Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message to the International Road Federation Conference “Road Safety Challenge for Africa”, held today in Addis Ababa:

An exhibition to mark the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade will open in the United Nations Visitors’ Lobby on Thursday, 12 March at 6 p.m. and remain on display until 9 April.

Following are UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks at the Public Commemoration of Beijing+20: “Planet 50-50 by 2030: Step It Up for Gender Equality” event, held in New York today:

Opening their ninth session, members of the Peacebuilding Commission’s Organizational Committee today elected that body’s 2015 bureau and chairs of its country configurations, as well as discussed its goals for the coming year.

Following are UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks to the Women’s Empowerment Principles 2015 Annual Event, in New York today:

The new Permanent Representative of Greece to the United Nations, Catherine Boura, presented her credentials to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today.

The new Permanent Representative of Sweden to the United Nations, Olof Skoog, presented his credentials to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today.

The new Permanent Representative of Pakistan to the United Nations, Maleeha Lodhi, presented her credentials to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today.

The new Permanent Representative of Thailand to the United Nations, Virachai Plasai, presented his credentials to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today.

The UN refugee agency says that they are concerned about the worsening humanitarian situation in eastern Ukraine, particularly in areas not controlled by the Government.  The agency says that the lack of access to services previously provided by central authorities has worsened the plight of the civilian population.