SHEIKHA HESSA OF QATAR APPOINTED NEW SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR FOR DISABILITY

Secretary-General Kofi Annan has appointed Sheikha Hessa bint Khalifa bin Ahmed al-Thani of Qatar as the Special Rapporteur on Disability of the United Nations Commission for Social Development for the period 2003 to 2005.

SECURITY COUNCIL URGED TO ENSURE GREATER PARTICIPATION OF WOMEN IN PEACE EFFORTS

SECURITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON SIERRA LEONE ISSUES REVISED LIST

The Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1132 (1997) concerning Sierra Leone, on 30 May 2003, approved the removal of the names of eight persons from the list of individuals affected by the measures contained in paragraph 5 of resolution 1171 (1998), which reads as follows:

SECURITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE ON SIERRA LEONE ISSUES REVISED LIST

The Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1132 (1997) concerning Sierra Leone, on 30 May 2003, approved the removal of the names of eight persons from the list of individuals affected by the measures contained in paragraph 5 of resolution 1171 (1998), which reads as follows:

PRESS STATEMENT ON KOSOVO BY SECURITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT

Following is today’s press statement on Kosovo by Security CouncilPresident Sergey Lavrov (Russian Federation):

Members of the Security Council strongly condemned the murder in Obilic on 4 June of the elderly Kosovo-Serb family –- 82-year-old Slobodan Stolic, his wife and son.

UN PALESTINE RELIEF AGENCY LAUNCHES $103 MILLION APPEAL

FOR WEST BANK, GAZA STRIP

(Reissued as received.)

GENEVA, 6 June (UNRWA) –- The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)has launched an urgent appeal to the international community for funds to support its emergency activities in the second half of 2003.

COMMITTEE ON PEACEFUL USES OF OUTER SPACE TO HOLD FORTY-SIXTH

SESSION IN VIENNA, 11-20 JUNE

Concept of ‘Launching State’, Other Issues to Be Discussed

(Reissued as received.)

Fifty-seventh General Assembly

Plenary

88^th Meeting (AM)

GENERAL ASSEMBLY ELECTS JULIAN HUNTE (SAINT LUCIA)

PRESIDENT OF FIFTY-EIGHTH SESSION

Also Elects Main Committee Chairmen,

Vice-Presidents; Extends Appointment of UNCTAD Secretary-General

THIRD SESSION OF GROUP OF GOVERNMENTAL EXPERTS ON TRACING

ILLICIT SMALL ARMS AND LIGHT WEAPONS CONCLUDES

NEW YORK, 6 June (UN Department for Disarmament Affairs) -- The Group of Governmental Experts on Tracing Illicit Small Arms and Light Weapons completed its third and final session under the chairmanship of Ambassador Rakesh Sood, Permanent Representative of India to the Conference on Disarmament at United Nations Headquarters in New York.

UNEP URGES ACTION TO BETTER MANAGE GLOBE’S GROUNDWATERS

World Environment Day June 5:  Water -- Two Billion People Are Dying For It!

(Reissued as received.)

BEIRUT/NAIROBI, 5 June (UNEP) -- Many of the world's “natural underground reservoirs”, upon which 2 billion people depend for drinking water and irrigation, are under increasing stress and strain, a new report launched on World Environment Day shows.