Following are UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks at a Human Rights Day event entitled “Speak Up, Stop Discrimination”, organized by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and held in the Ford Foundation Auditorium in New York, 9 December:

Following are UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks on the International Year for People of African Descent, launched at United Nations Headquarters on 10 December:

Acting on the recommendation of its Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization), the General Assembly this morning adopted 27 resolutions and 1 decision, nine among them concerning the Arab-Israeli conflict, by which it deemed “extremely detrimental” Israeli settlement policies and activities on efforts to resume and advance the peace process and on its credibility.

It was critical to engage all Member States in implementing measures intended to encourage Iran’s compliance with resolutions relating to its nuclear programme, Tsuneo Nishida ( Japan), Chair of the Committee monitoring those sanctions, said today in his final briefing to the Security Council.

The General Assembly today noted with satisfaction the establishment of a new strategic relationship between the Russian Federation and the United States and the desire of the two countries to bring their respective nuclear postures into alignment with that new relationship, as well as their endeavour to reduce further the role and importance of nuclear weapons, according to one of 58 resolutions and decisions it adopted on the recommendation of its First Committee.

Noting with satisfaction the establishment of a new strategic relationship between the Russian Federation and the United States and the desire of the two to bring their nuclear postures into alignment with that new relationship, and their endeavour to reduce further the role and importance of nuclear weapons, the First Committee today approved a draft resolution welcoming the signing of the new START Treaty.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has appointed Yukio Takasu of Japan as Special Adviser on Human Security. Mr. Takasu has played a pivotal role in advancing a greater understanding on the notion of human security, both within the United Nations and outside, for more than 10 years. In 2006, Mr. Takasu initiated the formation of the Friends of Human Security, an informal network to follow up the 2005 United Nations Summit Outcome document.

Following are UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks at the event on “Ending Violence and Criminal Sanctions Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity” in New York today, 10 December:

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Susan Rice (United States):

International, regional and subregional organizations will participate in a meeting on cooperation in promoting the implementation of United Nations Security Council resolution 1540 (2004) at the Hofburg Congress Centre in Vienna, Austria, from 15 to 16 December.