Committee on Elimination of

Discrimination against Women

Twenty-seventh Session

551^st and 552^nd Meetings (AM & PM)

EXPERTS ON WOMEN’S ANTI-DISCRIMINATION COMMITTEE TAKE UP ZAMBIA’S REPORTS;

SAY TRADITIONAL STEREOTYPES UNDERMINE EFFORTS AT ENSURING EQUALITY

Praise Frankness of Reports in Presenting Problems,

But Express Concern Over Conflicts Between Customary, Statutory Law

SECRETARY-GENERAL SAYS ‘TIMELY’ ASIA CONFIDENCE-BUILDING SUMMIT EVIDENCE

NATIONS CAN WORK TOGETHER IN PRACTICAL WAYS TO PROMOTE COMMON SECURITY

Following is the text of Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s message to the summit meeting of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-building in Asia (CICA), delivered on his behalf by Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs Danilo Turk in Almaty, Kazakhstan, on 4 June:

PRESS STATEMENT ON DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

BY PRESIDENT OF SECURITY COUNCIL

Following is today’s press statement on the Democratic Republic of the Congo by the President of the Security Council, Mikhail Wehbe (Syria):

The Council members discussed the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.  Members of the Council heard a briefing from Jean-Marie Guéhenno, Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations.

Background Release

UN COMMITTEE ON PEACEFUL USES OF OUTER SPACE TO HOLD

FORTY-FIFTH SESSION IN VIENNA, 5-14 JUNE

WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY THEME –- ‘GIVE EARTH A CHANCE’ –- SUMMONS ALL TO CONTRIBUTE

TO HEALING OF AILING PLANET, SAYS GENERAL ASSEMLBY PRESIDENT

Following is the message of General Assembly President Han Seung-soo (Republic of Korea) on World Environment Day, which is observed 5 June:

INTERDEPENDENCE, SUSTAINABILITY, PARTICIPATION, EQUITY SUGGESTED AS POSSIBLE

KEY ELEMENTS FOR SUMMIT’S POLITICAL DECLARATION

(Received from a UN Information Officer.)

PREPARATORY COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN OPTIMISTIC THAT SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

IMPLEMENTATION PLAN WILL BE FINALIZED IN BALI

(Received from a UN Information Officer.)

Committee on Elimination of

Discrimination against Women

Twenty-seventh Session

550^th Meeting (AM)

ACCEPTING UKRAINIAN AWARD, SECRETARY-GENERAL CONGRATULATES COUNTRY

ON PATH TAKEN SINCE INDEPENDENCE

Following are the remarks of Secretary-General Kofi Annan on receiving the Order of Prince Yaroslav the Wise in Kiev, Ukraine, on 3 June:

You have truly honoured me by giving me this order.  I know that Yaroslav the Wise is one of your country’s most respected historical figures -- and I shall certainly wear his order with respect.