Twenty-nine August 2010 will mark the first observance of the International Day against Nuclear Tests. The Day is meant to galvanize the efforts of the United Nations, Member States, intergovernmental and non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, youth networks and media in informing, educating and advocating the necessity of banning nuclear tests to achieve a safer world.

The Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) met this morning to elect its Chair and other officers for the General Assembly’s sixty-fifth session.

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

“Advancing global health is essential to the Millennium Development Goals, and you are essential to advancing global health,” said Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon via video message, thanking the 1,200 non-governmental organizations representatives in attendance at the sixty-third annual United Nations DPI/NGO Conference in Melbourne, Australia.

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

Broad agreement emerged this afternoon during a round table discussion at the Australia DPI/NGO Conference that non-governmental organizations were uniquely positioned to confront the intractable challenges to global health; but while they increasingly filled gaps around the world, they could not fill those alone.

The Security Council today extended the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) for one year, calling strongly on all parties to respect the Blue Line, the cessation of hostilities and relevant resolutions in the wake of recent violent incidents.

Following are UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks to a General Assembly high-level meeting on launching the Global Plan of Action against Trafficking in Persons, in New York, 31 August:

The new Permanent Representative of the United Republic of Tanzania to the United Nations, Ombeni Yohana Sefue, presented his credentials today to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

The new Permanent Representative of Namibia to the United Nations, Wilfried Inotira Emvula, presented his credentials today to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.