Noon Briefings

The Secretary-General, at the World Economic Forum in Davos today, said that climate change is showing us that the old model for economic growth, which was based on an abundance of natural resources, is not just obsolete, but extremely dangerous. Over time, he said, that model is a global suicide pact.

The Secretary-General met in Geneva today with the Cypriot leaders, where he told the press that there has been progress since his last meeting there in November. And based on today’s discussions, he said it is clear that the two leaders worked to move closer together through a range of bridging proposals.

The Secretary-General, in Geneva, urged the Human Rights Council to do more to fully rise above national and regional interests. The independence of human rights rapporteurs should not be limited; promotion of human rights should not be selective. The watchword should be all people, all countries and all rights.

The Secretary-General is appalled by the deadly bombing today at Moscow’s Domodedovo Airport. He condemns this deplorable and unjustifiable act of violence, and conveys his deepest condolences to the families of the victims and his solidarity with the Government and people of the Russian Federation.

In Côte d’Ivoire, the call of the Ivorian defence and security forces loyal to Laurent Gbagbo to stop and search United Nations vehicles is a serious violation of the Status of Forces Agreement and Security Council resolution 1962 (2010). The United Nations condemns the use of the State broadcasting corporation to disseminate false information about the United Nations and its mission.

Alain Le Roy, the Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, briefed the Security Council on Haiti in an open meeting today. He said that, after a year marked by the devastating earthquake of 12 January last year and the cholera epidemic, it is vital that the current political crisis is brought to a swift end and the focus shifted to the challenges of reconstruction and recovery.

Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs B. Lynn Pascoe opened the Security Council’s debate on the Middle East today by warning of heightened tensions in both the Occupied Palestinian Territory and in Lebanon. On the Israeli-Palestinian track, he expressed serious concern at the continuing lack of progress; on the dissolution of the coalition Government in Lebanon, he called for dialogue among all Lebanese leaders to address the current political situation.

This morning, the Security Council heard from the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Sudan, Haile Menkerios, about the referendum for Southern Sudan that has just concluded. In an open briefing, Menkerios said that the conclusion of the referendum marks an historic milestone in the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.

Speaking to reporters earlier today in the United Arab Emirates, the Secretary-General said he was closely monitoring developments in Lebanon and he reiterated his strong support for the independent work of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. The independent judicial process should not be linked with any political debate, he said, cautioning against prejudging the outcome of the investigation.

Last night, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative in Côte d’Ivoire, Choi Young-Jin, went to the PK-18 area of the Abobo neighborhood of Abidjan to monitor the security situation there. The situation in Abobo has been tense in the last few days. Mr. Choi’s delegation to Abobo is intended to assure the protection of the civilian population who face the risk of human rights violations from forces in Laurent Gbagbo’s camp.