From 28 April to 3 May, the twenty-eighth Session of the United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names will be held at United Nations Headquarters with the participation of some 140 experts from all corners of the world.

The Security Council capped its open debate on security sector reform today with the adoption of its first stand-alone resolution on the topic, reaffirming the importance of such reform in stabilizing countries recovering from conflict and resolving to prioritize reform aspects in both peacekeeping and special political mission mandates.

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

The Security Council today extended the mandate of the United Nations Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara (MINURSO) until 30 April 2015.

The Security Council today decided to modify the sanctions regime imposed on Côte d’Ivoire for a period ending on 30 April 2015, and to extend the mandate of the Group of Experts tasked with monitoring those measures until 20 May 2015.

Following are UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message for the Day of Remembrance for Victims of Chemical Warfare, observed today:

On 29 April 2014, the Security Council Committee pursuant to resolutions 1267 (1999) and 1989 (2011) concerning Al-Qaida and associated individuals and entities removed the name of the individual below from the Al-Qaida Sanctions List.

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s video message to the fourth annual Freedom Online Coalition Conference: Free and Secure Internet for All, in Tallinn, Estonia, on 28-29 April:

Following are UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks at the ceremony for handing over United Nations documents to the Central African Republic today:

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced today the appointment of Peter Thomas Drennan of Australia as Under-Secretary-General for Safety and Security in the Department of Safety and Security, replacing Kevin Kennedy ofthe United States, to whom the Secretary-General is deeply grateful for having served as Acting Head of Department with dedication and able leadership.