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”.
In progress at UNHQ
Noon Briefings
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.
Robert Serry, the United Nations Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, briefed the Security Council this morning and conveyed the Secretary-General’s profound concern at the continued impasse, saying the longer it persists, the greater the worry that the modest achievements made so far will unravel.
Last night, the Secretary-General cut short a trip to Los Angeles, telling an audience there that the changes under way in the Middle East are historic. Whether in Libya or elsewhere, he said, our message must be consistent and strong: no violence. The time for change is now, and the UN stands ready to assist.
The Security Council held consultations this morning following a request from Libya’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations. After that, Council members agreed to hold a private meeting at 3 p.m., on “peace and security in Africa”, at which Council members expect to receive a briefing from the Secretariat.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay has condemned the response of a number of Governments in the Middle East and North Africa to the legitimate demands of their people as illegal and excessively heavy handed. She is particularly troubled by targeted attacks of security forces on certain professions.
The Secretary-General attaches great importance to the forthcoming mission to Côte d’Ivoire by the five-member high-level panel established by the African Union’s Peace and Security Council to facilitate a peaceful solution to the post-election crisis in Côte d’Ivoire. He urges all Ivorian parties to extend their full cooperation to the high-level panel.
The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, says that the High Commissioner will formally ask the Egyptian Government to accept a mission from the Office. The aim of the mission is to assess the situation and find ways to help the transition to democracy from a human rights point of view.
The Secretary-General met with President Alan García of Peru in Lima today. Speaking at a joint press conference, he said Peru has seen considerable progress in consolidating democracy and attaining the Millennium Development Goals. The challenge now is to spread these gains equally to the country’s most vulnerable people, especially in rural areas, where the majority of indigenous peoples live.
On the sixth anniversary of the terrorist attack that took the lives of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri and 22 others, the Secretary-General stands with the people of Lebanon in commemorating the life and achievements of Mr. Hariri. He reaffirms the commitment of the United Nations to the efforts of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon to uncover the truth so as to bring those responsible to justice.