Press Release

SECRETARY-GENERAL MOURNS LOSS OF ‘DEAR FRIEND’ SERGIO VIEIRA DE MELLO

AT MEMORIAL SERVICE IN RIO DE JANEIRO

Following is the text of remarks by Secretary-General Kofi Annan at the memorial service of Sergio Vieira de Mello in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on 23 August:

I thank you all for being here today, as we mourn the loss of a dear friend of mine, a beloved son of Brazil, and a great servant of the United Nations.

LATIN AMERICA’S PROGRESS ON POVERTY STAGNATES, ACCORDING TO NEW UN REPORT

(Reissued as received.)

UN 2001 YEARBOOK PUBLISHED, PROVIDING COMPREHENSIVE ACCOUNT

OF ORGANIZATION’S EFFORTS TO ADDRESS GLOBAL PROBLEMS

Note to Correspondents

UNITED NATIONS STAFF ORGANIZE SILENT MARCHES

IN MEMORY OF COLLEAGUES KILLED IN BAGHDAD

     All United Nations duty stations around the world are organizing silent marches to be held on the same day, 26 August, in memory of their colleagues and friends who were killed and injured in the attack on the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad on 19 August.

UNITED NATIONS, AFGHANISTAN LAUNCH DRUGS INTERDICTION UNIT

(Reissued as received.)

Secretary-General Kofi Annan, while on holiday in Europe, spent time in Helsinki to meet with the President of Finland, Tarja Halonen.

Committee on the Elimination

of Racial Discrimination

Afternoon Round-Up

COMMITTEE ON ELIMINATION OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION CONCLUDES SIXTY-THIRD SESSION

Issues Observations on Reports of 11 Countries

(Reissued as received.)

UN VIENNA STAFF PAYS TRIBUTE TO VICTIMS OF BAGHDAD ATTACK

(Reissued as received.)

REMARKS OF BERTRAND RAMCHARAN, ACTING HIGH COMMISSIONER

FOR HUMAN RIGHTS, AT BAGHDAD AIRPORT

(Reissued as received.)

GENEVA, 22 August (UN Information Service) -- Following are the comments made today by Bertrand Ramcharan, Acting High Commissioner for Human Rights, at Baghdad Airport:

Friends of the United Nations, supporters of the human rights movement, dear colleagues,

Economic and Social Council

50^th Meeting (AM)

ECOSOC ESTABLISHES COMPOSITION OF ADVISORY GROUP AIMED

AT PEACE-BUILDING, RECONSTRUCTION IN BURUNDI

The Economic and Social Council this morning established the composition of its Ad Hoc Advisory Group on Burundi, which was created on 21 July to help the country through its transition from conflict to peace and aid its reconstruction.