Press Conference

The Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Côte d’Ivoire, Choi Young-jin, said today that the political impasse in the country was continuing, that outgoing President Laurent Gbagbo was still refusing to relinquish power following his request for a power-sharing arrangement with newly elected President Alassane Ouattara, and that there was “no common ground for dialogue”.

General Assembly President Joseph Deiss (Switzerland) expressed worries today over the escalation of violence and mayhem in Côte d’Ivoire resulting from Laurent Gbagbo’s refusal to step down after losing that West African nation’s November presidential election to Alassane Ouattara.

Climate change, the international financial system and South-South cooperation would be among the most important issues to be addressed by the “Group of 77” developing countries and China in 2011, Jorge Argüello (Argentina), its incoming Chairman, said at a Headquarters press conference today.

Ahead of the one-year anniversary of the devastating earthquake in Haiti, the United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for the country told correspondents at Headquarters today that most humanitarian targets had been achieved while reconstruction should be accelerated, though that would necessarily be a long-term process.

While the poorest among the world’s most vulnerable countries had made solid development gains over the past decade, donors and the wider international community must continue to provide assistance and help foster an environment in which such advances could be sustained and built upon, correspondents heard today.

Major issues on the Security Council’s agenda in January would include Côte d’Ivoire, Sudan, Nepal, Haiti and the Middle East, Ivan Barbalić (Bosnia and Herzegovina), President of the 15-member body for the month, said at a Headquarters press conference today.

During its participation in the Security Council over the last two years, Mexico had focused on strengthening the role of conflict prevention and resolution; the promotion and protection of human rights and international humanitarian law; and enhancing transparency of the Council, the country’s Permanent Representative, Claude Heller, said today at Headquarters.

Ruhakana Rugunda, Permanent Representative of Uganda to the United Nations, called today for a greater focus by the Security Council on preventive diplomacy and peacebuilding as he surveyed a range of situations in Africa.

United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Field Support Susana Malcorra today outlined key developments and challenges facing the Department of Field Support — including the implementation of a standardized global field support strategy and continued work on electoral processes in several nations.

Following is a transcript of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s press conference held in New York today, 17 December: