PRESS BRIEFING BY FORMER SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR EAST TIMOR

Ian Martin, the former Special Representative of the Secretary-General for East Timor (UNAMET), told correspondents this afternoon at a Headquarters press briefing that the free elections held in the country on 30 August occurred two years to the day after the East Timorese voted for independence.  This time, he noted, the ballots were cast without the threat of imminent violence.

PRESS BRIEFING ON 2001 WORLD INVESTMENT REPORT

The World Investment Report 2001 – Promoting Linkages forecasts a significant drop in foreign direct investment (FDI) in the current year, Georg Kell, Economic Advisor, Executive Office of the Secretary-General, told correspondents at a Headquarters press briefing yesterday.

PRESS CONFERENCE BY AFGHANISTAN

Ravan Farhadi, the Permanent Representative of Afghanistan to the United Nations, called on the Security Council to adopt a resolution asking Pakistan to "withdraw its armed nationals and patronized religious extremist groups from Afghanistan" during a press conference held at Headquarters this morning.

PRESS BRIEFING BY SECRETARY-GENERAL’S SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE

FOR ETHIOPIA AND ERITREA

The situation between Ethiopia and Eritrea continued to be terribly polarized with a lot of bitterness between the parties, Legwaila Joseph Legwaila, Special Representative of the Secretary-General and Head of the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE), told correspondents this afternoon at a Headquarters press briefing.

FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE BY PRESIDENT OF FIFTY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

Outgoing General Assembly President Harri Holkeri (Finland) had just declared closed the fifty-fifth session of the Assembly, when he briefed correspondents at a Headquarters press conference this afternoon on his hopes for the future of the Assembly.

HEADQUARTERS PRESS CONFERENCE BY UNWRA COMMISSIONER-GENERAL

A worsened humanitarian and political situation would result from the decline in donations to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNWRA), Peter Hansen, Commissioner-General of that agency, told correspondents at a Headquarters press conference this afternoon.

PRESS CONFERENCE BY PERMANENT OBSERVER OF PALESTINE

His delegation’s aim in travelling to the recently-concluded Racism Conference in Durban was to contribute to its success, Nasser Al-Kidwa, Permanent Observer for Palestine to the United Nations, told correspondents at a Headquarters press conference this afternoon.

BRIEFING BY CO-FACILITATORS ON ISSUES RELATING TO LEGACY OF PAST

DURBAN, 5 September -- The co-facilitators appointed to handle issues relating to the legacy of the past gave a briefing to journalists this evening as they broke from their latest negotiations in Durban, South Africa.

AFRICA WILL BE SECURITY COUNCIL FOCUS DURING SEPTEMBER,

FRANCE TELLS CORRESPONDENTS

Africa will be first and foremost among the Security Council's concerns this month, its new President for September, Jean-David Levitte of France, told correspondents at a press briefing today at Headquarters, at which he distributed the Council's schedule for the month and drew correspondents' attention to some of its highlights and objectives.