PRESS BRIEFING BY SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR CHILDREN AND ARMED CONFLICT

At a Headquarters press briefing today, Olara Otunnu, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, denounced recent reports of the extensive sexual abuse of children in refugee camps in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.

PRESS BRIEFING BY POPULATION DIVISION

Demographically, the world was living in an unprecedented age, Joseph Chamie, Director of the Population Division, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, told correspondents this afternoon at a Headquarters press briefing.

PRESS BRIEFING BY SPECIAL ENVOY FOR HIV/AIDS IN AFRICA

The AIDS pandemic in Africa could be contained and defeated if adequate financial resources could be mobilized, Stephen Lewis, Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for HIV/AIDS in Africa told correspondents at a Headquarters press briefing yesterday.

HEADQUARTERS PRESS CONFERENCE ON EAST TIMOR

Correspondents heard a strong plea for justice in East Timor at a Headquarters press conference sponsored by the United States Mission this afternoon.  Talking to the press were John Miller of the International Federation for East Timor; Filomena Barros dos Reis, Advocacy Director of the East Timor NGO Forum; and Diane Farsetta of the East Timor Action Network.

PRESS BRIEFING ON 2002 REPORT OF INTERNATIONAL NARCOTICS CONTROL BOARD

At a Headquarters briefing this afternoon, Herbert Okun, a member of the United Nations International Narcotics Control Board (INCB), launched the 2002 report of the Board with an appeal for international action to help Afghanistan farmers cultivate alternative cash crops to replace opium poppy.

PRESS CONFERENCE ON ABUSE OF OLDER PERSONS

Emphasizing the need for global action to combat serious violations of the human rights of older persons, the first-ever report of the United Nations on the abuse of older persons was launched today at a Headquarters press conference sponsored by the Department of Public Information (DPI).

PRESS BRIEFING BY LEADER OF SECURITY COUNCIL MISSION TO ERITREA/ETHIOPIA

The Security Council wished to send a clear message to the people of Ethiopia and Eritrea that it was committed to helping them build a lasting peace, correspondents were told this afternoon at Headquarters as Council members prepared to embark on a mission to the region.

PRESS BRIEFING ON SOMALIA BY DEPUTY EMERGENCY RELIEF COORDINATOR

The time was ripe to invest in the grass-roots development of Somalia, Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator Carolyn McAskie told correspondents at a Headquarters press briefing this afternoon.

PRESS CONFERENCE BY CôTE D'IVOIRE

Ethnic tensions had eased in Côte d'Ivoire and the time was ripe to focus on such problems as nationality and immigration, Philippe D. Djangone-Bi, Permanent Representative of Côte d'Ivoire to the United Nations, told correspondents at a Headquarters press conference today.

PRESS CONFERENCE ON INDIGENOUS PEOPLES GLOBAL CONFERENCE

Issues relating to the rights, dreams and aspirations of the world’s more than 300 million indigenous peoples will be the focus of a four-day Indigenous Peoples Global Conference from 21 to 24 February, correspondents were told at a Headquarters press conference today.