Humanitarian issues

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

Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message, delivered by Dag Sigurdson, United Nations Resident Coordinator, to the third Baku International Humanitarian Forum, in Baku from 31 October to 1 November:

Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message to the United Nations Association of New York 2013 Humanitarian Awards Dinner, delivered by Franz Baumann, Assistant Secretary-General for General Assembly and Conference Management, in New York on 23 October:

Recognizing that women’s economic empowerment contributed greatly to the effectiveness of post-conflict prosperity, the Peacebuilding Commission today urged Governments, as well as international and regional organizations, to improve female participation in all stages of peace processes, from conflict resolution to post-conflict planning.

Following are UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks, as prepared for delivery, at the Humanitarian Initiative on Syria, on the margins of the G-20 Leaders Summit in Saint Petersburg on 6 September:

Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message for World Humanitarian Day, observed on 19 August:

GENEVA, 23 May (United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction) — The private sector, a key driver of innovation and investment, should be at the heart of disaster risk reduction efforts, said speakers at a meeting organized by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR).

GENEVA, 23 May (United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction) — Building disaster resilience into urban planning will be increasingly crucial as cities continue to burgeon worldwide, said panellists this morning. There was currently more investment in urban areas than at any other time in history, and in some parts of the world cities were becoming more expensive and displacing persons to the peripheries. The result: congestion, inequality, unrest and urbanization without urban planning.

GENEVA, 23 May (United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction) — Auditing and regulatory experts today said that accountability is paramount for all actors in disaster risk reduction, from victims and taxpayers to national Governments, international organizations and civil society. The experts were discussing disaster risk management standards and accountability for business and citizens as part of the Global Platform on Disaster Reduction, which opened on 19 May and ended today.

GENEVA, 22 May (United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction) ‑ Children can and should play a crucial role in disaster risk reduction, a panel of children from disaster-prone regions told the Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction this afternoon. Children from Ethiopia, Japan, Viet Nam, Cambodia, Lesotho, Norway and the United Kingdom shared their experiences with disasters and suggested how they and other children could be instrumental in reducing disaster-related risks.