PRESS BRIEFING BY ASSISTANT SECRETARY-GENERAL FOR CENTRAL SUPPORT SERVICES

The existing conditions at the United Nations Secretariat building posed serious health, safety and security problems and required considerable resources for emergency repairs and energy, Toshiyuki Niwa, Assistant Secretary-General for Central Support Services, said at Headquarters press briefing this afternoon.

PRESS CONFERENCE BY PERMANENT REPRESENTATIVE OF CÔTE D’IVOIRE

The Permanent Representative of Côte d’Ivoire to the United Nations, Djessan Philippe Djangone-Bi, told a Headquarters press conference this morning the international community should send a strong message to the rebels attacking the Government in his country, since the entire subregion was faced with the risk of destabilization. 

PRESS CONFERENCE BY PRESIDENT OF DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF TIMOR-LESTE

At a Headquarters press conference this morning, President Kay Rala Xanana Gusmao of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste spoke about his country’s admission to the United Nations, describing today as an important occasion for himself, his people and their history.

PRESS BRIEFING ON HUMANITARIAN SITUATION IN SOUTHERN AFRICA

The crisis in southern Africa had begun to accelerate at a much faster pace than anticipated, the Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for the humanitarian situation in the region told correspondents at a Headquarters press briefing this afternoon.

HEADQUARTERS PRESS CONFERENCE BY UNCTAD

At a Headquarters press conference this morning, Rubens Ricupero, Secretary-General of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) presented the latest UNCTAD report on African economic and development prospects, entitled “From Adjustment to Poverty Reduction:  What is New?”  Also present was Kamran Kousari, the UNCTAD Special Coordinator for Africa and chief author of the report.

PRESS BRIEFING BY SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE OF SECRETARY-GENERAL FOR GUATEMALA

The peace agreement signed in Guatemala about six years ago was beginning to yield the desired results, Tom Koenigs, the Secretary-General's Special Representative and head of the United Nations Verification Mission in Guatemala (MINUGUA) said at a Headquarters press conference this afternoon.

PRESS CONFERENCE BY FOREIGN MINISTER OF CYPRUS

The cornerstone of future peace and security in Cyprus was the implementation of Security Council resolutions, the Foreign Minister of Cyprus told correspondents at a Headquarters press conference this morning.

PRESS BRIEFING BY DEPUTY EMERGENCY RELIEF COORDINATOR

The number of people affected by the drought in southern Africa was growing more rapidly than anticipated, Carolyn McAskie, United Nations Deputy Relief Coordinator, told correspondents at a Headquarters press briefing this afternoon.

PRESS CONFERENCE BY SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR AFGHANISTAN

At a Headquarters press conference this afternoon, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Afghanistan, Lakhdar Brahimi, said that while many serious problems remained in Afghanistan, he was hopeful that peace would be consolidated, and reconstruction would take place.

PRESS BRIEFING BY UNICEF

Economic growth did not necessarily translate into better lives for young people in Central and Eastern Europe, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the Baltics, correspondents at Headquarters were told this afternoon by a panel launching The Social Monitor, a new, annual report on conditions for youth in the region.