PRESS STATEMENT ON DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO BY PRESIDENT OF SECURITY COUNCIL

Following is the text of the press statement made today by Alfonso Valdivieso (Colombia), President of the Security Council, on the Democratic Republic of the Congo:

Members of the Council were briefed by the Secretariat regarding recent developments in the DRC.

Security Council

4682^nd Meeting (AM)

SECURITY COUNCIL ENDORSES 22 DECEMBER KABUL DECLARATION,

UNANIMOUSLY ADOPTING RESOLUTION 1453 (2002)

Pact Aimed at Regional Peace, Stability

Signed by Afghanistan, Six Neighbouring States

DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INFORMATION APPROVES 21 NON-GOVERNMENTAL

ORGANIZATIONS FOR ASSOCIATION

HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE AND COMMITTEE AGAINST TORTURE

ADOPT DECISIONS ON INDIVIDUAL COMPLAINTS

GENEVA, 24 December (UN Information Service) -- Two United Nations bodies have found violations of civil and political rights and torture treaties in eight countries.

Secretary-General Kofi Annan left New York early on Friday morning, 20 December, for Washington, D.C., where he was to participate in a meeting at the State Department of the Middle East diplomatic “Quartet”.

SECRETARY-GENERAL NOTES IRAQ’S HAND-OVER OF KUWAITI PROPERTY

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

SECRETARY-GENERAL WELCOMES SIGNING OF KABUL DECLARATION BY AFGHANISTAN

AND SIX NEIGHBOURS, HOPES IT WILL BOOST PEACE PROCESS

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

SECRETARY-GENERAL CALLS KABUL DECLARATION BASIS TO PROMOTE REGIONAL

COOPERATION, IN MESSAGE TO CONFERENCE ON GOOD NEIGHBOURLY RELATIONS

Following is the text of Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s message to the Conference on Good Neighbourly Relations delivered by Lakhdar Brahimi, Special Representative of the Secretary-General, in Kabul on 22 December:

SEVENTEENTH LAW OF SEA FELLOWSHIP AWARDED

SECRETARY-GENERAL APPOINTS NEW DEPUTY SPECIAL

REPRESENTATIVE FOR ETHIOPIA AND ERITREA