Press Release

Note to Correspondents

THEN AND NOW:  LECTURE SERIES HONOURING RALPH BUNCHE LEGACY

BEGINS AT HEADQUARTERS 4 SEPTEMBER

DPI/NGO CONFERENCE TO BE WEBCAST AROUND GLOBE FOR FIRST TIME

Committee on Relations

with Host Country

217^th Meeting (PM)           

HOST COUNTRY COMMITTEE ELECTS CHAIRMAN, DISCUSSES PARKING,

SECURITY FOR DIPLOMATIC MISSIONS

The Committee on Relations with the Host Country this afternoon elected a new Chairman and discussed several other matters, including parking and security for diplomatic missions.

AIR POLLUTION CUTS HELP FORESTS RECOVER

(Reissued as received.)

GENEVA, 2 September (UNECE) -- The latest report on forest condition in Europe indicates that drastic reductions in sulphur emissions have led to decreasing concentrations of sulphur in the needles of Norway spruce and Scots pine (see graph below).

EXPERT GROUP MEETING ON KNOWLEDGE SYSTEMS FOR DEVELOPMENT

AT HEADQUARTERS 4-5 SEPTEMBER

NEW YORK, 3 September (DESA) -- The Division for Public Administration and Development Management in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs is organizing an Ad Hoc Expert Group Meeting on Knowledge Systems for Development, from 4-5 September 2003 at United Nations Headquarters in New York. 

DELEGATES CALL FOR STRONG FINAL DECLARATION

AS TEST-BAN-TREATY DEBATE CONTINUES

(Reissued as received.)

VIENNA, 3 September (CTBTO) -- Several speakers emphasized the need for a strong final document at the conclusion of the 2003 Conference on Facilitating the Entry into Force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) as delegates continued their general debate this afternoon.

CONFERENCE ON FACILITATING ENTRY INTO FORCE OF NUCLEAR-TEST-BAN

TREATY OPENS IN VIENNA

(Reissued as received.)

VIENNA, 3 September (CTBTO) -- Secretary-General Kofi Annan called upon all States that had yet to sign or ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) to do so without delay, as the 2003 Conference on Facilitating the Entry into Force of the CTBT opened this morning in Vienna, Austria.

SECRETARY-GENERAL WELCOMES SMOOTH TRANSFER OF SECURITY RESPONSIBILITIES

IN EASTERN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

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

FRESHWATER ESSENTIAL FOR HUMAN SURVIVAL, HEALTHY ECOSYSTEMS, SUSTAINABLE

DEVELOPMENT, SAYS SECRETARY-GENERAL TO GLOBAL FORUM

SECRETARY-GENERAL WELCOMES RELEASE OF WAR PRISONERS BY FRENTE POLISARIO

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

The Secretary-General welcomes the release by the Frente Polisario of 243 prisoners of war who were repatriated today to the Kingdom of Morocco by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).