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Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called for support for the establishment of an inclusive interim government in Tunisia, telling the summit of the African Union that the United Nations is willing to help the North African country hold credible elections.

The United Nations and the Government of Afghanistan today signed an agreement in which the country made a commitment to protect children affected by armed conflict and to prevent the recruitment of minors into the national armed forces.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today had a meeting with the President of France, Nicolas Sarkozy, during which he reaffirmed United Nations' commitment to working closely with the Group of 20 industrialized and emerging economies to generate innovative financing for development.

The African Union-United Nations chief mediator for Darfur today welcomed a joint statement by the main armed movements in the western Sudanese region in which they, for the first time, expressed their commitment to the internally-facilitated peace talks hosted by the Government of Qatar.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today in Addis Ababa met with a delegation of the Economic Commission of West African States (ECOWAS) and underlined his deep concern over the continuing post-election crisis in Côte d’Ivoire and the deadlock’s impact on security and development prospects for the country.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today outlined the principles he said should guide efforts to resolve the political crisis in Côte d''Ivoire, including the demand that outgoing president Laurent Gbagbo step down to allow the formation of a national unity government by president-elect, Alassane Ouattara.

The United Nations refugee agency today welcomed the entry into force of a new law in Mexico on the protection of refugees and asylum-seekers that now gives the country a legal framework that complies with international standards in this area.

An independent United Nations human rights expert today urged authorities in the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) to resolve the issue of abducted Japanese citizens, saying the long-standing kidnappings were a matter of concern to the international community.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called for “revolutionary action” to achieve sustainable development, warning that the past century’s heedless consumption of resources is “a global suicide pact” with time running out to ensure an economic model for survival.

Top United Nations officials today urged the Government of Egypt to protect the rights of its citizens amid the political protests taking place in the country, particularly freedoms of expression, information and assembly.