PRESS CONFERENCE BY PRESIDENT OF URUGUAY

The United Nations was established in 1946 for entirely different reasons than those which are driving the world today, Uruguayan President Jorge Ibanez told correspondents at a Headquarters press conference in New York today.

PRESS CONFERENCE BY PRESIDENT OF CHILE

Speaking to correspondents at a Headquarters press conference this afternoon, Chilean President Ricardo Lagos Escobar said that security, the most important concern after the events of 11 September, must be viewed in a broader context.

PRESS CONFERENCE BY MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF BURUNDI

The major challenge facing the new national transitional Government of Burundi was that the two armed groups –- Forces de la Defense de la Democratie and Forces Nationales de Liberation -- had not yet agreed to the ceasefire, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Burundi Therence Sinunguruza said this morning at a United Nations press briefing.

PRESS CONFERENCE BY PRESIDENT OF VENEZUELA

During a press conference at United Nations Headquarters this afternoon, the President of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez Frias, expressed the sincere hope that the war against terrorism would evolve into a war against wars.  In the aftermath of the tragic events of 11 September, the struggle for peace must be a priority. 

PRESS CONFERENCE BY PRESIDENT OF PAKISTAN

Pakistan had not hesitated to join the international coalition against terrorism, but it hoped that military operations in Afghanistan would be “sharp and targeted” and advance quickly to political and economic reconstruction, Pervez Musharraf, President of Pakistan, told correspondents at a headquarters press conference this afternoon.

PRESS BRIEFING BY SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR CHILDREN AND ARMED CONFLICT

Everything possible should be done to ensure that the present generation of Afghan children and youth would be the last generation exposed to conflict within their country, the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, Olara Otunnu, said at a Headquarters press briefing today to mark the issuance of a special appeal for the children and youth of Afghanistan.

PRESS CONFERENCE BY HUMAN RIGHTS RAPPORTEUR ON MYANMAR

PRESS BRIEFING BY UNDER-SECRETARY-GENERAL FOR DISARMAMENT

Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs, Jayantha Dhanapala, told correspondents today at a Headquarters press briefing that the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT), a long-held demand of the disarmament community, was an effective legal barrier against nuclear proliferation and, to that extent, had made it less likely that terrorists would get their hands on nuclear weapons.

HEADQUARTERS PRESS BRIEFING BY SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR

FOR HUMAN RIGHTS IN AFGHANISTAN

International involvement in Afghanistan had opened the possibility for social, political and humanitarian change to bring Afghans together and rebuild their country, said Kamal Hossein, Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, in a press conference this morning at Headquarters.

HEADQUARTERS PRESS CONFERENCE BY UNITED NATIONS FOUNDATION