Biographical Note                                            SG/A/840/Rev.1*

Security Council

4818^th Meeting (AM)

SECURITY COUNCIL DISCUSSES WAYS TO IMPROVE SUPPORT

FOR UNITED NATIONS PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS

Members Stress Need for Clear Mandates, Importance of Humanitarian

Efforts, Electoral Assistance, Adequate Resources, Economic Reconstruction

Security Council

4817^th Meeting* (AM)

SECURITY COUNCIL SPLITS PROSECUTORIAL DUTIES FOR RWANDA, YUGOSLAVIA TRIBUNALS,

UNANIMOUSLY ADOPTING RESOLUTION 1503 (2003)

The Security Council this morning decided to split the prosecutorial duties for the criminal tribunals for Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia, which to date had been the responsibility of a single official, currently Carla Del Ponte.

ALMATY CONFERENCE OPENS WITH AGREEMENT ON ACTION PLAN

FOR LANDLOCKED DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

(Received from a UN Information Officer.)

ALMATY, KAZAKHSTAN, 28 August -- The first global conference on issues confronting low-income landlocked countries opened today in Kazakhstan, the world’s largest landlocked country and the one that is furthest from the sea, with a message from UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

SECRETARY-GENERAL WELCOMES SIX-PARTY TALKS IN BEIJING,

HOPES PROCESS STRENGTHENS PEACE ON KOREAN PENINSULA

Following is the message of Secretary-General Kofi Annan to the participants of the six-party talks in Beijing:

I welcome the beginning of the six-party talks in Beijing.

Security Council

4815^th Meeting (AM)

SECURITY COUNCIL WELCOMES 18 AUGUST LIBERIA PEACE AGREEMENT,

REAFFIRMS READINESS TO DEPLOY UN FORCE BY 1 OCTOBER

Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Briefs

Council, Appeals for Lifting of All Sanctions, Except Arms Embargo

ORGANIZED CRIME TO BE GROWING PROBLEM IN IRAQ,

UNODC FACT-FINDING MISSION REPORTS

(Reissued as received.)

VIENNA, 27 August (UN Information Service) -- A four-member team from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) recently returned from a two-week fact-finding mission in Iraq.

Accord between 30 low-income landlocked countries and THEIR transit neighbours

agreed at UN meeting in Almaty

(Received from a UN Information Officer.)

ALMATY, KAZAKHSTAN, 27 August -- An historic agreement between countries separated from the sea and adjoining nations with ocean access was concluded today in the central Asian city of Almaty, capping three consecutive days of intensive negotiation.

Secretary-General Kofi Annan left New York on Friday, 22 August, arriving in Rio de Janeiro Saturday morning to attend a memorial service for Sergio Vieira de Mello, his Special Representative for Iraq, who was killed in a bomb attack on the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad on Tuesday, 19 August.

IN STATEMENT TO SECURITY COUNCIL, SECRETARY-GENERAL URGES ACTION

AGAINST THOSE ATTACKING UNITED NATIONS PERSONNEL

Following is today’s statement by Secretary-General Kofi Annan to the Security Council meeting on the protection of humanitarian workers:

I wish to express my strong support for the draft resolution before you.