SECRETARY-GENERAL, IN MESSAGE TO COMMONWEALTH SUMMIT, URGES

DIALOGUE FOR NATIONAL RECONCILIATION IN ZIMBABWE

Following is the text of Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s message to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting at Abuja, Nigeria, today, 5 December:

HUMANITARIAN SITUATION IN WESTERN SUDAN AMONG WORLD’S WORST AS INSECURITY

ESCALATES, SAYS UN EMERGENCY RELIEF COORDINATOR

SECRETARY-GENERAL’S HUMANITARIAN ENVOY FOR COTE D’IVOIRE TO BEGIN

NEW FOLLOW-UP, EVALUATION MISSION ON 7 DECEMBER

NEW YORK, 5 December -- Carolyn McAskie, the Secretary-General’s Humanitarian Envoy for the crisis in Côte d’Ivoire, will arrive in Abidjan on 7 December 2003 for a fourth follow-up and evaluation mission.

PRESS STATEMENT ON LIBERIA BY SECURITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT

Following is today’s statement to the press by the President of the Security Council, Stefan Tafrov (Bulgaria):

The members of the Security Council carried out a review of the measures on Liberia pursuant to resolution 1478 (2003) bearing in mind recent developments.

PRESS STATEMENT ON SOMALIA BY PRESIDENT OF SECURITY COUNCIL

Following is today’s statement to the press on Somalia by Security Council President Stefan Tafrov (Bulgaria):

SECURITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON SOMALIA DISCUSSES FINDINGS OF NOVEMBER MISSION

NEW YORK, 2 December (Department of Political Affairs) -- On 26 November 2003, the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 751 (1992) concerning Somalia, discussed its mission to the region and exchanged views on concrete recommendations reflecting the findings of the mission.

COTE D’IVOIRE:  VIOLENCE WILL WORSEN HUMANITARIAN CRISIS

NEW YORK, 3 December (OCHA) –- With tensions rising in Abidjan, Jan Egeland, the Emergency Relief Coordinator, expressed his concern for civilians trapped in that country’s conflict.  “If the country lapses back into war, it will only compound the suffering of civilians.  I urge all parties to bring an end to the fighting immediately to prevent a humanitarian crisis from worsening.”

ONLY COLLECTIVE ENGAGEMENT CAN TACKLE AFRICA’S URGENT URBAN CHALLENGE

SAYS SECRETARY-GENERAL TO CAMEROON ‘AFRICITIES’ CONFERENCE

Following is Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s message to the “Africities Summit”, delivered by Anna Tibaijuka, Executive Director, United Nations Human Settlements Programme(UN-HABITAT), in Yaoundé, Cameroon, 2 December:

FAO STUDY EXAMINES IMPACT OF HIV/AIDS IN RURAL AFRICA

ROME, 1 December (FAO) -- The steady advance of HIV/AIDS is devastating rural households in Africa, plunging families into poverty and hunger, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said on World Aids Day.

SECRETARY-GENERAL APPOINTS NEW SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR SIERRA LEONE

The Secretary-General has appointed Daudi Ngelautwa Mwakawago as his new Special Representative for Sierra Leone, with immediate effect.