United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today announced the appointment of Margot Wallström of Sweden as his Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict. Ms. Wallström has been a long-time advocate of the rights and needs of women throughout her political career -- first as Swedish Minister and later as Environment Commissioner and Vice-President of the European Commission.

The Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) today recommended one entity for consultative status with the Economic and Social Council, postponed its consideration of 25 applications and closed nine without prejudice.

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

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

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is pleased to announce the appointment of Khawla Mattar as Director of the United Nations Information Centre in Cairo, Egypt. She assumed her new duties on 1 February 2010.

The Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs) today recommended 13 entities for consultative status with the Economic and Social Council, postponed its consideration of 31 applications and recommended a two-year suspension for another, Interfaith International.

The Commission for Social Development is to address social integration when it holds its forty-eighth session at United Nations Headquarters from 3 to 12 February.

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s video message to the Global Zero World Summit in Paris, 2 February:

Since world leaders met in Copenhagen in 1995 to adopt a declaration and action programme for social change, encouraging progress had been made in promoting the inclusion of socially marginalized groups, but “daunting” challenges remained in reaching broader social development goals, Sha Zukang, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, said today, as the Commission for Social Development opened its forty-eighth session.

Following the success of the 2009 inaugural Global Model United Nations Conference held in Geneva, Switzerland, the United Nations Department of Public Information will be organizing the second annual event in Kuala Lumpur on 28‑30 July, in partnership with the Government of Malaysia, the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations and the Commonwealth Secretariat.