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.

UN LATIN AMERICAN, CARIBBEAN ECONOMIC COMMISSION FORECASTS

UN MEETING ON GLOBAL AQUACULTURE OPENS IN NORWAY;

FUTURE, SAFETY, HEALTH ISSUES TO BE DISCUSSED

(Reissued as received.)

TRONDHEIM, NORWAY, 7 August (FAO) -- Experts, resource managers and policy-makers from around the world are gathering here to assess the state of the global aquaculture sector and make recommendations for its future development.

SEABED COUNCIL NOTES LEGAL AND TECHNICAL COMMISSION REPORT

ON RULES FOR SULPHIDES AND CRUSTS, BIODIVERSITY ISSUES

CORRECTION

In Press Release SEA/1781, issued yesterday, 5 August, the second and third paragraphs from the bottom of page 4 should read:

PALESTINE RELIEF AGENCY WELCOMES NEW UNITED STATES PLEDGE TO EMERGENCY APPEAL

GAZA, 6 August, (UNRWA) -- Peter Hansen, Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), today warmly welcomed the news that the United States will pledge up to $26 million to the Agency’s sixth emergency appeal for the occupied Palestinian territory.  The current appeal covers the six-month period to the end of December, 2003.

UNITED NATIONS HUMANITARIAN AGENCIES REQUEST $69 MILLION

IN EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE FOR LIBERIA

United Nations humanitarian agencies requested $69 million in emergency assistance for Liberia this morning at Headquarters, with Secretary-General Kofi Annan saying, “The logic of this emergency appeal is simple:  without urgent action more lives will be lost.”

PACIFIC NATIONS START TALKS FOR INTERNATIONAL MEETING

ON SMALL ISLAND DEVELOPING STATES

APIA, SAMOA, 5 August -- The first multinational gathering leading up to next year’s International Meeting on Small Island Developing States is taking place in Apia, Samoa this week to review the progress achieved in ensuring the positive long-term development of small islands.

‘WITHOUT URGENT ACTION MORE LIVES WILL BE LOST’ SAYS SECRETARY-GENERAL,

AS UN HUMANITARIAN AGENCIES REQUEST EMERGENCY FUNDS FOR LIBERIA

Following is the Kofi Annan’s message for the launch of the Revised Humanitarian Appeal for Liberia, delivered by Jacques Paul Klein, his Special Representative for Liberia, in New York on 6 August:

Security Council

4805^th Meeting (AM)

BOUGAINVILLE PEACE PROCESS CAN PROCEED WITH REMAINING STEPS, AS SECOND STAGE

OF WEAPONS COLLECTION COMPLETED, SECURITY COUNCIL TOLD