The overall security situation in Darfur remained precarious and unpredictable, the Assistant Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations told the Security Council this morning, stressing that a comprehensive resolution of the Darfur conflict, which would allow for the return of over 2.6 million displaced persons, required first and foremost a political settlement between the Government and the armed movements.

The root cause of the stalemate in multilateral disarmament machinery lay in political factors rather than in the machinery itself, the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) heard this afternoon as it began its consideration of the item, but as debate took shape, others suggested that out-of-date rules of procedure were to blame.

Developing countries must have their voices heard in international financial institutions, delegates in the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) heard today, as it continued its discussion on macroeconomic policy questions.

In a near-unanimous recorded vote, the General Assembly today adopted, for the twenty-fourth time, a resolution on the necessity of ending the economic, commercial and financial embargo imposed by the United States of America against Cuba, despite resumptions of relations between the two countries.

Legislative and institutional reforms must be undertaken by States to ensure coherent social systems that include - and recognize the rights of - persons with disabilities, the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) heard today as it continued its consideration of the promotion and protection of human rights.

Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message, delivered by Yukio Takasu, Under-Secretary-General for Management, to the opening of the exhibition “UNKnown Spaces”, in New York today:

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

Libya presented fertile ground for Al-Qaida and the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant/Sham (ISIL/ISIS) to exploit an already difficult situation, the Chair of the sanctions committee monitoring those militant groups told the Security Council this afternoon.

The major impact of the recent earthquake in Afghanistan was in the provinces of Kunar, Takhar, Badakshan and Nangarkhar, according to the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.  Authorities reported that 74 people have been killed, more than 250 people have been injured and some 4,000 houses damaged or destroyed.

A United Nations initiative to improve its delivery of administrative services worldwide, known as the Global Service Delivery Model, came under scrutiny today by the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary), as delegates pointed out that the envisioned system lacked an overall plan for integration with other ongoing business transformation drives.