In progress at UNHQ

UN Headquarters Meeting to Consider Areas for Possible Progress at Rio+20 on Oceans; Overfishing, Marine Pollution, and Ocean Acidification among Key Concerns

SEA/1958
The twelfth United Nations Open-ended Informal Consultative Process on Oceans and the Law of the Sea will meet at United Nations Headquarters in New York from 20 to 24 June. This meeting will serve to provide an important input to the discussions leading up to Rio+20, the UN Conference on Sustainable Development that will be held in Rio de Janeiro next 4-6 June 2012.

New York Festivals-United Nations Department of Public Information Awards for Radio Programming Presented on 20 June

PI/1989
Radio programming from the United States, China and Canada was honoured on Monday, 20 June, when the United Nations Department of Public Information awards were presented as part of the New York Festivals Radio Program and Promotion Awards at the Manhattan Penthouse in New York. Juan Carlos Brandt, Chief, Advocacy and Special Events, Outreach Division, presented the awards on behalf of the United Nations Department of Public Information.

New Page of History about to Be Turned in Relationship with Nuclear Energy, Secretary-General Says in Message on Nuclear Safety

SG/SM/13654-IAEA/1375
Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message, delivered by Sergio Duarte, High Representative for Disarmament Affairs, to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Conference on Nuclear Safety, today, 20 June, in Vienna:

Palestinian Rights Committee Approves Agenda for 28-29 June Brussels Meeting Aimed at Advancing Palestinian Statehood, Middle East Peace Process

GA/PAL/1202
The Palestinian Rights Committee this morning approved the agenda of its upcoming Brussels meeting on advancing the Middle East peace process, as it also heard reports on previous international meetings, as well as on unemployment and access restrictions in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Need for Specialized Courts Underlined as Security Council Hears Briefing on Soaring Human, Commercial Costs of Piracy off Somali Coast

SC/10287
Citing the “incalculable” human and commercial costs of piracy off the Somali coast, as well as the escalating violence and expanding geographic scope of pirate attacks, the top United Nations legal official today presented the Security Council with detailed options for establishing specialized courts to try suspects in Somalia and the wider Horn of Africa region.