Press Release

                                                            SG/SM/9229

DEAD ZONES EMERGING AS BIG THREAT TO TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY FISH STOCKS

Eighth Special Session of Governing Council of United Nations

Environment Programme and Global Ministerial Environment Forum, 29-31 March 2004

(Reissued as received.)

EIGHT UN HUMAN RIGHTS EXPERTS GRAVELY CONCERNED ABOUT REPORTED

WIDESPREAD ABUSES IN DARFUR, SUDAN

(Delayed in transmission.)

GENEVA, 26 March (UN Information Service) -- The following statement was issued today by eight fact-finding experts of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights:

METHYL BROMIDE APPROVED FOR TEMPORARY USES

AFTER MONTREAL PROTOCOL PHASE-OUT DEADLINE

(Reissued as received.)

MONTREAL, 26 March (UNEP) -- An intergovernmental meeting here on the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer has granted limited “critical use exemptions” to 11 developed countries facing a year-end deadline for phasing out methyl bromide.

NOW THAT WE HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY, ‘WE CANNOT LET IT PASS’, SECRETARY-GENERAL

TELLS GREEK CYPRIOT, TURKISH CYPRIOT LEADERS

Following is the text of the opening statement by Secretary-General Kofi Annan as delivered at today’s meeting with the Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot leadership and the foreign ministers of Greece and Turkey in Bürgenstock, Switzerland:

Committee on Charter                                       

SECRETARY-GENERAL RELEASES FINDINGS OF IRAQ ACCOUNTABILITY PANEL REPORT,

DECIDES ON DISCIPLINARY MEASURES

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for Secretary-General Kofi Annan:

Special Committee on                                       

IF CONFRONTED TODAY BY NEW RWANDA, CAN WORLD RESPOND EFFECTIVELY?

ASKS SECRETARY-GENERAL IN MESSAGE TO LONDON FORUM

Following is Secretary-GeneralKofi Annan’s message to the Rwanda Forum, organized by “Never Again”, the ImperialWarMuseum and the Rwandan Embassy,delivered by Ibrahima Fall, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the Great Lakes Region, in London, 27 March :

SECRETARY-GENERAL SADDENED AT DEATH OF SIR PETER USTINOV

The following statement was issued today by the Spokesman for Secretary-General Kofi Annan in Bürgenstock, Switzerland:

The Secretary-General was deeply saddened to learn of the death of Sir Peter Ustinov, the actor, writer and humanitarian.