DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today's noon briefing by Fred Eckhard, Spokesman for the Secretary-General, and Sue Markham, Spokeswoman for the President of the General Assembly.

Spokesman for Secretary-General

Good afternoon. 

PRESS BRIEFING BY UNDP ASIA PACIFIC BUREAU HEAD

The United Nations Development Agency (UNDP) expected to play an even more active role in East Timor after the establishment of a national government there, Hafiz Pasha, Assistant Secretary-General and head of the Asia Pacific Bureau of UNDP, told correspondents at a Headquarters press conference this afternoon, as he briefed them on his recent trip to Asia.

DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today’s noon briefing by Manoel de Almeida e Silva, Deputy Spokesman for the Secretary-General, and

Sue Markham, Spokeswoman for the President of the General Assembly.

Deputy Spokesman for Secretary-General

PRESS CONFERENCE BY SWEDEN AS CHAIR OF EUROPEAN UNION

Sweden’s Minister of Defence, Bjorn von Sydow, gave a press conference at United Nations Headquarters this afternoon on interaction between the United Nations and the European Union.  Sweden is currently Chair of the Union.

DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

The following is a near-verbatim transcript of today’s noon briefing by Fred Eckhard, Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

Spokesman for Secretary-General

Okay, good afternoon.

**Iraq

DAILY PRESS BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

The following is a near-verbatim transcript of the daily noon briefing by Fred Eckhard, Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

Spokesman for Secretary-General

PRESS BRIEFING BY EMERGENCY RELIEF COORDINATOR

The humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, worsened by drought, required urgent action to prevent a catastrophe, Kenzo Oshima, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, told correspondents at Headquarters today as he briefed them on his recent trip to that country.

PRESS BRIEFING BY UN POPULATION DIVISION DIRECTOR

ON WORLD POPULATION PROSPECTS REPORT

The world would be about 50 per cent larger by mid-century as well as substantially older, more ethnically and culturally diverse, and more urbanized, with megacities concentrated in the developing countries, Joseph Chamie, Director of the Population Division of the Department of Economic and Social Affairs, told correspondents this morning.

DAILY BRIEFING BY THE OFFICE OF THE SPOKESMAN FOR THE SECRETARY-GENERAL

The following is a near-verbatim transcript of the daily press briefing by Fred Eckhard, Spokesman for the Secretary-General.

Spokesman for the Secretary-General

PRESS CONFERENCE BY UN MINE ACTION SERVICE

The remarkable headway achieved by recent international and regional initiatives aimed at banning, as well as curbing the sale or transfer of anti-personnel landmines, confirmed the global community's renewed sense of energy to ensure the safety of the world's people, Martin Barber, Chief of the United Nations Mine Action Service told correspondents at a Headquarters press conference this afternoon.