Latest headlines
Education vital in efforts to defeat intolerance, Secretary-General says
16 November 2008 – Education is one of the most useful ways to overcome intolerance because it highlights similarities between people and helps to spread a healthy respect for differences, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today. FULL STORY>>
Urgent action needed before global financial crisis worsens, Ban warns
13 November 2008 – Immediate action is needed to prevent the current financial crisis from becoming a “human tragedy,” resulting in political and security challenges that would overwhelm the current economic problems, warned Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon ahead of this weekend’s meeting of the so-called Group of 20 (G-20) nations. FULL STORY>>
Darfur: Ban welcomes Sudanese ceasefire, plan to disarm militias
12 November 2008 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has welcomed the Sudanese Government’s declaration today of an immediate ceasefire between its forces and the rebel movements in Darfur and also Khartoum’s stated plan to disarm allied militias operating in the war-torn region. FULL STORY>>
Stronger action needed to rid world of landmines, Secretary-General says
12 November 2008 – More efforts are needed to eliminate landmines and other explosive devices, despite the great strides made in ridding the world of the deadly weapons, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today. FULL STORY>>
Secretary-General applauds tsunami early warning system in Indonesia
11 November 2008 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today welcomed the launch of the Indonesian Tsunami Early Warning System, congratulating the country’s Government for its regional leadership by taking steps towards making its citizens less vulnerable to the effects of such a natural disaster. FULL STORY>>
UN health agency welcomes ban on smoking at world body’s New York headquarters
06 November 2008 – The United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) today welcomed a General Assembly resolution to ban smoking and tobaccos sales at the world body’s headquarters in New York, saying the decision will protect the health of delegates, employees and visitors. FULL STORY>>
Renewed fighting in eastern DR Congo alarms Secretary-General
06 November 2008 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has voiced deep concern at fresh fighting in the violence-wracked North Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and urged all armed groups to get behind efforts to broker a political solution to the current crisis in the region. FULL STORY>>
On International Day, Ban calls for protecting environment in times of conflict
06 November 2008 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called for preventing the exploitation of the environment in times of conflict, stressing that protecting nature can help countries create employment opportunities, promote development and avoid a relapse into hostilities. FULL STORY>>
Secretary-General to take part in Middle East Quartet meeting this weekend
05 November 2008 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will attend a meeting of the Middle East Quartet, the international diplomatic grouping aiming to promote peace between Israel and the Palestinians, in the region this weekend, he announced today. FULL STORY>>
Secretary-General urges immediate release of captured aid workers in Somalia
05 November 2008 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has strongly condemned today’s abduction of four aid workers and two pilots from an airstrip in the central Somali town of Dusamareb and demanded that they be released immediately. FULL STORY>>
UN to send electoral team to Bangladesh ahead of parliamentary polls, says Ban
02 November 2008 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon announced on Sunday that the United Nations will soon be sending an electoral team to Bangladesh ahead of next month's parliamentary polls, which he described as a “historic opportunity” for the South Asian nation. FULL STORY>>
Secretary-General lauds Nepalese peace efforts on arrival in Kathmandu
31 October 2008 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today lauded the “historic” progress made by the people of Nepal to restore peace and stability and reaffirmed the commitment of the United Nations to continue to support those efforts, as he began an official visit to Kathmandu. FULL STORY>>
India and UN have ‘indispensable’ partnership, Ban says during visit
30 October 2008 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today highlighted the long-standing relationship between India and the United Nations in areas ranging from peace and security to achieving global anti-poverty goals to sustainable development, as he began a two-day visit to the country. FULL STORY>>
Secretary-General applauds Maldives after its first multi-party presidential polls
30 October 2008 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today congratulated the people of the Maldives for the peaceful conduct of the Indian Ocean archipelago’s first-ever multi-party presidential elections this week, calling the poll “an important step forward in the country’s democratic reform process.” FULL STORY>>
Secretary-General sounds alarm on intensifying conflict in eastern DR Congo
29 October 2008 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today expressed his alarm at the escalating violence over the past 24 hours in the volatile east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), lamenting the “catastrophic” humanitarian toll the conflict is taking in the region. FULL STORY>>
Secretary-General welcomes latest effort to resolve Zimbabwean impasse
27 October 2008 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has welcomed today’s initiative of regional leaders in Southern Africa to hold a summit in Harare, Zimbabwe, to resolve the outstanding issues to a power-sharing deal for a new government in the troubled and impoverished country, warning of the humanitarian consequences if the impasse does not end soon. FULL STORY>>
Nuclear disarmament must shift from aspiration to reality, Ban says
24 October 2008 – Acknowledging that obstacles to nuclear disarmament are daunting, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today said that it is more imperative than ever to make it a reality given the twin economic and financial crises the world is currently facing. FULL STORY>>
Leadership and partnership more important than ever, Ban says on UN Day
24 October 2008 – As the world contends with numerous crises, ranging from food insecurity and climate change to financial uncertainty and the development challenge, leadership and partnership are more important than ever to tackle today’s most pressing issues, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a message marking United Nations Day. FULL STORY>>
Secretary-General applauds Indian launch of spacecraft
