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

Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message for Nelson Mandela International Day, to be observed on 18 July:

Strongly criticized today for harbouring negative stereotypes of women and discriminatory attitudes toward immigrants and minorities, Italian officials countered by describing their country’s recent enactment of robust and progressive programmes on both fronts, as the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women took up Italy’s sixth periodic report.

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

Following is Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message to the fourth meeting of the Contact Group on Libya, today, 15 July, in Istanbul:

On 8 July 2011, the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1533 (2004) concerning the Democratic Republic of the Congo approved updates to the List of individuals and entities subject to the travel ban and assets freeze imposed by paragraphs 13 and 15 of resolution 1596 (2005), as renewed by paragraph 3 of resolution 1896 (2009) and paragraph 3 of resolution 1952 (2010).

Violence against women, political participation, discriminatory family law, eliminating gender stereotypes and preventing trafficking will be some of the areas explored by a committee of 23 experts charged with ensuring that Governments eliminate discrimination against women.

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

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