The Secretary-General and Kofi Annan, the Joint Special Envoy of the United Nations and League of Arab States for Syria, met yesterday evening and then they briefed reporters. They both emphasized the urgent need to end the violence in Syria and gain access for humanitarian assistance.
In progress at UNHQ
Noon Briefings
This evening, the Secretary-General will meet with the Joint Special Envoy of the United Nations and the League of Arab States, Kofi Annan. And they will speak to reporters at the 2nd floor stakeout position in the North Lawn Building here at United Nations Headquarters at approximately 7:15 p.m.
High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said the International Commission of Inquiry report published on 22 February concluded that the Syrian Government “has manifestly failed in its responsibility to protect the population”. It further stated that anti-Government groups have committed abuses, but not “comparable in scale and organization to those carried out by the State”.
The Secretary-General is in Angola today, where he has meetings with President José Eduardo dos Santos, the Foreign Minister and civil society. Earlier, he launched Angola’s 2012 polio vaccination campaign in Viana near Luanda, and helped administer vaccine drops to some children.
Addressing the National Assembly in Lusaka today, the Secretary-General said democracy runs deep in Zambia, and work on a new constitution was an opportunity for it to lead again by enshrining the highest human rights standards. He also paid tribute to the 73 Zambians killed in the service of UN peacekeeping.
The Secretary-General attended the London Conference on Somalia today, telling participants that the meeting was taking place at a critical time. He called on the international community to take steps to improve security, advance the political process and step up assistance for recovery, reconstruction and development.
This morning, the Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution endorsing the expansion of the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) to 17,731 uniformed personnel, as well as to put AMISOM on a predictable financial footing through the enhancement of the United Nations logistical support package.
This morning the Secretary-General briefed the Security Council on the impact of transnational organized crime on peace, security and stability in West Africa and the Sahel, saying that transnational organized crime, including drug trafficking, affects peace, security and stability wherever it occurs.
The Secretary-General wrapped up his visit to Vienna today, and before leaving, he attended a ceremony commemorating the fifteenth anniversary of the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization. He stressed that nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation are not utopian ideals, but are critical to global peace and security.
The Secretary-General is in Vienna today. This morning, he addressed the opening of the Third Ministerial Conference on Combating the Afghan Illicit Opiate Trade, saying the fight against that trade went to the heart of UN efforts in Afghanistan and our work on reducing poverty. He later delivered a lecture on the theme of Empowering People in a Changing World.