Following is the text of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message, delivered by Under-Secretary-General Vijay Nambiar, Chef de Cabinet, to the Ninth Annual Orthodox Prayer Service for the United Nations Community, presided over by His All Holiness Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, in New York, today, 26 October:

Green growth would help mitigate climate change, it was good for the economy and the world had the money to fund it, several experts told the Second Committee today during a panel discussion on “Green growth and sustainable development.”

Following are UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks, as prepared for delivery, to the World Affairs Council, in Seattle, today, 26 October:

A photography exhibition entitled “Working for Social Justice” opens in the Main Gallery of the Visitors Lobby on Thursday, 29 October 2009 at 6 p.m.

With the well-being of the world’s natural resources and physical environment hanging in the balance, senior officials from the five United Nations Regional Commissions shed light on their respective efforts to protect the populations and economies they served during an interactive dialogue with the Second Committee this afternoon on “regional perspectives on the economic impacts of climate change.”

As the most severe global financial crisis since the Great Depression continued to threaten progress on the Millennium Development Goals, the Economic and Social Council was opening “new vistas” for collaborative actions, creating new partnerships and sparking engagement with diverse stakeholders to strengthen the United Nations’ coordinated response to such calamities, the President of that 54-member body told General Assembly delegates today.

As the United Nations strove to keep pace with the demands of peacekeeping around the world in operations that were ever increasing in scope and complexity, delegates in the Fourth Committee today called for clear guidance for peacekeeping field personnel, especially when entrusted with protection mandates for civilians in areas of armed conflict.

As the Sixth Committee today continued its consideration of the report of the International Law Commission, with a focus on responsibility of international organizations and other matters, Japan’s representative called on the Commission to take up some aspect of international environmental law so as to carry out its main task of elaborating draft articles towards conventions and to fully engage with the crucial needs of the present-day international community.

While applauding the heroism of United Nations peacekeepers, often operating in harsh environments, Fourth Committee delegations drew attention to a wide range of topics during their annual review of those operations, centred on critical operational aspects, such as the need for force protection, along with timely and reliable logistical support, an effective political process, and cooperation between the United Nations’ different organs and troop- and police-contributors.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Michele Zaccheo as Director of the United Nations Information Centre (UNIC) in Jakarta, Indonesia. He took up his new duties on Friday, 23 October 2009.