DISCUSSIONS CONCLUDE BETWEEN UN, ISRAEL ON FACT-FINDING TEAM;

ISRAELI CABINET TO TAKE FORMAL DECISION 28 APRIL

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

SECRETARY-GENERAL, ON SIXTEENTH ANNIVERSARY OF CHERNOBYL ACCIDENT, INDICATES

SHIFT IN UN ASSISTANCE TOWARDS LONG-TERM DEVELOPMENT

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

Today, 26 April, marks the sixteenth anniversary of the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in Ukraine.

SECRETARY-GENERAL’S SPECIAL ENVOY CONCLUDES FOUR-DAY MISSION TO MYANMAR

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

Razali Ismail, the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Myanmar, left Yangon Friday after concluding his four-day mission aimed at helping facilitate the national reconciliation process in Myanmar.

INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY WILL STILL HAVE CRUCIAL ROLE IN HELPING EAST TIMORESE

TO CONSOLIDATE NEW INSTITUTIONS, SECRETARY-GENERAL TELLS SECURITY COUNCIL

The following statement by Secretary-General Kofi Annan was delivered today at the Security Council meeting on the situation in East Timor:

UNITED NATIONS JOINT STATEMENT ON GLOBAL COMPACT BY SECRETARY-GENERAL

AND PRESIDENT OF INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION OF EMPLOYERS (IOE)

The following statement was issued today in New York:

Biographical Note

SECRETARY-GENERAL APPOINTS PATRICIA DURRANT OF JAMAICA AS UNITED NATIONS OMBUDSMAN

The Secretary-General announced the appointment of Patricia Durrant of Jamaica as United Nations Ombudsman.  The appointment is at the Assistant Secretary-General level.

A career diplomat since 1971, Ms. Durrant has been accredited as Permanent Representative of Jamaica to the United Nations since 7 June 1995.

Meeting of States Parties

to Law of Sea Convention

70^th Meeting (AM)

STATES PARTIES TO LAW OF SEA CONVENTION CONCLUDE TWELFTH MEETING,

APPROVE $7.8 MILLION 2003 BUDGET FOR INTERNATIONAL TRIBUNAL

The States parties to the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea concluded their twelfth meeting this morning, approving a $7.8 million budget for the International Tribunal of the Law of the Sea for 2003.

PRESS STATEMENT BY SECURITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT ON EAST TIMOR

Following is the press statement on East Timor delivered today by Security Council President Sergey Lavrov (Russian Federation):

Security Council

4522^nd Meeting (AM)

SECRETARY-GENERAL CALLS FOR SECURITY COUNCIL APPROVAL

OF NEW FOLLOW-ON MISSION IN EAST TIMOR

Council Hears 23 Speakers; Suspended Meeting to Continue Next Week

History was about to confound the sceptics who had thought it improbable that East Timor would become a viable State in two-and-a- half years, Secretary-General Kofi Annan told the Security Council this morning.

PRESS STATEMENT ON MIDDLE EAST BY SECURITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT

The following statement to the press was made yesterday evening by the President of the Security Council, Sergey Lavrov (Russian Federation):

Members of the Security Council closely follow the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.