The Secretary-General's Special Representative for Somalia, Augustine Mahiga, said that the 20 August deadline that will mark the end of the Transitional Government in Somalia, will be a “watershed” towards greater democracy in the country. UNPOS
A year afterCôte d'Ivoire's post-electoral crisis, the West African country has undertaken an environmental cleanup of dangerous military sites, including stockpiles of landmines. UNOCI
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon Sunday (12 August) launched a new initiative to protect the oceans and the people whose livelihoods depend on it, and called on countries to work together to achieve a more sustainable management of this precious resource and address the threats it is currently facing. WORLD BANK / TELEVICIONMALDIVES
The head of the UN observer mission inSyriatoday (13 August) appealed to both sides of the conflict to drop their "mindset of military logic" and prioritize the needs of civilians. UNSMIS