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Libya is nearing a key moment in its democratic transition with upcoming elections, the United Nations envoy for the North African country said today, while adding that the polls are just one part of a process that requires addressing key issues such as ensuring public security and promoting human rights.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has condemned a bomb explosion which occurred in the vicinity of a convoy of UN observers in Syria, injuring several Syrian soldiers accompanying the delegation, Mr. Ban’s spokesperson said today.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is warning of grave violations of child rights in northern Mali, where they are confronted not just by the food crisis in the wider Sahel region but also by displacement and the effect of an armed rebellion.

A Head of State, the chief of a telecommunications company in China, and a Hollywood actress will receive a United Nations award recognizing their leadership and dedication to promote information and communications technologies (ICTs) as a means to empower women and girls.

The top United Nations humanitarian official today voiced concern over “unacceptable” conditions in informal settlements sheltering displaced people and former refugees in Afghanistan, and called for greater support for durable solutions to alleviate their hardship.

Twenty small island developing nations have announced new actions to reduce dependence on fossil fuels and end poverty, as they wrapped up a sustainable energy conference organized by the United Nations and the Government of Barbados.

The head of the United Nations-backed convention on endangered species today hailed the efforts of a Chinese organization that carried out two nationwide operations this year to successfully combat wildlife crime.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today stressed the importance of averting any further deterioration in the condition of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli custody who are on hunger strike, and urged everyone concerned to reach a solution to their plight without delay.

An independent United Nations expert today urged the Tunisian Government to ensure that human rights, especially the right to education, are kept at the heart of the historic reforms taking place in the North African nation.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today urged countries to make progress in their negotiations of the outcome document for the United Nations Sustainable Development Conference (Rio+20) next month.