Following are UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks at a World Food Day commemoration in New York, 27 October:

Following are UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks to the Fifth Committee of the General Assembly on the proposed programme budget for the biennium 2012-2013, in New York 27 October:

As the Sixth Committee concluded its debate on the first group of topics contained in the International Law Commission’s report and moved to its second group — “effects of armed conflicts on treaties”, “expulsion of aliens” and “protection of persons in the event of disasters” — the delegate of Colombia said the Commission’s draft articles on “protection of persons” were among the Commission’s most practical and efficient areas of work.

The Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) today heard Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon formally unveil an initial budget proposal of $5.197 billion for the 2012-2013 biennium that begins on the first of January.

The Presidents of the International Court of Justice and International Criminal Court today implored General Assembly delegates to honour the Courts’ jurisdictions, and respectively, rely on international law to resolve disputes between States, and “stand united” behind collective efforts to suppress the gravest crimes known to humanity.

For the sixteenth consecutive year, the United Nations Department of Public Information will host a training programme for Palestinian media practitioners, which will take place at United Nations Headquarters from 31 October to 2 December 2011. Ten Palestinian broadcasters and journalists will be invited to participate.

Following are UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks at the Security Council open debate on woman and peace and security, in New York, 28 October:

Emphasizing the vital importance of international trade to the growth and development of least developed countries, delegates in the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) underlined today the urgent need to successfully conclude a development-oriented outcome to the Doha Round of World Trade Organization negotiations.

Anti-personnel mines were “perverse”, as they were triggered by victims with the aim of killing or severing the victims for life, and did not distinguish between combatants and civilians, the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) heard today during its consideration of mine action assistance.

Ten years after the world collectively agreed on a comprehensive framework to combat racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance, resolute and renewed political will and adequate funding were still needed to implement the Durban Declaration and Programme of Action, the Third Committee (Social, Humanitarian and Cultural) was told today.