Affirming a leadership role for the United Nations in international efforts to support a nationally led process aimed at building a democratic, independent and united Libya, the Security Council decided this afternoon to establish a support mission in that country.

The United Nations General Assembly this morning adopted the agenda for its sixty-sixth session during a meeting which required two recorded votes to allow representatives of Libya’s National Transitional Council to stand for the strife-torn North African country in the world body’s work for the coming year.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today announced the appointment of Ian Martin of the United Kingdom as his Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL), and also appointed Georg Charpentier of Finland as Deputy Special Representative and Resident Coordinator, ad interim.

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

Following are UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks at the Symposium on International Counter-Terrorism Cooperation, in New York on 19 September:

On 19 August 2011, the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1737 (2006) on Iran revised its guidelines for the conduct of its work in order to incorporate the relevant provisions of resolution 1929 (2010).

The United Nations will convene a High-Level Meeting on Tuesday, 20 September, to focus on actions aimed at protecting drylands, home to 2 billion people, as productive lands in dry regions around the world are increasingly threatened due to poor land-management practices and climate change.

Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message for World Tourism Day, observed on 27 September:

Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message on World Habitat Day, to be observed on 3 October:

Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro’s remarks, as delivered, at the High-level Meeting on Women’s Political Participation in Democracy, today, 19 September, in New York: