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The Security Council would focus in January on comprehensive strategies to stamp out global terrorism and bolster the effectiveness of United Nations peacekeeping operations, the Permanent Representative of Pakistan, which holds the Council’s rotating presidency for the month, said today.

Forging greater ties between the United Nations and the League of Arab States to address Middle East turmoil and working closely with their new Joint Special Representative on the crisis in Syria would be among the top priorities of the Security Council in September, the Permanent Representative of Germany, whose delegation holds the Council’s rotating presidency for this month, said today.

Challenges and opportunities in North Africa and the Middle East and the situations in Somalia, Haiti and Afghanistan would be highlighted at the Security Council in March, the permanent representative of the United Kingdom, which holds the body’s rotating presidency for the month, told correspondents this afternoon.

Briefing correspondents at Headquarters on the situations in South Sudan and other African countries, Hervé Ladsous, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations, said that tackling the myriad challenges on the continent required the United Nations to continue strengthening its partnership with the African Union and other regional actors.

UN Department of Public Information Fact Sheet

Highlights: Providing homes, schools, food and a better future for the Haitian people

• The UN continues to provide and coordinate wide-scale humanitarian assistance in response to the 12 January 2010 earthquake and cholera epidemic.

• Donors pledged $10 billion at the UN donors’ conference to make a difference in the lives of suffering Haitians.

• Almost 90 per cent of the $4.6 billion pledged for 2010 and 2011 is coming through for those who need it (disbursed or committed).

Countering what he described as the “dominant narrative of failure” in Haiti, Nigel Fisher, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for that country, said that painting a falsely negative picture could drive interest, attention and support away from the recovering country at a critical “turning point”.

Le nouveau Secrétaire général adjoint aux opérations de maintien de la paix des Nations Unies, Hervé Ladsous, a tenu aujourd’hui sa première conférence de presse au Siège de l’Organisation, assurant qu’il n’avait pas de plan préétabli et qu’il abordait ses nouvelles fonctions dans un esprit de dialogue et de partenariat avec tous les acteurs du maintien de la paix.

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Read the ERC's Statement to the Press

As the focus in Haiti turned to long-term recovery and development, significant humanitarian needs still had to be addressed, with 600,000 people remaining homeless after last year’s earthquake, the United Nations top humanitarian official said this afternoon, following a two-day visit to the country.

While remaining seized of ongoing situations of concern in Libya, Syria, Sudan, South Sudan and elsewhere, the Security Council planned to focus on preventive diplomacy when world leaders arrived for the opening of the upcoming General Assembly session, Nawaf Salam ( Lebanon), Council President for September, said at Headquarters today.