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In his first formal news conference since assuming office, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today reported on his first 10 days, ranging from efforts to give momentum to solving long-standing crises such as those in Sudan and the Middle East to “housekeeping” steps to strengthen the world body’s institutional capacity.

The United Nations International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) has announced that that it will conduct a joint evaluation of policies and operations in Africa with the continent’s major development bank.

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) expressed sadness and shock today at the murder of one its employees during a roadside ambush in southern Sudan, calling the attack evidence of the instability that continues to plague the region.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today said that while he understood the “necessity” behind the recent United States military operations in Somalia, aimed at suspected Al-Qaida targets, diplomatic efforts must be redoubled to bring peace to the war-ravaged country that has not had a functioning government since 1991.

Iraqi journalists, parliamentarians and government officials have united to call for the protection and promotion of a free and pluralistic media at a conference held at the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) headquarters in Paris.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called on journalists to judge his recently appointed top officials by their performance and said they were chosen following a thorough selection process.

The Security Council today backed Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s call for the speedy deployment of a United Nations political mission in Nepal to monitor the cantonment of weapons and help organize elections for a constituent assembly after the recent peace accord between the Government and Maoist rebels that ended a deadly decade-long war.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today said the United Nations will work with the Baghdad Government and key partners to promote stability in Iraq, while continuing efforts to facilitate the political process to the full extent possible within prevailing security constraints.

The United Nations envoy in Timor-Leste today welcomed the peaceful response by the population to the trial of former Interior Minister Rogerio Lobato and his co-defendants, who are being tried for allegedly arming civilians during the deadly violence that erupted last year, which led to the deaths of at least 37 people and forced 155,000 others from their homes.

The Sudanese Government remains committed to the deployment of a hybrid United Nations-African Union (AU) peacekeeping force in Sudan’s war-torn Darfur region, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today as his Special Envoy continued his mission to find a durable solution to the conflict that has caused massive humanitarian suffering.