TRANSCRIPT OF PRESS CONFERENCE BY SECRETARY-GENERAL KOFI ANNAN

AT UNITED NATIONS HEADQUARTERS, 30 JULY 2003

The Secretary-General:  Good afternoon, Ladies and Gentlemen.  We have just finished a meeting between the United Nations and some of the world’s leading regional organizations.  We have these meetings every now and then, and this one has been particularly interesting and valuable.

SECRETARY-GENERAL URGES PARTIES TO PERSIST WITH EFFORTS

TO BRING NEPALESE PEACE PROCESS BACK ON TRACK

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

FIFTH HIGH-LEVEL MEETING BETWEEN UN AND REGIONAL ORGANIZATIONS CONCLUDES FOLLOWING TWO-DAY DISCUSSION OF MAIN CHALLENGES TO INTERNATIONAL PEACE AND SECURITY

Following are the conclusions of Secretary-General Kofi Annan, Chairman of the Fifth High-Level Meeting between the United Nations and Regional Organizations, held from 29 to 30 July at Headquarters, issued upon the completion of the meeting this afternoon:

SECRETARY-GENERAL THANKS MANCHESTER UNITED FOOTBALL TEAM

FOR LONGSTANDING COMMITMENT TO UN CHILDREN’S FUND

Following is the message of Secretary-General Kofi Annan, delivered by his wife, Nane Annan, to the Manchester United soccer clinic held today at United Nations Headquarters to celebrate the “United for UNICEF” partnership, which has raised more than 1 million pounds for United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) purposes around the world since 1999:

ASIAN-AFRICAN CONFERENCE OFFERS OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD ‘STRATEGIC BRIDGE ACROSS

INDIAN OCEAN’, SECRETARY-GENERAL SAYS IN MESSAGE TO BANDUNG MEETING

Following is Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s message to the first Asian-African Subregional Organizations Conference, being held in Bandung, Indonesia, from 29 to 30 July, delivered by Kim Hak-Su, Executive Secretary, Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP):

INDIGENOUS PEOPLES RICH AND INTEGRAL PART OF HUMAN TAPESTRY, HAVE MUCH

TO BE PROUD OF, MUCH TO TEACH, SECRETARY-GENERAL SAYS

Following is the message of Secretary-General Kofi Annan on the International Day of the World’s Indigenous People, which will be observed on 9 August:

SECRETARY-GENERAL HOPES MEETING WITH REGIONAL ORGANIZATIONS DEVELOPS

‘NEW VISION OF GLOBAL SECURITY’ TO FACE UNPRECEDENTED CHALLENGES

Following are the remarks delivered by Secretary-General Kofi Annan to the fifth high-level meeting of the United Nations and Regional Organizations, held at Headquarters today:

Biographical Note

SECRETARY-GENERAL APPOINTS HARRI HOLKERI OF FINLAND

AS SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR KOSOVO

On 24 July, Secretary-General Kofi Annan announced the appointment of Harri Holkeri of Finland as his Special Representative for Kosovo.

SECRETARY-GENERAL OUTRAGED BY CONTINUED HIGH RATE

OF CIVILIAN CASUALTIES IN MONROVIA, LIBERIA

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

The Secretary-General is outraged at the continued high incidence of civilian casualties in and around Monrovia, as the result of indiscriminate shelling.

SECRETARY-GENERAL REMEMBERS LOST, PLEDGES CONTINUED UNITED NATIONS SUPPORT,

ON 40^TH ANNIVERSARY OF SKOPJE EARTHQUAKE

Following is the message of Secretary-General Kofi Annan on the fortieth anniversary of the Skopje earthquake, delivered by Frode Mauring, United Nations Resident Coordinator and United Nations Development Programme Resident Representative for The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, on 26 July in Skopje: