Noon Briefings

A Security Council mission has left today for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, which the Council members will visit on Friday and Saturday. Over the next two days, the Council members will meet with President Joseph Kabila and his key ministers, and with the senior officials of the United Nations Mission in the country — MONUC.

The Secretary-General is in Ottawa today, where he just spoke to the UN Association of Canada about the importance of the relationship between the United Nations and Canada. He said that relationship is particularly significant this year, as Canada will soon host the G-8 and G-20 meetings.

The Secretary-General strongly condemns the wave of terrorist bombings and other attacks in Iraq yesterday that reportedly claimed the lives of over a hundred people and injured many more, mostly civilians. The United Nations stands in solidarity with the Iraqi people in the face of these deplorable, unjustifiable acts.

We issued a statement last night in which the Secretary-General said he is encouraged by the beginning of the Israeli-Palestinian proximity talks and commends the United States initiative in this regard. The Secretary-General hopes that the parties are able to make progress and move towards direct negotiations.

The UN-African Union Mission in Darfur reports that at around 11:30 local time this morning, one of its convoys was ambushed. Two Egyptian peacekeepers were killed, and another three seriously wounded. The attackers opened fire on the peacekeepers and fled when the convoy returned fire. The wounded were airlifted to UNAMID’s hospital in Nyala and they’re reported to be in a stable condition.

At an event earlier today marking the end of the Second World War, the Secretary-General said it was fitting that we are commemorating the war’s end at a moment when nations are gathered at the United Nations to advance the cause of peace, by working towards a vision for a nuclear-weapon-free world.

The Security Council will discuss Nepal this afternoon, with the head of the United Nations Mission there briefing. In his report to the Council, the Secretary-General highlights that no substantive progress has been made in the peace process since his January report and, should the Government request an extension of the Mission’s mandate, which expires 15 May, he recommends that the Council respond positively.

The Secretary-General spoke this morning to Mayors for Peace, which brings together some 4,000 mayors and city officials around the world, including the Mayors of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The Secretary-General said that the United Nations should be the new “ground zero” for nuclear disarmament, adding that he will carry that message with him when he visits Hiroshima in August.

The Secretary-General opened the Review Conference for the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty this morning, saying that the world’s people expect action to protect them from the destructive power of nuclear weapons and to build a safer, more secure world.

The Secretary-General has appointed Atul Khare of India as Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations. Mr. Khare replaces Edmond Mulet of Guatemala, who was appointed on 1 April as Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Haiti for one year. Mr. Khare most recently served as the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Timor-Leste.