The Secretary-General, congratulating United States President Barack Obama on his re-election, affirmed the Organization’s continued commitment to work, in the spirit of the enduring partnership, with the host country, and tackle the many challenges facing the international community.

The Secretary-General extends his sincere condolences to the Guatemalan Government and people in the wake of the earthquake that struck off the coast of the country yesterday. The United Nations stands ready to lend its assistance to efforts already under way by the Guatemalan authorities to respond to humanitarian needs.

The Secretary-General briefed the Member States this morning on how the UN system handled the storm Sandy as it moved from the Caribbean into the United States, even affecting UN Headquarters itself, noting that emergency situations can lay bare where we may have been operating on flawed assumptions and must do better.

The head of conference management for General Assembly and Economic and Social Council Affairs briefed journalists today on those bodies’ new work programme decided upon in the wake of last week’s disruptive hurricane that had caused flooding damage to the United Nations New York Headquarters and forced its closure for three days.

The Secretary-General, concerned by the potential escalation of violence in the Golan Heights, called for restraint by all sides, the upholding of the Disengagement Agreement between Syria and Israel, and the halt of firing of any kind across the ceasefire line.

The Secretary-General will depart soon for New Haven, Connecticut, where he will speak at Yale University on the theme “Shaping Solutions for a World in Transition”. He will reiterate his grave concern about Syria, and will also speak about the challenges the world faces — climate change, sustainable development and hunger.

The Secretary-General, having been briefed by Charles Petrie today on the findings of the Internal Review Panel on United Nations Action in Sri Lanka, will convene a senior-level team to review the report’s recommendations and advise him on moving the Organization forward in its core mission of protecting people from harm.

Emphasizing that access to voluntary family planning was a human right, Richard Kollodge, editor of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) report, told journalists today that increased financial support and political commitments were crucial in order to reap both the economic benefits and positive multiplier effect on development that resulted from providing such health services.

Chef de Cabinet, Susana Malcorra, and the Head of the Secretary-General’s Internal Review Panel on United Nations Action in Sri Lanka, Charles Petrie, briefed on the panel’s report, which highlights areas for improvement in the Organization’s system. Ms. Malcorra says this is moment of strong inspection.

More and more disasters were on their way, Margareta Wahlström, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Disaster Risk Reduction, cautioned at a press conference today at Headquarters.