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SUDAN: SECRETARY-GENERAL SAYS RESUMPTION AND CONCLUSION OF ABYEI NEGOTIATIONS MUST BE PRIORITY

• The Secretary-General is deeply concerned by the continued tension in the Abyei area and underscores that the military stand-off is unacceptable. He deplores that the persistent deadlock has led to further loss of life.
  

• The Secretary-General calls upon the leadership of the National Congress Party (NCP) and Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) to refrain from any unilateral declarations regarding the ownership of the Abyei area as it jeopardizes the search for a peaceful resolution. The parties must refrain from provoking each other or engaging in any military confrontation in Abyei as this could result in further loss of life and significantly affect the future relationship between North and South.
  

• The Secretary-General urges both sides to immediately implement the short-term containment measures as agreed in the Kadugli agreements of 13 and 17 January 2011 and the Abyei agreement of 4 March 2011, and to adhere to the timetable for their implementation. The resumption and conclusion of the negotiations on Abyei must now be a matter of priority.

IN BULGARIA, SECRETARY-GENERAL DISCUSSES CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE TRANSITIONS, CURRENT CHANGES IN ARAB WORLD

• The Secretary-General addressed a major conference in Sofia today on the changes under way in the Middle East and North Africa. He discussed what the countries of Central and Eastern Europe can contribute from their own transitional experiences.
  

• He said that there were marked differences between Europe in 1989 and the Arab Spring of 2011, not least that some countries in the Middle East and North Africa were experiencing bloodshed and violence rather than a velvet revolution. He warned that in countries like Bahrain, Yemen and Syria, rather than listening to their people’s legitimate aspirations for change, governments are responding with force.
  

• The Secretary-General also held talks with the President and Foreign Minister of Bulgaria and visited the ancient city of Plovdiv. Earlier in the day, he met members of the Global Compact Network in Bulgaria and with UN staff based in Sofia.

SECRETARY-GENERAL CALLS ON LEBANESE LEADERS TO RECONVENE NATIONAL DIALOGUE

• The Security Council is meeting this morning to discuss the Secretary-General’s latest report on the implementation of Resolution 1559, concerning Lebanon. They were briefed by the Special Representative dealing with that topic, Terje Roed-Larsen.
  

• In the report, the Secretary-General notes that political tension in Lebanon has increased in recent months, fuelled, among other things, by speculation and public pronouncements concerning the proceedings of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon. He says that the positions in favour and against the special Tribunal are becoming growingly entrenched and are polarizing the country. In addition, the widespread proliferation of weapons outside of the State’s control, combined with the continued existence of heavily armed militias, are ominous for domestic peace and the prosperity of Lebanon.
  

• The Secretary-General remains convinced that the disarmament of armed groups in Lebanon, in particular Hizbullah, can best be achieved through a Lebanese-led political process. He calls on Lebanese leaders to reconvene the National Dialogue under the auspices of President Michel Sleiman.
  

• Asked about Mr Roed-Larsen’s visit to Bahrain last month, the Spokesperson said that was conducted in his private capacity.

LEBANON: SPECIAL TRIBUNAL PROSECUTOR FILES AMENDED INDICTMENT

• The Prosecutor of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, Daniel Bellemare, filed an amended indictment today, replacing the indictment of 11 March 2011, to include substantive new elements that had been unavailable until recently.
  

• The Prosecutor does not intend to make further amendments to the indictment, unless ordered to do so by the Pre-Trial Judge. Other indictments could, however, be filed in the future if warranted by the evidence.

COTE D’IVOIRE: HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION OF INQUIRY IN ABIDJAN

• The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) says that the members of the International Commission of Inquiry are currently in Abidjan, meeting with various stakeholders. They are due to travel to other parts of the country next week.
  

• Meanwhile, staff of the Human Rights Office in Côte d’Ivoire are investigating reports of human rights violations in Yopougon earlier this week. The UN Mission’s (UNOCI) Human Rights Special Investigation Team is to visit the site of this alleged mass grave today.
  

• The Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) is stressing the need for continued humanitarian assistance in Côte d’Ivoire. It says that the emergency humanitarian action plan for that country and neighbouring countries is only 22 per cent funded.

U.N. REFUGEE AGENCY CONDEMNS SHOOTING OF SOMALI ASYLUM-SEEKERS IN MOZAMBIQUE

• The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) is working to obtain more information about the deaths of four Somali asylum-seekers in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province on 29 April. The victims appear to have been killed by Mozambican police, UNHCR says.
  

• While a national investigation into the killings is underway, UNHCR urges the Government of Mozambique to respect the human rights of asylum-seekers and ensure that those responsible for the killings are held accountable.

DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL TO TRAVEL TO GENEVA AND ISTANBUL

• The Deputy Secretary-General will depart New York on the evening of 9 May 2011 to travel to Geneva, Switzerland, where she will chair the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in Geneva. She will also meet with United Nations officials based in Geneva.
  

• The Deputy Secretary-General will then travel to Istanbul, Turkey to represent the Secretary-General at the closing session of the Fourth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries.
  

• She will return to New York on 14 May.

FIRST MARATHON IN GAZA STRIP RAISES FUNDS FOR UN RELIEF AND WORKS AGENCY

• On Thursday, 1,500 runners embarked on the first marathon to be held in the Gaza Strip.
  

• Just as the race got under way, the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) announced that the 1 million dollar goal that was set to be raised at the marathon had been reached.
  

