AFGHAN FARMERS TO BENEFIT FROM $6 MILLION PROJECT

TO IMPROVE AGRICULTURAL LIVELIHOODS, SAYS FAO

ROME, 6 October (FAO) -- More than 430,000 farmers in the mountains of the Hazarajat, one of the poorest regions of Afghanistan, will receive assistance over the next four years through a major development project, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said in a statement today.

Security Council

4836^th Meeting (PM)

SECURITY COUNCIL MEETS IN EMERGENCY SESSION FOLLOWING ISRAELI

AIR STRIKE AGAINST SYRIA

Syria Asks Council to Condemn Attack; Israel Says

Attack Response for Islamic Jihad’s Bombing in Haifa

The Security Council met in an emergency session this afternoon, at Syria’s request, following an Israeli air strike against that country earlier today.

UNITED NATIONS 2003 Report on World Social Situation ANALYsES CAUSES,

REMEDIES TO SOCIAL VULNERABILITy

SECRETARY-GENERAL CONGRATULATES INTER-PARLIAMENTARY UNION ON INAUGURATION

OF NEW HEADQUARTERS -- ‘HOUSE OF PARLIAMENTS’

Following is Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s message for the inauguration of the new headquarters of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, delivered by Sergei Ordzhonikidze, Director-General, United Nations Office in Geneva, 3 October:

PRESS STATEMENT BY SECURITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT ON COTE D’IVOIRE

Following is the press statement on Côte d’Ivoire delivered by the President of the Security Council, John Negroponte (United States):

Note to Correspondents

ROTARY INTERNATIONAL DAY AT UNITED NATIONS -- 4 OCTOBER

AWARD-WINNING DOCUMENTARY FILM ‘CHILD SOLDIERS’

TO BE SCREENED AT THE UNITED NATIONS

UNITED NATIONS, New York, 3 October 2003 -- A screening of the award-winning documentary film “Child Soldiers”, hosted by the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, in collaboration with HBO, will take place on Monday, 6 October 2003, at 6:30 p.m. in the Trusteeship Council Chamber.

Round-Up of Session

COMMITTEE ON RIGHTS OF CHILD CONCLUDES THIRTY-FOURTH SESSION

Adopts Conclusions on Reports of San Marino, Canada, New Zealand,

Pakistan, Madagascar, Brunei Darussalam, Singapore, Bangladesh and Georgia

(Reissued as received.)

Background Release

GLOBAL EVENTS CHALLENGE TREATY REGIMES FOR MASS DESTRUCTION WEAPONS,

PROVIDE CORE QUESTION FOR DISARMAMENT DEBATE BEGINNING 6 OCTOBER

The future of the multilateral treaty regimes for weapons of mass destruction and whether they meet the security concerns of all nations will be the core question for the First Committee (Disarmament and International Security), as it begins its general debate on Monday.

UNFPA REPLENISHES LOOTED HOSPITALS IN LIBERIA; WARNS OF CONTINUING HEALTH

EMERGENCY AS HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS REMAIN DISPLACED

New York, 3 October (UNFPA) -- Continuing fighting in Liberia is worsening an already severe humanitarian crisis that has pushed maternal and infant mortality to levels not seen for decades, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), warned today.