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

Now that there was a real prospect of ending the violence plaguing the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, efforts to ensure the lasting security of the population there must be pursued to a successful conclusion, Alan Doss, Special Representative of the Secretary-General, told the Security Council this morning.

As the world commemorates the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, children living in poverty and their families will make their voices heard and call for full implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child at public events at United Nations Headquarters in New York on 19 October.

Considering the consequences of exposure to atomic radiation on human health and the environment, delegates in the Fourth Committee today called for increased funding and resources for the Scientific Committee on the Effects of Atomic Radiation so that it could properly fulfil its mandate of assessing the levels, effects and emerging risks of ionizing radiation.

Poor borrowers in India and Bolivia committed suicide in despair over heavy debt burdens accumulated because the regulatory framework for microfinance loans was not fully developed, Thomas McInerney, Director of the Research, Policy and Strategic Initiatives for the International Development Law Organization, told the Second Committee today during a panel discussion on “Legal Empowerment of the Poor and Eradication of Poverty”.

Reporting on the financial situation of the United Nations to the Fifth Committee (Administrative and Budgetary) this morning, the Organization’s top management official presented, once again, “a mixed picture”, while noting some improvements and stressing the importance of timely and full payment of Member States’ dues to the United Nations.

The strides made to ban chemical weapons was a “living example” of success when global efforts joined forces with clear goals, constructive dialogue, good will and a spirit of consensus, the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security) heard today during its thematic debate on weapons of mass destruction.

Capping its three-day discussion on the promotion and protection of the rights of the child, members of the Third Committee (Social, Cultural and Humanitarian) discussed national programmes to nurture young citizens, saying the credibility of States “rested in their work for future generations”.

This is the text of a message from UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon to the third annual Roots of Peace “Harvest of Hope” programme in Greenwich, Connecticut, on 18 October 2009 (delivered by Under-Secretary-General Vijay Nambiar, Chef de Cabinet):

Following is a statement issued today by the Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Bank Ki-moon: