The Secretary-General, speaking to the press in Rome yesterday, said that he remains positive about Copenhagen. He said: “We have known for a while that we will not have a treaty in Copenhagen. This is not news.” But he added: “We can still reach a significant agreement in Copenhagen that will provide the foundation for a treaty next year.”
In progress at UNHQ
Noon Briefings
Our guest at the noon briefing will be Ad Melkert, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Iraq, who will come here once he is done briefing the Security Council about the work of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq.
The Security Council today is holding a meeting to receive briefings on the work of three of its committees -- which deal respectively with resolution 1267 (1999), concerning Al-Qaida and the Taliban; resolution 1373 (2001), concerning counter-terrorism; and resolution 1540 (2004), concerning weapons of mass destruction.
The Secretary-General strongly encourages all Heads of State and Government to attend the United Nations Conference on Climate Change in Copenhagen, on 17 and 18 December. He believes it is essential to maintain political momentum at the highest level and from all sectors of society, and is optimistic that an ambitious, fair and effective climate deal can be reached in Copenhagen.
The Secretary-General this morning spoke at the Security Council’s open meeting on the protection of civilians in armed conflict and reflected on how the issue has risen in prominence on the Council’s agenda. Not so long ago, he said, many Member States questioned whether internal armed conflict posed a threat to international peace and security.
The Secretary-General is in Washington, D.C., where this morning he was meeting with White House officials dealing with climate change.
The Security Council this morning received a briefing in an open meeting from Olusegun Obasanjo, the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the Great Lakes Region.
The Secretary-General will brief the Security Council in closed consultations on Afghanistan. He will discuss the security situation and his recent trip to Kabul. This morning, Council members heard a briefing in an open meeting from Karin Landgren, the Secretary-General’s Representative for Nepal.
Effective immediately, the United Nations is taking additional steps to reduce risks to its national and international staff serving in Afghanistan. This is in light of the 28 October attack against UN staff in Kabul, as well as further ongoing threats.
In Athens, the Secretary-General today warned that conditions in which many migrants move and live remain treacherous. He spelled out three major challenges facing migrants worldwide: first, on the economic front, the global recession; second, climate change; and third, human trafficking.