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Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has voiced his confidence that the United Nations can deliver concrete results for the peoples of the world who have increasingly turned to the Organization to address some of today’s most pressing challenges.

The International Court of Justice (ICJ), the principal judicial organ of the United Nations, will deliver a ruling next week on Georgia’s claim against Russia that it has breached a global pact against racial discrimination.

With natural disasters claiming 230,000 lives in the first six months of this year alone, the same toll as the massive Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004, much more must be invested in disaster reduction and the reinforcement of hospitals should be a top priority, the United Nations relief chief said today.

Rising banditry across eastern Chad has forced several aid organizations to temporarily suspend their work, the United Nations humanitarian wing reported today, warning of the effect this is having on internally displaced persons (IDPs) in the region.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has spoken out against the lack of “tangible progress” made by the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) in addressing serious human rights concerns, with reports from the nation pointing to such actions as torture, public executions and forced labour.

Dozens of applications from around the world have been received for inscription on a new UN-endorsed list that will work to protect and enhance awareness about intangible cultural heritage, such as oral traditions and expressions, performing arts and rituals.

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is spotlighting the introduction of a new tool in India that is designed to help health-care experts, policymakers and local communities across the country understand the root causes of its high rates of maternal mortality.

Five community groups have been singled out for special recognition by the United Nations-backed Equator Initiative for their innovative efforts to slash poverty and conserve biodiversity.

Top United Nations officials have marked World Habitat Day with a call to ensure that the rapid urbanization of towns and cities – which the majority of people today call home – is accompanied by decent living conditions and efforts to preserve the environment.

A group of 13 independent United Nations experts today urged that the human rights of the millions of detainees worldwide be respected, as the world body begins a week-long campaign aimed at stepping up pressure on States, parliaments and other bodies to abolish, or at least reduce, arbitrary and unlawful detention.