Parties to armed conflict continued to use sexual violence with efficient brutality, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the Security Council today as it held a day-long debate on the agenda item “Women and peace and security”.

Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message to the Third Summit of Heads of State and Government of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region, delivered by Olusegun Obasanjo, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General, in Lusaka, Zambia, today, 10 August:

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:

Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s statement to “Building a Local Government Alliance for Disaster Risk Reduction” Conference in Incheon, Republic of Korea, 11 August:

Initiatives to promote environmental, economic and social sustainability will be on display at United Nations Headquarters in New York when young people meet to celebrate International Youth Day on 12 August. The Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) will host a public event where youth will share initiatives aimed at promoting sustainable living and development.

The General Assembly today decided to hold on 24 September 2009 a high-level meeting to commemorate the sixtieth anniversary of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).

Following are UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks at the opening of the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) office and the ISDR Training Centre for Urban Risk Reduction in Incheon, Republic of Korea, today, 11 August:

Following are UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks to the Global Environment Forum in Incheon, Republic of Korea, today, 11 August:

On 10 August 2009, the Security Council Al-Qaida and Taliban Sanctions Committee approved the amendments specified with strikethrough and underline in the 15 entries below to its Consolidated List of individuals and entities subject to the assets freeze, travel ban and arms embargo set out in paragraph 1 of Security Council resolution 1822 (2008) adopted under Chapter VII of the Charter of the United Nations.

On 10 August 2009, the Security Council Al-Qaida and Taliban Sanctions Committee approved the deletion (de-listing) of the entry specified below from its Consolidated List. The Committee approved this de-listing following its review of the name, as called for in paragraph 25 of Security Council resolution 1822 (2008).