Secretary-General: Press Release

SECRETARY-GENERAL SAYS HIS PLAN FOR CYPRUS REMAINS ON TABLE

Following is a statement issued today by the Spokesman for Secretary-General Kofi Annan:

The Secretary-General has seen the reports of the Turkish Cypriot voting.  It appears that it may take some time for a new political dispensation to be established.

SECRETARY-GENERAL, IN INTERNATIONAL MIGRANTS DAY MESSAGE,

UNDERLINES NEED TO MAXIMIZE BENEFITS OF MIGRATION

Following is the text of Secretary-GeneralKofi Annan’s message on International Migrants Day, 18 December 2003:

SECRETARY-GENERAL AFFIRMS UN SUPPORT FOR AFRICA ENVIRONMENT ACTION PLAN

IN MESSAGE TO ALGIERS CONFERENCE

Following is Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s message to the partners’ conference on the implementation of the Action Plan for the Environment Initiative of the New Partnership for Africa’s Development (NEPAD), delivered by Klaus Töpfer, Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme, in Algiers, 15 to 16 December:

SECRETARY-GENERAL POINTS OUT AREAS FOR MUTUAL ASSISTANCE

IN MESSAGE TO CHINA-AFRICA COOPERATION FORUM

Following is the text of Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s message to the Second Ministerial Conference of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation delivered in Addis Ababa today, 15 December 2003, by Zéphirin Diabré, Under-Secretary-General and Associate Administrator, United Nations Development Programme:

ACHIEVING MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS REQUIRES EVERYONE TO JOIN FORCES,

SECRETARY-GENERAL SAYS IN MESSAGE TO POVERTY SOCCER GAME

Following is the message by Secretary-General Kofi Annan to the poverty soccer game in Basel today, delivered by Mark Malloch Brown, Administrator, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP):

SECRETARY-GENERAL CALLS CAPTURE OF SADDAM AN IMPORTANT EVENT

Following is a statement issued today by the Spokesman for Secretary-General Kofi Annan:

The Secretary-General considers that the capture of Saddam Hussein, the epitome of the former regime, is an important event.  It offers an opportunity to give fresh impetus to the search for peace and stability in Iraq, on the basis of an inclusive and fully transparent process.

Secretary-General Kofi Annan arrived in Geneva on Monday morning, 8 December.

Let me start by thanking Professor Küng –- not only for that very kind introduction, but also for inviting me here to give this lecture.  I was deeply touched when, eighteen months ago in Berlin, he handed me a note asking me to do this as a birthday gift for him, at any time after his 75^th birthday on 19 March 2003.

ANTI-POVERTY GOALS CANNOT BE MET WITHOUT TRUE GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP,

SAYS SECRETARY-GENERAL IN MESSAGE TO MARRAKESH CONFERENCE

Following is Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s message to the High-Level Conference on South-South Cooperation in Marrakesh, 16 December:

SECRETARY-GENERAL EXPRESSES GRATITUDE FOR GERMAN SUPPORT OF GLOBAL COMPACT; CALLS

ON BUSINESS, NGOS, GOVERNMENTS TO TAKE STAND FOR INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION

Following is the text of the toast by Secretary-General Kofi Annan at the Global Compact dinner hosted by German Chancellor Schroeder in Berlin on

11 December: