UNITED NATIONS HELPS ALLEVIATE BANGLADESH’S WORSENING FLOOD SITUATION

NEW YORK, 27 July (OCHA) -- A new Operations Coordination Room has been set up to consolidate all assessments of the situation on the ground in Bangladesh, where the flood situation is deteriorating.  The Room falls under the Disaster and Emergency Response area of Bangladesh’s Local Consultative Group, which includes such bodies as the United Nations and the World Bank.

SUB-COMMISSION ON THE PROMOTION AND PROTECTION

OF HUMAN RIGHTS OPENS FIFTY-SIXTH SESSION

High Commissioner for Human Rights Addresses Sub-Commission

(Reissued as received.)

Committee on Relations                                           

Involving local communities crucial to preventing and controLling

forest fires, SAYS UN FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION

(Reissued as received.)

Rome, 26 July (FAO) -- Involving local communities is crucial to prevent and control destructive forest fires, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) said today.

"Globally, 95 per cent of all fires are caused by various human activities", said Mike Jurvelius, an FAO forest fire expert.

MEDIA POLICY MUST ENSURE COMMUNICATION REVOLUTION EMPOWERS ALL PEOPLE,

SAYS SECRETARY-GENERAL IN MESSAGE TO COLOMBO CONFERENCE

Following is Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s message to the Asia-Pacific Institute for Broadcasting Development General Conference in Colombo, 26 July, delivered by Miguel Bermeo, United Nations Resident Coordinator and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Permanent Representative in Sri Lanka:

latest un yearbook provides comprehensive overview of United Nations’ activities

For use by diplomats, government officials, scholars, journalists

RESTORING IRAQI MARSHLANDS PROJECT LAUNCHED BY UN ENVIRONMENT PROGRAMME

(Reissued as received.)

NAIROBI/PARIS, 23 July (UNEP) -- A multi-million dollar project to restore the environment and provide clean drinking water in the Marshlands of Mesopotamia was announced today by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP).

Committee on Elimination of                                

 Discrimination against Women                              

665^th Meeting (PM)

Economic and Social Council                                

2004 Substantive Session                                   

Secretary-General sets out priorities for his water/sanitation advisory board,

cites terrible cost of unsafe drinking water, poor sanitation

Following are Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s remarks to the first session of his Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation:

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen, and dear friends, welcome.  It is indeed a pleasure to see you all here.