8 Mar 2010

UN / BAN KI-MOON

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon voices concern about the situation in the Nigerian city of Jos, where inter-religious violence has once again taken a deadly toll, calling it an, “appalling loss of life.” UNTV

Posted at: March 8, 2010 4:14 pm

Duration: 02:19

Available in: SD

DOWNLOAD

Full script

STORY: UN/ BAN KI-MOON
TRT: 2.19
SOURCE: UNTV
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 8 MARCH 2010, NEW YORK CITY/ FILE

SHOTLIST:

FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY

1. Pan left, exterior North Lawn UN building

8 MARCH 2010, NEW YORK CITY

2. Pan left, Secretary-General approaches microphone

FILE – RECENT UNTV
 
3. Close up, reporter's note pad

8 MARCH 2010, NEW YORK CITY

4. SOUNDBITE (English) Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary-General:
"I am deeply concerned that there has been more inter-religious violence, with appalling loss of life.  I appeal to all concerned to exercise maximum restraint.  Nigeria's political and religious leaders should work together to address the underlying causes and to achieve a permanent solution to the crisis in Jos."

FILE – RECENT UNTV

5. Close up, reporter's note pad

8 MARCH 2010, NEW YORK CITY

6. SOUNDBITE (English) Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary-General:
"I saw some of the worst-affected areas, in Concepcion and I was able to fly over the tsunami hit areas. Grief was widespread.  But there was also a strong sense of unity among people, workers, and the family of victims, and government's leaders and survivors. This was quite heartening for me."

FILE – RECENT UNTV

7. Close up, reporter's note pad

8 MARCH 2010, NEW YORK CITY

8.	SOUNDBITE (English) Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary-General:
"This Quartet meeting, which will be held on March 19 in Moscow, will provide the Quartet principals a very good opportunity, first of all, to assess and encourage the earliest possible resumption of this proximity talks which will eventually, I hope, lead to direct negotiations   between the parties. And I will do my part as the Secretary-General representing and reflecting the whishes of United Nations member states."

FILE – RECENT UNTV

9.	Close up, reporter's note pad

8 MARCH 2010, NEW YORK CITY

10.	SOUNDBITE (English) Ban Ki-moon, United Nations Secretary-General:
"I am concerned with the lack of progress of the joint statement which both I and President Rajapaksa had agreed during my visit last year. I raised this issue and discussed. I made clear to President Rajapaksa that I intend to move forward on a group of experts which will advise me on setting parameters and standards on the way ahead on establishing accountability concerning Sri Lanka."

FILE – RECENT UNTV

11.	Close up, reporter's notepad

8 MARCH 2010, NEW YORK CITY

12.	Pan right, Secretary-General walks away from microphone

STORYLINE:

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today (8 March) voiced his concern about the situation in the Nigerian city of Jos, where inter-religious violence has once again taken a deadly toll, and called for all sides to exercise maximum restraint.

Speaking to reporters at United  Nations (UN) headquarters, Ban called the loss of life resulting from the Christian-Muslim clashes, which reportedly number in the hundreds, "appalling."

The central Nigerian city witnessed similar clashes in January, as well as in November 2009, with several hundred people being killed and many more being displaced on both occasions.

The Secretary-General said that "Nigeria's political and religious leaders should work together to address the underlying causes and to achieve a permanent solution to the crisis in Jos."

At the press encounter this morning, Ban spoke about his recent trip to Chile where he visited Concepción, Chile's second largest city, and among the areas that suffered the most from the 8.8-magnitude quake that struck on 27 February.

He said that "grief was widespread" but was heartened by "a strong sense of unity among people, workers, and the family of victims, and government's leaders and survivors."

Together with President Michelle Bachelet and President-elect Sebastian Pinera the Secretary-General participated in a telethon which raised $60 million, twice what was expected.

He also authorized the release of $10 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund.

Speaking about the Middle East, Ban said that he hopes the upcoming meeting in the Russian capital of the diplomatic group supporting the Middle East peace process will lead to direct negotiations between the Israelis and the Palestinians.

Members of the so-called Quartet, comprising the UN, the European Union, the United States and Russia, are slated to meet in Moscow on 19 March.

Ban, who will be attending the meeting, told reporters the gathering will provide the Quartet with an opportunity "to assess and encourage the earliest possible resumption of the proximity talks which will eventually, I hope, lead to direct negotiations between the parties."

On Sri Lanka, he expressed concerned about "the lack of progress" on the joint statement which he and President Mahinda Rajapaksa had agreed during the Secretary-General's visit last year.

Following the end of operations against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), the joint statement issued last year by President Rajapaksa and the Secretary-General, the Government committed to ensure the economic and political empowerment of the people of the north through its programmes while addressing the aspirations and grievances of all communities and working towards a lasting political solution was fundamental to ensuring long-term socio-economic development.

During a meeting last Thursday Ban said he "made clear" to President Rajapaksa that he intends to move forward on a group of experts which will advise him on "setting parameters and standards on the way ahead on establishing accountability concerning Sri Lanka."