RELIEF SUPPLIES BEING STOLEN FROM RECIPIENTS IN SUDAN

NEW YORK, 27 February (OCHA) -– Internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Sudan’s Darfur region report that armed militias are robbing them of the aid they have received from United Nations agencies and non-governmental organizations.

Economic and Social Council                                

2004 Organizational Session                                

6^th Meeting (PM)

UN REPORT SAYS THOUSANDS IN SOMALIA THREATENED BY FOOD SHORTAGES

NEW YORK, 27 February (OCHA) -- More than 200,000 people in Somalia's northern and central regions face extreme food shortages due to a prolonged drought considered the worst in 30 years, a new report has warned.

SECRETARY-GENERAL OFFERS UN’S CONTINUED COMMITMENT AS AFRICAN UNION

BEGINS CONSOLIDATING COMMON STRATEGY FOR PEACE, SECURITY

Following is Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s message to the extraordinary session of the Assembly of the African Union, in Sirte, 27 February, delivered by Tuliameni Kalomoh, United Nations Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affairs.

TENTATIVE SCHEDULE OF MEETINGS OF UNITED NATIONS BODIES IN MARCH 2004

The following is a tentative list of United Nations meetings scheduled to be held in March, including major meetings of intergovernmental organizations related to the United Nations:

BIOSAFETY PROTOCOL NOW OPERATIONAL AS GOVERNMENTS AGREE

ON DOCUMENTATION RULES FOR GMO TRADE

(Reissued as received.)

HUNGARY WORKS WITH UNODC ON NATIONAL CRIME PREVENTION STRATEGY

(Reissued as received.)

VIENNA, 26 February (UN Information Service) -- Hungary’s new National Strategy for Social Crime Prevention was the focus of a half-day workshop organized here yesterday by the Hungarian Ministry of Justice and the Vienna-based United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

MILLIONS OF CHILDREN’S FUTURE BLIGHTED BY FUNDING CRISIS IN SOUTHERN AFRICA

GENEVA, 26 February (OCHA) -– The future of millions of children in six southern African countries is being put in jeopardy by a massive lack of funds and international support for crucial aid projects, according to a warning issued today by eight United Nations agencies at the launch of the Mid Term Review of the Consolidated Appeal for southern Africa.

CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT HEARS STATEMENTS ON FIFTH ANNIVERSARY OF MINE-BAN CONVENTION

(Reissued as received.)

GENEVA, 26 February (UN Information Service) –- The Conference on Disarmament this morning heard a series of statements marking the fifth anniversary of the Mine-Ban Convention on 1 March and expressing aspirations for the First Review Conference of the Convention which, will be held in Kenya at the end of the year.

UNITED NATIONS ‘DISAPPOINTED’ IF MEDIA REPORTS OF BRITISH SPYING TRUE;

SAYS SUCH ACTS UNDERMINE DIPLOMATIC INTEGRITY, CONFIDENTIALITY

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

We have seen today’s media reports alleging that the Secretary-General’s phone conversations were tapped by British intelligence.  We would be disappointed if this were true.