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The United Nations food and refugee agencies today launched a joint emergency operation to respond to the food needs of hundreds of thousands of people who have fled conflict in Mali and crossed the border into neighbouring countries.

Marking the International Day for Biological Diversity, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today highlighted the fragile state of the world’s oceans, urging greater protection for marine biodiversity.

While commending the work of a United Nations commission trying to improve access to life-saving medicines, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today said that much remains to be done to save the lives of the 800 women and more than 20,000 children who die every day from preventable causes.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon strongly condemned today an attack against Mali’s interim President Dioncounda Traoré, which reportedly left the leader with head injuries.

United Nations top officials today stressed the need to achieve concrete commitments ahead of the Sustainable Development Conference (Rio+20) in Brazil, and called on countries to make progress in the last round of negotiations before the Conference starts next month.

The United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has stepped up civilian protection measures following the latest outbreak of violence in the volatile North Kivu province, in the country’s east, where a former rebel leader indicted for war crimes instigated a mutiny last month, a UN official said today.

On the latest leg of their mission to West Africa, the fifteen members of the Security Council today heard from Ivorian refugees who relayed their stories of survival and expressed their concerns.

Describing it as a “milestone” achievement, the United Nations envoy to Libya today welcomed the successful conclusion of voter registration ahead of the country’s legislative election scheduled for next month.

Ahead of their visit to Côte d’Ivoire, the members of the Security Council commended Liberia for its progress since the end of its civil war in 2003, and reiterated their support for efforts on reconciliation and inclusive dialogue in the West African country.

Countries in Asia and the Pacific must come closer together and increase cooperation to achieve inclusive and sustainable growth and prosperity, a United Nations top official stressed today at a regional gathering in Bangkok, Thailand.