The United Nations will observe “Earth Hour” on Saturday, 31 March, by turning off the lights for one hour at its New York Headquarters and other facilities around the world, and joining scores of other international landmarks that are participating in the event. In 2011, more than 5,200 cities and towns in 135 countries worldwide [...]

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s video message to the 106th annual meeting of the American Society of International Law, held in Washington, D.C., 28-31 March: Mr. President, Distinguished members of the American Society of International Law, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, It is a pleasure to convey my best wishes as you [...]

Following is the text of UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s video message to the “Planet Under Pressure” conference, in London, 29 March: Your Excellency Mr. David Willetts, Minister of State for Universities and Science of the United Kingdom; Dr. Irina Bokova, Director-General of [the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)]; Dr. Lidia Brito and [...]

Following are UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s remarks to the League of Arab States Summit, in Baghdad, today, 29 March: This summit comes at a momentous time for Iraq and the Arab world. I congratulate the people and Government of Iraq for hosting it. Indeed, after so many years of suffering — repression, sanctions, war and [...]

Member States concluded the latest round of negotiations on a “ Rio+20” outcome document with proposals that would expand the length and scope of the issues under consideration as they moved towards defining a global action agenda for a sustainable future. Governments completed a first reading of the outcome document for Rio+20 — formally the [...]

NEW YORK (Office for Disarmament Affairs) — South-South News has joined the list of collaborating partners in support of the “Art for Peace 2012″ international art contest for young people, which is being held to promote nuclear disarmament under the slogan “Imagine a World Free of Nuclear Weapons”. More than 750 entries have been received [...]

The following Security Council press statement was issued today by Council President Mark Lyall Grant (United Kingdom): The members of the Security Council are deeply alarmed by the military clashes in the region bordering Sudan and South Sudan, which threaten to precipitate a resumption of conflict between the two countries, worsen the humanitarian situation and [...]

The Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People will convene the United Nations International Meeting on the Question of Palestine on 3 and 4 April at the United Nations Office at Geneva. The theme of the Meeting is “The question of Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli prisons and detention facilities: [...]

Following are UN Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro’s opening remarks at the launch of the inter-agency report “Sustainable Development 20 Years on from the Earth Summit: Progress, Gaps and Strategic Guidelines in Latin America and the Caribbean”, in New York on 27 March: Good afternoon. I am honoured to lead off today’s side event on behalf [...]

Following is UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s message for the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action, to be observed on 4 April: United Nations mine action programmes make an invaluable contribution to post-conflict recovery, humanitarian relief efforts, peace operations and development initiatives. They prevent landmines and other explosive ordnance from causing further [...]