During its resumed substantive session for 2009, the Economic and Social Council this afternoon elected by secret ballot Jorge Montano (Mexico) to serve effective immediately as a member of the International Narcotics Control Board until 1 March 2012. Mr. Montano was elected to replace Maria Elena Medina-Mora Icaza (Mexico), who resigned. He received 40 of 46 votes. Two delegates who were present abstained from the voting.

Pressed to conclude their work by 2010, top officials from the war crimes Tribunals investigating atrocities committed during the 1994 Rwandan genocide and the Balkan wars of the 1990s, today appealed to the General Assembly for more time, resources and compensation for staff who were throwing their full weight behind the pursuit of justice for victims.

The following Security Council press statement on Afghanistan was read out today by Council President Le Luong Minh (Viet Nam):

The Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) continued its general debate on decolonization issues today, focusing solely on the question of Western Sahara and hearing 31 petitioners weigh the human rights, humanitarian, and political dimensions of the dispute.

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks at the Americans for the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Gala for the Health and Dignity of Women, yesterday, 8 October:

The following statement by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon was issued today, 9 October:

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

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) is sponsoring a major exhibit on violence against women to be opened on Monday, 12 October, at a ceremony to be attended by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and other senior United Nations officials and delegations. The ceremony also marks the fifteenth anniversary of International Conference on Population and Development in Cairo, and will allow a full-day session of the General Assembly commemorating the anniversary.

Food production must double by 2050 to meet the demand of the world’s growing population and innovative strategies are needed to help combat hunger, which already affects more than 1 billion people in the world, several experts today told the Second Committee (Economic and Financial) during a panel discussion on “New cooperation for global food security”.

As the Fourth Committee (Special Political and Decolonization) continued its general debate on decolonization issues today, Member States stressed that, with the Second International Decade for the Eradication of Colonialism about to wrap up in 2010, there was a crucial need to generate new momentum and ensure that the 16 remaining Non-Self-Governing Territories were able to exercise the right to self-determination.