The new Permanent Representative of Tonga to the United Nations, Sonatane Tu’akinamolahi Taumoepeau-Tupou, presented his credentials today to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Deeply concerned about the possible security implications of climate change, the General Assembly today invited the major organs of the United Nations, including the Security Council, to intensify their efforts to address the challenge, as appropriate and within their respective mandates.

As the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) took up financing of the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), representatives of Serbia and Russian Federation questioned a proposed 76.2 per cent reduction in the budget of the Mission, which reflected a drawdown in personnel from an approved strength of 4,911 in 2008/09 to a proposed strength of 507 for 2009/10.

Following are UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks at a lunch in honour of the centenary of the birth of U Thant, in New York, 3 June:

The new Permanent Representative of Serbia to the United Nations, Feodor Starčević, today presented his credentials to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has appointed Sahle-Work Zewde of Ethiopia as his new Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Peacebuilding Support Office in the Central African Republic (BONUCA), which is to be succeeded by the United Nations Integrated Peacebuilding Office (BINUCA).

The United Nations Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People will convene the United Nations Asian and Pacific Meeting on the Question of Palestine on 8 and 9 June 2009 at the Hotel Borobudur in Jakarta. The theme of the Meeting is “Strengthening international consensus on the urgency of achieving a two-State solution”. It will be followed, on 10 June 2009, by the United Nations Public Forum in Support of the Palestinian People.

The Fifth Community (Administrative and Budgetary) this afternoon took up the proposed $68.28 million budget for the United Nations Logistics Base in Brindisi, whose role is expected to expand significantly in the financial year beginning 1 July.

Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message on World Oceans Day, observed 8 June: