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On the occasion of the first anniversary of the Agreement on Peace and Reconciliation in Mali, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has welcomed the renewed commitment to peace expressed by the country's President, Ibrahim Boubakar Keïta, and his Government.

Marking the first International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today said that the era of impunity for sexual violence as a tool of war is over, citing a host of landmark rulings against political and military leaders.

On a visit to Greece, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today discussed the refugee crisis with Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras, urging States to address the root causes of displacement and more evenly share the responsibility for the welfare of migrants and refugees.

Visiting the Greek island of Lesbos, which has become migrants' entry point to Europe, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called on the countries in the region to respond with a humane and human rights-based approach, instead of border closures, barriers and bigotry.

Renowned photographer Giles Duley, who barely survived a 2011 explosion in Afghanistan in which he lost both legs and part of his left arm, now reports for the United Nations refugee agency, and feels that his lasting wounds have allowed him to better connect with people and capture their stories.

A senior United Nations human rights advisor has condemned the criminal attack that took place at a nightclub in Orlando, Florida, on 12 June, in which 49 people were killed and 53 injured, and expressed grave concern at the outpouring of hatred, homophobia and Islamophobia that followed the incident, which targeted the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community.

Concluding their second visit to Burundi, a team of United Nations independent human rights experts welcomed certain improvements in the country, but warned that the recent “calm should not be confused with long term stability,” and also called on all parties in the country to stop the use of violence as a political tool.

A United Nations expert group today said that State-owned enterprises must lead by example in respecting human rights, noting that Governments often ask private businesses to respect human rights, but forget to mind their own business.

The United Nations health agency today issued a revised strategic response plan for the next one and a half years to combat the transmission of the Zika virus, which has now spread to 60 countries.

Over the past two days, humanitarian convoys have delivered aid to thousands of beneficiaries in several besieged areas of war-torn Syria, including some 50,000 beneficiaries in Afrin, in the country’s north, and an estimated 37,500 residents of Al-Waer, near Homs, according to the United Nations relief wing.