UN / GUINEA BISSAU

A UN senior official said today that though political and security situation has remained relatively calm in Guinea-Bissau, preparations for the upcoming legislative elections “continue to face difficulties”, adding that the arrival of biometric kits for the process has been delayed. UNIFEED

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:02:21
• Production Date: 30 August 2018
• Asset Language: English; Spanish
• Corporate Name: UNITED NATIONS INTEGRATED PEACEBUILDING OFFICE IN GUINEA-BISSAU - UNIOGBIS
• Subject Topical: ELECTIONS
• Geographic Subject: GUINEA-BISSAU
• MAMS Id: 2224732
• Parent Id: 2224732
• Alternate Title: unifeed180830b

Description

STORY: UN / GUINEA BISSAU
TRT: 2 :21
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTION: NONE
LANGUAGE: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 30 AUGUST 2018, NEW YORK CITY

Shotlist

RECENT – NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, exterior, United Nations Headquarters

30 AUGUST 2018, NEW YORK CITY

2. Various shots, Security Council
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Jose Viegas Filho, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNIOGBIS):
“Preparations for the legislative elections continue to face difficulties. The Government set a 30-day timeframe for voter registration, starting on 23 August, in spite of disagreements voiced by some political parties since the law stipulates a 90-day period for the process. Moreover, the arrival of biometric kits for the process has been delayed.”
4. Med shot, delegates
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Jose Viegas Filho, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNIOGBIS):
“I therefore urge all international partners to maintain and increase their political, technical and financial support to help national institutions during and beyond the legislative and presidential elections.”
6. Wide shot, Security Council
7. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Anatolio Ndong Mba, Chair of the 2048 Guinea-Bissau Sanctions Committee:
“Although the situation in Guinea-Bissau has remained stable in general and there are encouraging positive political signs, political uncertainty in light of the upcoming elections threatens to undermine calm in the country. Constitutional order does not seem to be directly threatened so far, but the ambiguity regarding division of authority between the President and the Prime Minister continues to be the bases of political dispute.”
8. Med shot, Security Council
9. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Anatolio Ndong Mba, Chair of the 2048 Guinea-Bissau Sanctions Committee:
“International and reginal efforts and initiatives aim to finding lasting solutions to the political crisis seem to be effective so far. But the international community must continue to follow the situation in the country closely, bare in mind that some key elements of the roadmap for peace contained in the Conakry Agreement still must be implemented.”
10. Wide shot, Security Council
11. SOUNDBITE (English) Mauro Vieira, Chair of the Guinea-Bissau Configuration of the Peacebuilding Commission:
“There is a renewed sense of optimism regarding a definitive solution to the protracted crisis and the upcoming elections are seen as a window of opportunity to this end. The Conakry Agreement remains a fundamental point of reference for most political actors and all stakeholders consulted stressed the need to expedite its implementation.”

Storyline

A UN senior official said today that though political and security situation has remained relatively calm, preparations for the upcoming legislative elections in Guinea-Bissau “continue to face difficulties”, adding that the arrival of biometric kits for the process has been delayed.

The Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau (UNIOGBIS) Jose Viegas Filho today (30 Aug) in New York briefed the Security Council on the political developments in Guinea-Bissau, and the activities of UNIOGBIS.

On the upcoming elections that is scheduled for 18 November, the Special Representative said, “the Government set a 30-day timeframe for voter registration, starting on 23 August, in spite of disagreements voiced by some political parties since the law stipulates a 90-day period for the process.”

Filho urged “all international partners to maintain and increase their political, technical and financial support to help national institutions during and beyond the legislative and presidential elections.”

Anatolio Ndong Mba, the Chair of the 2048 Guinea-Bissau Sanctions Committee told the Council that although the situation in Guinea-Bissau “has remained stable in general and there are encouraging positive political signs, political uncertainty in light of the upcoming elections threatens to undermine calm in the country.”

Mba added “constitutional order does not seem to be directly threatened so far, but the ambiguity regarding division of authority between the President and the Prime Minister continues to be the bases of political dispute.”

He also noted that “international and regin al efforts and initiatives aim to finding lasting solutions to the political crisis seem to be effective so far. But the international community must continue to follow the situation in the country closely, bare in mind that some key elements of the roadmap for peace contained in the Conakry Agreement still must be implemented.”

Mauro Vieira, the Chair of the Guinea-Bissau Configuration of the Peacebuilding Commission told the Council that there is “a renewed sense of optimism regarding a definitive solution to the protracted crisis and the upcoming elections are seen as a window of opportunity to this end.”

He reiterated that the Conakry Agreement remains “a fundamental point of reference for most political actors and all stakeholders consulted stressed the need to expedite its implementation.”