GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT SALUTES WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY

Following is the message of General Assembly President Harri Holkeri on the occasion of World Environment Day, 5 June:

Life is a finely designed web in which each species and ecosystem support one another and at the same time depend on each other.  The theme for World Environment Day, “Connect with the World Wide Web of Life”, is a very pertinent one.

WORLD SUMMIT ON SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT PREPARATIONS

BEGINS WITH EMINENT PERSONS ROUNDTABLE

If the 1992 Earth Summit succeeded in raising public awareness of the issues of sustainable development, then the 10-year review of the Summit should lay out clear goals and draw clearer links between the agenda and specific guidelines for its implementation, said United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) Nitin Desai.

GLOBAL AIDS, HEALTH FUND OPERATIONAL BY YEAR END

(Reissued as received.)

GENEVA, 4 June (World Health Organization) -— Over 200 representatives from more than 50 countries, multilateral and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), private foundations and other stakeholders met in an international consultation on the proposed global AIDS and Health Fund.  They recommended that steps be taken for the Fund to become operational by the end of 2001.

Secretary-General Kofi Annan travelled to Washington, D.C., in the afternoon of Thursday, 31 May, to deliver the keynote address at the Global Health Council Annual Awards Banquet.

TWENTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF FIRST CLINICAL EVIDENCE OF AIDS MAY BE

'YEAR WE TURNED THE TIDE', SAYS SECRETARY-GENERAL

Following is the text of the statement by Secretary-General Kofi Annan on the twentieth anniversary of the first clinical evidence of AIDS, 5 June:

SECRETARY-GENERAL URGES SWIFTER APPROVAL OF APPLICATIONS FOR CONTRACTS

SUBMITTED UNDER HUMANITARIAN PROGRAMME FOR IRAQ

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

SECRETARY-GENERAL’S SPECIAL ENVOY TO MYANMAR

MEETS GOVERNMENT, OPPOSITION LEADERS

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

SECURITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE ISSUES LIST OF PERSONS AFFECTED

BY RESOLUTION 1343 (2001) ON LIBERIA

The Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1343 (2001) concerning Liberia notes that, in accordance with paragraph 8 of Security Council resolution 1343 (2001), adopted on 7 March 2001, the measures contained in paragraphs 6 and 7 came into force at 00.01 Eastern Daylight Time on 7 May 2001, as follows:

“The Security Council …

LIECHTENSTEIN INSTITUTES PROCEEDINGS AGAINST GERMANY

(Reissued as received.)

THE HAGUE, 1 June (ICJ) -- Today, Liechtenstein instituted proceedings against Germany concerning "decisions of Germany ... to treat certain property of Liechtenstein nationals as German assets ... seized for the purposes of reparation or restitution as a consequence of World War II ... without ensuring any compensation".

Background Release

SPECIAL SESSION OF GENERAL ASSEMBLY TO REVIEW HABITAT PROGRESS, 6 - 8 JUNE