Africa

PRESS STATEMENT BY SECURITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT ON DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

Following is the press statement on the Democratic Republic of the Congo by Security Council President Wang Guangya (China):

SUDAN –- UN WELCOMES ANNOUNCEMENT OF INCREASED ACCESS TO DARFUR

NEW YORK, 10 February (OCHA) -– In a statement, the President of the Sudan, Omer Hassan Ahmed Al Bashir, has promised to provide access to aid workers so that they can reach millions of suffering civilians in the Darfur region.

SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR ON FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION CONCLUDES VISIT TO COTE D’IVOIRE

(Reissued as received.)

GENEVA, 10 February (UN Information Service) -- The Special Rapporteur of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights on the right to freedom of opinion and expression, Ambeyi Ligabo, has completed a visit to Côte d’Ivoire (29 January to 5 February 2004) undertaken at the invitation of the Government.

MAJOR PROGRESS MUST BE ACHIEVED IN REFORM OF SECURITY SECTOR IN DEMOCRATIC

REPUBLIC OF CONGO, DEPUTY SECRETARY-GENERAL SAYS

Following is the text of introductory remarks, translated from French, by Deputy Secretary-General Louise Fréchette at the high-level meeting on security sector reform in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, New York, 9 February:

CAMEROON-NIGERIA MIXED COMMISSION:  FIRST FIELD VISIT TO BAKASSI PENINSULA

(Reissued as received.)

UN STRONGLY COMMITTED TO WORKING WITH LIBERIANS TO ESTABLISH RULE OF LAW, PROMOTE

TRANSPARENCY, PURSUE JUSTICE, SECRETARY-GENERAL TELLS RECONSTRUCTION CONFERENCE

Following is the text of opening remarks, as delivered by Secretary-General Kofi Annan at the International Reconstruction Conference on Liberia, in New York today:

International Reconstruction Conference

onLiberia

OVER $500 MILLION PLEDGED AT INTERNATIONAL RECONSTRUCTION CONFERENCE ON LIBERIA

Secretary-General, US Secretary of State,

French Foreign Minster among Those Calling for Effective Action

International Reconstruction Conference                    

 on Liberia                                                

UNITED NATIONS RIGHTS EXPERT CALLS FOR RELEASE OF AID WORKER ABDUCTED IN SOMALIA

GENEVA, 4 February (UN Information Service) -- The following statement was issued today by the Independent Expert on the situation of human rights in Somalia, Ghanim Alnajjar:

PRESS STATEMENT BY SECURITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT ON SECRETARY-GENERAL’S

APPOINTMENT OF SPECIAL ENVOY FOR ETHIOPIA-ERITREA

Following is today’s press statement by Security Council President Heraldo Muñoz (Chile) on the Secretary-General’s appointment of his Special Envoy for Ethiopia-Eritrea: