Raising public awareness of the plight of the world's 20 million displaced children was the goal of the Save the Children's Portrait Pledge, Mike Aaronson, Director-General of Save the Children-United Kingdom told correspondents at a Headquarters press conference this afternoon.
If negotiations with the Taliban to permit women to continue to work in Afghanistan were unsuccessful, then delivering assistance to victims of the drought currently being experienced by that country would become extremely difficult, correspondents were told at a Headquarters press briefing this afternoon.
The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today's noon briefing by Fred Eckhard, Spokesman for the Secretary-General.
Good afternoon.
**Briefing Guest John Ruggie
The launch of the report "Humanitarian Action in the 21st Century" today demonstrated the international humanitarian community's shared commitment and enthusiasm for improving the way it responded to emergencies, the United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator, a.i., Carolyn McAskie told correspondents at a Headquarters press briefing this afternoon.
The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today's noon briefing by Fred Eckhard, Spokesman for the Secretary-General.
**Briefing Guest -- Robert Fowler
The resolution passed by the World Diamond Congress in Antwerp two days ago was remarkable, Robert Fowler, Canada's Permanent Representative to the United Nations told correspondents at a Headquarters press conference this afternoon.
The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today's noon briefing by Fred Eckhard, Spokesman for the Secretary-General:
**Briefing Guest -- Olara Otunnu
Grave crimes against children should not be part of amnesty provisions when peace agreements were being negotiated, according to one of the key recommendations of the Secretary-General's latest report on children and armed conflict, Olara Otunnu, his Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, said at a Headquarters press briefing this afternoon.
