Pledging to support an Africa that was stable, prosperous and at peace with itself, speakers today warned the General Assembly that poor infrastructure and trade barriers still hampered the continent’s development, while challenges such as “brain drain” and terrorism threatened to reverse significant gains made since the turn of the millennium.

Following is UN Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson’s briefing to Member States on the new approach to cholera in Haiti, in New York today:

On 10 October 2016, the Coordinator of the Group of Experts established by resolution 1533 (2004) and recently extended pursuant to resolution 2293 (2016) briefed the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1533 (2004) on updates submitted to the Committee concerning the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

On 10 October 2016, the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1533 (2004) concerning the Democratic Republic of the Congo met with representatives of Burundi, Central African Republic, Congo, Rwanda, Sudan, South Sudan, United Republic of Tanzania and Uganda.

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

Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message on the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, observed on 17 October:

While the United Nations Department of Public Information had made great strides in new media and in promoting the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, challenges remained in terms of language parity and maintaining traditional communications platforms, the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) heard today, as it began its consideration of questions relating to information.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has established the United Nations Haiti Cholera Response Multi-Partner Trust Fund to finance critical priorities of the new United Nations system approach to cholera in Haiti designed to support the country in overcoming the epidemic and building sound water, sanitation and health systems.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today announced the appointment of François Louncény Fall of Guinea as his Acting Special Representative for Central Africa and Head of the United Nations Regional Office for Central Africa (UNOCA).

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Vitaly I. Churkin (Russian Federation):