The Secretary-General deplored the move by authorities supporting Laurent Gbagbo to ban United Nations and Licorne flights inside Côte d’Ivoire. Warning that any attempt to disrupt the Organization’s work is unacceptable, he confirmed that the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire will maintain its flight operations and fulfil its mandate.
In progress at UNHQ
Noon Briefings
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and the Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission have issued their latest annual report on the protection of civilians, which records more than 2,700 conflict-related civilian deaths in 2010, representing an increase of 15 per cent compared to 2009.
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon marked the 100th International Women’s Day today, saying that in too many countries and societies, women remain second-class citizens. Only through the full and equal participation of women in all areas of public and private life can we hope to achieve the sustainable, peaceful and just society promised in the United Nations Charter, he said.
A statement issued yesterday expressed the Secretary-General’s concerns about the fighting in western Libya, which is claiming large numbers of lives and threatens even more carnage in the days ahead. He urged the authorities in Tripoli to respect the human rights of all the country’s people and to lift restrictions on the media.
United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator Valerie Amos briefed the press on the humanitarian effort under way in Libya, saying she was concerned by reports that pro-Government forces were preventing civilians from leaving the country. She plans to head to the region for a first-hand assessment of the situation later in the day.
The Secretary-General convened a video and telephone conference call today with regional organizations and UN agencies to discuss the humanitarian situation in Libya. All urgently appealed to the authorities for immediate and unimpeded access into Libya to determine humanitarian needs and provide assistance.
The World Food Programme (WFP) says the world must step up action to prevent a disaster inside Libya and that cutting off food supplies must not be used as a weapon. WFP is launching a nearly $40 million emergency operation to provide food aid to 2.7 million people in Libya, Egypt and Tunisia and planning a three-month programme to help shore up the food safety nets of Egypt and Tunisia.
The Secretary-General will meet with the General Assembly Member States at 3 p.m. as they consider their response to the Human Rights Council’s resolution on Libya. He urges decisive action in the General Assembly, warning that, in Libya, a Government that has lost its legitimacy has declared war on its own people.
The Secretary-General travelled to Washington, D.C., where he will meet with President Barack Obama, and they will discuss further steps to deal with the situation in Libya. He will also visit the Holocaust Museum, where he will warn that it is once more time to live up to our commitment to the words “never again”.
The Secretary-General is deeply concerned by the deteriorating situation in Côte d'Ivoire, including the armed clashes in Abidjan, as well as the fighting in the west between Forces Nouvelles elements and forces loyal to Mr. Laurent Gbagbo. He also deplores the latest threats by Mr. Gbagbo’s camp against the United Nations, including the recent call to impede the movement of peacekeepers in Abidjan beginning today.