POPE ENDORSES INTERNATIONAL ALLIANCE AGAINST HUNGER

(Reissued as received.)

      VATICAN CITY, 5 December (FAO) -- Pope John Paul II today gave his backing to the International Alliance Against Hunger promoted by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.

GENEVA ACCORD OFFERS HOPE OF RECONCILIATION, PEACE TO ISRAELIS, PALESTINIANS,

SECRETARY-GENERAL SAYS FOLLOWING MEETING WITH SIGNATORIES

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

HUMANITARIAN SITUATION IN WESTERN SUDAN AMONG WORLD’S WORST AS INSECURITY

ESCALATES, SAYS UN EMERGENCY RELIEF COORDINATOR

Fifty-eighth General Assembly

Plenary

69^th Meeting (AM & PM)

SECRETARY-GENERAL’S HUMANITARIAN ENVOY FOR COTE D’IVOIRE TO BEGIN

NEW FOLLOW-UP, EVALUATION MISSION ON 7 DECEMBER

NEW YORK, 5 December -- Carolyn McAskie, the Secretary-General’s Humanitarian Envoy for the crisis in Côte d’Ivoire, will arrive in Abidjan on 7 December 2003 for a fourth follow-up and evaluation mission.

FIRST SESSION OF UNESCWA COMMITTEE ON WOMEN KICKS OFF

(Reissued as received.)

HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE AND COMMITTEE AGAINST TORTURE RULE

ON COMPLAINTS OF VIOLATIONS FROM INDIVIDUALS

(Reissued as received.)

GENEVA, 5 December (UN Information Service) -- Two independent human rights bodies have found violations of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT).

SHARON CAPELING-ALAKIJA’S LIFE DRIVEN BY ‘SENSE OF SOLIDARITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE’,

SECRETARY-GENERAL SAYS AT MEMORIAL CEREMONY

Following is the text of the Secretary-General’s remarks at today’s memorial ceremony for Sharon Capeling-Alakija:

HEAD OF UN INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCY CALLS CLOSING SESSION

OF TENTH GENERAL CONFERENCE AN HISTORIC EVENT

(Reissued as received.)

SECRETARY-GENERAL DISMAYED AT APPARENT TERRORIST EXPLOSION

IN RUSSIAN COMMUTER TRAIN

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

The Secretary-General was dismayed to learn of this morning’s explosion in a commuter train near the Yessentuki station in the Russian Federation.  This appears to be yet another act of terrorism.  Terrorism can never be justified.