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More United Nations aid arrived in Lebanon today as the cessation of hostilities between Israel and Hizbollah entered its second week but the UN office coordinating humanitarian assistance warned that unexploded ordnance litters many areas in the south and will take months to clear.

Despite successful efforts to contain the spread of the deadly H5N1 virus, avian flu poses a threat to a growing number of countries, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), which says the Caucasus and southern Balkans are now considered “high-risk” areas.

In an effort to help prevent crises from escalating into armed conflicts that take precious lives and destroy livelihoods, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan has issued a wide range of recommendations to bolster the Organization’s capacity to avert conflict around the globe.

Reacting to a signal from Iran that it was set to reply next week to a package of Security Council-backed proposals on resolving the nuclear issue, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today appealed to Iran to seize "this historic opportunity" and respond positively to the offer.

A United Nations delegation met in Beirut today with Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora and other senior officials to discuss carrying out the terms of Security Council resolution 1701, which was adopted just over a week ago and forced a cessation to the hostilities that had engulfed Lebanon and northern Israel over the previous month, with a view to forging a long-term ceasefire.

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today spoke with top Israeli and Lebanese officials following an Israeli raid in eastern Lebanon which he warned endangers the fragile calm that has generally held in the region since Monday.

As part of his continued campaign to focus attention on threats to press freedom worldwide, the Director-General of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) today condemned the killing of a radio journalist in Colombia.

Aid workers need access to deliver vital humanitarian supplies to thousands of Sri Lankan civilians who are running short of water and food after their communities were cut off by fighting between the Government and separatist Tamil Tigers, the United Nations refugee agency warned today.

The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) has agreed to accept emergency rations to help the victims of last month’s devastating floods and landslides in the central and southern regions, the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) announced today.

Youth from across the world are a driving force behind talks now taking place at United Nations Headquarters in New York aimed at finalizing a treaty protecting the rights of persons with disabilities.