• The marathon was organized partly to raise much-needed funds for the Gaza Summer Games run by UNRWA. Now in its fifth year, Summer Games is a large-scale recreational programme that provides the children of Gaza with a rare opportunity to enjoy a moment of joy and normality.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

SECRETARY-GENERAL HAS SPOKEN WITH ISRAELI PRIME MINISTER: Asked about the Secretary-General’s views on the Palestinian unity agreement, the Spokesperson said that the Secretary-General supports Palestinian unity in the context of the previous agreements by the Palestinian Authority and the Arab Peace Initiative. He noted that the Secretary-General had also spoken by phone today with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

SECRETARY-GENERAL HAS RESPONDED TO BIN LADEN’S DEATH: Asked about the Secretary-General’s views on the death of Osama bin Laden, the Spokesperson said that the Secretary-General had expressed his relief on Monday that a leading terrorist was no longer able to carry out crimes, and stood by those views. He noted that some UN human rights rapporteurs were seeking further information on the incident, and added that the United Nations expects all counter-terrorism operations to be conducted in conformity with international law.

HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSIONER RAISED CONCERNS ON BAHRAIN: Asked about Bahrain, the Spokesperson noted the concerns about human rights in that country expressed on Thursday by the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay.

LATIN AMERICAN MINISTERS DISCUSS SOCIAL POLICIES THAT PROMOTE OPPORTUNITY AND EQUITY: More than 30 ministers and social affairs officials from 16 Latin American countries gathered today at the United Nations to discuss how governments and the private sector can reduce inequalities and promote sustainable development in Latin America.

THE WEEK AHEAD AT THE UNITED NATIONS

7 - 13 MAY 2011

Saturday, 7 May

Today, the Secretary-General will travel to Istanbul, Turkey, where he will open the Fourth United Nations Conference on Least Developed Countries (LDCs) on Monday. He will meet with the President and Prime Minister of Turkey, as well as with several Heads of States and Government attending the conference.

Sunday, 8 May

Today is the beginning of the Time of Remembrance and Reconciliation for Those
Who Lost Their Lives during the Second World War. It ends on 9 May.

Monday, 9 May

This morning, the Security Council will hold a debate on Bosnia and Herzegovina. In the afternoon, the Council will receive a briefing and hold consultations on Libya.

Today, the Fourth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries starts in Istanbul, Turkey. It ends on 13 May.

At 11:00 a.m., in the Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium, there will be a press conference by Sha Zhukang, Under-Secretary-General of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, on the Conference on Sustainable Development.

At 3:00 p.m., in the Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium, there will be a press conference organized by the United Nations Democracy Fund, to discuss new findings on how effectively the international democracy family is supporting the many actors in the field. Participants will include: Dr. Larry Diamond, Hoover Institution, Stanford University and Dr. Joel Barkan, Center for Strategic and International Studies.

Today, the Open-ended Meeting of Governmental Experts of the Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All Its Aspects will begin in Conference Room 1 of the North Lawn Building (NLB). It runs until 13 Friday.

Today, the 46^th session of the Committee against Torture will begin in Geneva. It ends on 3 June.

Tuesday, 10 May

Today, the Secretary-General will travel to Geneva, where he will open the Third Session of the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction and launch the 2011 Global Assessment Report. The Deputy Secretary-General will also then chair the Global Platform.

This morning, the Security Council will hold an open debate on the protection of civilians in armed conflict.

Today, Babatunde Osotimehin, Executive Director of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), will launch the report, “Population Dynamics in the LDCs: Challenges and Opportunities for Development and Poverty Reduction,” on the sidelines of the Fourth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries in Istanbul.

Wednesday, 11 May

This morning, the Security Council will receive a briefing and will hold consultations on Somalia.

At 12:00 p.m., in the Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium, Radhika Coomaraswamy, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, will be the guest at the Noon Briefing..

At 2:30 p.m., in the Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium, there will be a press on the Convention on Biological Diversity. Speakers will include: Hideki Minamikawa, Administrative Vice-Minister of the Environment, Japan; Jairam Ramesh, Minister of Environment and Forests, India; Ahmed Djoghlaf, Executive Secretary, Convention on Biological Diversity.

Today, the World Health Organization (WHO) kicks off the first global Decade of Action for Road Safety 2011-2020.

Thursday, 12 May

This morning, the Security Council will adopt a resolution on United Nations Mission in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI), to follow up on Resolution 1968 and receive a briefing on a Report on post-conflict civilian capacity. In the afternoon, the Council will hold a debate on the Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK).

At 11:00 a.m., in the Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium, there will be a press conference on Sustainable Consumption and Production. Speakers will include: Tariq Banuri, Director of the Division on Sustainable Development, Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

At 12:00 p.m., in the Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium, Christiana Figueres, Executive Secretary, United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, will be the guest at the Noon Briefing.

At 1:30 p.m., in the Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium, there will be a press conference to launch a new United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report on ‘Decoupling’ Natural Resource Use and Environmental Impacts from Economic Growth. Speakers will include: Achim Steiner, Executive Director, United Nations Environment Programme.

At 2:30 p.m., in the Dag Hammarskjöld Library Auditorium, there will be a press conference to a launch a United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-HABITAT) global report on human settlement.

The Deputy Secretary-General will arrive in Istanbul, Turkey, to close the Fourth United Nations Conference on the Least Developed Countries tomorrow.

Friday, 13 May

This morning, the Security Council will hold consultations to receive a briefing by Department of Political Affairs and a receive a report on the situation in Chad following the withdrawal of the United Nations Mission in Central African Republic and Chad (MINURCAT).