Committee on Elimination of

Discrimination against Women

636^th Meeting (AM)*

WOMEN’S ANTI-DISCRIMINATION COMMITTEE TAKES UP REPORT OF BHUTAN

Country’s Representative Says ‘Consistent

Steps’ Taken to Comply with Letter, Spirit of Convention

NO DEVELOPMENT TOOL MORE EFFECTIVE THAN EDUCATION OF GIRLS, EMPOWERMENT OF WOMEN

SAYS SECRETARY-GENERAL IN ADDRESS TO WOMEN’S HEALTH COALITION

Following is Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s keynote address to the annual gala event of the International Women’s Health Coalition, in New York on

15 January:

SECURITY COUNCIL COMMITTEE ADDS TWO INDIVIDUALS TO AL-QAIDA

SECTION OF ITS CONSOLIDATED LIST

The Al-Qaida and Taliban Sanctions Committee on 16 January 2004 added the names of two individuals to its consolidated list (Al-Qaida section).

10. *Name: 1: SULAIMAN 2: JASSEM 3: SULAIMAN 4: ABO GHAITH

SECRETARY-GENERAL URGES WORLD LEADERS TO REFOCUS ENERGIES ON POVERTY,

HUNGER, UNSAFE DRINKING WATER, ENVIRONMENT, DISEASE

Following is the text of remarks by Secretary-General Kofi Annan at the ceremony for the handover of the Group of 77 in New York today:

Background Release

CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT TO OPEN 2004 SESSION ON 19 JANUARY

(Reissued as received.)

GENEVA, 16 January (UN Information Service) -- The Conference on Disarmament, the world's sole multilateral forum for disarmament negotiations, will open its 2004 session on Monday, 19 January, at the Palais des Nations.  The first public plenary will take place at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, 20 January.

WORKING GROUP ON DISABILITY CONVENTION ADOPTS DRAFT TEXT

NEW YORK, 16 January (United Nations Department of Public Information) --The Working Group established to draft a text of an international convention on the rights of persons with disabilities today adopted by consensus a draft that will form the basis for negotiations on the convention.

Security Council

2003 Round-up

IRAQ, MIDDLE EAST, AFGHANISTAN, AFRICA KEY ISSUES BEFORE SECURITY COUNCIL IN 2003

In a year dominated by the war in Iraq, the Security Council also addressed a broad range of other threats to peace and security around the globe, including in the Middle East, Afghanistan, Liberia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Côte d’Ivoire and others.

Security Council

4895^th Meeting (AM)

MIDDLE EAST PEACE PROCESS ‘REMAINS STALEMATED’ SECURITY COUNCIL TOLD,

IN BRIEFING BY UNDER-SECRETARY-GENERAL KIERAN PRENDERGAST

UN ACTS TO PREVENT WATER-BORNE DISEASE IN ZIMBABWE

‘IN THE WORLD OF AIDS, SILENCE IS DEATH’, SAYS SECRETARY-GENERAL AT LAUNCH

OF UNITED NATIONS GLOBAL MEDIA INITIATIVE ON HIV/AIDS

Following are Secretary-General Kofi Annan's remarks for the launch of the United Nations Global Media Initiative on HIV/AIDS in New York, 15 January: