UN / MALCORRA

At an end of the year press conference, Head of Field Support Susana Malcorra talks about the attack against peacekeepers in Côte d'Ivoire, the peacekeeping troop surge in Somalia, logistical support for the upcoming referendum in Sudan and the protection of civilians through the use of technology in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. UNTV

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:01:48
• Production Date: 20 December 2010
• Asset Language: Original
• Subject Topical: POLITICAL CONDITIONS; POLITICAL MOVEMENTS; INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS; PEACE AND SECURITY; DISARMAMENT
• MAMS Id: U101220c

Description

STORY: UN / MALCORRA
TRT: 1:48
SOURCE: UNTV
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / NATS

DATELINE: 20 DECEMBER 2010, NEW YORK CITY / RECENT

RECENT - NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, United Nations headquarters exterior

20 DECEMBER 2010, NEW YORK CITY

2. Wide shot, press conference
3. Cutaway, journalists
4. SOUNDBITE (English) Susana Malcorra, Under-Secretary-General, Field Support, United Nations:
“We have still a few weeks to come for the referendum where we still have a lot of additional work to be done, among other things distributing the ballots that are now on the ground.”
5. Cutaway, journalists
6. SOUNDBITE (English) Susana Malcorra, Under-Secretary-General, Field Support, United Nations:
“The Security Council is now talking the decision most likely to renew the mandate but not only to renew the mandate but also to enlarge the troops from 8,000 to 12,000 so that there can be a stronger support to the TFG in the coming months, when the term ends in August next year.”
7. Cutaway, journalists
8. SOUNDBITE (English) Susana Malcorra, Under-Secretary-General, Field Support, United Nations:
“We are trying to find other types of technology; radios that will help us get to the difficult villages. Out hope is to establish a network where there’ll be somebody in each one of the villages assigned as responsible not only to guard the equipment but also be the one that gives the signal if something is perceived to happen or to go wrong.”
9. Cutaway, journalists
10. SOUNDBITE (English) Susana Malcorra, Under-Secretary-General, Field Support, United Nations:
“As the Bangladeshis were getting into the headquarters, these six people started to shoot at them. They didn’t repel; the doors were closed and what happened is that this car started to go around and shot the perimeter.”
11. Cutaway, journalists
12. Wide shot, Malcorra leaving

Storyline

At an end of the year press conference, Head of Field Support Susana Malcorra talked about the attack against peacekeepers in Côte d'Ivoire, the peacekeeping troop surge in Somalia, logistical support for the upcoming referendum in Sudan and the protection of civilians through the use of technology in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

Addressing the press at the United Nations (UN) headquarters, Malcorra said that UN has “a lot of additional work to be done, among other things distributing the ballots that are now on the ground,” in the coming weeks in Sudan.

Come 9 January 2010, Sudan will hold a referendum that will determine whether the southern Sudan will secede from the north. The referendum is part of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) that ended over two decades of war between north and south Sudan.

Moving on to Somalia, Malcorra talked about the Security Council’s decision to both renew the mandate of the African Union-UN mission in the country and further strengthen its troop capacity. She added that more troops “can be a stronger support to the TFG (Transitional Federal Government) in the coming months.”

Somalia’s transitional government was formed in 2004 and is set to end its term in August 2011. The TFG still has several tasks to complete such as continuing initiatives on reconciliation, building civilian and security institutions and the completion of the constitution-making process.

When asked what has been done to guarantee the safety of civilians following the mass rape in Walikale in the DRC earlier this year, Malcorra said that the UN is trying to establish better access to remote villages through technology such as radios.

She added “our hope is to establish a network where there’ll be somebody in each one of the villages assigned as responsible not only to guard the equipment but also be the one that gives the signal if something is perceived to happen or to go wrong.”

On Côte d'Ivoire, Malcorra talked about the recent attack against UN peacekeepers at the UN compound in Abidjan. She explained that six armed men in uniforms “started to shoot” at Bangladeshi peacekeepers who had just arrived at the mission’s headquarters.

Yesterday, Secretary-General Ban emphasized his warning against attacks on the UN peacekeeping force in Côte d'Ivoire (ONUCI) or attempts to obstruct their work, saying there will consequences for those responsible.