TRANSCRIPT OF PRESS CONFERENCE BY MIDDLE EAST QUARTET

AT HEADQUARTERS, 26 SEPTEMBER

Fifty-eighth General Assembly

Plenary

13^th & 14^th Meetings (AM & PM)

CONCERNS OF DEVELOPING COUNTRIES HIGHLIGHTED, AS GENERAL ASSEMBLY

CONCLUDES FIRST WEEK OF HIGH-LEVEL DEBATE

‘POWERFUL RESOURCE’ OF OLDER PERSONS MUST BE TAPPED FOR DEVELOPMENT

SAYS SECRETARY-GENERAL IN MESSAGE ON INTERNATIONAL DAY

Following is Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s message on the International Day of Older Persons, observed 1 October:

LANDMARK UNITED NATIONS TREATY AGAINST ORGANIZED CRIME ENTERS INTO FORCE

Corruption Convention Talks to Resume on Monday

(Reissued as received.)

THIRD MEETING OF PREPARATORY COMMITTEE FOR INFORMATION SUMMIT

CONCLUDES IN GENEVA

Concrete Steps Taken in Declaration, Action Plan to Bridge

Digital Divide; Delegates to Reconvene in Geneva, 10-14 November

(Reissued as received.)

DEATH OF IRAQ GOVERNING COUNCIL MEMBER SADDENS SECRETARY-GENERAL

Following is a statement issued today by the Spokesman for Secretary-General Kofi Annan:

SECRETARY-GENERAL ORDERS DOWNSIZING OF UN STAFF IN IRAQ

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

The Secretary-General, on the advice of his Security Coordinator, has ordered a temporary redeployment of United Nations international staff in Iraq.

PROGRESS STILL ACHIEVABLE AFTER DISAPPOINTMENT OF CANCUN,

SECRETARY-GENERAL TELLS GROUP OF 77 MINISTERIAL TALKS

Following is the address by Secretary-General Kofi Annan today to the Ministerial Meeting of the Group of 77:

SECRETARY-GENERAL, AT HIGH-LEVEL MEETING ON DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO,

SAYS REAL HOPE EXISTS FOR PEACE, BUT ENORMOUS CHALLENGES LIE AHEAD

Following is the opening statement delivered today by Secretary-General Kofi Annan at the high-level meeting on the Democratic Republic of the Congo:

SECRETARY-GENERAL HAILS NEW SUDAN FRAMEWORK SECURITY AGREEMENTS

Following is a statement issued today by the Spokesman for Secretary-General Kofi Annan: