Following the successful completion of the Southern Sudan self-determination referendum, it was imperative to quickly overcome remaining challenges in implementing the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, a senior peacekeeping official told the Security Council today.

The Security Council today extended the mandate of the committee that monitors efforts to prevent weapons of mass destruction from falling into the hands of terrorists and other non-State actors — the so-called 1540 Committee — for 10 years, until 25 April 2021. Unanimously adopting resolution 1977 (2011), the Council requested the Secretary-General to establish a group of up to eight experts to assist the Committee, known formally as the Committee established pursuant to resolution 1540 (2004).

The world’s current economic growth model – characterized by extreme production and consumption, slashed forests, and polluted air and water supplies — was operating at nature’s expense and, while it was not too late to change course and improve our relationship with Mother Earth, “time is running short,” the General Assembly was told today.

With the Darfur peace process moving forward on two fronts — two-year-old negotiations in Doha, Qatar, and newly-launched broad-based political talks under way in Sudan — a senior peacekeeping official told the Security Council today that all efforts should be focused on reaching agreement through the upcoming “All Darfur Stakeholders Conference”, which would be an ideal venue for comprehensively addressing outstanding issues.

A photo exhibition entitled “25 Years after Chernobyl: Cooperation for Sustainable Development” will open with a formal ceremony in the South Gallery of the Visitors Lobby at 2 p.m. on Monday, 25 April.

Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message for World Malaria Day, to be observed on 25 April:

In observance of World Malaria Day, an exhibition celebrating individuals who have contributed to the fight against the disease will open at 6 p.m. on Monday, 25 April, in the North-east Gallery of the Visitors Lobby at United Nations Headquarters.

Following are UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s address to the Kyiv Institute of International Relations on 21 April:

Praising Burundi today for having held peaceful elections in 2010, made “breathtaking” strides in establishing key democratic institutions and, assumed the presidency of the East African Community while still a young member, delegates in the Peacebuilding Commission held the fifth and final review of the strategic framework for the nation, calling it a “milestone” in a process that had begun four years ago.

The Security Council expressed strong support today for efforts to further the peace processes in South Sudan and Darfur, while reiterating deep concern about obstacles and continuing violence in both regions and encouraging all parties concerned to engage with the United Nations on the Organization’s future presence in Sudan.