Noting with concern the persistence of human rights violations, including sexual violence, in Côte d’Ivoire, the Security Council this morning renewed for six months ending 30 April 2011 its arms embargo and diamond trade ban on the country, as well as targeted sanctions restricting the travel of individuals that threatened the peace process there.

The United Nations Board of Auditors held its sixty-fourth regular session during the period 19-21 July to review and approve the audit reports of the Board which are due to be tabled during the current session of the General Assembly and other legislative/governing bodies. A total of 24 reports were discussed and approved, 18 of which will be deliberated upon in the coming days by the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) of the General Assembly.

Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message, delivered by B. Lynn Pascoe, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, to the Friends of Democratic Pakistan Ministerial Meeting, in Brussels, today, 15 October:

Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message for United Nations Day, to be observed on 24 October:

Member States, representatives of non-governmental organizations and United Nations officials will explore practical measures to alleviate the disproportionate burden of unemployment on young people as well as inadequate opportunities for decent work when they meet at New York Headquarters to commemorate the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty on 18 October, under the theme “From Poverty to Decent Work: Bridging the Gap.”

Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro’s remarks at the African Union Ministerial Launch of the African Women’s Decade in Nairobi, today, 15 October:

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

As the Sixth Committee began its deliberations on the status of the Protocols Additional to the Geneva Conventions of 1949, and relating to the protection of victims of armed conflicts, delegates expressed grave concerns about the accountability of Member States and urged greater compliance to all provisions in the Conventions and Additional Protocols.

The horrific attacks in Democratic Republic of the Congo’s restive North Kivu province in late July and early August, clearly underscored the importance of civilian protection and had provoked a “major internal review” of the protection programmes being carried out by the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission there, the head of that operation told the Security Council today.