UN Calendar
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February 5
The Secretary-General addresses the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany. He also takes part in a meeting of the Middle East Quartet.
February 6
United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay begins a visit to Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory until February 11.
February 7
Rashida Manjoo, the UN special rapporteur on violence against women, concludes an official fact-finding mission to the United States and holds a press conference in Washington at 1 p.m.
The Security Council hears a briefing and hold consultations on the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO).
The joint meeting of the Executive Boards of the UN Development Programme (UNDP)/UN Population Fund (UNFPA), the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme (WFP) takes place in the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Chamber in New York.
The United Nations Working Group on Enforced or Involuntary Disappearances begins a week-long visit to Timor-Leste.
February 8
The Security Council hears a briefing on cooperation between the United Nations and regional and sub-regional organizations (EU).
The Departments of Peacekeeping Operations and Field Support will launch a ten-year impact study on the implementation of Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) on women, peace and security in peacekeeping. Under-Secretary-General for Alain Le Roy will moderate a panel discussion.
The 2011 first regular session of the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) Executive Board begins in the ECOSOC Chamber in New York through February 11.
February 9
The Security Council hears a briefing on Sudan.
Matthew Nimetz, the Secretary General's Personal Envoy for the talks between Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, will meet with the Representatives of the two parties in New York.
February 10
The United Nations Department of Public Information honors women of the Holocaust at the sixth annual observance of the International Day of Commemoration in memory of the victims of the Holocaust at a ceremony in the General Assembly Hall at UN headquarters in New York. The Secretary-General will deliver opening remarks at the event, which will be hosted by Under-Secretary-General Kiyo Akasaka.
February 11
The Security Council holds an open debate on the maintenance of international peace and security and the interdependence between security and development.
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Security Council's February Calendar
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February 2, 2011 - Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (right) and David Cameron (left), Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, deliver a joint press statement on the situation in Egypt following their meeting at 10 Downing Street, London. UN Photo/Mark Garten
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Intimidation of media, human rights groups in Egypt 'outrageous,' Secretary-General says
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called for an immediate end to "the intimidation and restrictions on the international media and human rights groups" in Egypt's current turmoil, dubbing it "outrageous."  | |
February 3, 2011 - Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (left) addresses a joint press conference with Christian Wulff (right), President of Germany, following their meeting at the Schloss Bellevue Grand Hall, the official residence of the President, in Berlin, Germany. UN Photo/Mark Garten
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"Now is the time for Egyptians to begin a process of peaceful and orderly transition leading to free and fair elections respecting the genuine will of the Egyptian people expressed so far through their demonstrations" Ban told reporters after meeting with Germany's Foreign Minister, Guido Westerwelle, in Berlin. "I believe it is important for the Egyptian leadership to listen more attentively and carefully to what the genuine and real wishes are. Reflecting their wishes will be very important. As the [German] Foreign Minister said, it is up to the Egyptian people who will decide their leadership." He added that the United Nations stands ready to help the Egyptian authorities and people in whatever way it can when they begin their transition and changes, including elections. Read more
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UN officials urge Egyptian authorities to heed call for democracy, human rights
United Nations officials, including its human rights chief, have voiced alarm at the high number of casualties amid the protests in Egypt, while calling on the country's authorities to heed the demands of the people for democratic reform and respect for human rights.
 "The popular movement in Egypt, unprecedented in recent decades, has for the most part been carried out in a courageous and peaceful manner," said Navi Pillay, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
"The whole world is watching how the President and the reconfigured government will react to the continuing protests demanding a radical change to a wide range of civil, political, social, cultural and economic rights," she said.
Ms. Pillay deplored the rising number of casualties, saying unconfirmed reports suggests that as many as 300 people may have been killed so far, over 3,000 injured and hundreds arrested. She urged authorities to ensure police and other security forces avoid excessive use of force, and warned against arbitrarily detention of people for expressing their political opinion.
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Global food prices rise to new highs, not expected to fall in coming months
Food prices around the world surged to a new historic peak in January, for the seventh consecutive month, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) reported, adding that the prices are not likely to decline in the months ahead.
 According to the FAO, its latest Food Price Index, a commodity basket that tracks monthly changes in global food prices, averaged 231 points in January and was up 3.4 per cent from December last year - the highest level since the agency started measuring food prices in 1990. It added that prices of all monitored commodity groups surged in January, except the cost of meat, which remained unchanged.
Late last year, the FAO warned that international food import bills could pass the one trillion dollar mark in 2010 with prices for most commodities up sharply from 2009. It also warned the international community to prepare for harder times ahead unless production of major food crops increases significantly in 2011.
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Secretary-General welcomes release of final results of first round of Haiti elections
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has welcomed the announcement by Haiti's Provisional Electoral Council of the final results of the first round of presidential and legislative polls, and encouraged all concerned to take advantage of the opportunity to proceed with the electoral process.  The Provisional Electoral Council announced that a former first lady, Mirlande Manigat, and a popular musician, Michel Martelly, will be the two candidates in the presidential run-off elections, eliminating from the race incumbent President Rene Préval's party candidate, Jude Celestin.
In December, thousands of protesters rampaged through the streets of Port-au-Prince, the capital, accusing the ruling coalition of rigging the polls, after tallies of the 28 November first round put Ms. Manigat and Mr. Celestin in first and second place. Mr. Martelly had then been in third position.
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Week in Pictures
UN Children's Representative and Afghan Government Sign Agreement to Halt Under-Age Military Recruitment
 January 30, 2011 - Radhika Coomaraswamy (seated left), Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, signs an agreement with the government of Afghanistan to halt under-age recruitment into the Afghan National Security Forces, and to prevent other grave violations against children in armed conflict, in Kabul, Afghanistan. Pictured with her are Staffan de Mistura (seated center), Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA); Zalmai Rassoul (seated right), Minister for Foreign Affairs of Afghanistan; and Peter Crowley (standing left), UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) Representative in Afghanistan. UN Photo/Eric Kanalstein _______________________________
UN Launches 2011 International Year of Forests
February 2, 2011 - Thirteen-year-old Felix Finkbeiner speaks on behalf of the "Plant-for-the-Planet Children Initiative" at the launch of the 2011 UN International Year of Forests, at UN headquarters, New York. UN Photo/John McIlwaine
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Secretary-General Delivers Lecture at Oxford University
February 2, 2011 - Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (front, center) is approached by groups of students after delivering the Cyril Foster Lecture, "Human Protection and the 21st Century United Nations", at Oxford University, United Kingdom. UN Photo/Mark Garten
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Week in Numbers
39 Percent
Poppy cultivation in Afghanistan is expected to decline slightly this year despite the current high prices of opium, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) said, basing the information on a qualitative assessment of farmers' intentions in the Asian country. "The findings of the Opium Winter Rapid Assessment Survey in the southern region are encouraging," said Yury Fedotov, the Executive Director of UNODC. "A combination of factors seemed to have contributed to this development - dry weather, efforts directed against poppy cultivation and towards increasing government control, as well as licit alternatives to poppy," he added. The predominant reason given by 39 percent of survey respondents for not growing poppy was 'banned by the government.'
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