The United Nations envoy on children and armed conflict today commended the Government of Chad for recently signing an agreement with the world body on ending the use of child soldiers in the central African country’s security forces.

The General Assembly yesterday agreed on a second term for Ban Ki-moon as UN Secretary-General. He was sworn in, after placing his hand on the original copy of the UN Charter. Vowing to build bridges among nations, he said: “Together, no challenge is too large. Together, nothing is impossible.”

While global markets for cocaine, heroin and cannabis had declined or remained stable over the last year, the production and abuse of prescription opioid and new synthetic drugs had risen, according to a new report launched today by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

The Secretary-General welcomes President Obama’s announcement to start the drawdown of American forces in Afghanistan as of July 2011. The United Nations views this decision as the beginning of a transition to greater responsibilities of the Afghan Government and ultimately to full Afghan leadership and ownership.

Following his participation in a special event on the occasion of the inaugural celebration of International Widows’ Day at United Nations Headquarters in New York today, Raj Loomba, Founder and Chairman Trustee of the Loomba Foundation, thanked United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the international community at large for officially recognizing the day that his foundation had initiated in 2005.

In the wake of sweeping changes across the region, Tunisia today became the first North African State to accept the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court, said that country’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ghazi Jomaa, at a Headquarters press conference today.

Bolivia planned to “denounce” the Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs of 1961 before 1 July, in order to enter a reservation to the provision on coca leaf chewing, a practice that under the Convention had to be phased out in 25 years — now elapsed — and then rejoin the treaty on the same day, with that reservation, the country’s Ambassador said today at a Headquarters press conference.

The International Criminal Court today issued arrest warrants for Muammar al-Qadhafi, one of his sons and the head of Libya’s intelligence forces for alleged crimes against humanity, on reasonable grounds that the arrests are needed to prevent the suspects’ further commission of crimes in the Court’s jurisdiction.

The Security Council, in a closed meeting this morning, approved by acclamation a resolution in which the Security Council recommends to the General Assembly that Ban Ki-moon be appointed Secretary-General of the United Nations for a second term of office, from 1 January 2012 to 31 December 2016.

While renewable energy sources could help mitigate climate change, it was up to Governments to take the necessary action to make that possibility a reality, the head of the recognized scientific and technical authority on the phenomenon said at a Headquarters press conference today.