In sombre context of gaza crisis, Lebanon provides fragile ‘ray of hope’

For peaceful middle east, says Secretary-General to Lebanese parliament

Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s address to the Lebanese Parliament in Beirut, 17 January:

The first place to look to understand insufficient progress in disarmament was at the lack of harmony between domestic policies and international responsibilities, the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs told the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) today as it concluded its general debate and began its thematic discussion on disarmament machinery.

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

Delegates at the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today voiced their concerns about the cash flow problems of the Organization’s regular budget and the need for effective management of existing resources as they discussed the world body’s financial situation.

The Secretary-General has called for the international community to step up its efforts on Ebola and turn pledges into action, as the World Health Organization warns of a continuously deteriorating situation in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

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 Annika Savill of the United Nations Democracy Fund, to the fourth High-level Meeting of the Inter-regional Dialogue on Democracy held in Washington, D.C., from 16 to 17 October:

Ending poverty was not just about boosting incomes but about efforts “to empower and enable the human spirit to reach its highest destiny”, Indonesia’s representative told the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) today as it continued its discussion of sustainable development.

The disarmament and space communities should coordinate with each other to build transparency and confidence as the world sought ways of promoting sustainable development through space-based tools, the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) heard today, as it continued its discussions on international cooperation in the peaceful uses of outer space.

In three rounds of voting, of which two were restricted, the General Assembly today elected Angola, Malaysia, Venezuela, New Zealand and Spain to serve as non-permanent members of the Security Council for the next two years.