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HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING

BY MARTIN NESIRKY, SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON

MONDAY, 16 MAY 2011

BAN KI-MOON CALLS FOR RENEWED, SUSTAINED EFFORT TO RESUME ISRAELI-PALESTINIAN NEGOTIATIONS

• In a statement issued on Sunday, the Secretary-General expressed his concern that a significant number of people were killed or injured during the incidents along the Blue Line, in the occupied Golan and in the occupied Palestinian territory. He called on all concerned to show restraint and refrain from provocations to prevent escalation of tensions and ensure civilians are not killed or injured. The Secretary-General called for calm throughout the region and utmost responsibility from all concerned.
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• The Secretary-General is acutely conscious of the unsustainable status quo in the Arab-Israeli conflict, which is only thrown into sharper relief by the profound political changes now under way in the region. He reiterates the urgent need for a just, lasting and comprehensive Arab-Israeli peace, which ensures dignity and security for all, including an end to occupation, an end to conflict, and a just and agreed solution to the plight of Palestinian refugees.
  The Secretary-General calls for a renewed and sustained effort to resume Israeli-Palestinian negotiations and advance the broader goal of a comprehensive regional peace in the Middle East.
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• Asked about the violence, the Spokesperson noted that the Secretary-General has expressed his views through his statement and it would be up to the Security Council to determine if Council action is needed.

EMERGENCY RELIEF COORDINATOR VISITS OCCUPIED PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES

• Over the weekend, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, Valerie Amos, visited Ramallah, East Jerusalem and Area C of the West Bank.
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• In Ramallah, Ms. Amos met with President Mahmoud Abbas and also with Prime Minister Salam Fayyad.
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• She reiterated the determination of the United Nations and the humanitarian community as a whole to continue to assist those in need in the occupied Palestinian territory, particularly in areas where the Palestinian Authority cannot fully operate. She expressed her support for the Palestinian Authority and reaffirmed the United Nations’ commitment to the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, statehood, sovereignty and freedom from occupation.

SPECIAL ENVOY VISITS TRIPOLI, MOSCOW TO DISCUSS LIBYA CRISIS

• The Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Libya, Abdul Ilah Al-Khatib, made a one-day visit to Tripoli on Sunday, continuing with diplomatic efforts to resolve the crisis in Libya.
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• The Special Envoy met with the Foreign Minister, the Prime Minister, the Secretary-General of the Libyan Public Congress, and the Pro-Qadhafi Tribal Forum. Their discussions focused on the need to fully implement Security Council Resolutions 1970 and 1973, to allow full humanitarian access and to establish a cease-fire and political process. The Special Envoy’s interlocutors said they were open and ready to fully engage and to cooperate with his efforts.
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• In a follow-up to the Special Envoy's visit, the Secretary-General also spoke on Sunday with the Prime Minister of Libya.
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• The Special Envoy met the Foreign Minister of the Russian Federation, Sergey Lavrov, in Moscow today. Mr. Khatib expressed his desire to maintain close contacts with the Russian Federation on Libya and his appreciation for its role. He highlighted the importance of working in a unified manner in the international community to find a political solution for the situation in Libya.
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U.N.MISSION IN SUDAN CALLS FOR CALM FOLLOWING SOUTH KORDOFAN ELECTIONS

• The UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) has the completion of gubernatorial and legislative elections in Sudan’s Southern Kordofan state. It urges all parties to remain calm and encourages those with complaints regarding the electoral process to address them through legal means or dialogue.
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• The Mission also noted that the elections were conducted in a peaceful manner and were monitored by a large number of official observers.
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• Asked about air strikes in Darfur, the Spokesperson said that the UN-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) has that the Sudanese air force launched air strikes on Sunday on the towns of Labado and Esheraya, in South Darfur. The numbers of casualties and possible displacements have not yet been determined but the Mission is intending to send a team to the area, he added.

SECRETARY-GENERAL APPOINTS NEW HEAD OF MISSION IN HAITI

• The Secretary-General has appointed Mr. Mariano Fernández of Chile as his Special Representative for Haiti and Head of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH).
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• Mr. Fernández will succeed Mr. Edmond Mulet of Guatemala, who took on the position in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake that struck Haiti. Mr. Mulet will complete his assignment on 31 May 2011.

BAN KI-MOON: BUDDHISM AND UNITED NATIONS SHARE GOALS OF PEACE, DIGNITY, HUMAN RIGHTS FOR ALL

• This morning, the Secretary-General made remarks to a special event marking the 2,600^th anniversary of the Buddha’s enlightenment.
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• He said that Buddhism and the United Nations share the goals of peace, dignity and human rights for all people, adding that the Buddha’s teachings may be twenty-six centuries old, but they are as powerful as ever today.
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• The Secretary-General also spoke at the opening of the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.
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• He noted that the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples finally has the consensus it deserves.
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• Now, we need to make the Declaration’s principles a reality, the Secretary-General said, stressing that protection and promoting the rights of indigenous peoples benefits us all.

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

U.N. DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME CHIEF LAUDS KYRGYZSTAN’S PROGRESS IN ACHIEVING MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Administrator Helen Clark has wrapped up a two-day visit to Kyrgyzstan to highlight the country’s recent democratic transition and the progress it has made towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals ().

SECURITY COUNCIL IS BRIEFED ON WORK OF COMMITTEES ON TERRORISM, NON-PROLIFERATION: The Security Council is holding an open debate today on the work of its main committees dealing with terrorism and weapons of mass destruction. The Council heard briefings from the Ambassadors chairing the Counter-Terrorism Committee and the Committee dealing with al-Qaeda and the Taliban, as well as the Committee dealing with non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.