Ban urges G20 leaders to promote development in poor countries at Toronto summit
In a continued push to keep the poorest and most vulnerable at the forefront of international discussions, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged leaders of the Group of 20 (G20) to scale up investment in clean energy and green economy as part of the effort to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
"The risks, and costs, of inaction on climate change grow each year. The more we delay, the more we will pay," the Secretary-General told leaders of the G20 industrialized and developing economies at a June 27 working luncheon in Toronto, Canada.
Mr. Ban participated in the two-day meeting to try to keep the world leaders' focus on promotion of development in poor countries, despite the global economic slowdown.
In a speech, he urged the G20 members to recognize the progress made last December at the UN climate change talks in Copenhagen, Denmark, and to move forward within the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change "to achieve a meaningful, realistic result" at the summit to be hosted later this year in Cancun by Mexican President Felipe Calderon.
He also urged governments to make concrete progress towards realizing the pledge made in Copenhagen for industrialized countries to deliver $100 billion per year in aid to developing countries for mitigating climate change.
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Security Council wraps up visit with pledge of sustained support for Afghanistan
Members of the Security Council wrapped up their visit to Afghanistan on June 24, voicing their continued support for the country's efforts to build a lasting peace and stressing the need for free and fair elections, improved governance and the upholding of human rights.
The visit came during an important period, Ambassador Ertugrul Apakan of Turkey noted, taking place as it did soon after the Consultative Peace Jirga held in early June and before the Kabul Conference, slated for July 20. Mr. Apakan led the mission to Afghanistan .
The government is expected to present an Afghan-led plan for improving development, governance and security at the July gathering, which will be co-chaired by the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) and is a follow-up to the London Conference held in January.
During their visit, Council members were also briefed on various challenges related to the legislative polls scheduled for September 18. The elections are the first to be completely run by Afghan institutions and the preliminary list of candidates contains the names of more than 400 women.
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UN officials condemn latest attack on Gaza recreational facility
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the head of United Nations relief operations in Gaza have deplored the June 28 attack on a recreational facility used by children in the territory, the second such incident in a month.
A group of about 25 armed and masked men attacked and set fire to the facility on the beach in Nuseirat that was being used to host the Summer Games, run by the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA).
No one was hurt in the incident, which follows a similar attack on May 23 when a group of 30 armed and masked men attacked and set fire to an UNRWA Summer Games facility that was under construction on the beach in Gaza City.
The Secretar-General has referred to the Summer Games, which is in its fourth year, as "a rare opportunity for relief from the deprivations and difficulties of everyday life in Gaza," which has suffered from a three-year-long blockade imposed by Israel for what it called security reasons after Hamas took power there in 2007.
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UN Global Compact gathering ends in pledge to pursue more sustainable world economy
The United Nations Global Compact leaders' summit concluded on June 25 in New York with a vow by the more than 1,200 corporate executives, government ministers and civil society representatives in attendance to strengthen their efforts to forge a more sustainable and inclusive world economy.
"Future advances in global integration, sustainable development, protection of our planet and, ultimately, peace critically depend on the ability to collectively address challenges," the participants stated in the New York Declaration by Business, adopted at the end of the two-day meeting. "The need for responsibility and leadership has never been greater."
The declaration stressed that the principles enshrined in the Global Compact since the UN initiative was created in 2000 - such as tackling corruption, respecting the environment and upholding labor rights - must be "integrated into business everywhere."
The participants said they are "committed to making the global economy more sustainable and inclusive through implementation of responsible practices" and added that "market success and political leadership go hand in hand."
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Week in Pictures
UNAMID Force Commander Arrives at Site of West Darfur Ambush
June 22, 2010 - Patrick Nyamvumba (right), Force Commander of the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID), arrives at UNAMID's Nertiti, Sudan camp site in West Darfur to investigate the June 21 ambush on Rwandan peacekeepers that left three dead and one seriously wounded. The blue helmets had been providing security to civilian engineers near Nertiti village when 20 gunmen opened fire without warning. UN Photo/Albert Gonzalez Farran
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Secretary-General Interviewed by CNBC's Erin Burnett
June 23, 2010 - CNBC anchor Erin Burnett (left) interviews United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon inside the General Assembly Hall shortly after Mr. Ban delivered opening remarks at the UN Global Compact Leaders Summit 2010. The network covered the summit live in a special broadcast entitled "CNBC Global Summit: The World's Financial Future". UN Photo/John McIlwaine
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