AGRICULTURAL PROJECTS IN AFGHANISTAN AT RISK

Around $25 Million Urgently Needed for Long-Term Development Activities

(Reissued as received.)

ROME/KABUL, 29 May (FAO)-- Long-term agricultural development activities in Afghanistan are under threat unless urgently needed donor funds are provided, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned today.

PENITENTIARY REFORM PROJECT IN AFGHANISTAN LAUNCHED

VIENNA, 20 May (UN Information Service) -- On 17 May, Andul Rahim Karimi, the Minister of Justice of Afghanistan, and Mohammad Reza Amirkhizi, the Representative of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in Afghanistan, signed a document on reform of the penitentiary system at a ceremony held in the Ministry of Justice in Kabul.

PRESS STATEMENT BY SECURITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT FOLLOWING BRIEFING BY CHAIR

OF COMMITTEE MONITORING TALIBAN, AL-QAIDA SANCTIONS

Following is today’s press statement by Security Council President Adolfo Aguilar Zinser (Mexico), following a briefing by the Chair of the Committee monitoring implementation of sanctions against the Taliban and al-Qaida:

SECRETARY-GENERAL APPALLED AT KILLING OF RED CROSS WORKER IN AFGHANISTAN

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for
Secretary-General Kofi Annan:

The Secretary-General was appalled to learn of the brutal killing yesterday of Richard Munguía, a delegate of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Uruzgan province in southern Afghanistan.

WETLANDS SHARED BETWEEN AFGHANISTAN, IRAN ALMOST COMPLETELY DRY,

ACCORDING TO REPORT PRESENTED TO ENVIRONMENT LEADERS IN NAIROBI

(Reissued as received.)

NAIROBI, 6 February (UNEP) -- The internationally significant Sistan wetlands -- shared between Afghanistan and Iran -- are almost completely dry, according to a new report presented to environmental leaders in Nairobi today.

SECRETARY-GENERAL CALLS KABUL DECLARATION BASIS TO PROMOTE REGIONAL

COOPERATION, IN MESSAGE TO CONFERENCE ON GOOD NEIGHBOURLY RELATIONS

Following is the text of Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s message to the Conference on Good Neighbourly Relations delivered by Lakhdar Brahimi, Special Representative of the Secretary-General, in Kabul on 22 December:

SECRETARY-GENERAL WELCOMES SIGNING OF KABUL DECLARATION BY AFGHANISTAN

AND SIX NEIGHBOURS, HOPES IT WILL BOOST PEACE PROCESS

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for Secretary-General Kofi Annan:

SECRETARY-GENERAL URGES MEETING OF AFGHAN SUPPORT GROUP TO CONTINUE

TO INVEST IN RECOVERY AND SECURITY OF AFGHANISTAN

Following is the message by Secretary-General Kofi Annan to the meeting of the Afghan Support Group, delivered by Lakhdar Brahimi, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Afghanistan, in Oslo today:

CAMPAIGN TO VACCINATE MILLIONS OF FARM ANIMALS BY YEAR’S END,

AS THREAT OF RABIES LOOMS IN AFGHANISTAN

EVENTS IN AFGHANISTAN PROMPT OPTIMISM, BUT ‘STEADY DETERMINATION’ REQUIRED

TO SEE TASK THROUGH, SAYS SECRETARY-GENERAL TO TALKS IN GERMANY

Following is the statement of Secretary-General Kofi Annan delivered by the Special Representative for Afghanistan, Lakhdar Brahimi, to the 2002 Bonn talks on Afghanistan in Petersberg, Germany, on 2 December: