PRESS BRIEFING BY ASSISTANT SECRETARY-GENERAL FOR PEACEKEEPING

The United Nations today began the airlift of the first of the two Nigerian battalions scheduled to be part of the forward Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) forces participating in the multinational force authorized by the Security Council for Liberia, correspondents were told at a Headquarters briefing today.

PRESS BRIEFING ON ECONOMIC REPORT ON AFRICA

The performance of African economies fell short of expectations in 2002, according to the Economic Report on Africa 2003 -- Accelerating the Pace of Development, launched today at a Headquarters press briefing by Carl Gray and Adam Smith, both Economic Affairs Officers in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA).

PRESS BRIEFING BY UNITED NATIONS CHILDREN’S FUND

Calling the situation dire, Nils Kastberg, Director of Emergency Programmes, United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), briefed correspondents at Headquarters this afternoon on the consolidated appeal launched by the United Nations to provide life-saving assistance for some 6.5 million people in southern Africa, severely weakened by consecutive failed harvests, extreme poverty and HIV/AIDS. 

PRESS BRIEFING BY CHAIRS OF SECURITY COUNCIL ANTI-TERRORISM COMMITTEES

The war on terrorism had not been won and, although both Committees established by the Security Council to combat it had made “significant contributions”, individuals were becoming complacent and countries were becoming more casual, correspondents were told today at Headquarters.

SECRETARY-GENERAL LAUNCHES COMMISSION ON PRIVATE SECTOR

AND DEVELOPMENT AT HEADQUARTERS PRESS BRIEFING

The birth of the Commission on the Private Sector and Development was yet another illustration of the rapidly growing partnership between the United Nations and the private sector, Secretary-General Kofi Annan told correspondents at a Headquarters press briefing today, as he officially launched the new high-level Commission.

PRESS BRIEFING BY SECRETARY-GENERAL’S SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR CHILDREN

AND ARMED CONFLICT ON RECENT VISIT TO WEST AFRICA

PRESS BRIEFING BY SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR LIBERIA

Quick and concerted international action was needed to address the human suffering of the people of Liberia, the Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Liberia, Jacques Klein, told correspondents at a Headquarters press briefing today.

PRESS CONFERENCE BY INTERNATIONAL ACTION NETWORK ON SMALL ARMS

The United Nations First Biennial Meeting of States to consider the Implementation of the Programme of Action to Prevent, Combat and Eradicate the Illicit Trade in Small Arms and Light Weapons in All its Aspects, had been a success, Rebecca Peters, Director of the International Action Network on Small Arms (IANSA), told correspondents at a press conference this afternoon.

PRESS CONFERENCE BY CHAIRPERSON OF FIRST BIENNIAL MEETING ON SMALL ARMS

The purpose of the first Biennial Meeting on small arms had been to gather momentum, political will and professional expertise to better implement the Programme of Action and chart the course toward a better, safer and less tragic world for future generations, correspondents were told this afternoon at a Headquarters press conference by Kuniko Inoguchi, that Meeting’s Chairperson.

PRESS BRIEFING ON ORGANIZED CRIME CONVENTION

The United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime would enter into force on 29 September, Dimitri Vlassis, an officer with the United Nations Centre for International Crime Prevention in Vienna, said today at a Headquarters press briefing.