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HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING





HIGHLIGHTS OF THE NOON BRIEFING
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BY MARTIN NESIRKY

SPOKESPERSON FOR SECRETARY-GENERAL BAN KI-MOON


ÌýU.N. HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK

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Friday,
May 7, 2010
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TWO
U.N. PEACEKEEPERS KILLED IN DARFUR AMBUSH; SECRETARY-GENERAL INCENSED

  • The
    (UNAMID) reports that at around
    11:30 local time this morning, one of its convoys was ambushed. Two
    Egyptian peacekeepers were killed and another three seriously wounded.
    Ìý

  • The patrol was attacked by unidentified armed men
    near the village of Katayla, in
    .
    Ìý

  • The attackers opened fire on the peacekeepers and
    fled when the convoy returned fire. The wounded were air-lifted to
    UNAMID’s hospital in Nyala and they’re reported to be in stable
    condition.
    Ìý

  • The AU-UN Joint Special Representative,
    , has expressed outrage over the attack.
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  • Ban Ki-moon is aware of the attack and is equally
    incensed.
    Ìý

  • UNAMID is calling on the Government of the Sudan to
    identify, capture and bring the perpetrators to justice.
    Ìý

  • This attack brings to 24 the number of UNAMID
    personnel killed in hostile actions since the Mission was established in
    January 2008.

ÌýSECURITY COUNCIL TAKES UP U.N.
MISSION IN CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC AND CHAD

  • The
    held consultations on the
    (MINURCAT).
    Ìý

  • , the ³§±ð³¦°ù±ð³Ù²¹°ù²â-³Ò±ð²Ô±ð°ù²¹±ô’s Special Representative and
    head of MINURCAT, briefed Council members on the plan to reconfigure
    that peacekeeping mission.
    Ìý

  • Under the plan, outlined in the
    recent report, the Mission’s military component
    will be reduced from its current strength of 3,300 personnel in Chad to
    1,400 troops and 500 support elements.
    Ìý

  • Meanwhile, the
    (UNHCR)
    that it has begun this week to transfer some 1,100 newly
    arrived Central African refugees from the border in southern
    to a refugee camp where the Agency can assist them. These
    refugees crossed into southern Chad’s Moyen Chari province two weeks
    ago, after violence forced them from villages in northern
    .

ÌýSECRETARY
MET BOLIVIAN PRESIDENT, CIVIL SOCIETY REPRESENTATIVES

  • Earlier today, the
    concluded two back-to-back meetings. Ìý
    Ìý

  • The first was with Bolivian President Evo Morales
    Ayma and representatives from civil society organizations that
    participated at the recent climate conference in Cochabamba in Bolivia.
    He held his second meeting privately with President Morales.ÌýÌý
    Ìý

  • The Secretary-General told President Morales that
    the voices of civil society and indigenous peoples must be heard. He
    welcomes all initiatives that can contribute to a comprehensive,
    equitable and effective global response to climate change.Ìý
    Ìý

  • The Secretary-General said he was pleased that
    conclusions of the Cochabamba conference had been submitted to the
    , the one
    universal forum where all nations and peoples come together to resolve
    climate issues.ÌýÌý

ÌýSOMALI ARMED GROUPS URGED TO ALLOW
UNFETTERED HUMANITARIAN ACCESS

  • The UN Humanitarian Coordinator for
    , Mark Bowden, is
    on armed groups to put down their arms, allow unfettered
    humanitarian access and vacate a medical clinic treating victims of
    fighting.
    Ìý

  • As of Friday afternoon, armed groups were occupying
    the medical compound in the Afgooye corridor and were holding the
    clinic’s director hostage. Patients had to be evacuated.
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  • There are more than 360,000 displaced people in
    temporary settlements along the 1.3 kilometer corridor between
    Mogadishu, the capital and the town of Afgooye.

INITIAL
PHASE OF PRIORITY RELOCATION IN HAITI’S CAPITAL COMPLETED

  • Concerning the initial phase of priority
    relocations of Haitians displaced by the January 12 earthquake in
    , the
    (MINUSTAH) says that since the
    earthquake’s aftermath, it has helped to relocate more than 7,400
    Haitians to more secure areas.
    Ìý

  • Movement to new sites has been and continues to be
    a last resort option for displaced Haitians who are determined to be in
    priority areas at risk of flooding, mudslides or other immediate
    hazards.

