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World leaders must invest more in voluntary family planning programmes, a senior United Nations official said today, stressing such programmes not only save and improve the lives of women and children, but also reduce poverty and empower people.

The head of the United Nations-backed convention on endangered species praised today a new global initiative launched by the World Bank and the international police organization Interpol to protect the world’s last surviving wild tigers.

The Security Council today agreed to extend by another year the arms embargo and other sanctions it has imposed against armed rebel groups in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) for nearly a decade.

An independent United Nations expert today urged the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to begin carrying out steps to end human rights violations in the country, including overhauling the prison system and detention policies.

Syria’s military and security forces have committed crimes against humanity during their crackdown on protesters, a UN probe said today, urging the Government to immediately end “gross” human rights violations and bring perpetrators to justice.

The head of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) today praised counter-narcotics ministers from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran on a new agreement that will increase the exchange of information to tackle drug trafficking in the region.

Global food production is being undermined by land degradation and shortages of farmland and water resources, making feeding the world’s rising population – projected to reach nine billion by 2050 – a daunting challenge, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said in a report unveiled today.

The head of the United Nations relief agency for Palestinian refugees today urged the international community to strengthen support for the refugees, particularly the youth who constitute an increasingly significant segment of the population.

Thousands of representatives from governments, international organizations and civil society gathered today in Durban, South Africa for the start of the United Nations Climate Change Conference, which seeks to advance ways to cut global carbon emissions and pollution.

Top United Nations officials today stressed the importance of political accountability to promote democracy and ensure a more peaceful and prosperous world.