This evening at 6:00, the Secretary-General will participate in a mass to remember those who died in Haiti. The mass will be presided over by the Permanent Observer of the Holy See, Archbishop Celestino Migliore. And yesterday, as I’m sure you know, the Secretary-General marked the one-week anniversary of the earthquake by laying a wreath in honour of the victims at 4:53 p.m. precisely, and by calling for a moment of silence throughout the UN system to remember those who died.
In progress at UNHQ
Noon Briefings
Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations and Acting Head of MINUSTAH Edmond Mulet said that since his arrival in Haiti last Thursday his main task had been to put the mission back on its feet. With most of its leadership dead or not operational, his main task was to “put the whole thing back together”.
Alain Le Roy, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, and Susana Malcorra, Under-Secretary-General for Field Support, who both travelled with the Secretary-General to Haiti Sunday, took questions on that trip and all else related to ongoing efforts to help the people of Haiti.
John Holmes, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, told reporters today: “We still don’t have any reliable figures for dead or injured, although, of course, we recognize that those numbers are likely to be extremely high. […] On the search-and-rescue side, that effort is going on with all possible speed. Some people are still being recovered alive, relatively fewer, as you would expect, but that is still happening.”
Speaking by audio-video link from Haiti, Chief of Public Information David Wimhurst and Deputy Special Representative Kim Bolduc briefed reporters on humanitarian relief efforts that have been taking place, the situation of the UN Stabilization Mission, and the ongoing effort to assess damages and casualties.
John Holmes, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, told reporters that “we’re extremely concerned about the human and humanitarian impact of what has obviously been a devastating earthquake in Haiti, particularly in Port-au-Prince and the surrounding areas”. The earthquake was 7.0 on the Richter scale and struck at approximately 16.53 hours local time yesterday, some 17 kilometres from the capital.
The Secretary-General is indeed encouraged by recent political developments in Guinea, particularly the commitment expressed by the interim Head of State, General Sekouba Konaté, for a return to constitutional order. And he welcomes both the invitation extended to the opposition to put forward a consensus Prime Minister and the guarantees of security given for all Guineans, including the country's political leaders.
The Secretary-General is now at a round-table meeting with heads of international organizations dealing with disarmament to discuss major challenges, existing gaps and ideas on how to foster greater understanding and cooperation towards the common goal of a world free of weapons of mass destruction.
The Secretary-General discussed the forthcoming two intensive rounds of substantive negotiations that the Cypriot leaders will have this month. And he encouraged both leaders to remain committed and to show flexibility and leadership. He is convinced that a win-win solution in many different areas is available, and he is confident that together both leaders have the political courage and vision required to make progress.
The Secretary-General expressed the hope that the tremendous political energy released during last year’s elections will now be directed towards forging a meaningful, realistic and renewed compact between the Afghan Government and its people. Kai Eide also briefed the Council, saying there was need for a transition strategy that could place Afghans in charge of their own future.