The Secretary-General met today with the three commissioners he has appointed to lead the international investigation into human rights violations that occurred on 28 September 2009 in Conakry, Guinea. During the meeting, he recalled that the Commission should work independently in assessing the facts, and make recommendations on accountability measures.

With 17 days left before the opening of the Copenhagen Climate Conference, Yvo de Boer, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, said today that there was no doubt in his mind that the event would be a success.

The Secretary-General wishes to congratulate President Hamid Karzai on his inauguration today as the elected President of Afghanistan for a second term.

The upcoming conference in Copenhagen on climate change should not only be attended by the most interested and concerned Heads of State, but there should also be good results, the President of the General Assembly said this evening at a Headquarters press conference after an informal Assembly meeting on the matter.

The Secretary-General welcomes the appointment of Mr. Herman van Rompuy as first President of the European Union, and Ms. Catherine Ashton as the European Union High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. The Secretary-General looks forward to working closely with both Mr. van Rompuy and Ms. Ashton in strengthening cooperation between the European Union and the United Nations.

Speaking at a press conference ahead of the launch of the Africa Commission’s report -- Realizing the Potential of Africa’s Youth -- at Headquarters at 1.15 p.m. today, Ulla Tornaes, Minister for Development Cooperation of Denmark, stressed the relevance of that survey’s recommendations for the implementation of the Millennium Development Goals, particularly as the General Assembly geared up for its high-level review of the status of the Goals’ implementation next September.

Nearly six months after Sri Lanka’s 26-year civil war came to an end, the Government planned to close all camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs) by the end of January 2010, with some 1,000 to 3,000 people returning home daily, John Holmes, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, said today at a Headquarters press briefing.

One out of four people in the world lived in the dark, without access to electricity or fuel, and 2 million died every year from diseases associated with exposure to indoor pollution owing to reliance on solid fuels, Olav Kjorven, Assistant Administrator and Director of Development Policy at the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), said at Headquarters today.

The Spokesperson today introduced her successor, Martin Nesirky of the United Kingdom, saying he comes to the United Nations from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), where is he currently the spokesperson. He has more than 20 years experience as a journalist, in media relations and international affairs.

The Secretary-General is saddened by the reports of the brutal killing of more than 40 civilians in the Maguindanao Province, southern Philippines. He condemns this heinous crime committed in the context of a local election campaign. The Secretary-General extends heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and hopes that no effort will be spared to bring justice and to hold the perpetrators accountable.