Economic and Social Council

2004 Organizational Session

1^st Meeting (AM)

ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COUNCIL ELECTS MARJATTA RASI OF FINLAND AS PRESIDENT FOR 2004

Ms. Rasi Stresses Importance of Conference

Follow-up to Meeting Millennium Declaration Commitments

The Economic and Social Council this morning elected Marjatta Rasi of Finland as its President for 2004, the first woman to hold that post.

JOINT INSPECTION UNIT ELECTS CHAIRMAN, VICE-CHAIRMAN FOR 2004

(Reissued as received.)

GENEVA, 21 January (UN Information Service) -- At the first meeting of its winter session on 20 January, the Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) elected Inspector Ion Gorita (Romania) as its Chairman and Inspector M. Deborah Wynes (United States) as its Vice-Chairman for the current calendar year.

Committee on Elimination of

Discrimination against Women

639^th & 640^th Meetings (AM & PM)

AS WOMEN’S ANTI-DISCRIMINATION COMMITTEE CONSIDERS REPORT OF GERMANY, GOVERNMENT

EMPHASIZES RIGHT TO FREEDOM FROM VIOLENCE AS ‘POLITICAL PRIORITY’

NEW GLOBAL AWARD SUPPORTING ENTREPRENEURS IN ENVIRONMENT, DEVELOPMENT

LAUNCHED IN MUMBAI AND DAVOS

(Reissued as received)

MUMBAI/DAVOS, 21 January (UNEP) -- In India, a network of women slum dwellers is collaborating with United Kingdom engineers and a French water company to improve water delivery in their communities.

COFFEE CRISIS:  FAO HELPS NICARAGUA’S SMALL-SCALE GROWERS

Seeds, Basic Tools for 3,000 of Worst-Affected Coffee Producers

(Reissued as received.)

ROME/MANAGUA, 20 January (FAO) – The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) will work with the Nicaraguan Government to assist small-scale coffee growers hit by the global crisis in coffee prices, the Organization said today.

UN, LIBYA TO EXPAND COOPERATION AGAINST DRUGS, CRIME, TERRORISM

(Reissued as received.)

SECRETARY-GENERAL CONCERNED BY INCREASED TENSION THREATENING

OUTBREAK OF HOSTILITIES IN SOMALIA

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

Committee on Elimination of

Discrimination against Women

637^th & 638^th Meetings (AM & PM)

TRIPARTITE LEGAL SYSTEM HINDERS PROGRESS TOWARDS GENDER EQUALITY IN NIGERIA,

SAY EXPERTS ON WOMEN’S ANTI-DISCRIMINATION COMMITTEE

But, Ample Evidence of Nigeria’s Commitment

To Implementing Obligation under Women’s Convention Also Cited

POLITICAL WILL ESSENTIAL IN OVERCOMING CURRENT IMPASSE,

SECRETARY-GENERAL TELLS CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT

Following is the message by Secretary-General Kofi Annan to the Conference on Disarmament in Geneva, delivered today by Sergei Ordzhonikidze, Secretary-General of the Conference on Disarmament:

UNITED NATIONS HOLDS OPEN INFORMAL SESSION ON EDUCATION AND OUTER SPACE

(Reissued as received.)