Press Release

GOVERNMENT OF PHILIPPINES REQUESTS AID AFTER DISASTER

NEW YORK, 22 December (OCHA) -- Following flooding, landslides, and a tornado in the central part of the Philippines, the Government has requested international assistance.  Medicines, food, including canned goods and other food, toiletries, sleeping mats, mosquito nets and blankets are the most needed items.

Fifty-eighth General Assembly

Plenary

77^th Meeting (PM)

HUMAN RIGHTS AND TERRORISM, ACCESS TO MEDICATION, RIGHTS TO FOOD, HEALTH AMONG ISSUES

ADDRESSED, AS GENERAL ASSEMBLY ADOPTS 70 THIRD COMMITTEE TEXTS

GOOD GOVERNMANCE ESSENTIAL FOR POLITICAL STABILITY, ECONOMIC GROWTH

SAYS SECRETARY-GENERAL IN MESSAGE TO WEST AFRICAN SUMMIT

Following is Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s message to the Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States, delivered by Ahmedou Ould-Abdallah, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Chief of the United Nations Office for West Africa, in Accra, 19 December:

SECRETARY-GENERAL ENCOURAGED BY COMMITMENT TO IMPLEMENT PLAN

FOR DEMOCRATIC TRANSITION IN MYANMAR

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for Secretary-General Kofi Annan:

TRANSCRIPT OF PRESS CONFERENCE BY SECRETARY-GENERAL KOFI ANNAN AT UNITED

NATIONS HEADQUARTERS, NEW YORK, ON 18 DECEMBER 2003

Good morning, Ladies and Gentlemen.

I am glad to see you all before the holidays.  It has been a rather hard year.

I have no doubt that you will have lots of questions about Iraq.  But before you get on to that, there are a few things I would want to say.

PRESS STATEMENT ON GUINEA-BISSAU BY SECURITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT

The following press statement was delivered today by Security Council President Stefan Tafrov (Bulgaria):

NEW ZEALAND PRIME MINISTER HELEN CLARK RECEIVES CERES MEDAL

For Her Commitment to Promoting Food Security, International Partnership

(Reissued as received.)

RECORD NUMBER OF DONORS SUPPORT UNFPA IN 2003

(Reissued as received.)

NEW YORK, 19 December (UNFPA) –- The UNFPA, the United Nations Population Fund, received contributions from 142 of the 191 United Nations Member States in 2003, the largest number of donors in the Fund’s history.  The top six donors were the Netherlands, Japan, Norway, the United Kingdom, Denmark and Sweden.

Committee on NGOs

36^th & 37^th Meetings (AM & PM)

NGO COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS SEVEN ORGANIZATIONS FOR SPECIAL CONSULTATIVE

STATUS WITH ECOSOC, AS IT CONCLUDES 2003 SESSION

Ten Organizations Approved for Roster Status,

Fifty-eight Recommended for Special Status During Resumed Session

INTERNATIONAL EXPERTS CONDEMN CURBS ON FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION,

CONTROL OVER MEDIA, JOURNALISTS

(Reissued as received.)

GENEVA, 19 December (UN Information Service) -- Three international experts on freedom of expression and the media have condemned limitations on freedom of expression and attempts to control the media through non-independent regulatory mechanisms.