UN / UNION OF SOUTH AMERICAN NATIONS

Maria Emma Mejia, Secretary-General of UNASUR met with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today (2 April) and passed on a letter from the Foreign Ministers of UNASUR in which they reaffirm their support to Argentina's position in their dispute with the United Kingdom over the sovereignty of the Falklands / Malvinas archipelago.

• Categories: News & Features / News Stories / Unifeed
• Video Length: 00:01:27
• Production Date: 2 April 2012
• Asset Language: Original
• Subject Topical: POLITICAL AFFAIRS; LAW; INTERNATIONAL LAW; POLITICAL CONDITIONS; INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS; PEACE AND SECURITY
• Geographic Subject: ARGENTINA; UNITED KINGDOM
• MAMS Id: U120402c

Description

STORY: UN / UNION OF SOUTH AMERICAN NATIONS
TRT: 1.27
SOURCE: UNTV
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGE: SPANISH / NATS

DATELINE: 2 APRIL 2012, NEW YORK CITY / FILE

Shotlist

FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY

1. Wide shot, exterior United Nations headquarters

2 APRIL 2012, NEW YORK CITY

2. Various shots, Mejia and Dos Santos meeting with the Secretary General
3. Zoom in, Mejia walks up to the stakeout position

FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY

4. Close up, reporters’ notepads

2 APRIL 2012, NEW YORK CITY

5. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Jose Antonio Dos Santos, Permanent Representative of Paraguay to the United Nations:
“The Secretary-General reiterated his willingness to mediate so that both parties can sit down and negotiate. Obviously it is clear that for this to happen it is necessary that both parties agree to sit down and negotiate. This is what the Secretary-General made clear but he did make a commitment to redouble his efforts.”

FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY

6. Close up, reporter’s notepad

2 APRIL 2012, NEW YORK CITY

7. SOUNDBITE (Spanish) Maria Emma Mejia, Secretary-General of UNASUR:
“Military issues were not discussed in detail. That would be precisely the issues that, if at some point the parties sit down to negotiate, would be dealt by the good offices of the Secretary-General, which as Ambassador Dos Santos of Paraguay just said, the Secretary-General has guaranteed to continue as the organization has been doing for the last 30 years. But we did not discuss details which not pertain to us as Secretary-General or Pro-tempore President. We are confident in a response by the Secretary-General to this letter as that is what the Foreign Ministers have asked from us.”

FILE – RECENT, NEW YORK CITY

8. Close up, reporter’s notepad

2 APRIL 2012, NEW YORK CITY

9. Pan right, Mejia and Dos Santos walk away from the stakeout position

Storyline

The Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) top official met with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today (2 April) and passed on a letter from the Foreign Ministers of UNASUR in which they reaffirm their support to Argentina's position in their dispute with the United Kingdom over the sovereignty of the Falklands / Malvinas archipelago.

Maria Emma Mejia, Secretary-General of UNASUR, paid her first official visit to Secretary-General Ban since the organization was granted Permanent Observer status in October.

After the meeting Mejia and Ambassador Jose Antonio Dos Santos of Paraguay, which holds the pro-tempore presidency of UNASUR, spoke to reporters about this and other issues.

Dos Santos told reporters that the Secretary-General had “reiterated his willingness to mediate so that both parties can sit down and negotiate”, but pointed out that for this to happen there needed to be a willingness to negotiate from both parties.

Mejia explained that “military issues were not discussed in detail” as these would be “precisely the issues that, if at some point the parties sit down to negotiate, would be dealt by the good offices of the Secretary-General.”

She nevertheless expressed confidence “in a response from the Secretary-General to this letter as that is what the Foreign Ministers have asked from us.”

Other issued discussed during their meeting with Secretary-General Ban included transnational crime, peacekeeping and women and youth issues.