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

There was a need for a paradigm shift in the traditional perception of waste as a costly and unwanted by-product, to one whereby it would be regarded as a resource, panellists told the Intergovernmental Preparatory Meeting for the nineteenth session of the Commission on Sustainable Development today.

The Security Council this morning requested the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) to withdraw the military personnel that have been providing security for the Special Court for Sierra Leone, as it decided to end the authorization for that deployment.

The Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations resumed its work this afternoon to adopt the final report on the work of its 2011 regular session, which ran at Headquarters from 31 January to 9 February.

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message for International Women’s Day, observed on 8 March:

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Li Baodong (China):

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message to the thirty-fifth United Nations International School-United Nations Conference: “The Web: Wiring our World”, today, 3 March, in New York:

“Too many people use money they don’t have to buy things they don’t need to impress people they don’t like,” the Intergovernmental Preparatory Meeting for the nineteenth session of the Commission on Sustainable Development heard today as it considered the elaboration of a 10-year framework of programmes on sustainable consumption and production patterns.

The Special Committee on the Charter of the United Nations and on the Strengthening of the Role of the Organization today elected additional members of its bureau, as it continued its 2011 session, which runs at Headquarters from 28 February to 9 March.

The Commission on the Status of Women today adopted two resolutions on mainstreaming gender equality in climate change policies and strategies, and women and the girl child and HIV/AIDS, and approved one text, by roll-call vote, on Palestinian women, to be sent to the Economic and Social Council for adoption. The 45-member Commission had been scheduled to conclude its fifty-fifth session today, but due to ongoing negotiations on its agreed conclusions, it was forced to suspend its work.