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Both in Syria where conditions are daily worsening, and in Mali where security has much improved, a political solution is the only answer for long-term stability, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today in a news briefing that touched on crisis flashpoints around the world.

Developing sustainable urban infrastructure benefits not just the environment, but can also boost economic growth and social stability, according to a United Nations report released today, which stresses the need to transition to resource-efficient technologies in cities, given scarce natural resources.

Amid the reverberations from popular uprisings known as the “Arab Spring,” the United Nations has a key role to play in supporting women in the Middle East by convening disparate voices and identifying new modes of cooperation, experts on women’s rights said during a “Classroom Conversation” with university students from around the world.

The United Nations is beefing up security at its Headquarters in New York and at other compounds following Monday’s terror bombings at the Boston Marathon which killed three people and wounded 170 more.

United Nations officials in Iran and Pakistan today reiterated Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon’s promise of assistance, if needed, to both countries following the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck their border on 16 April.

As countries around the world struggle to find the necessary funds to sustainably manage their forests, the private sector is emerging as a key source of financing that, if tapped properly, could result in benefits for the environment along with profits for businesses.

Warning that the way the world produces, shares and uses energy is unsustainable, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called on governments and the private sector to collaborate in providing a cleaner, low-carbon model that benefits both people and the planet.

Almir Narayamoga Surui was born into an indigenous Amazonian tribe – the Paiter-Surui – in Rondonia in north-west Brazil at a time when his people had very little contact with the world outside of the forest. He is the first member of the Surui to attend college, and for more than 20 years has been fighting to save both his tribe and the Amazon rainforest.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay today urged action to stop the lawlessness and grave violations to civilians in the Central African Republic (CAR) including torture, recruitment of children by armed forces, rape and kidnappings.

A United Nations independent expert today urged the Government of Mozambique to urgently address the needs of the poorest and most marginalized in society warning that they risk being left behind as the country enters unprecedented economic growth with extractive industries vying to invest in its natural rich resources.