A mobile application from the Republic of Korea that draws attention to international days and commemorations was presented with the United Nations Department of Public Information (UNDPI) Gold Award for public service advertising at the 2015 New York Festivals International Advertising Awards.  The awards were presented at a gala reception and ceremony on Thursday, 21 May, at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall in New York.

The United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali, MINUSMA, reports that an investigation team has been deployed in the town of Tin-Hamma to establish the facts following reports of serious human rights violations, including alleged executions of civilians following clashes between armed groups.

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

On 22 May 2015, the Security Council Committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999) and 1989 (2011) enacted the amendments specified with underline in the entry below on its Al-Qaida Sanctions List of individuals and entities subject to the assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo set out in paragraph 1 of Security Council resolution 2161 (2014) adopted under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations.

The Security Council this morning adopted a text urging stronger cooperation in stemming the “illicit transfer, destabilizing accumulation and misuse” of small arms and light weapons, underlining the suffering they caused to civilians, although six members abstained, citing insufficient attention to keeping arms from all non-State actors.

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

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 for the International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers, observed on 29 May:

The International Day of United Nations Peacekeepers will be observed on Friday, 29 May, marking the seventh successive year in which the Organization will honour more than 100 “blue helmets” who lost their lives the previous year while serving the cause of peace.  Commemorative activities will be held at United Nations Headquarters in New York, and at peacekeeping operations and offices around the world.

Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message for Africa Day, observed on 25 May: