At the intersection of critical conflict zones and impacted by insecurity in neighbouring Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic was at a crossroads, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative in that country told the Security Council today.

Following are UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks to civil society on food security and sustainable development, in Madrid today, 6 July:

On 30 June 2011, the Security Council decided to change the name of its Committee established pursuant to resolution 1267 (1999).

For 67 years, Nelson Mandela devoted his life to the service of humanity — as a human rights lawyer, a prisoner of conscience, an international peacemaker and the first democratically elected president of a free South Africa.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today announced the appointment of Hilde Johnson of Norway as his Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Mission in the Republic of South Sudan.

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Peter Wittig ( Germany):

Acting on the day before the birth of the independent Republic of South Sudan, and reaffirming its strong commitment to its sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and national unity, the Security Council today authorized the deployment of a peacekeeping force in the world’s newest country.

In the early hours of the morning today, the General Assembly, acting on the recommendations of its Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary), adopted a peacekeeping budget of more than $7 billion for the period from 1 July 2011 to 30 June 2012.

While commending the institutional and governance improvements that had helped resolve both long-brewing and unexpected political crises in West Africa over the past year, the top United Nations envoy in the subregion today urged the Security Council to remain vigilant because elections scheduled between now and 2013 held the potential to ignite simmering tensions that could lead to renewed violence and instability.

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