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The head of the United Nations agency defending press freedom today denounced the murder of Honduran cameraman Manuel Murillo Varela, who was found shot dead last week in the capital city of Tegucigalpa.

The repeated interventions of the Supreme Court in the presidential election process in the Maldives are undermining the country’s democracy, the United Nations human rights chief said today, calling on reforms to the judiciary to safeguard the rule of law.

Without adequate security, the efforts of the Somali Government and people, and those of their partners, could be in vain, the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations said today, calling on the Security Council to support a temporary boost to national and international forces aiming to maintain basic security in the Horn of Africa nation.

Member States must ensure that the post-2015 development agenda addresses inequalities that prevent millions of people from getting access to basic services, various United Nations entities today stressed.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has deplored the announcements today of further Israeli settlement plans in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, pointing out that settlement activity is contrary to international law and constitutes an obstacle to peace.

An independent United Nations human rights expert today warned that financial institutions and real estate companies involved with housing settlements in occupied Palestinian territory – which are considered illegal under international law – may be held criminally accountable.

The Joint Special Representative of the United Nations and the League of Arab States, Lakhdar Brahimi, today met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in Damascus, as part of his ongoing efforts to bring all parties to the conflict to the negotiating table.

The United Nations envoy dealing with Western Sahara today told the Security Council that he plans to return to the region in the coming weeks to pursue a new approach to ending the dispute over the territory.

The United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) today confirmed 10 cases of polio in conflict-stricken Syria, adding that health authorities in the country and neighbouring nations have already begun a comprehensive response to the outbreak.

International football star Yaya Touré today joined the roster of Goodwill Ambassadors for the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), pledging to combat the illegal ivory trade that sees thousands of African elephants slaughtered each year.