ÌýU.N.D.P ADMINISTRATOR STRESSES NEED
FOR AVOIDING COMPLACENCY WITH HIV/AIDS

  • The Administrator of the
    (UNDP),
    , today wrapped her visit to Burkina Faso by focusing on
    projects supported by UNDP. On a visit to a community
    association, she spoke with sex workers about their concerns for the
    future. She stressed the need avoiding complacency in the fight against
    HIV/AIDS.Ìý
    Ìý

  • Clark is now heading to Tanzania and then South
    Africa as part of tour of Africa to highlight progress towards the
    in the run-up to the Summit in
    September 2010.Ìý

U.N. HUMAN
RIGHTS OFFICE IN NEPAL CONCERNED OVER ONGOING POLITICAL STALEMATE

  • The
    (OHCHR-Nepal)
    today expressed growing concerns about the impact of the continuing
    political stalemate and the ongoing indefinite bandh on the human rights
    situation in the country – particularly in the Kathmandu Valley and in
    the districts.
    Ìý

  • Speaking to reporters in Katmandu today, OHCHR-Nepal’s
    Representative, Richard Bennett, said the Office is deeply concerned
    about the increasing levels of violence and intimidation in the past
    couple of days of the bandh.
    Ìý

  • OHCHR-Nepal’s 21 human rights monitors deployed
    throughout the country are reporting rising tensions culminating in
    clashes in the capital and in several districts.
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  • While upholding the right to peaceful assembly,
    freedom of opinion and expression, OHCHR opposes the coercive
    enforcement of the bandh, including threats, psychological terror,
    intimidation and any other violent measure.

ÌýOTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS
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MYANMAR
SHOULD BE ENCOURAGED TO HOLD FREE, FAIR ELECTIONS:

Asked about the dissolution of the National League
for Democracy party in Myanmar, the Spokesperson said that the United
Nations has made it clear that it respects the decisions taken by political
parties in
. The

has emphasized that Myanmar
should be encouraged to hold free, fair and inclusive elections.
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WORK
PROCEEDING ON PANEL OF EXPERTS FOR SRI LANKA:

Asked about the advisory Panel of Experts being considered for Sri Lanka,
the Spokesperson said that active work is proceeding on the panel.
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U.N. ECONOMIC
AND SOCIAL AFFAIRS HEAD ATTENDING GREEN ECONOMY CONFERENCE:

The Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs,
, is in Beijing where he is delivering a keynote statement at
the opening of the International Cooperative Conference on Green Economy and
Climate Change.Ìý The High-level conference, which opened today and concludes
on 9 May, aims to facilitate discussion and international cooperation on
developing a green economy and using renewable energy, so as to mitigate
climate change and achieve sustainable development.

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THE WEEK AHEAD AT THE UNITED NATIONS

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Saturday, 8 May

There
are no major events scheduled for today.

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Sunday, 9 May

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Monday, 10 May
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This morning, the Security Council will hear a briefing
and then hold consultations on the United Nations Integrated Office in
Burundi (BINUB).

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Tuesday, 11 May

This morning, the Security Council will hold an open debate on its 1267,
1373 and 1540 Committees.

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Lynn
Pascoe, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, will be the guest at
the noon briefing, and will brief correspondents on Somalia.

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Wednesday, 12 May
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This morning, the Security Council is expected to
adopt resolution on the UN Mission in Nepal (UNMIN) and the UN Mission in
the Central African Republic and Chad (MINURCAT). It will then hold a debate
on Somalia.

Ìý

At 11:00 a.m., in the Dag Hammarskjold Library
Auditorium, the EU Commissioner for Climate Action, Connie Hedegaard, will
hold a pres conference. She will speak about efforts to rekindle momentum in
the international climate change negotiations.

Ìý

The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay,
will address the International Association of Women Judges’ 10th Biennial
International Conference in Seoul, before continuing on to Japan for a
three-day visit. Her activities there include talks with Japan’s Prime
Minister, Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Justice, as well
as with representatives of civil society and of minority groups.

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Thursday, 13 May
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Today, the Security Council will depart for its mission in the Democratic
Republic of the Congo. The mission will return on Sunday, 16 May.

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At 10
a.m., the election of fourteen members of the Human Rights Council will be
held in the General Assembly Hall.

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At
12:30, UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner will be launching a new report
on "Metals Recycling Rates" by its International Panel for Sustainable
Resource Management. He will be joined by the report's lead author Thomas
Graedel, Professor of Industrial Ecology at Yale University.
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At
1:30 p.m., in the Dag Hammarskjold Library Auditorium, the Permanent Mission
of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago will hold a press conference
following the adoption of GA resolution A/64/L.52 on the prevention and
control of non-communicable diseases.

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Friday, 14 May
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At 12:45 p.m., in theDag Hammarskjold Library
Auditorium, Rear Admiral Peter Hudson of EUNAVFOR Operation Atalanta will
hold a press conference to brief on the latest state of play of the
operations to combat piracy off the Somali Coast.

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Office of the Spokesperson for the
Secretary-General
United Nations, SA-1B15
New York, NY 10017
Tel. 212-963-7162
Fax. 212-963-7055
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