Citing the situations in Somalia, Sudan and South Sudan, Yemen and Syria, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Valerie Amos says there has been an alarming escalation in several crises in recent weeks, affecting millions and reducing access of humanitarian actors.

The Secretary-General is in Bali today, where he addressed the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) Business and Investment Summit, urging private sector leaders to support global efforts to improve women's and children's health.

The Secretary-General is deeply concerned about the violence in Egypt during the last few days, particularly in Cairo. He deplores the loss of life and the many injuries, and calls on the transitional authorities to guarantee the protection of human rights and civil liberties for all Egyptians, including the right to peaceful protest.

This year had been a “game changer” as the world reached a critical turning point in the response to the global HIV epidemic, averting thousands of deaths, preventing thousands more infections and breaking long-standing political barriers, Bertil Lindblad, Director, New York Office of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), said at a Headquarters press conference today.

This morning, the Secretary-General participated in the launch of a new campaign called “Rio+20: The Future We Want”. He stressed the importance of sustainable development in addressing the numerous challenges the world faces. He also addressed the Peacebuilding Fund’s high-level stakeholders meeting.

Kyrgyzstan’s outgoing President this afternoon touted the Central Asian country’s orderly presidential elections last month as the start of an era marked by peaceful, transparent transitions of power, stability and growth.

The Secretary-General welcomes the announcement of the formation of the new Libyan Interim Government, and extends his congratulations to Prime Minister Abdurrahim el-Keib and members of his Cabinet. He wishes the new Interim Government every success in addressing the numerous challenges facing Libya in this transitional period.

Evidence confirmed that the window of climate safety was closing and ambitious actions must be taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions before 2015, Dessima Williams, Permanent Representative of Grenada and Chair of the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS), said at a Headquarters press conference today.

On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Margot Wallstrom, travelling in West Africa, called on people to stand in solidarity with the survivors of such violence, who have lived through unspeakable horrors.

The Secretary-General is travelling to Busan, Republic of Korea, to participate in the Fourth High-Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness. The Forum is an important element in the discussions around the emerging aid architecture leading up to 2015, the deadline year for the Millennium Development Goals.