Street gangs showed surprising resilience to common law enforcement tactics, such as police sweeps, curfews, and longer prison sentences, according to the tenth annual "Small Arms Survey 2010: Gangs, Groups, and Guns", which was launched today at Headquarters. It also notes that, while such tactics were designed to disrupt gang structures, eliminate leadership and deter youths, in many cases, they failed in their short-term objectives or even increased insecurity.

The Secretary-General spoke separately by telephone today with Roza Otunbaeva, Chairperson of the Interim Government of Kyrgyzstan, and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. He told Ms. Otunbaeva the United Nations was closely coordinating with others to respond to the humanitarian crisis in the south of Kyrgyzstan. In his call with Mr. Lavrov, he expressed appreciation for Russia's efforts to address the alarming humanitarian situation.

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea again firmly rejected today charges that it was responsible for the 26 March sinking of the warship Cheonan, as Sin Son Ho, its Permanent Representative to the United Nations, warned that his country would respond militarily to any Security Council condemnation over the sinking of the Republic of Korea vessel, which Seoul blamed on Pyongyang.

The Security Council this morning is holding a meeting to discuss children and armed conflict. Radhika Coomaraswamy, Special Representative dealing with children and armed conflict, discussed the progress made on that issue recently, including the naming and shaming of violators, which she said has persuaded parties to cease this reprehensible behaviour and should deter others from future offences.

At a Headquarters press conference today, Bolivian Ambassador Pablo Solόn strongly objected to a negotiating text for a new climate deal given during working sessions of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change in Bonn, Germany, earlier this month. He noted that final texts produced by the Chair of the Ad-Hoc Working Group on long-cooperative action absolutely did not reflect the submissions of his country.

Despite many successes over the past year in protecting children in situations of armed conflict, many challenges remained, senior United Nations officials in that field said at a Headquarters press conference today. The Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict said one of those challenges was gaining access to non-State actors with whom her Office could negotiate action plans for the release of children recruited as combatants by armed groups.

With the United Nations poised to host a summit on the Millennium Development Goals in September, Helen Clark, Administrator of the United Nations Development Programme, today urged world leaders to consider an “acceleration framework” based on real-life national successes, in order to bring the Goals to fruition by 2015.

The Secretary-General addressed the High-level Meeting of the General Assembly on Transnational Organized Crime earlier this morning. He said that the international community’s ability to deliver justice in such cases is not evolving as quickly as the criminals’ skill at evading justice.

Highlighting a number of events taking place this month that will feed into September’s summit on the Millennium Development Goals, top United Nations officials this afternoon stressed the importance of political will for reaching the anti-poverty targets by their 2015 deadline.

The Middle East Quartet today issued a statement on Israel’s actions on Gaza, reaffirming that the current situation in Gaza, including the humanitarian and human rights situation of the civilian population, is unsustainable, unacceptable, and not in the interests of any of those concerned.