Daily Press Briefing (03 November 2011)

By the Office of the Spokesperson of the Secretary-General. SG TRAVELS The Secretary-General is in Cannes today, where he is taking part in the G20 Summit. This morning he participated in working sessions on "Growth and Jobs," and right now, he is discussing development and trade in another session with the G20 leaders. Earlier this morning on the margins of the G20, the Secretary-General spoke to the 2011 Labour Summit. He said that the Cannes summit had to be about more than financial fire-fighting. It must be about global economic recovery – growth that is sustainable and inclusive, he added. The Secretary-General also said it was time to write a new social contract for the 21st century that includes a Global Jobs Pact. He said that at a time of crisis and confusion; discord and division; inequality and injustice, we were all called to moral battle once again. Later tonight, the Secretary-General is expected to meet with the President of the European Commission and the President of the European Union; the Prime Minister of Ethiopia; and the Foreign Minister of the United Arab Emirates. He met earlier this morning with the President of the Republic of Korea. SECURITY COUNCIL This morning, the Security Council met to discuss the Secretary-General's report on developments in Guinea-Bissau and on the activities of the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office (UNIOGBIS) there. The Secretary General's Special Representative for Guinea-Bissau, Joseph Mutaboba, said that the national authorities, with the assistance of international partners, have steered the country in the right direction and have consolidated important gains, resulting in a better political and security environment. He underscored the need to continue to build upon these gains as the country embarks on a sensitive electoral process in 2012 This afternoon, the Committee on the Admission of New Members will meet in closed session. FAO The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reports that its food price index dropped to an 11-month low in October. The drop in the index was triggered by the sharp declines in international prices of cereals, oils, sugar and dairy products. In spite of this, prices still remain generally higher than last year and continue to be very volatile, the Organization warned. There is more information on its website. ONE DAY ON EARTH The United Nations, in collaboration with the "One Day on Earth" online video community, is preparing for what will be the first ever global screening of a film that includes footage that was shot in every country on the planet on a single day.  The movie, which bears the same title as the organization, One Day on Earth, will be screened in every country of the world on the same day in late February 2012.  One Day on Earth produced the film in partnership with the United Nations, more than 60 non-profit organizations, and a growing online community of over 19,000 filmmakers, both experienced and novices. On 10 October 2010 (10/10/10), the One Day on Earth community, including over 95 United Nations country offices, filmed in every country of the world, capturing both the joys and the struggles of everyday life. The film pulls from the resulting 3,000 hours of footage, which is now a shared-for-use archive for all those that participated. For more information, please look at the press release on the UN website. COUNTER-TERRORISM The United Nations Counter-Terrorism Implementation Task Force (CTITF) will launch on Thursday, 10 November, a new report concerning our coordinated response in the event of a terrorist attack using chemical or biological weapons or materials. The launch will be held at the International Peace Institute (IPI). There is more information available upstairs.