With the conclusion of public hearings in a case Mexico brought against the United States over the rights of death row prisoners, judges at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) have begun deliberations on their ruling.

As the holiday season approaches, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today called on the parties in Colombia's long-running civil conflict to release any civilians they have kidnapped and renew dialogue towards ending the violence.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said today it had signed a $5.8 million agreement with the government of Brazil, strengthening its collaboration and support of the country's twin-track Zero Hunger Programme, which aims to address the root causes of poverty that result in hunger.

A United Nations conference of more than 300 delegates, meeting in Montreal, Canada, next week, will focus on how the preservation, maintenance and promotion of the traditional knowledge of indigenous and local communities helps to protect biological diversity.