23 October 2008 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today offered his congratulations to India’s Government and people for the successful launch of the Chandrayaan 1 spacecraft, which is expected to orbit the Moon and carry out research during a two-year mission. FULL STORY>>
Top economists to meet Ban to discuss impact of global financial crisis
22 October 2008 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will meet with a group of eminent economists tomorrow as part of his evaluation of the impact of the global financial crisis on United Nations efforts to achieve the anti-poverty targets known as the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) FULL STORY>>
Secretary-General welcomes peaceful agreement on new Bolivian constitution
21 October 2008 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has welcomed the agreement reached today by Bolivia’s National Congress on the text of a proposed new constitution and the process for its approval. FULL STORY>>
At Harvard University, Ban issues call to action to tackle today’s crises
21 October 2008 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today issued a call to action to address the challenges of climate change, global health, terrorism, financial instability and disarmament, all of which are key to securing the common good in a time of global crises. FULL STORY>>
Iran: Ban concerned by treatment of women, juvenile executions
20 October 2008 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon expressed his concern over the rights of women and minorities in Iran, as well as over the death penalty, including juvenile executions and stoning, in a new report to the General Assembly on the country’s human rights situation. FULL STORY>>
Global cooperation more vital than ever, Ban tells French-speaking world
17 October 2008 – The spirit of international partnership has never been more important as the world faces grave interrelated threats such as the financial crisis, climate change, terrorism and extreme poverty, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the heads of French-speaking-countries today. FULL STORY>>
Secretary-General stresses role of religions in building peace
17 October 2008 – All of the world’s great religions have a critical role to play in building and cementing global peace, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has told a gathering of Asian religious figures today. FULL STORY>>
European Union’s climate actions could be economic boon, Ban says
17 October 2008 – Proposed European Union (EU) proposals on tackling climate change could also be a boon for the economy, generating millions of new jobs at a time when the world is suffering from the financial crisis, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today. FULL STORY>>
Secretary-General urges restraint as Cambodian-Thai border row turns deadly
15 October 2008 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today expressed deep concern about the exchange of gunfire today along the Cambodian-Thai border near a disputed ancient temple that has reportedly led to the deaths of at least two people. FULL STORY>>
General Assembly ban on all human cloning to be reconsidered by UN ethics panel
13 October 2008 – The permissibility of therapeutic cloning will be the focus of a United Nations ethics panel later this month when it considers whether a non-binding General Assembly declaration calling on Member States to ban all forms of human cloning should be reassessed in light of scientific, ethical, social, political and legal advances. FULL STORY>>
UN emergency relief fund largely successful, Ban reports
10 October 2008 – The United Nations $500 million emergency fund set up to speed relief for natural and man-made disasters and save thousands of lives that would otherwise be lost to delay has largely achieved its objectives, but Member States must ensure it receives adequate financing, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon says in a report released today. FULL STORY>>
Greater attention must be paid to mental health care, Ban says
10 October 2008 – Greater efforts are needed to address the difficulties in providing mental health care and protecting the human rights of those with severe disorders, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today, urging scaled up resources to provide care to those who need it. FULL STORY>>
Secretary-General, drug companies agree to boost efforts to tackle HIV/AIDS
09 October 2008 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and top executives from over one dozen global pharmaceutical companies agreed today that greater efforts must be made to combat HIV/AIDS, despite significant strides that have been made in improving access to prevention and treatment. FULL STORY>>
Do more, invest more in mitigating impact of natural disasters, Ban tells world
09 October 2008 – Much more needs to be done and much greater funding made available to mitigate the devastating toll of natural disasters in an age when climate change threatens to increase both their frequency and severity, according to a United Nations report released today. FULL STORY>>
DPR Korea: Ban sounds alarm on lack of progress in human rights
07 October 2008 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has spoken out against the lack of “tangible progress” made by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) in addressing serious human rights concerns, with reports from the nation pointing to such actions as torture, public executions and forced labour. FULL STORY>>
Darfur: Ban outlines timetable towards full deployment of hybrid force
07 October 2008 – The “severely stretched” United Nations-African Union peacekeeping force in Darfur, which has struggled to find enough countries willing to supply troops and equipment, should now reach two-thirds of its full deployment by the end of this year, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today. FULL STORY>>
Security Council and Ban call for naval and air action against Somali pirates
07 October 2008 – The Security Council and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called today for more international air and naval forces off the pirate-ridden coast of Somalia to ensure that United Nations food aid gets through to more than 3 million people threatened with starvation. FULL STORY>>
Climate change poses ‘defining challenge’ of our time, Ban says
07 October 2008 – Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today warned of the dangers of the fight against the climate change – which he characterized as the “defining challenge of our era” – getting bogged down by shorter-term problems, such as the current global financial turmoil. FULL STORY>>
World’s poorest can bank on UN support, Secretary-General says
07 October 2008 – The world’s poorest people can count on the United Nations and its Member States to support them, despite the current crisis engulfing financial markets, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today. FULL STORY>>