Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message for World Oceans Day, to be observed on 8 June:

Acknowledging that the production of reliable, timely statistics and indicators of countries’ progress were indispensable for informed policy decisions and monitoring implementation of the Millennium Development Goals, the General Assembly this afternoon decided to designate 20 October as World Statistics Day.

The following Security Council press statement on Iraq Election Certification was read out today by Council President Claude Heller (Mexico):

A proposal to create a group of experts under the United Nations umbrella, which would assess existing mechanisms for innovative development finance, and husband new initiatives, was proposed at the United Nations today by Philippe Douste-Blazy, Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on Innovative Financing for Development. This would enhance the United Nations role as a catalyst to new ideas and as an implementing agent in this area.

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

Following are UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks to the United Nations Population Award ceremony, delivered by Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro, in New York, 3 June:

Citing the rise of borderless threats – pandemics, natural disasters and financial turmoil - and the ways in which such ills impacted the daily lives of millions of people worldwide, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon today backed the concept of “human security”, and urged Member States to consider the survival, livelihood and dignity of individuals as the fundamental basis for their security.

The new Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the United Nations, Paul R. Seger, presented his credentials today to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

The new Permanent Observer for the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) to the United Nations, Ufuk Gokcen, presented his letter of appointment today to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.