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Gender equality is not just a concern for women and girls, a panel of experts gathered at the United Nations in New York stressed today, highlighting the need to engage men and boys as allies and agents of change in this global struggle.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay have voiced deep concern about the escalation of violence and its impact on civilians in Sudan’s Darfur region, and urged an immediate halt to hostilities.

Senior United Nations official Ivan Šimonovic is meeting with local authorities in Kharkiv, Ukraine, today to discuss human rights-related measures that can be taken to help de-escalate tensions in the country.

The United Nations refugee agency said today it is increasingly alarmed at the humanitarian impact of continuing violence in north-eastern Nigeria and stressed the importance of protecting civilians.

With 44 people missing and feared drowned after a smugglers' boat capsized off the coast of southern Yemen, the UN refugee agency today urged the donor community and civil society to develop comprehensive responses to reduce and ultimately prevent these hazardous journeys.

The best hope for peace and stability in Somalia, the Horn of Africa and beyond remains a united, secure and federal Somalia, the top United Nations official in the country told the Security Council today, warning that after a series of attacks against high-profile targets in Mogadishu, insecurity in the capital city poses challenges for Somalis and their international partners.

The head of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) today warned rebel fighters in the country to ‘surrender without delay’ and join the disarmament process or face consequences.

A senior United Nations official in Jerusalem today voiced his deep concern at reports that three Palestinians died in separate security-related incidents in the West Bank within a 24-hour period, and called for restraint by all concerned.

As the fighting continues in South Sudan, United Nations humanitarian agencies warned today that the approach of the rainy season is a major concern for the 706,000 people displaced since the beginning of the crisis in December 2013, 77,000 of which are seeking refuge at UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) bases.

“Where have you been? What took you so long? Why is it only after a year that the UN would try to reach us knowing that we have been here for that long?”