The Secretary-General expressed his condolences to those who lost family and friends in Chile's earthquake and has been in touch with the UN’s Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), based in Santiago, for an assessment of the earthquake and information on UN staff.

Strongly condemning violence against women and girls, the International Organization of la Francophonie today adopted a declaration that confirmed its support for women’s equality and its commitment to prevent harm against women and girls, as part of its contribution to reviewing the 15 years implementing the Beijing Declaration and Platform of Action, Canada’s Minister for La Francophonie said today.

Calling the Decade of Action for Road Safety scheduled to be proclaimed today by the General Assembly “long overdue”, a representative of the World Health Organization pledged concerted action to halt the increasing trend of road-traffic deaths seen over the last few decades and ensure that between 2011 and 2020, the trend would be reversed.

The Secretary-General spoke with President Michelle Bachelet of Chile last night. He again expressed his condolences and reiterated that the United Nations is ready to help and would do its utmost to make the items requested by the Chilean Government available as swiftly as possible.

The Security Council will have an open debate on the impact of illicit arms trafficking on peace and security in the Central African region on 19 March, Emmanuel Issoze-Ngondet of Gabon, this month’s Council President, said today at Headquarters.

The United Nations had agreed that 2011-2020 would be the global Decade of Action for Road Safety, a panel of international partners working towards that goal said at a Headquarters press conference today.

Addressing journalists at a Headquarters press conference this afternoon, Michel Sidibé, Executive Director of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS discuss a plan launched today strongly focused on women and aimed at addressing gender inequalities that hamper the fight against AIDS, a disease rife with complexity ‑‑ including its links to sexual and reproductive rights issues, maternal health concerns, education and women’s economic empowerment.

Catherine Bragg, Assistant Secretary-General and United Nations Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator, today again reiterated that the United Nations system stands ready to support in every way possible the Chilean Government’s efforts to recover from the devastation of the earthquake the country suffered four days ago.

Ahead of International Women’s Day, commemorated annually on 8 March, the United Nations top adviser on gender issues said today that the occasion provided an opportunity to celebrate women’s advancement since the adoption of the landmark 1995 Beijing Platform for Action, and emphasize the need for continued vigilance to help all countries promote gender equality and women’s empowerment.

The flexibility shown so far in intergovernmental negotiations on Security Council reform was reason for optimism that the process would go forward, the delegate chairing the process said at Headquarters today.