The Secretary-General is on his way to Seoul, where he will arrive tomorrow morning. He will also give a press conference tomorrow to discuss his priorities ahead of the G-20 Summit.
In progress at UNHQ
Noon Briefings
The Secretary-General has been following with great attention the elections held in Myanmar yesterday. The voting was held in conditions that were insufficiently inclusive, participatory and transparent.
The Secretary-General today received the final report of the High-Level Advisory Group on Climate Change Financing. He said the options identified in the report are both financially feasible and politically viable, and the Advisory Group has given us a path — it is now up to Governments to consider the options and to act.
Speaking at the launch of the 2010 Human Development Report today, the Secretary-General said that the first such report 20 years ago stunned the international community with the simple premise that people are the true measure of a nation’s wealth — a radical concept then that overturned conventional thinking.
The Secretary-General welcomes the consensus reached among Guinean stakeholders that paves the way for the holding of the run-off presidential election on 7 November 2010. He urges all actors in the electoral process to ensure that the date is respected and that the necessary conditions are put in place for the smooth conduct of the poll.
As Haiti braces for Tropical Storm Tomas, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs reports that the United Nations and its partners continue to send supplies to key areas across the country, while ensuring that measures are taken to enable a response in Port-au-Prince and other cities.
Today, on the first day of his visit to Beijing, the Secretary-General met with Chinese President Hu Jintao. They discussed a wide range of topics, including climate change, the Millennium Development Goals, the Korean peninsula and Africa.
The Secretary-General spoke at the UN-ASEAN Summit in Hanoi today, and said that the relationship between the United Nations and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is growing stronger. He highlighted the work that the two bodies can do together on moving forward with the Millennium Development Goals, human rights, peace and security issues and humanitarian assistance.
The Secretary-General is deeply saddened by the loss of life and destruction of property in Indonesia as a result of the eruption of Mount Merapi and the tsunami that affected the Mentawai Islands. He extends his deepest condolences to the families of those who have been killed, injured or made homeless by these still unfolding tragedies.
The Secretary-General and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen met in Phnom Penh this morning for a detailed exchange of views on a broad range of subjects covering bilateral, regional and international issues.