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Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leaders today held the first of two top-level meetings scheduled for this week, under United Nations sponsorship, as they intensified their efforts to reunify the Mediterranean island which has been split for almost 50 years.

The United Nations stands ready to support Egypt’s political transition, the United Nation’s top political official has said, noting the world body understands that the process must be led by Egyptians.

While underlining the importance of the United Nations sanctions regime against individuals and entities linked to the Taliban or Al-Qaida as an essential tool in fighting terrorism, the Security Council today also stressed the need for fair and due process for those implicated.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called for full compliance with the United Nations arms embargo placed on Côte d’Ivoire after reports that attack helicopters have been provided to forces loyal to former president Laurent Gbagbo.

Faced with an exodus of refugees from Libya amid reported violence by President Muammar Al-Qadhafi’s loyalists, potential food and medical shortages and growing insecurity, the United Nations is ramping up aid efforts within the country, along the borders and inside its neighbours.

With a polio outbreak rapidly spreading in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the head of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) begins a four-day visit tomorrow to meet with key government officials ahead of a mass campaign to vaccinate over 14 million children.

The head of the United Nations agency tasked with protecting the freedom of expression today condemned the killing of a Pakistani journalist, Abdost Rind, in the south-western province of Balochistan, and voiced concern over the safety of media professionals in the country.

On the eve of the 10th anniversary of the destruction of the giant Buddha statues of Bamiyan, in Afghanistan, by the then-ruling fundamentalist Islamic Taliban, the United Nations cultural chief today called on the world to protect the heritage of humanity from damage, turmoil and theft.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today lauded the role philanthropists play in facilitating access to education and encouraged them to commit more resources to improve quality and ensure that even the most marginalized children have opportunities to acquire education.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon held talks on Libya with United States President Barack Obama in Washington, D.C., today, later stating that Muammar Al-Qadhafi’s regime had declared war on its own people and must be brought to account for possible crimes against humanity.