Member States, and staff members.  The programme will include remarks by the Secretary-General, the President of the General Assembly and the Permanent Representative of Haiti to the United Nations.

Well-known Haitian singer Emeline Michel will present a musical performance and the Permanent Representative of Cape Verde to the United Nations will read his own poem about Haiti.

There will be no reserved area for the media in the Trusteeship Council Chamber, but television crews and photographers will be able to cover the event from its booths, located on the third floor of the “old” Conference Building.  They will be escorted by staff from the Media Accreditation and Liaison Unit (MALU).

No media will be allowed on the floor of the Trusteeship Council Chamber, except United Nations TV crews and photographers.  Print journalists will have access to Conference room 2.

The event will be webcast live on the General Public Webcast website:  http://www.un.org/webcast.

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For information media • not an official record