UN SECRETARY-GENERAL CALLS ON GOVERNMENTS TO TAKE UP AIDS CHALLENGE

Seeks Global Commitment to Reverse AIDS Spread

Declaring the HIV/AIDS epidemic “the most formidable development challenge of our time”, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan, in a report released today, calls on governments to secure a global commitment for intensified and coordinated action.

Security Council

4278^th Meeting (AM)

SECURITY COUNCIL ADDRESSES COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO PEACE-BUILDING

IN PRESIDENTIAL STATEMENT

Statement Deals with, among Others, Integrated Strategy,

Interrelationship among Peacekeeping, Peacemaking, Peace-building

ASIAN PREPARATORY MEETING FOR WORLD CONFERENCE AGAINST RACISM BEGINS IN TEHRAN

GENEVA, 20 February (UN Information Service) -- The Asian regional preparatory meeting for the World Conference against Racism began in Tehran on

PREPARATORY COMMITTEE FOR ‘ISTANBUL +5’ OPENS IN NAIROBI

(Received from a UN Information Officer.)

UNITED NATIONS COMMISSION ON HUMAN SETTLEMENTS CONCLUDES EIGHTEENTH SESSION

UNITED NATIONS SEMINAR ON ASSISTANCE TO PALESTINIAN PEOPLE OPENS IN VIENNA

(Received from a UN Information Officer.)

VIENNA, 20 February -- "The dramatic upheavals of the past several months and the tragic loss of life have underlined the urgency of reaching a comprehensive, just and lasting solution to the question of Palestine", Secretary-General Kofi Annan said today at the opening of the United Nations Seminar on Assistance to the Palestinian People.

UN FORUM ON FORESTS CONCLUDES ORGANIZATIONAL SESSION,

DECIDES TO LOCATE SECRETARIAT IN NEW YORK

The recently established United Nations Forum on Forests decided on Friday to locate its secretariat in New York.  The decision was taken as the Forum finished up a week-long organizational session and informal consultations to set a new approach towards international forest policy.

Biographical Note

NEW PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF BRUNEI DARUSSALAM PRESENTS CREDENTIALS

Serbini Ali, the new Permanent Representative of Brunei Darussalam to the United Nations, presented his credentials to Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Friday, 16 February.

UN ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME CONFIRMS PLUTONIUM FOUND IN DU AMMUNITION

GENEVA, 16 February (UNEP) –- Traces of plutonium have been detected in the DU penetrators found at sites in Kosovo that were investigated in November 2000 by the United Nations Environment Programme's (UNEP) Depleted Uranium Assessment Team, which included the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), UNEP reported here today.

Commission for Social Development

Thirty-ninth Session

7^th Meeting (AM)

COMMISSION FOR SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT BEGINS CONSIDERATION

OF 2002-2006 WORK PROGRAMME

The Commission for Social Development this morning began consideration of its multi-year programme of work for 2002 to 2006.

The proposed programme of work was submitted by the Commission’s previous Bureau for consideration and adoption.