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.

The United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI) reports that severe violations of human rights and acts of intimidation continue to be noted in many neighbourhoods of Abidjan and in the west of the country. These acts include identifying dwellings by marking them with distinctive signs. As the violence goes on, the number of dead, wounded and missing persons is increasing rapidly.

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.

The Secretary-General condemns the assassination today of the Governor of Punjab Province in Pakistan, Salman Taseer, a prominent leader whose death is a heavy loss for Pakistan. The Secretary-General extends his condolences to the family of Mr. Taseer and to the Government and people of Pakistan.

The UN mission in Côte d’Ivoire, UNOCI, is calling for the immediate cessation of the negative campaign carried out by Laurent Gbagbo’s camp via Radio Télévision Ivoirienne (RTI). The mission says that RTI has continually broadcast images of two injured persons presented as victims of shootings by a UNOCI patrol in Abobo.

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.

Members of the Secretary-General’s panel tasked with monitoring the upcoming referendum on self-determination in Sudan arrived in Khartoum. The three-member panel will travel countrywide this month to monitor the polling, counting and aggregation of results phases of the referendum on the future of Southern Sudan. The polling is expected to end on 15 January; final results to be declared on or about 6 February.

The Secretary-General chaired a video and telephone conference call earlier on Friday on the Southern Sudan referendum, recent fighting in Darfur and developments in the Doha peace process. He was briefed by Ibrahim Gambari, UN Mission in Sudan head Haile Menkerios, Chairman of the Sudan Referendum Panel President Benjamin Mkapa, and Djibril Bassole, the Join UN-African Union Mediator for Darfur.

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.