Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon welcomed the announcement today of the final results of the first round of presidential and legislative elections in Haiti. He added that it was of paramount importance for Haiti to have a new democratically elected Government to tackle the pressing issues of recovery, reconstruction and the fight against cholera.

Urging an end to recent violence in Egypt, High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, at a press conference in Geneva today called for a transparent and impartial investigation into whether this violence was planned, and if so, by whom. She added that all journalists and human rights defenders who were arrested for practising their professions must be released immediately and unconditionally.

The Secretary-General is deeply concerned by reports of repeated armed clashes between 4 and 6 February 2011 between Cambodia and Thailand around their common border area, which has reportedly claimed a number of lives and led to the displacement of civilians and destruction of property.

UNHCR is bringing in more assistance to Côte d’Ivoire as the number of internally displaced persons continues to grow in the west of the country. A cargo plane from Belgium will carry 2,450 tents which will provide shelter for up to 12,000 people, and a road convoy is bringing thousands of blankets, mats, mosquito nets and kitchen sets.

The Secretary-General today addressed the General Assembly's informal thematic debate on disaster risk reduction, saying that last year, more than a quarter of a million people were killed by disasters. He stressed that lives can be saved by advance planning and by building schools, homes, hospitals, communities and cities to withstand hazards.

Disaster risk reduction was crucial to protect gains made in reaching the Millennium Development Goals, especially in poor countries where capacities were low and massive losses would only perpetuate a cycle of poverty and disempowerment, General Assembly President Joseph Deiss said today at a Headquarters press conference.

A blossoming partnership between the United Nations and a global youth sporting summit was set to boost activism and encourage dialogue among young people, the event’s founder said at a Headquarters press conference.

The Secretary-General strongly condemns today’s suicide bombing that killed and injured numerous people at an army recruitment centre in Mardan, Pakistan. He is appalled by the reported use of a minor to commit this terrorist act.

The Secretary-General, having just learned of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's decision to step down, said he respects what must have been a difficult decision, taken in the wider interests of the Egyptian people. At this historic moment, he reiterates his call for a transparent, orderly and peaceful transition.

On the sixth anniversary of the terrorist attack that took the lives of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri and 22 others, the Secretary-General stands with the people of Lebanon in commemorating the life and achievements of Mr. Hariri. He reaffirms the commitment of the United Nations to the efforts of the Special Tribunal for Lebanon to uncover the truth so as to bring those responsible to justice.