The Secretary-General hopes all eligible Pakistanis peacefully take part in the 11 May elections, regardless of their religion, ethnicity or gender, and commends the efforts to encourage voter turnout, particularly among women. Concerned about the violence that has targeted politicians, rallies and election offices, he conveys his heartfelt condolences to the families of all the victims, while acknowledging the efforts being made to ensure the safety and security of candidates and voters .

The High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, expressed alarm at reports of a major military build-up around the western Syrian town of Qusayr, fearing further atrocities. Reports of recent massacres by Syrian Government forces and pro-Government militias should spur the international community to find a solution.

The financial health of the United Nations depended on Member States meeting their financial obligations in full and on time, said Yukio Takasu, the Organization’s Under-Secretary-General for Management, at a Headquarters press conference today.

The Secretary-General, addressing the General Assembly’s high-level meeting on human trafficking, said it devastates individuals and undermines national economies. Billions of dollars are generated through exploitation and abuse, and in turn, these funds support illegal drugs, corruption and other crimes, he said.

The UN Mission in South Sudan strongly condemns the violence, looting and displacement affecting civilians and humanitarian organizations in and around the town of Pibor in Jonglei State. The Mission has reinforced its presence there, and its peacekeepers have clear instructions to assist in protecting civilians.

At the launch of the Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction this morning, the Secretary-General said that trillions of dollars will be invested by the private sector in hazard-exposed regions in the years ahead, and such spending must address risk factors.

The investment decisions “we make as individuals, households, communities and, in particular, as businesses” have far-reaching consequences on disaster risk reduction and recovery, United Nations officials and private-sector experts said today upon the launch at Headquarters of the biannual Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction.

The Secretary-General arrived in the Russian Federation earlier today. He is now in Sochi on Russia's Black Sea coast, and tomorrow he is scheduled to meet President Putin and Foreign Minister Lavrov there. After his visit ends on 19 May, he will travel to Mozambique.

The global HIV/AIDS epidemic had “come full circle” since its early days, and it was “outrageous” that, despite unprecedented advances in care and treatment, homosexuals all over the world continued to struggle against discrimination and rising infection rates, the Head of the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV and AIDS (UNAIDS) said today.

As you may be aware, today is marked by millions of people around the world as the International Day against Homophobia. This year, the United Nations Human Rights Office has put out a short, compelling video, called The Riddle, which you can view on YouTube.