The United Nations Secretary-General has sent his deepest condolences to the Government of Nepal and to everyone affected by a 7.8 magnitude earthquake that struck the country on Saturday.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, convening a meeting on Myanmar today, welcomed the positive direction of its reform process as it continues on its “path of historic transition”, but emphasized that more work remains to be done to address the country’s myriad challenges.

At the end of a seven-day mission to Afghanistan, a senior United Nations’ human rights official today described the “paradoxical situation” in which the country finds itself.

Thousands of children affected by the devastation of last month’s Cyclone Pam in Vanuatu are slated to receive new birth certificates through a United Nations-supported campaign, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) announced today.