The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on Syria had concluded that Syria’s army and security forces committed crimes against humanity in their repression of a largely civilian population in the context of peaceful protests, members of the United Nations-backed panel said today.

In his message for the International Day of Solidarity with the Palestinian People, the Secretary-General said the need to resolve the conflict has taken on greater urgency with the historic transformations in the region. Such a solution must end the occupation that began in 1967, and meet legitimate security concerns.

Countering what he described as the “dominant narrative of failure” in Haiti, Nigel Fisher, Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for that country, said that painting a falsely negative picture could drive interest, attention and support away from the recovering country at a critical “turning point”. Speaking at a headquarters press conference today, Mr. Fisher said it was “a myth” that no reconstruction had taken place in Haiti.

Children must be separated from adult combatants as soon as possible to facilitate their transition back to civilian life and prevent further abuse, the Special Representative of the Secretary‑General for Children and Armed Conflict, Radhika Coomaraswamy, urged today during a Headquarters press conference on her recent missions to the Central African Republic and Somalia.

At the opening session of the Fourth High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness, in Busan, Republic of Korea, the Secretary-General said cutting aid would not balance budgets, but it would hurt the most vulnerable. He urged new and emerging donors to contribute more and recipients to set clear priorities and strategies.

The upcoming meeting of the States parties to the International Criminal Court (ICC) — to be held at the United Nations from 12 to 21 December — would be pivotal in determining whether gaps between the aspirations of the Rome Statute, which established the Court, and its actual delivery of justice could be closed, representatives of an international non-governmental organization advocating for a fair, effective and independent Court said in a Headquarters press conference today.

Broader involvement and greater engagement had driven forward the latest round of talks on reforming the Security Council, the Chair of the negotiations on that process said at Headquarters today.

The Chef de Cabinet announced that as the Secretary-General embarks on his second term, he is keen to ensure the right mix of change and continuity in the senior leadership team, balancing the need to bring a fresh perspective to addressing the major challenges with the need to maintain continuity of purpose and priorities.

Describing a “rather grim” world economic situation, senior officials of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs warned today that the global economy was at real risk of a “double‑dip” recession due to a trend towards more fiscal austerity, among other things.

States parties to the Rome Statute, which established the International Criminal Court, had reached an informal agreement on the election of the tribunal’s next Prosecutor, the outgoing and incoming Presidents of the Assembly of States Parties reported at a Headquarters press conference today.