Press Release

IN MESSAGE TO WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN SUMMIT, SECRETARY-GENERAL CALLS

FOR STRENGTHENING COOPERATION BETWEEN COUNTRIES IN REGION

Following is Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s message to the first Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Western Mediterranean cooperation partner countries, held in Tunis on 5 and 6 December 2003, delivered by Ariel Français, United Nations Resident Coordinator in Tunisia (translated from French):

Biographical Note

ROSS MOUNTAIN NAMED ACTING SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR IRAQ

      Secretary-General Kofi Annan today named Ross Mountain as his acting Special Representative for Iraq.

FAO CONFERENCE ENDS 32ND SESSION; TERM LIMITS SET FOR FUTURE DIRECTORS-GENERAL

Split Contributions between US Dollars

And Euros approved; $749 Million Biennial Budget Passed

AT WORLD ELECTRONIC MEDIA FORUM, PANEL DEBATES POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITIES,

DANGERS OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES

(Reissued as received.)

World Electronic Media Forum

Round Table

WORLD ELECTRONIC MEDIA FORUM ROUND TABLE DISCUSSES MEDIA

FREEDOM AND MEDIA LANDSCAPE IN ARAB WORLD

(Reissued as received.)

THE SPECIAL ADVISER OF SECRETARY-GENERAL ON WSIS AND THE HEAD OF DPI

STRESS ROLE OF COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGIES IN DEVELOPMENT

(Reissued as received.)

NEW CARTOON FOR YOUNG PEOPLE TO RAISE AWARENESS,

MOBILIZE ACTION TO TACKLE HIV/AIDS

(Reissued as received.)

Fifty-eighth General Assembly

Fifth Committee

26^th Meeting (AM)

INSTITUTE FOR DISARMAMENT RESEARCH, LOGISTICS BASE AT BRINDISI

AMONG ISSUES ADDRESSED, AS BUDGET COMMITTEE ADOPTS SEVEN TEXTS

Fifty-eighth General Assembly

Plenary

73^rd Meeting (AM & PM)

INTERNATIONAL HUMAN RIGHTS DEFENDERS HONOURED AS GENERAL ASSEMBLY

MARKS FIFTY-FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF UNIVERSAL DECLARATION

HUMANITARIAN ENVOY NOTES PROGRESS IN COTE D’IVOIRE

ABIDJAN, 10 December (UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) -- “It is important that the parties to the conflict in Côte d’Ivoire now move forward and work together in order for the whole country to return to normality”, said Carolyn McAskie, the Humanitarian Envoy of the Secretary-General for the crisis in Côte d’Ivoire.