The Secretary-General will address a wreath-laying ceremony this afternoon at UN Headquarters to mark the first anniversary of the Haiti earthquake of 12 January 2010. After a symbolic silence of 47 seconds - the duration of the quake - the Secretary-General will express solidarity with the people of Haiti, as well as the families of 102 United Nations colleagues who lost their lives.
In progress at UNHQ
Noon Briefings
The Secretary-General is deeply concerned by the recent reports of clashes in the Abyei area of Sudan. He condemns the reported loss of life and says the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) has intensified its patrolling activities on the ground and is on standby to reinforce its peacekeeping presence if the need arises.
The Secretary-General deplores yesterday’s destruction of the Shepherd’s Hotel in occupied East Jerusalem to make way for new settlement units in the heart of a Palestinian neighbourhood, which only serves to heighten tensions. It is deeply regrettable that growing international concern at unilateral expansion of illegal Israeli settlements is not being heeded.
The Secretary-General chaired a video and telephone conference call earlier on Friday on the Southern Sudan referendum, recent fighting in Darfur and developments in the Doha peace process. He was briefed by Ibrahim Gambari, UN Mission in Sudan head Haile Menkerios, Chairman of the Sudan Referendum Panel President Benjamin Mkapa, and Djibril Bassole, the Join UN-African Union Mediator for Darfur.
Members of the Secretary-General’s panel tasked with monitoring the upcoming referendum on self-determination in Sudan arrived in Khartoum. The three-member panel will travel countrywide this month to monitor the polling, counting and aggregation of results phases of the referendum on the future of Southern Sudan. The polling is expected to end on 15 January; final results to be declared on or about 6 February.
The UN mission in Côte d’Ivoire, UNOCI, is calling for the immediate cessation of the negative campaign carried out by Laurent Gbagbo’s camp via Radio Télévision Ivoirienne (RTI). The mission says that RTI has continually broadcast images of two injured persons presented as victims of shootings by a UNOCI patrol in Abobo.
The Secretary-General condemns the assassination today of the Governor of Punjab Province in Pakistan, Salman Taseer, a prominent leader whose death is a heavy loss for Pakistan. The Secretary-General extends his condolences to the family of Mr. Taseer and to the Government and people of Pakistan.
The United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI) reports that severe violations of human rights and acts of intimidation continue to be noted in many neighbourhoods of Abidjan and in the west of the country. These acts include identifying dwellings by marking them with distinctive signs. As the violence goes on, the number of dead, wounded and missing persons is increasing rapidly.
The Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Staffan de Mistura, briefed the Security Council today on developments in that country. He said that all sides, including the Taliban, realize that there is no military solution, and he described United Nations support for reconciliation efforts in Afghanistan.
The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) says that some 55,000 Southern Sudanese who had been living in the northern part of the country have returned home ahead of the January referenda. But the new arrivals are straining a fragile humanitarian situation in South Sudan.