Secretary-General Kofi Annan interrupted his winter holiday to pay an official visit to Trinidad and Tobago on Friday, 2 January.

SECRETARY-GENERAL HOPES ISLAMABAD MEETINGS GIVE NEW IMPETUS

TO SUSTAINED DIALOGUE BETWEEN INDIA, PAKISTAN

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

The Secretary-General welcomes meetings held in Islamabad yesterday and today between Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee of India with the President Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali of Pakistan.

SECRETARY-GENERAL PLEASED AT AGREEMENT ON AFGHANISTAN’S NEW CONSTITUTION

The following statement was issued on 4 January by the Spokesman for Secretary-General Kofi Annan:

The Secretary-General was very pleased to learn today of the Constitutional Loya Jirga’s agreement on Afghanistan’s new Constitution.  He congratulates the delegates to the Constitutional Loya Jirga on the completion of this difficult and complex process.

PRESIDENT OF UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL AND CHAIRMAN

OF MILITARY STAFF COMMITTEE IN JANUARY

In accordance with the principle of alphabetical rotation, the following are the President of the United Nations Security Council and the Chairman of the Military Staff Committee for January:

Security Council

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE OF MEETINGS OF UNITED NATIONS BODIES IN JANUARY 2004

The following is a tentative list of United Nations meetings scheduled to be held in January, including major meetings of intergovernmental organizations related to the United Nations:

Meetings beginning in January

January

International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Committee, Montreal

January-February

WORKING GROUP ON DISABILITY CONVENTION TO MEET AT UN HEADQUARTERS, 5-16 JANUARY

The Working Group established to draft a text of an international convention on the rights of persons with disabilities will meet from 5 to 16 January at United Nations Headquarters, Conference Room 4.

SECRETARY-GENERAL CONGRATULATES HAITI ON BICENTENNIAL, SAYS INDEPENDENCE

WAS ‘BEGINNING OF THE END’ OF SLAVERY IN AMERICAS

The following statement was issued on 1 January by the Spokesman for Secretary-General Kofi Annan:

CHINA’S ROLE IN GLOBAL EFFORTS FOR PEACE, DEVELOPMENT ‘VITAL’, SAYS

SECRETARY-GENERAL IN NEW YEAR’S GREETING TO CHINESE PEOPLE

Following is the text of Secretary-GeneralKofi Annan’s videotaped greeting to the Chinese people on Chinese New Year (22 January 2004), which aired today,

31 December:

My dear Chinese friends,

I know that your New Year is a special time for all of you.

UNITED NATIONS TO LAUNCH APPEAL FOR IRAN QUAKE VICTIMS

POOR RAINS DELAY PLANTING IN SOUTHERN AFRICA, SAYS UN HUMANITARIAN OFFICE