CHINESE SCHOLARS, INTERNATIONAL EXPERTS EXPLORE ROLE

OF CIVIL SOCIETY IN MIDDLE EAST CONFLICT

(Received from a UN Information Officer.)

BEIJING, 18 December –- Chinese academics and experts from the 16-17 December United Nations Meeting for Asia and the Pacific on the Question of Palestine met today in Beijing to participate in the Public Forum in Support of Middle East Peace.

Fifty-eighth General Assembly

Fifth Committee

29^th Meeting (PM)

INTERNATIONAL TRIBUNALS, ASSESSMENT SCALES FOR REGULAR, PEACEKEEPING BUDGETS

DESERT LOCUST THREAT GROWING

FAO Locust Group Publishes New Report 

(Reissued as received.)

      ROME, 18 December (FAO)-- After a summer season of good rains and recent favourable rainfall, Desert Locust populations continue to increase and may threaten winter crops in north-west Africa and along the Red Sea, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warns today.

FAO DISTRIBUTES SEEDS TO RETURNEES IN AFGHANISTAN

Seed Distribution Campaign Reaches 60,000 Families

(Reissued as received.)

KABUL/ROME, 18 December (FAO) -- Around 60,000 Afghan farm families have received high quality seeds and fertilizers ahead of the planting season, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said today.

SECRETARY-GENERAL CALLS FOR RENEWED DIALOGUE, RELEASE

OF KIDNAPPED CIVILIANS IN COLOMBIA

Following is a statement by Secretary-General Kofi Annan on the situation in Colombia:

Security Council

4886^th Meeting (AM)

UNDER-SECRETARY-GENERAL FOR PEACEKEEPING BRIEFS SECURITY COUNCIL ON KOSOVO,

POSITIVE SIGNS OF ECONOMIC GROWTH IN LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN

The economy of Latin America and the Caribbean grew 1.5 per cent in 2003 and for 2004 is forecast to grow 3.5 per cent, the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) stated today.  This is an improvement over 2002, when gross domestic product (GDP) fell 0.4 per cent.

DISCOVER UN AND HAVE FUN!  CD-ROM FOR YOUNGSTERS FROM 6 TO 96 YEARS

(Reissued as received.)

GENEVA, 17 December (UNECE) -- The United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) this week releases a CD-ROM featuring three interactive games that permit the young -- and the not so young -- to discover the United Nations and the UNECE, and to test their knowledge of sustainable development.

Committee on NGOs

32^nd & 33^rd Meetings (AM & PM)

NON-GOVERNMENTAL ORGANIZATION COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS WORLD VISION INTERNATIONAL

RIGHTS EXPERT SAYS FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION LARGELY NEGLECTED

AT WORLD INFORMATION SUMMIT

The following statement was issued today by the Special Rapporteur on the Right to Freedom of Opinion and Expression of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights: