The United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) today launched a new initiative to support cities around the world to manage risk, following the worst year on record for economic losses from disasters of $380 billion. The new online tool, which has been tested in over 20 cities around the world, is part of its global “Making Cities Resilient” campaign.

The Secretary-General began the day in Washington, D.C., at the World Bank with a meeting with its President, Robert Zoellick. He then attended a meeting on Rio+20 with the world's leading finance ministers and later delivered the keynote address at an event entitled “Delivering Sustainable Energy for All: Opportunities at Rio+20”.

The Secretary-General began the day in Washington, D.C., at the World Bank with a meeting with its President, Robert Zoellick. He then attended a meeting on Rio+20 with the world's leading finance ministers and later delivered the keynote address at an event entitled “Delivering Sustainable Energy for All: Opportunities at Rio+20”.

Every minute one child dies from malaria and every year 216 million people are newly affected with the preventable disease, and an increase in collaboration and partnerships, as well as additional funding, was needed to boost efforts to fight the disease, correspondents were told at a Headquarters press conference today.

This morning, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Lynn Pascoe told the Security Council that achieving a full and sustained cessation of violence and seeking a peaceful resolution to the crisis in Syria is at the centre of our efforts in the Middle East. He also said that achieving peace for Israelis and Palestinians is an undiminished priority.

Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations Hervé Ladsous told the Security Council today that host Governments are ultimately responsible for the protection of their civilians. Our peacekeeping missions are not surrogates for State authority. We must do our best to strengthen frail State institutions.

High-level officials today launched at United Nations Headquarters a multimedia campaign to highlight the important role of volunteering towards achieving sustainable development.

The Secretary-General remains concerned about the situation in Bahrain, particularly with regard to the continuing clashes between security forces and protesters, which have resulted in more casualties. He reiterates his appeal to all sides for utmost restraint and an immediate end to the violence.

The Secretary-General welcomes the verdict by the Sierra Leone Special Court against former Liberian President Charles Taylor as a milestone for international criminal justice. It is the first-ever conviction of a former Head of State by an international criminal tribunal for planning, aiding and abetting war crimes and crimes against humanity.

A fisherman’s tale about Italian immigrants who decades ago harvested beaches “paved with fish” along the now fish-depleted United States north-east coast underlined a stark warning sounded at a Headquarters press conference today by an expert panel on the sustainable management of oceans and fisheries.