Noon Briefings

The Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Guinea-Bissau, Joseph Mutaboba, briefed the Security Council on the challenging political and security environment in Guinea-Bissau. He said restoring full constitutional order is now a crucial priority. Elections were marred by the killing of the former intelligence chief. Observers were unanimous that they were free and fair.

The Secretary-General took part in the Nuclear Security Summit in Seoul today, and also had a wide range of bilateral meetings. He told world leaders the prospect of nuclear terrorism threatens international security and that the international community was united in its resolve to defuse that threat.

Ahead of the Seoul Nuclear Security Summit, the Secretary-General urged the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to reconsider its declared plans to launch a satellite. He called for its full compliance with Security Council resolutions, notably the one that prohibits any launch using ballistic missile technology.

The Secretary-General is leaving Singapore today for the Republic of Korea, where he will attend the Nuclear Security Summit in Seoul and hold a range of bilateral meetings. In Singapore, he had meetings with the President, Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, and also met other Government ministers.

The Secretary-General arrived in Singapore from Malaysia just a couple of hours ago. Earlier in the day, he visited Kuala Lumpur's Institute of Respiratory Medicine to meet tuberculosis patients and help highlight Saturday's World Tuberculosis Day and this year's campaign to stop TB in our lifetime. He also delivered a speech at the Institute for Diplomacy and Foreign Relations

This morning the Security Council welcomed the appointment of the United Nations-League of Arab States Joint Special Envoy, and expressed its full support for the efforts of the Envoy to bring an immediate end to all violence and human rights violations, secure humanitarian access, and facilitate a Syrian-led political transition to a democratic, plural political system.

Asked today about developments in Syria, the Secretary-General called the issue his top priority. He said it was the international community’s moral and political responsibility to tackle the crisis. We have no time to waste, no time to lose; just one minute, one hour, delay will mean the death of more people, he said.

The Secretary-General arrived in Jakarta today at the start of his trip to Asia. Tomorrow, he will hold talks with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, and deliver a speech on peacekeeping at the Indonesia Peace and Security Centre.

This morning, the United Nations-League of Arab States Joint Special Envoy, Kofi Annan, briefed the Security Council on his mission to Syria in closed session. Mr. Annan also briefed reporters in Geneva, which is available on the United Nations website as a webcast.

The Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Valerie Amos, has issued a statement saying that, as intense fighting continues in Syria, and people are caught up in the violence, it is increasingly vital that humanitarian organizations have unhindered access to identify urgent needs and provide emergency care and basic supplies.