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The Security Council today extended the mandate of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) for another year, saying its presence there, as well as that of the Lebanese armed forces, is helping to promote stability in the south of the Middle Eastern country.

The United Nations special envoy to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) today condemned the recent incident of gang rape by members of armed groups in the east of the country, saying that the UN mission there was reviewing its procedures so that it can offer better protection to civilians.

The joint conference of the United Nations department of public information and non-governmental organizations, which gets under way in Australia tomorrow, will this year focus on global health in relation to the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), aiming to attract greater participation of civil society from the Asia-Pacific region.

The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Nepal today urged the Asian country's Government to swiftly implement the landmark Supreme Court decision of 2007 that required the State to enact a law to criminalize forced disappearance of people.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan today condemned the killing of a fourth parliamentary election candidate in the western province of Herat and the murder of five men supporting the electoral campaign of a female candidate in the same region.

The United Nations human rights chief today strongly condemned the killing of 72 migrants in northern Mexico and called on the authorities to take urgent steps to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.

The number of Afghan refugees voluntarily returning home from Pakistan and Iran has topped 100,000 so far this year, the United Nations reported today, noting that this is almost twice as many as in 2009.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is urging all Member States that have not yet done so to ratify the United Nations-backed treaty banning nuclear tests, saying it is important to build on the momentum made on disarmament and non-proliferation over the past year.

An independent United Nations human rights expert has called on all Somalis to help prevent the kind of bloodshed witnessed this week when 33 people were killed during a hotel bombing in the capital, and to assist in bringing those responsible to justice.

United Nations human rights officials in Nepal are voicing concern over continued reports that journalists operating in the country’s eastern Terai districts are facing serious threats and intimidation.