The Secretary-General spoke at the Peace Bell Ceremony today to mark the International Day of Peace. He said the International Day is a day when we reiterate our belief in non-violence and call for a global ceasefire. He said that perhaps nowhere in the world is this more desperately needed than in Syria.

Many child victims of violence, exploitation and abuse remain out of sight, are not reflected in statistics, are surrounded by stigma, and are very often neglected by their communities, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Violence against Children and Armed Conflict said at a Headquarters press conference today.

The Secretary-General is saddened by the loss of life in Mexico, and the damage to homes and infrastructure caused by Hurricanes Ingrid and Manuel since 17 September, which have affected some 1.2 million people. The United Nations stands ready to lend its assistance to efforts to respond to humanitarian needs.

Emerging from a period of difficult transition into a “decade of transformation”, Afghanistan’s upcoming April 2014 elections represented a critical juncture that would have wide-ranging implications for the country’s long-term peace and security, its Deputy Foreign Minister said at a Headquarters press conference today.

For too long, persons with disabilities had been excluded from development planning and it was time to recognize their enormous potential to create a more inclusive and equitable world, top United Nations officials said today, highlighting an unprecedented event aimed at dismantling the barriers to their full participation in society.

The Secretary-General spoke at various events today to boost achievement of the Millennium Development Goals and to shape the post-2015 agenda, including on disability and development, partnering for the Goals, and improving maternal health. He also addressed a meeting on oversight in the Great Lakes region.

The mission under Åke Sellström that is looking into allegations of chemical weapons use has returned to Syria to complete its fact-finding activities for all pending credible allegations, including the 19 March incident at Khan al-Asal and two others previously identified by the mission as warranting an investigation.

The Secretary-General today welcomed the judgment by the Appeals Chamber of the Special Court for Sierra Leone in the case of Charles Taylor, Liberia’s former President, calling it a milestone in international criminal justice and a historic and momentous day for the people of Sierra Leone and the region.

The Secretary-General is deeply concerned by the conclusions of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which state that human influence on the climate system is now evident in most regions and that it is extremely likely that that has been the dominant cause of the observed warming since the mid-twentieth century.

The Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Iraq has expressed his shock at the series of car bomb explosions that hit the city of Erbil yesterday and caused a number of casualties. He urged regional and national authorities to ensure that those responsible will be brought to justice.