MAJOR-GENERAL ALAIN PELLEGRINI APPOINTED FORCE COMMANDER

OF UNITED NATIONS INTERIM FORCE IN LEBANON (UNIFIL)

Secretary-General Kofi Annan announced today the appointment of Major-General Alain Pellegrini of France as Force Commander of the United Nations Interim Force (UNIFIL) to succeed Major-General Lalit Mohan Tewari who relinquishes his post on 17 February 2004.

AT WORLD ECONOMIC FORUM, SECRETARY-GENERAL CALLS ON BUSINESS LEADERS TO EMBRACE

DEVELOPMENT CHALLENGES AND FIGHT POVERTY, UNFAIR TRADE, SECURITY THREATS

Following is Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s address to the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, today:

Five years ago, here in Davos, I asked you, the world’s business leaders, to join the United Nations on a journey.

The Secretary-General this morning met with German Foreign Minister Joschka Fischer in Baden Baden.

FIGHTING POVERTY, STRENGTHENING SECURITY, REBUILDING TRUST SHOULD BE FOCUS

IN 2004, SAYS SECRETARY-GENERAL, ACCEPTING GERMAN MEDIA AWARD

Following is Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s address on accepting the 2003 Deutscher Medienpreis (German Media Award) in Baden-Baden, Germany, 21 January:

SECRETARY-GENERAL CONCERNED BY INCREASED TENSION THREATENING

OUTBREAK OF HOSTILITIES IN SOMALIA

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

POLITICAL WILL ESSENTIAL IN OVERCOMING CURRENT IMPASSE,

SECRETARY-GENERAL TELLS CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT

Following is the message by Secretary-General Kofi Annan to the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, delivered today by Sergei Ordzhonikidze, Secretary-General of the Conference on Disarmament:

TRANSCRIPT OF PRESS CONFERENCE BY SECRETARY-GENERAL KOFI ANNAN

AT UN HEADQUARTERS, 19 JANUARY 2004

The Secretary-General:  Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen.

As you know, I have just been meeting with senior representatives of the Iraqi Governing Council (IGC) and the Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA).

GLOBAL POLIO ERADICATION INITIATIVE IS ‘SHINING MODEL’ OF COOPERATION

AGAINST COMMON ENEMY, SECRETARY-GENERAL TELLS MINISTERIAL MEETING

(Delayed in transmission.)

Following is the text of the video message by Secretary-General Kofi Annan to the ministerial meeting of polio-endemic countries on their role in ensuring global eradication, held in New York on 15 January:

SECRETARY-GENERAL URGES WORLD LEADERS TO REFOCUS ENERGIES ON POVERTY,

HUNGER, UNSAFE DRINKING WATER, ENVIRONMENT, DISEASE

Following is the text of remarks by Secretary-General Kofi Annan at the ceremony for the handover of the Group of 77 in New York today:

NO DEVELOPMENT TOOL MORE EFFECTIVE THAN EDUCATION OF GIRLS, EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN

SAYS SECRETARY-GENERAL IN ADDRESS TO WOMEN’S HEALTH COALITION

Following is Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s keynote address to the annual gala event of the International Women’s Health Coalition, in New York on

15 January: