The clean and transparent election that took place in Guinea-Bissau on 16 February was due to the cooperation of the people -- their will had caused the change in the country, Samuel Nana-Sinkam, representative of the Secretary- General and head of the United Nations Peace-Building Support Office in Guinea- Bissau, told correspondents at a Headquarters press briefing today.
Since the beginning of the year, internally displaced persons in the Republic of the Congo had been rapidly demobilizing, resulting in expanded needs for humanitarian assistance during the country's post-crisis evolution, William Paton, United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator for that country, told correspondents during a Headquarters briefing today.
While large quantities of drugs were available through illegal channels, many of the world's poorest people lacked legal access to painkillers to alleviate the pain of disease, correspondents were told at a Headquarters press conference this morning, launching the 1999 annual report of the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB).
The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today's noon briefing by Fred Eckhard, Spokesman for the Secretary-General.
Good afternoon.
**John Mills
The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today's noon briefing by Marie Okabe, Associate Spokesman for the Secretary-General.
Good afternoon.
**"The Future Starts Now" Secretary-General Tells Crowds in Farewell Bid to East Timor
The Chief of the World Health Organization's Ageing and Health Programme told correspondents today at a Headquarters press briefing that he was here to put ageing on the development agenda.
At a Headquarters press conference this morning, the co-Chairman of the Fourth Session of the Intergovernmental Forum on Forests (IFF), Bagher Asadi of Iran, said that significant progress had been achieved during the session, which began on 31 January and is scheduled to conclude later today. Also speaking at the briefing was Jagmohan Maini, a coordinator of the IFF Secretariat.
The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today's noon briefing by Marie Okabe, Associate Spokesman for the Secretary-General:
