UN News Centre

Welcoming the announcement of new Cabinet members in Lebanon, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has expressed hope that the new Government will ensure that the country&#39s forthcoming parliamentary election is successfully conducted within the timeframe set by the constitution, according to his spokesman.

Despite appearances and media spin, "migration does not have to be chaotic or seem like an invasion," and as yet another turbulent year for millions of people on the move comes to an end, the United Nations is marking International Migrants Day with a worldwide call for more cooperation and a resolute rejection of intolerance and policies driven by xenophobic rhetoric.

Marking the one-year anniversary of the signing of the Libyan Political Agreement, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today commended all Libyans who engaged in the &#8220milestone&#8221 process, but cautioned that while much progress has been made, &#8220the road to peace is long&#8221 and the Libyan people have not yet achieved the stability and security they deserve.

Condemning acts of terrorism and their impact on innocent civilians and on peace and stability, the United Nations Security Council emphasized the need for establishing wilful violation of prohibition on financing of terrorist organizations or individual terrorists as serious criminal offenses in national laws and regulations.

Sandra Honoré, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) for Haiti and Head of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH), inaugurated on 8 December a water capture and distribution project in the town of Merger, an hour outside of the Caribbean nation’s capital Port au Prince.

The General Assembly today paid a tribute to United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon for his “never-tiring service to humanity” over the past decade, while also swearing in his successor António Guterres, who will assume his duties on 1 January 2017.

With Yemen’s health system near collapse, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned today that nearly 2.2 million children are acutely malnourished and require urgent care, while at least 462,000 are suffering from Severe Acute Malnutrition (SAM) – a near 200 per cent increase since 2014.

Marking Universal Health Coverage Day, the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) has launched a new data portal to track global access to universal health coverage, including information about equity of access and where services need to be improved.

Sworn in today as the ninth and next United Nations Secretary-General, António Guterres pledged to reposition development at the centre of the Organization’s work and ensure that the UN can change to effectively meet the myriad challenges facing the international community.

Although countries across the Middle East and North Africa have made major strides in protecting children’s rights and wellbeing since the inception of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) 70 years ago, conflict risks reversing these gains for 157 million children in the region.

Portugal's António Guterres will soon take the reigns as the UN Secretary-General, having been appointed by the United Nations General Assembly, on 13 October 2016. He will serve for a five-year period, ending 31 December 2021.

Condemning, in the strongest possible terms, a terrorist attack outside the seaport in Somalia&#39s capital, Mogadishu, the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for the country said that the bloody act will not stop the momentum of the electoral process.

Condemning the terrorist attack at the St. Peter&#39s Church, attached to St. Mark&#39s Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in Cairo, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the Security Council underlined that those responsible for the attack should be held accountable.

Senior United Nations officials, including Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the head of the UN World Tourism Organization condemned last night&#39s terrorist attack in the Turkish city of Istanbul that killed dozens of people and injured many more.

Former Prime Minister of Portugal António Guterres is set to be sworn in Monday, 12 December, as the next United Nations Secretary-General, succeeding Ban Ki-moon who steps down at the end of the month.

A global effort to end violence against women is now underway: 16 days of activism began on 25 November with the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against and will continue through 10 December, Human Rights Day galvanizing the work of UN Women’s ‘Orange the World’ campaign and the United Nations Secretary-General’s UNiTE to End Violence Against Women initiative.

Welcoming the announcement of a temporary cessation of hostilities by the Libyan National Army in the Ganfouda area, in the Libyan city of Benghazi, to allow evacuation of civilians, the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for Libya called on the parties to the conflict to ensure that civilians are protected.

Expressing deep concern that civilians remain in Ganfouda area of the Libyan city, Benghazi, despite a unilateral ceasefire announced by the Libyan National Army, the United Nations envoy for the country called on the parties to provide another safe passage to allow for the evacuation of all civilians who wish to leave in a secure and dignified manner.

Following are brief summaries of some of today’s news stories from around the UN system. Click on the links provided for more detailed coverage.

Governments must abide by the existing laws that protect indigenous and local communities who are stewards of key natural resources from which all humankind benefits, a United Nations human rights expert told the UN Conference on Biological Diversity today.