In sixteen hundred pages, United Nations yearbook for 2004, now available,

records efforts to address major challenges in ‘eventful year’

The fifty-eighth volume of the Yearbook of the United Nations, covering what Secretary-General Kofi Annan calls in his foreword the “eventful year” of 2004, has been published by the Department of Public Information.

Highlighted in this edition is the report of the High-level Panel on Threats, Challenges and Change, which was charged with evaluating the effectiveness of the United Nations framework for meeting the new challenges facing the international community and the United Nations in the aftermath of the outbreak of the war in Iraq.  The Panel’s recommendations on how to restore confidence in the work of the Organization and on strengthening the United Nations through institutional reform are also outlined in this edition, as is the report of the Panel of Eminent Persons on United Nations-Civil Society Relations, which recognized the important role of civil society in shaping the international agenda and made recommendations for enhancing civil society participation in the United Nations deliberations and actions.

This 1,610-page publication, which covers United Nations efforts to address major global challenges, is the primary comprehensive and authoritative reference work on the Organization.  It is widely consulted by diplomats, Government officials, scholars, journalists and others interested in international and United Nations affairs.

The 53 chapters of this edition are fully indexed and reproduce in full the texts of, and votes on, all major General Assembly, Security Council and Economic and Social Council resolutions and decisions.  The yearbook covers an extensive array of political and security questions; human rights concerns; economic and social topics; legal issues; institutional, administrative and budgetary matters; and the activities of intergovernmental organizations related to the United Nations.

Unique to this volume is its extensive coverage of the increasing instability in global security and the social, political and military actions taken to deal with the growing number of conflicts throughout the world.  The work of the 13 United Nations peacekeeping missions and the 15 political and peacebuilding missions –- served by a combined total of some 65,000 military and civilian personnel –- is accorded special attention.

Security-related issues of concern and other developments of international significance covered include the escalating conflict in the Darfur region of western Sudan; the worsening situations in Côte d’Ivoire and the Democratic Republic of the Congo; the new political and security crisis in Haiti; the stalled Middle East peace process; the Israeli decision to unilaterally withdraw from the Gaza Strip and areas of the West Bank; the resumption of Middle East security dialogue following the death of President Yasser Arafat; the slow but determined process of restoration of a democratic Government in Afghanistan; the growing concern over political developments in Lebanon; efforts to bring about the reunification of the island of Cyprus; the new wave of terrorist activities and ongoing efforts to combat international terrorism and transnational organized crime; corruption and trafficking in illegal drugs; and the positive democratic developments in Liberia and Sierra Leone.

Significant coverage is devoted to the timely and coordinated push to tackle growing poverty in the developing world.  United Nations efforts to meet the Millennium Development Goals, and those of developed and developing countries, are highlighted, along with the Secretary-General’s assessment of progress achieved.  Major Millennium Development Goals issues discussed in this edition include hunger, unsafe drinking water, environmental degradation and endemic and infectious diseases, such as HIV/AIDS.

The eleventh session of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development is also covered, including its recommendations for enhancing the international monetary, financial and trading systems to better serve development, and for tackling new trade problems.  The deadlock in the trade negotiations taking place within the World Trade Organization is also addressed.

Special attention is given to the Organization’s increased assistance to developing countries and those with economies in transition, and its determination to meet the needs of the millions affected worldwide by humanitarian and natural disasters, including the Indian Ocean tsunami of 26 December 2004.

Overall, the 2004 edition of the Yearbook of the United Nations presents a comprehensive view of United Nations activities in the service of humanity and how international cooperation is working to better the lives of the world’s peoples.

Availability of yearbook:

The Yearbook of the United Nations 2004 is available for $175 (Sales No. E.06.I.1; ISBN 92-1-100966-9).  It can be purchased at the United Nations Bookshop in the New York Headquarters Visitors Lobby, at the Bookshop’s website (https://unp.un.org/bookshop/), directly from United Nations Publications (Two United Nations Plaza, Room DC2-853, Dept. PRES, New York, NY 10017, USA/tel.  +1 800 253 9646 or 212 963 8302, Fax. +1 212 963 3489, e-mail: publications@un.org), or from the United Nations Headquarters in Geneva (Section des Ventes et Commercialisation, Bureau E-4, Palais des Nations, CH-1211 Geneva 10, Switzerland/ tel. +41 22 917 2614, Fax. +41 22 917 0027, e-mail: unpubli@unog.ch).

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For information media • not an official record