Fred Eckhard began today's press briefing by reading the following statement:
Giorgio Giacomelli, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Vienna and Executive Director of the United Nations International Drug Control Programme, told correspondents at a Headquarters press briefing this morning that the new World Drug Report was a snapshot of the world drug situation captured at a particular stage in its evolution.
At a Headquarters press conference this morning, the Minister for Environment of Norway, Thorbjorn Berntsen, told correspondents that Arctic issues had become global issues. Cooperation among the eight Arctic countries on key issues in the region was essential, but domestic and international action was also crucial to reduce the threat to the Arctic environment.
Mongolia's Government will immediately expand the country's environmentally protected area from 10 per cent to 15 per cent of its territory, with 30 per cent of the country ultimately being turned into national parks and other protected areas, the State's Minister for the Environment, Adyasuren Tsohio, told reporters at a Headquarters press conference this morning.
Samsiah Abdul-Majid, spokeswoman for the President of the General Assembly, briefed correspondents on the special session on the review of implementation of Agenda 21. Also taking part in the briefing was Jean-Claude Faby, Chief of the Office of the Under-Secretary-General for Policy and Coordination and Sustainable Development.
Hennadi Udovenko, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Ukraine, told a Headquarters press briefing this morning that Ukraine's foreign policy had recently witnessed a number of extremely important achievements which greatly contributed to peace and stability on the European continent.
Senator Robert Hill, Australia's Minister for Environment, told correspondents at a press conference yesterday afternoon that environment ministers of Commonwealth countries had met under his chairmanship in New York on Tuesday, 24 June to review progress in implementing the commitments of the Rio Conference on Environment and Development.
At a Headquarters press conference held yesterday afternoon, the Minister of Environment for the Republic of Korea, Hyon-Wook Kang, introduced the Seoul Declaration on Environmental Ethics. He was accompanied by the Executive Director of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), Elizabeth Dowdeswell.
Samsiah Abdul-Majid, the spokeswoman for the President of the General Assembly, briefed correspondents on the special session of the review of implementation of Agenda 21. Also taking part in the briefing was Jean-Claude Faby, Chief of the Office of the Under-Secretary-General for Policy and Coordination and Sustainable Development.
