Press Release

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today appointed Albert Gerard (Bert) Koenders of the Netherlands as his Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Operation in Côte d’Ivoire (UNOCI). He will replace Choi Young-jin of the Republic of Korea, who will complete his assignment on 31 August 2011.

An exhibition of the best press photographs of 2010 will open in the Main Gallery of the Visitors Lobby at United Nations Headquarters in New York at 6 p.m. on Thursday, 4 August. This traveling exhibition of winning images selected at the fifty-fourth annual World Press Photo Contest in Amsterdam will be on display until 28 August.

The new Permanent Representative of Qatar to the United Nations, Meshal Hamad Mohamed Jabr Al-Thani, today presented his credentials to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. Mr. Al-Thani joins the United Nations following seven years at the Embassy of the State of Qatar in Brussels, Belgium, where he has served as Ambassador since 2007.

The following statement was issued on 31 July by the Spokesperson for Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:

On 28 July 2011, the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1988 (2011) approved the amendments specified with strikethrough and underline in the entries below to its List (the 1988 Sanctions List) of individuals and entities subject to the assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo set out in paragraph 1 of Security Council resolution 1988 (2011) adopted under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations:

Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message for the International Day of Friendship, to be observed on 30 July:

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today announced the appointment of Haile Menkerios of South Africa as his Special Envoy for Sudan and South Sudan.

On 28 July 2011, the Security Council Committee pursuant to resolutions 751 (1992) and 1907 (2009) concerning Somalia and Eritrea added two individuals to the list of individuals and entities subject to the travel ban, assets freeze and targeted arms embargo imposed by paragraphs 1, 3 and 7 of resolution 1844 (2008):

On 28 July 2011, the Security Council Committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999) and 1989 (2011) approved the addition of the two entries specified below to its Al-Qaida Sanctions List of individuals and entities subject to the assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo set out in paragraph 1 of Security Council resolution 1989 (2011) adopted under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations: