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In a “worrisome context,” and following the decision of the government of Burundi to hold the presidential election on 21 July, the United Nations chief called yesterday on the authorities to do all in their power to ensure security and a peaceful atmosphere during the polls.

The United Nations peacekeeping operation in the Central African Republic (CAR) today condemned a recent series of armed attacks perpetrated by rebel elements.

Wrapping up a five-day mission to Myanmar, Volker Türk, Assistant High Commissioner for Protection in the United Nations refugee agency called for more concerted support to resolve the plight of displaced people and those with undetermined citizenship in the country.

United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today condemned the deadly terrorist attack that took place in the Turkish town of Suruc, which has reportedly claimed the lives of at least 28 people and injured more than a hundred.

The United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) praised the people of Timbuktu for reconstructing cultural heritage sites destroyed by armed groups, saying “those who wanted to erase the legacy of the past have failed,” even as the UN refugee agency reported a surge of fighting in northern Mali that has forced hundreds of people across the border into Mauritania.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, welcomed the opening today of the trial of Hissène Habré, the former President of Chad – who is accused of crimes against humanity – before a special court in Senegal, calling it “a milestone for justice in Africa.”

With more than 74,000 new people displaced by fighting on the move in Iraq, the United Nations humanitarian wing has warned that overall, some 40 per cent of critically needed life-saving water and sanitation programmes will be forced to shut down by the end of the month due to lack of funding.

The United Nations Security Council today unanimously adopted a resolution establishing a monitoring system for Iran’s nuclear programme and considering the “eventual removal” of all nuclear-related sanctions against the country.

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) today warned that without timely intervention “to stop it in its tracks,” outbreaks of the highly virulent avian flu virus H5N1, which has already spread to five West African countries in six months, will spread across the region and beyond.

A dramatic 35 per cent reduction in the price for HIV early infant diagnostic technologies today has been announced by the United Nations-backed Diagnostics Access Initiative, in partnership with Roche Diagnostics.