TEHRAN UN Secretary General Kofi Annan on Monday called on the parties in the Middle East to control their actions in order to avert a breakdown of the cease-fire, according to a press release issued by the United Nations Information Center in Tehran (UNIC-T).

Annan urged those involved in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict "to exercise maximum restraint so that a total collapse of the cease-fire can be prevented."

In another development, two United Nations agencies, the World Health Organization (WHO) and Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), on Monday called on governments around the world to implement international food safety and quality standards in order to protect trade and health while restoring consumer confidence.

Both WHO and FAO noted that in many developing countries, there is often no comprehensive food safety system in place.