UN chief voices cautious optimism over Haiti’s future

There is substantial reason to believe Haiti is moving away from its past of conflict towards a brighter future of peaceful development, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a report released today, while cautioning that progress remains fragile and highly prone to reversals.

Ban to open UN conference with civil society groups next week in Mexico

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will travel next week to Mexico City, where he will open the annual United Nations Department of Public Information (DPI) conference with non-governmental organizations (NGOs), which this year focuses on disarmament.

UN refugee agency distribute food aid to thousands of refugees in Yemen

The United Nations has shipped much needed food supplies to thousands of mainly Somali refugees in Yemen as they mark the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, when Muslims fast during daylight hours.

India’s carbon emissions poised to triple, new report finds

India’s carbon emissions, which currently account for about 6 per cent of the world total, will more than triple within the next 20 years, says Shanta Barley

Secretary-General urges calm amid reports of post-election clashes in Gabon

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today urged restraint by all parties to avoid an escalation of tensions in Gabon, where disturbances have been reported in some parts of the country following last weekend’s presidential elections.

Senior UN envoy wraps up visit to Kurdistan region of northern Iraq

The top United Nations envoy to Iraq has met with senior Government figures, lawmakers and other UN officials during a two-day visit to the northern region of Kurdistan aimed at boosting the world body’s engagement in the region.

More must be done to consolidate peace in Sierra Leone, says Ban

Greater efforts are needed by all Sierra Leoneans to build on the momentum generated by the signing of a key peace pact that led to the cessation of political violence earlier this year, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon wrote in a new report released today.

UN-backed scheme boosts income, nutrition of poor Ecuadorian farmers

Poor families in central Ecuador have received a boost in their income and food security thanks to an innovative initiative supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), in which they farm guinea pigs, a centuries-old delicacy for the people of the Andes.

Ban urges rapid progress in negotiations on new climate change pact

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, having just witnessed the “sobering reality” of climate change on a visit to the melting glaciers of the Arctic, urged countries to make rapid progress on negotiations for a new international pact to reduce global warming.

Former DR Congo leader to remain in ICC custody ahead of war crimes trial

A former senior official of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) who has been charged with war crimes will remain in custody ahead of his trial, the Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Court (ICC) decided today.