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December 9, 2011, Dadaab, Kenya - UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon speaks to reporters during his visit to Dadaab, Kenya, where the UN is assisting hundreds of thousands of refugees from neighboring Somalia. Pictured behind Mr. Ban is Nassir Abdulaziz Al-Nasser, President of the sixty-sixth session of the General Assembly. UN Photo/Mark Garten
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UN needed more than ever after 'remarkable and extraordinary year,' says Secretary-General
The United Nations has "never been so needed" to deal with the planet's most pressing challenges, from the impact of climate change to growing demands for human rights to helping people facing humanitarian crises, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told a year-end press conference on December 14.
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December 14, 2011, United Nations, New York - Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon (left) holds a year-end press conference, telling journalists that after an "extraordinary and remarkable year" the UN is needed more than ever. At right is Mr. Ban's Spokesperson, Martin Nesirky. UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe
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"This has been an extraordinary and remarkable year," Mr. Ban told journalists at UN Headquarters in New York, citing the so-called Arab Spring, the birth of South Sudan as a new nation and UN member state, and promising political developments in Myanmar as examples.
"I believe we are at an inflection point in history. All is changing. The old rules are breaking down. We do not know what new order will emerge. Yet we can be confident: the United Nations will be at the fore."
Mr. Ban, who completes his first term as Secretary-General on December 31, said that since he became the UN chief in January 2007 he has "sought to advance a practical, action-oriented vision of the UN as the voice of the voiceless and the defender of the defenseless."
Mr. Ban - who will next month outline a plan of action for his second term in office - also noted that an increased UN emphasis on preventive diplomacy and mediation has "produced encouraging results," in countries as diverse as Sierra Leone, Kyrgyzstan, Cyprus, Nepal and Guinea.
In addition, he cited a strengthened UN commitment to the rights of women and children, ongoing efforts to promote UN reform and preparations for the landmark conference on sustainable development to be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in June next year.
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UN seeks $7.7 billion to provide humanitarian aid to millions of people in 2012
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As Syrian death toll tops 5,000, UN human rights chief warns about key city More than 5,000 people have now died since the start of the public uprising in Syria, the United Nations human rights chief said on December 12, sounding the alarm that a crackdown and fresh eruption of violence could be imminent in one of the country's key cities.  Navi Pillay, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said "many voices are warning that a major assault" on Homs - already the scene of frequent clashes between security forces and protesters this year - is about to begin, with a military build-up reported.
"I am not in a position to confirm those reports, but the prospect of such an attack is extremely alarming," she said after briefing Security Council members in a closed-door session on the latest developments in Syria. Ms. Pillay's office (OHCHR) has received reports that hundreds of tanks and weapons have been deployed over the past few days, dozens of checkpoints have been set up and numerous trenches have been dug. Ms. Pillay said the overall death toll in the Syrian clashes "probably exceeds 5,000," based on what she said were credible reports from a series of sources. The toll includes at least 300 children. Read more
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Donors pledge $482 million for UN efforts to help displaced, stateless people
Donor governments have pledged $482 million for the United Nations refugee agency's operations in 2012 to help forcibly displaced and stateless people worldwide.
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Pledges to the UN refugee agency assist with water distribution at the Ifo extension camp in Dadaab, Kenya. UNHCR Photo
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An additional $122 million was pledged for 2013 and beyond, according to a news release issued by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), whose total budget requirements for the next two years are $3.59 billion and $3.42 billion, respectively.
"This funding is vital for our work in ensuring the protection and well-being of millions of individual refugees, asylum-seekers, internally displaced and stateless people," High Commissioner António Guterres said, thanking donors for their support.
The 2012 budget is $260 million lower than this year's budget, which had to be revised upwards during the course of 2011 because of a succession of crises such as those in Côte d'Ivoire, Libya, the Horn of Africa, Sudan, and the floods in Pakistan.
There are more than 43.7 million forcibly displaced people and an estimated 12 million stateless around the world. Nearly 34 million of them receive protection and assistance from UNHCR.
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Week in Pictures
Security Council and General Assembly Fill Final Vacancy on ICJ | |
December 13, 2011, United Nations, New York - Alexander A. Pankin (seated third from right), Deputy Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the UN and President of the Security Council for December, casts his ballot in the Council's election to fill a final vacancy on the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Concurrently with the General Assembly, the Council elected Julia Sebutinde of Uganda as the fifth judge of the Court. UN Photo/Rick Bajornas
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