14 Sep 2012

UN / MIDDLE EAST VIOLENCE

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for "calm and reason" as anti-US protests spread to a number of countries today. The President of the General Assembly Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser said both the film and the attacks it appeared to have sparked underlined the need for a global "culture of peace", and also commented on Syria. UNTV

Posted at: September 14, 2012 4:39 pm

Duration: 02:55

Available in: SD

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STORY: UN / MIDDLE EAST VIOLENCE
TRT: 2.55
SOURCE: UNTV
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 14 SEPTEMBER 2012, NEW YORK CITY

SHOTLIST:

FILE – 2011, NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, exterior United Nations

14 SEPTEMBER 2012, NEW YORK

2. Wide shot, General Assembly podium
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General, United Nations:
"In Libya and elsewhere in recent days, we have seen terrible attacks and unrest. There is no justification for such killing and brutality. A hateful, disgusting film appears to have sparked the violence. It is shameful to exploit the fundamental right to free expression by deliberately provoking bigotry and bloodshed. (Cutaway to audience applaud) It is also wrong to exploit the anger; this only feeds the cycle of recrimination and senseless violence. At a time of tension, we need calm and reason."
4. Cutaway, delegates
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General, United Nations:
"1.7 trillion dollars was spent last year on weapons. That is an enormous cost to people who go to bed hungry, children who die because they lack clean water, farmers who cannot till land because it is polluted by mines. Economists call this an 'opportunity cost'. I call it a moral outrage."
6.  Cutaway, delegates applaud
7. Wide shot, Ambassador Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser entering briefing room
8. Cutaway, journalists
9. SOUNDBITE (English) Ambassador Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, President of the 66th session of the UN General Assembly:
"We should fight to eliminate what's happened a few days, from the movie, the cartoons movie to the attack, so it's a serious issue and I think that's why through culture of peace we can promote that through alliance of civilizations, we can promote that through dialogue among religions, interfaith. I think we have responsibility and liability to eliminate this, otherwise we will not have stable world."
10. Cutaway, journalists
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Ambassador Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, President of the 66th session of the UN General Assembly:
"It's not up to him [Lakhdar Brahimi], it's up to the Syrian authorities. Are they serious? Are they ready? They promised in the past and nothing happened and I hope that Security Council, General Assembly will continue the pressure until they bring an end to this violence which is not acceptable to see hundreds of people dyeing for no reason. Just they are asking for their freedom and dignity."
12. Cutaway, journalists
13. Ambassador Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser leaving conference behind

STORYLINE:

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called for "calm and reason" as anti-US protests spread to a number of countries today (14 September), and said "there is no justification for such killing and brutality" as occurred when the United States embassy in Benghazi, Libya was attacked this week.

At a General Assembly forum on the promulgation of a 'culture of peace'  Ban Ki-moon stated it was obvious that the absence of peace caused suffering, citing not only the civilian toll in open conflicts such as that in Syria, but also the deadly effects of discrimination, xenophobia, terrorism and human rights abuses around the world.

In that context, Ban noted the "terrible attacks and unrest" of recent days in Libya and elsewhere, apparently sparked by what he described as a "hateful, disgusting film". He called it "shameful to exploit the right to free expression by provoking bigotry and bloodshed", but said it was "also wrong to exploit the anger; this only feeds the cycle of recrimination and senseless violence".

While contemplating how the world presently spends almost twice as much, 1.7 trillion US dollars, on weapons in one day as the UN spends on its peace missions, human rights and development efforts in one year, Ban said "economists call this an 'opportunity cost'. I call it a moral outrage."

Later in the day the President of the 66th UN General Assembly, Qatari Ambassador Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, during his farewell press conference, was also asked about this week's attack on the US embassy in Libya and ongoing protests in other countries. He said "I think we have responsibility and liability to eliminate this", referring to "what's happened a few days, from the movie, the cartoons movie to the attack". He said this could be done by promoting a culture of peace and dialogue among religions. Otherwise, "we will not have stable world".

Commenting on the crisis in Syria and the role of the newly appointed UN and Arab League Special Representative to Syria, Lakhdar Brahimi he said it was "not up to him" to end the conflict, but "to the Syrian authorities. Are they serious? Are they ready? They promised in the past and nothing happened and I hope that Security Council, General Assembly will continue the pressure till they bring an end to this violence."

Brahimi is currently in Syria on his first official visit to the country. He is set to meet with President Bashar al-Assad on Saturday (15 September).