The Government led by Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi continued efforts to fulfil its reform agenda even as the scope and complexity of Iraq’s security, political, social, budgetary and humanitarian challenges increased, Ján Kubiš, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI), told the Security Council this morning.

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, delivered by Cristina Gallach, Under-Secretary-General for Public Information, to the World Federation of United Nations Associations (WFUNA) International Model UN Conference, in New York today:

The Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) met this afternoon to hear the introduction of four draft resolutions relating to a centre in Central Africa, Nazism, the right of the Palestinian People to self-determination and the situation in Syria, with the latter triggering comments from some speakers opposed to country-specific texts.

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today began examining the proposed compensation package for the United Nations system, including a more performance-linked pay system, a single pay scale for staff with or without dependents, as well as implementation of the new retirement age of 65 for existing staff by 1 January 2017.

Continuing their debate on the third cluster of topics from the report of the International Law Commission, Sixth Committee (Legal) delegates today sought clarity and balance on a broad array of elements covered by the three diverse subjects under discussion.

The Security Council today renewed authorization of the European Union-led multinational stabilization force (EUFOR ALTHEA) in Bosnia and Herzegovina for another year, a decision taken ahead of its semi-annual debate on the situation there in the 20 years since the historic Dayton Accords had ended the Bosnian war.

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message, delivered today in New York by Susana Malcorra, Chef de Cabinet, at the event commemorating the fifth anniversary of the establishment of the United Nations Academic Impact, titled “The Next Generation of Global Citizens”:

The Secretary-General, in his address to the Summit of Arab and South American countries, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, plans to highlight the transition made by Latin American nations sought by so many people across the Arab world.  He will stress the role of community, civil society and human rights groups to that end.

Approving a draft resolution on the peaceful uses of outer space today, the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) also concluded its general debate on the work of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), as delegations voiced their concerns about the plight of the refugees and the Agency’s financial sustainability.