PRESS BRIEFING ON HUMANITARIAN DEMINING

Failure to deal with humanitarian demining would make reconstruction in post-conflict situations extremely difficult if not impossible, Ismael Abraão Gaspar Martins (Angola), Security Council President for November, told correspondents at Headquarters this afternoon.

PRESS BRIEFING BY SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR ON HUMAN RIGHTS IN MYANMAR

Released political prisoners, who could serve as interlocutors and troubleshooters, should be seen as assets rather than nuisances, Paulo Sergio Pinheiro, Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on the Situation of Human Rights in Myanmar, said at a Headquarters press briefing this afternoon.

PRESS CONFERENCE BY GEORGIA SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE

“The work done on issues related to the return of internally displaced persons was this year’s major achievement in the peace process for Georgia”, said Heidi Tagliavini, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Georgia, at a Headquarters press conference this afternoon.

PRESS BRIEFING BY SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR ON ‘RIGHT TO FOOD’

At a Headquarters press conference this afternoon, Jean Ziegler, Special Rapporteur of the Commission on Human Rights on the right to food, briefed correspondents on his report, highlighting his mission to the occupied Palestinian territories.

PRESS BRIEFING ON GLOBAL EFFORT AGAINST EYE DISEASE, TRACHOMA

PRESS BRIEFING ON UNITED NATIONS FOUNDATION

At a Headquarters press briefing this morning, Ted Turner, Chairman of the United Nations Foundation (UNF) and Timothy E. Wirth, President of the Foundation, briefed correspondents on the Foundation’s Board of Directors meeting and introduced some of its new initiatives. 

PRESS BRIEFING BY SECURITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT

Ismael Abraão Gaspar Martins, permanent representative of Angola, briefed correspondents this morning on the work programme of the Security Council during Angola’s presidency during the month of November.

PRESS BRIEFING ON WORLD SUMMIT ON INFORMATION SOCIETY

The World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS) would focus on how to close the “digital divide” in key areas of connectivity, computerization and capacity for content development between developed and developing countries, Nitin Desai, the Secretary-General’s Special Adviser for the Summit, told correspondents this morning at a Headquarters press briefing.

PRESS BRIEFING BY UNRWA COMMISSIONER-GENERAL

While donations had increased for the regular programmes of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), donations to its emergency programme had fallen off dramatically, according to Peter Hansen, Commissioner-General of the Agency, who addressed correspondents at a Headquarters press briefing this afternoon.

PRESS CONFERENCE BY PRESIDENT OF UGANDA