HR/4722

CONCERNED BY ‘DIFFICULT SITUATION’ IN SRI LANKA, SECRETARY-GENERAL

HOPES PEACE TALKS CAN RESUME IN NEAR FUTURE

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

The Secretary-General arrived in Stockholm from Davos in the afternoon of 25 January, to attend the Stockholm Forum on Preventing Genocide.

MAURITIUS HOSTS TRAINING COURSE ON ECONOMIC ISSUES

(Reissued as received.)

Committee on Elimination of

Discrimination against Women

645^th & 646^th Meetings (AM & PM)

ETHIOPIA COMMENDED FOR POLITICAL COMMITMENT TO WOMEN’S ANTI-DISCRIMINATION

CONVENTION, DESPITE FACING POVERTY, NATURAL DISASTERS, MILITARY CONFLICT

Country’s Representative Says Changing Attitudes

In Traditional, Conservative Society Will Be Long Struggle

SECRETARY-GENERAL SADDENED AT DEATH OF SVEN FREDERIKSEN, HEAD

OF EUROPEAN UNION POLICE MISSION TO BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA

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

The Secretary-General is saddened to learn that Mr. Sven Frederiksen, the Head of the European Union Police Mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina, died earlier today in Sarajevo.

UN GLOBAL COMPACT TO CONVENE INTERNATIONAL MEETING ON TRANSPARENCY

AND FIGHT AGAINST CORRUPTION IN PARIS

President Chirac, Secretary-General Annan

Will Also Preside over Introduction of Global Compact Network France

UN RESIDENT AND HUMANITARIAN COORDINATOR CONDEMNS MURDERS

OF WOMEN AND CHILDREN IN SOMALIA

(Reissued as received.)

NAIROBI, 26 January(OCHA) -– The UnitedNations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia, Maxwell Gaylard,today condemned the recent murders of innocent women and children inclan-related conflicts in southern Somalia.

MEMBERSHIP OF PRINCIPAL UNITED NATIONS ORGANS IN 2004

General Assembly

The General Assembly is made up of 191 Member States.  The States and the dates on which they became Members are listed in Press Release ORG/1360 issued 4 October 2002.

Security Council

PRESS STATEMENT ON CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC BY SECURITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT

Following is today’s statement to the press on the Central African Republic by Security Council President Heraldo Muñoz (Chile):