Background Release

FIRST INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON FINANCING FOR DEVELOPMENT

TO BE HELD IN MONTERREY, 18 - 22 MARCH

Trade Liberalization, External Debt,

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

Following is the text of today's press statement on the Democratic Republic of the Congo by the President of the Security Council, Ole Peter Kolby (Norway):

TRANSCRIPT OF PRESS CONFERENCE BY SECRETARY-GENERAL KOFI ANNAN

AT HEADQUARTERS, 13 MARCH

Security Council

4490^th Meeting (AM)

UNDER-SECRETARY-GENERAL BRIEFS SECURITY COUNCIL ON DEVELOPMENTS IN AFGHANISTAN,

INCLUDING WOMEN’S DAY OBSERVANCE, CHALLENGES TO INTERIM ADMINISTRATION

Fifty-sixth General Assembly

Fifth Committee

49^th Meeting (AM)

FINANCIAL SITUATION IN 2001 'OVERALL BETTER', SAYS

UNDER-SECRETARY-GENERAL FOR MANAGEMENT

Fifty-sixth General Assembly

Plenary

96^th Meeting (AM)

GENERAL ASSEMBLY URGES FINALIZATION OF INTERNATIONAL CERTIFICATION

SCHEME FOR ROUGH DIAMONDS

Success of ‘Kimberley Process’ a Matter of Life and Death

For Southern Africa, Says Botswana as Assembly Adopts Text on Conflict Diamonds

SECRETARY-GENERAL TELLS SECURITY COUNCIL MIDDLE EAST CRISIS ‘WORST IN TEN YEARS;’

CALLS ON PALESTINIANS, ISRAELIS TO ‘LEAD YOUR PEOPLES AWAY FROM DISASTER’

Following is the statement of Secretary-General Kofi Annan to the Security Council’s 12 March meeting on the situation in the Middle East:

Security Council

4489^th Meeting (Night)

SECURITY COUNCIL DEMANDS IMMEDIATE CESSATION OF ALL VIOLENCE IN MIDDLE EAST;

AFFIRMS VISION OF TWO STATES, ISRAEL AND PALESTINE

Security Council

4488^th Meeting (AM)

‘YOU CAN STILL LEAD YOUR PEOPLES AWAY FROM DISASTER’, SAYS SECRETARY-GENERAL,

ADDRESSING PALESTINIAN, ISRAELI LEADERS IN SECURITY COUNCIL STATEMENT

                                                            Note No. 5719