SG to travel to Spain, DSG addresses AU Summit in Equatorial Guinea, Germany assumes Security Council presidency and more from UN Direct

Secretary-General: The Secretary-General will travel to Spain next week. Next Wednesday, he will inaugurate the new United Nations Support Base in Valencia, along with King Juan Carlos. Then, in Madrid, he will participate with Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, the co-Chair of the Millennium Development Goals Advocacy Group, in a meeting on MDGs, food security and sustainable growth.  The Secretary-General will then go to Geneva, where he will host a joint meeting with the Greek Cypriot and the Turkish Cypriot leaders on 7 July. That same day, he will launch the 2011 MDGs Report during the High-Level Segment of the 2011 Substantive Session of the ECOSOC.  The Secretary-General will then go to Juba to attend the independence ceremony of South Sudan.

Deputy Secretary-General: The DSG, Asha-Rose Migiro, addressed the African Union Summit in Equatorial Guinea on Thursday, saying that, despite setbacks, South Sudan’s independence is another milestone for Africa, and for Africa’s partnership with the United Nations.  Migiro also added that the UN will remain committed to the search for a political solution to the Libyan crisis, and expressed hope that the African Union’s ad hoc High-Level Committee on Libya will continue to support the UN’s political and humanitarian objectives as we work together for a peaceful solution that fulfills the legitimate aspirations of the Libyan people.  Asked about reports of arms going to Libyan rebels, the Spokesperson reiterated that the issue falls under the authority of the Security Council’s Sanctions Committee for Libya.

Security Council: Today is the first day of Germany’s Presidency of the Security Council. The new Council President, German Ambassador Peter Witting, will brief reporters on the Council’s program of work for July next Tuesday, 5 July.

Iraq: The Security Council welcomed yesterday the Iraqi Government’s assumption of full autonomy, as of today, over the proceeds of the development fund set up after the 2003 US-led invasion to meet the country’s humanitarian needs, economic reconstruction and infrastructure repairs. The Council set up the trust fund so that oil and other revenues could be paid into it, replacing the previous oil-for-food program that allowed the sanctioned government of Saddam Hussein to use some oil revenues for the monitored purchase of humanitarian supplies.

Lebanon Tribunal: The Spokesperson confirmed that the Secretary-General spoke by phone yesterday with Lebanese Prime Minister Najib Mikati. The SG once again expressed his expectation that Lebanon will abide by the relevant resolutions of the Security Council, including Resolutions 1701 and 1757, and will continue to cooperate with the Special Tribunal for Lebanon.

DR Congo: A UN joint mission in the DRC has confirmed that rape, pillaging and cruel and degrading treatment were committed in South Kivu province between 11 and 13 June  by troops led by a former Mayi Mayi commander, who reportedly deserted from a camp of the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. According to interviews with medical personnel, local authorities and alleged victims, the troops raped 121 women. A second mission is planned in the next few days for further investigations into these events.

Côte d’Ivoire: The UN Mission in Côte d’Ivoire is set to establish eight new military camps in the country’s west, where security concerns remain following the bloody post-election crisis that ended in mid-April. Choi Young-Jin, SRSG for Côte d’Ivoire, told a news conference in Abidjan yesterday that the nearly 9,000-strong UN Operation in Côte d’Ivoire will also rehabilitate and equip a number of municipal offices, police stations and gendarmeries that were damaged during the crisis, as part of efforts to assist Ivorian authorities to restore law and order in the country.

Kenya: The UN Refugee Agency says that two refugees were killed and dozens injured when rioting broke out in the Dadaab refugee complex in Kenya. The crowds were protesting an attempt to demolish illegal structures around a food distribution point. Tensions have risen due to pressures at the overcrowded camp that has seen a high number of arrivals from Somalia.

ECOSOC High-Level Meeting: Making education accessible for all will be the focus of a UN conference in Geneva next week that will bring together representatives from governments, international organizations, civil society and academia to discuss ways of ensuring everyone has an opportunity to acquire knowledge. Delegates at the High-level Segment of the UN ECOSOC will discuss how to accelerate progress towards achieving the goal of education for all and look into ways of promoting sustained and inclusive economic growth, while exploring policies that governments can pursue to achieve those objectives.