The Independent Audit Advisory Committee (IAAC) of the United Nations held its thirty-fifth session from 25 to 27 July at the United Nations Headquarters in New York.  The session was presided over by the Chair, J. Christopher Mihm.  All the other members of the IAAC, namely Maria Gracia M. Pulido Tan (Vice-Chair), Patricia X. Arriagada Villouta, Natalia A. Bocharova and Richard Quartei Quartey, were in attendance.

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

The Security Council today welcomed the merging of the Office of the Special Envoy for the Sahel with the United Nations Office for West Africa, encouraging the Secretary-General’s Special Representative in the region to ensure a unified management structure for the new United Nations Office for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS).

Following are UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks, as prepared for delivery, at the 2016 Junior Chamber International (JCI) Global Partnership Summit, in New York today:

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today announced the appointment of Natalia Kanem of Panama as Assistant Secretary-General and Deputy Executive Director (Programme) of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).  She succeeds Kate Gilmore of Australia, to whom the Secretary-General is grateful for her dedicated service and commitment to the Organization.

Following are UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks at the Security Council open debate on peacebuilding in Africa, in New York today:

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

The Board of Auditors approved 11 audit reports during its seventieth regular session at United Nations Headquarters in New York on 26 July 2016.

Violence by Boko Haram had led to massive forced displacement and a widespread humanitarian crisis in West Africa’s Lake Chad Basin, senior United Nations officials told the Security Council today, as speakers called for increased international support for regional efforts to combat terrorism and meet the needs of 9.2 million people facing unimaginable desperation across four countries.

The Economic and Social Council concluded its coordination and management segment this afternoon with the adoption of 10 draft resolutions and 5 draft decisions.