The United Nations, the African Union Mission in Somalia, known as AMISOM, the European Union, the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development, the League of Arab States, Norway and the United States issued a joint statement in Nairobi today. They all condemned in the strongest terms the cowardly suicide bombing carried out which killed Transitional Federal Government officials, students, journalists and other civilians in Mogadishu.
In progress at UNHQ
Noon Briefings
The Secretary-General welcomes the new United States plan for Afghanistan announced by President Barack Obama yesterday evening.
Today is World AIDS Day. In a message, the Secretary-General says that more must be done, on an urgent basis, to uphold the commitment to reach universal access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support by 2010.
Secretary-General: "Michèle Montas was my first appointment, as you may recall. I wanted someone I could trust, and someone who believed in the United Nations as much as I do. Someone who embodied the highest standards of personal integrity and journalistic credibility. I found that Michèle Montas has all the qualities one could hope for in a Spokesperson."
The Secretary-General is travelling tomorrow to Trinidad and Tobago, for this year’s Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. During his three-day trip, the Secretary-General is expected to urge the leaders to attend next month’s Climate Change Summit in Copenhagen and seal a deal.
The Secretary-General is saddened by the reports of the brutal killing of more than 40 civilians in the Maguindanao Province, southern Philippines. He condemns this heinous crime committed in the context of a local election campaign. The Secretary-General extends heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and hopes that no effort will be spared to bring justice and to hold the perpetrators accountable.
The Spokesperson today introduced her successor, Martin Nesirky of the United Kingdom, saying he comes to the United Nations from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), where is he currently the spokesperson. He has more than 20 years experience as a journalist, in media relations and international affairs.
The Secretary-General welcomes the appointment of Mr. Herman van Rompuy as first President of the European Union, and Ms. Catherine Ashton as the European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. The Secretary-General looks forward to working closely with both Mr. van Rompuy and Ms. Ashton in strengthening cooperation between the European Union and the United Nations.
The Secretary-General wishes to congratulate President Hamid Karzai on his inauguration today as the elected President of Afghanistan for a second term.
The Secretary-General met today with the three commissioners he has appointed to lead the international investigation into human rights violations that occurred on 28 September 2009 in Conakry, Guinea. During the meeting, he recalled that the Commission should work independently in assessing the facts, and make recommendations on accountability measures.