UN CONFERENCES PROVIDED ‘DYNAMIC BLUEPRINTS FOR PROGRESS ON KEY ISSUES’,

SECRETARY-GENERAL TELLS COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS

Following is the text of an address today by Secretary-General Kofi Annan to the Commission on Human Rights in Geneva:

It is a pleasure to join you today.

SECRETARY-GENERAL SALUTES YALE UNIVERSITY ON 300^TH ANNIVERSARY,

AS UN POSTAL ADMINISTRATION ISSUES COMMEMORATIVE CANCELLATION

Following is the 30 March message of Secretary-General Kofi Annan to Yale University on the occasion of the dedication of a United Nations postal cancellation commemorating the 300^th anniversary of the University’s founding:

NEW CHAIRMEN OF UNITED NATIONS SECURITY BODIES IN APRIL

In accordance with the principle of alphabetical rotation, the following are the new Chairmen of the United Nations security bodies for April:

Security Council

Sir Jeremy Greenstock (United Kingdom) succeeds Volodymyr Yu. Yel’chenko (Ukraine) as President of the Security Council.

Military Staff Committee

Security Council

4307^th Meeting (PM)

SECURITY COUNCIL FORWARDS NOMINATIONS FOR RWANDA TRIBUNAL JUDGES

TO GENERAL ASSEMBLY, ADOPTING RESOLUTION 1347 (2001) UNANIMOUSLY

Having considered the nomination of judges of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda received by the Secretary-General, the Security Council this afternoon forwarded those nominations to the General Assembly.

Security Council

4306^th Meeting (PM)

SECURITY COUNCIL EXTENDS SIERRA LEONE MISSION’S MANDATE FOR SIX MONTHS,

INCREASES TROOP STRENGTH TO 17,500

Background Release

COMMISSION ON POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT TO MEET FROM 2 TO 6 APRIL

Population, environment and development will be the focus of the thirty-fourth session of the Commission on Population and Development, to be held at Headquarters from 2 to 6 April.

OUTER SPACE LEGAL SUBCOMMITTEE TO HOLD FORTIETH SESSION

IN VIENNA, 2 - 12 APRIL

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE OF MEETINGS OF UNITED NATIONS BODIES IN APRIL 2001

The following is a tentative list of United Nations meetings scheduled to be held in April, including major meetings of intergovernmental organizations related to the United Nations:

Meetings continued from previous month:

Human Rights Committee

Seventy-first Session

1917^th Meeting (PM)

STATE OF EMERGENCY, RIGHT TO FAIR TRIAL, POLYGAMY DISCUSSED AS HUMAN RIGHTS

COMMITTEE CONCLUDES REVIEW OF SYRIA'S REPORT

The Human Rights Committee this afternoon concluded its consideration of the second periodic report on Syria’s compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

Human Rights Committee

Seventy-first Session

1916^th Meeting (AM)

HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE TAKES UP REPORT OF SYRIA; DELEGATION STRESSES

COMMITMENT TO HUMAN RIGHTS CONVENTION AND COVENANTS

Experts Express Concern about State

of Emergency Posing a Threat to Certain Rights