By BAN KI-MOON

Twenty years ago, there was the Earth Summit. Gathering in Rio de Janiero, world leaders agreed on an ambitious blueprint for a more secure future. They sought to balance the imperatives of robust economic growth and the needs of a growing population against the ecological necessity to conserve our planet’s most precious resources — land, air and water.

 In the early morning of Thursday, 3 May, representatives from several human rights organizations were scheduled to have breakfast in the popular al-Makhrour restaurant near Bethlehem.

 Egypt has been through extraordinary times in the past 15 months, from the overthrow of Hosni Mubarak, through spasms of shocking violence and parliamentary elections that saw triumphant Islamists sweep the board. But Wednesday's presidential vote is that rare thing, a genuinely historic moment. It will be the first time, ever, that the Arab world's most populous country has chosen its leader without knowing in advance who the winner would be.

Amnesty International today warned the Tunisian authorities against mounting attacks against freedom of expression in the name of defending morality and religion and called for the immediate and unconditional release of prisoners of conscience after three young men were sentenced to prison terms for insulting Islam and Muslims.