Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message for the International Day of Democracy, observed on 15 September: Civil society is the oxygen of democracy. We see this clearly in the world’s most vibrant and stable democracies, where government and civil society work together for common goals. Civil society acts as a catalyst for social progress and economic growth. It plays a critical role in keeping government accountable and helps represent the diverse interests of the population, including its most vulnerable groups. The role of civil society has never been more important.

Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message for the International Day of the Victims of Enforced Disappearances, observed on 30 August:

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s video message for World Humanitarian Day, observed today:

Following are UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon’s remarks at the event marking World Humanitarian Day, in New York today:

Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message for the International Day against Nuclear Tests, observed on 29 August:

Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message for World Humanitarian Day, observed on 19 August:

Following are UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks, as prepared for delivery, to the commemoration of International Youth Day, in New York today:

Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks at the event commemorating the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, in New York today:

This year’s International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, observed on 9 August, puts a spotlight on the issue of indigenous peoples’ access to health care services.

Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message for the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, observed on 9 August: