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United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today announced that he has appointed veteran diplomat Staffan de Mistura as the new special envoy tasked with seeking a peaceful resolution of the ongoing conflict in Syria.

At a high-level review and assessment by the United Nations General Assembly of progress achieved in the prevention and control of non-communicable diseases, UN World Health Organization (WHO) Director General Margaret Chan today expressed deep concern about projected trends, especially as poor populations, the least able to cope, will be hit the hardest.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today warned the United Nations Security Council of the “risk of an all-out escalation in Israel and Gaza” and made an urgent appeal for maximum restraint, saying his “paramount concern is the safety and well-being of all civilians, no matter where they are.”

An independent United Nations human rights expert has urged the Government of Honduras to address the culture of widespread impunity for crimes against women and girls, while also noting that incidents of violence against women appear to be on the rise in the Central American nation.

An additional 2.5 billion people are predicted to live in urban areas by 2050, the United Nations today reported, highlighting the need for a successful urban planning agenda and greater attention to be given to smaller cities where nearly half of all people currently reside.

While noting the progress made in addressing political and security issues in West Africa, the members of the United Nations Security Council today voiced concern over challenges such as transnational organized crime, drug trafficking, terrorism and piracy in the Gulf of Guinea.

Warning that Gaza is on a knife’s edge, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today the situation could spiral quickly beyond anyone’s control, and urged the international community to work with Israeli and Palestinian leaders to avert further escalation “in a region that can ill-afford another full-blown war.”

At a special meeting to mark the 10th anniversary of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) advisory ruling declaring illegal Israel’s construction of a separation wall in the West Bank, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon today called for a halt to the current violence between Israelis and Palestinians, while also the need all Member States to comply with international law.

The United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen has voiced alarm at the recent escalation of violence in Amran Governorate which has displaced thousands of families in the past few days.

In what it termed a “brutal” attack, the United Nations peacekeeping operation in the Central African Republic (CAR) today condemned the killing of dozens of displaced people at the site of Saint Joseph Cathedral and the Bishop's residence in Bambari.