The Department of Public Information’s (DPI) Committee on Non-Governmental Organizations decided this month to accept the applications of 31 NGOs to be associated with the Department, bringing to 1,549 the total number of officially affiliated groups.

After an historic global recession pushed millions more into poverty and raised fears that the traditional system of checks and balances might fail to prevent another, the United Nations General Assembly used the main part of its sixty-fourth session to urge the creation of a more equitable multilateral structure that would see developing countries increasingly take positions of power, from the Security Council to the Bretton Woods institutions and other global decision-making forums.

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 has appointed Bo Schack of Denmark to serve as his Deputy Special Representative in the Central African Republic. Mr. Schack will also serve as United Nations Resident Coordinator, Humanitarian Coordinator and Resident Representative.

The trend of deadly attacks against United Nations personnel continued in 2009, with at least 28 civilian staff members losing their lives due to acts of violence, according to the United Nations Staff Union Committee for the Security and Independence of the International Civil Service.

Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s briefing to the Security Council on Afghanistan in New York today, 6 January:

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the Security Council today that Afghanistan had reached a “critical juncture” after a challenging year of difficult elections, a deteriorating security situation and doubts about the strategies of the Government and the international community.

Anatolio Ndong Mba, the new Permanent Representative of Equatorial Guinea to the United Nations, today presented his credentials to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

Jean-Francis Régis Zinsou, the new Permanent Representative of Benin to the United Nations, today presented his credentials to UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.