Round-up of Session

HUMAN RIGHTS COMMITTEE CONCLUDES SEVENTY-EIGHTH SESSION

Adopts Final Conclusions, Recommendations

On Reports of Slovakia, Portugal, El Salvador, Israel

(Reissued as received.)

ACTING HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS SUBMITS EMERGENCY

REPORT ON LIBERIA TO COMMISSION ON HUMAN RIGHTS

NINTH SESSION OF SEABED AUTHORITY CONCLUDES IN KINGSTON

(Reissued as received.)

KINGSTON, 7 August (ISA) -- The International Seabed Authority ended its ninth session in Kingston this morning after completing discussion on and taking note of the annual report of the Secretary-General on the work of the Authority.

GENERAL ASSEMBLY PRESIDENT URGES MEMBER STATES TO HONOUR DIVERSITY

OF THEIR INDIGENOUS PEOPLE IN MESSAGE ON INTERNATIONAL DAY

Following is the message from Jan Kavan (Czech Republic), President of the fifty-seventh session of the General Assembly, on the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples, observed 9 August:

EXISTENCE, DIVERSITY, ACHIEVEMENTS OF WORLD’S INDIGENOUS PEOPLE

CELEBRATED AT HEADQUARTERS OBSERVANCE

At a Headquarters commemoration of the International Day of the World’s Indigenous People today, Secretary-General Kofi Annan celebrated the “existence, diversity and achievements of the world’s indigenous people”, and said the protection and promotion of their rights and cultures was of fundamental importance to all States and peoples.

Round-up of Session

SEABED AUTHORITY STUDIES RULES ON POLYMETALLIC SULPHIDES, CRUSTS AT NINTH SESSION IN KINGSTON

(Reissued as received.)

PRESS STATEMENT ON KOSOVO BY SECURITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT

The following press statement on Kosovo was delivered today by Security Council President Mikhail Wehbe (Syria):

Members of the Security Council strongly condemned the murder of Major Satish Menon of the United Nations Interim Administration in Kosovo (UNMIK) Police, who was killed on 3 August while on duty in the northern part of Kosovo.

SECRETARY-GENERAL URGES RESTRAINT FOLLOWING EXCHANGES OF FIRE

ACROSS SOUTHERN LEBANON’S ‘BLUE LINE’

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

RALPH BUNCHE REMEMBERED AS CHAMPION OF PEACE, TOWERING 20^TH CENTURY FIGURE,

AS UN MARKS CENTENARY OF BIRTH WITH STAMP ISSUE AT HEADQUARTERS CEREMONY

PROGRESS REPORTED ON LANDLOCKED COUNTRIES GLOBAL ACTION PLAN;

MARKET ACCESS REMAINS STICKING POINT

NEW YORK, 7 August -- Satisfaction on progress towards the first global action plan on landlocked developing countries was expressed at a Preparatory Committee bureau meeting held today, in advance of the International Ministerial Conference that will take place late this month in Almaty, Kazakhstan.