The growth of international terrorism, insurgency, piracy and human suffering in Somalia demanded an intensified, focused and coordinated response by the international community, the Secretary-General’s new Special Representative for the Horn of Africa country told the Security Council this morning. “Experience in Somalia has shown that the more delayed or inadequate the response is, the more complex the crisis becomes,” Augustine Mahiga said in his first appearance before the Council.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has announced the appointment of Rima Khalaf, a national of Jordan, as Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA). She succeeds Bader Al-Dafa, to whom the Secretary-General is grateful for his dedication and commitment to the Organization and his leadership of ESCWA at a critical juncture of its work in the region.

The following Security Council press statement was read out today by Council President Ertuğrul Apakan (Turkey):

On Friday, 17 September, the United Nations Department of Public Information will organize the thirteenth student observance of the International Day of Peace under the theme “Youth, Peace and Development”, which combines the issues of peace, the Millennium Development Goals and the General Assembly’s proclamation of the International Year of Youth.

The following statement was issued yesterday by the Spokesperson for United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:

An international effort to link environmental conservation and scientific research with luxury tourism, with the aim of empowering nations to create immense wealth from the knowledge held within their natural resources, will mark a milestone on Sunday afternoon with the launch of a study, “The Economic Power of Wonder: From Oil Wealth to Knowledge Wealth”, at the United Nations International School (UNIS).

Following are UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks at the International Day of Peace student observance in New York today, 17 September:

Acting on the recommendations of its General Committee, the United Nations General Assembly this morning adopted the work programme and agenda for its sixty-fifth session, which contains nearly 124 items.

The following Security Council press statement was read out today by Council President Ertuğrul Apakan (Turkey):

Following are UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks at the “Tea Gathering for Peace” in New York, today, 17 September: