AIR POLLUTION CUTS HELP FORESTS RECOVER

(Reissued as received.)

GENEVA, 2 September (UNECE) -- The latest report on forest condition in Europe indicates that drastic reductions in sulphur emissions have led to decreasing concentrations of sulphur in the needles of Norway spruce and Scots pine (see graph below).

DELEGATES CALL FOR STRONG FINAL DECLARATION

AS TEST-BAN-TREATY DEBATE CONTINUES

(Reissued as received.)

VIENNA, 3 September (CTBTO) -- Several speakers emphasized the need for a strong final document at the conclusion of the 2003 Conference on Facilitating the Entry into Force of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) as delegates continued their general debate this afternoon.

Meeting of States Parties

to Law of Sea Convention

Special Meeting (AM)

STATES PARTIES TO LAW OF SEA CONVENTION ELECT NEW MEMBER TO INTERNATIONAL TRIBUNAL

In a special meeting this morning, the States Parties to the Convention on the Law of the Sea elected Anthony Amos Lucky (Trinidad and Tobago) to the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea.

FRESHWATER ESSENTIAL FOR HUMAN SURVIVAL, HEALTHY ECOSYSTEMS, SUSTAINABLE

DEVELOPMENT, SAYS SECRETARY-GENERAL TO GLOBAL FORUM

UN CONFERENCE OF CIVIL SOCIETY IN SUPPORT OF PALESTINIAN PEOPLE

TO BE HELD 4-5 SEPTEMBER

SECRETARY-GENERAL WELCOMES RELEASE OF WAR PRISONERS BY FRENTE POLISARIO

The following statement was issued by the Spokesman for Secretary-General Kofi Annan on 1 September:

The Secretary-General welcomes the release by the Frente Polisario of 243 prisoners of war who were repatriated today to the Kingdom of Morocco by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).

SECRETARY-GENERAL WELCOMES SMOOTH TRANSFER OF SECURITY RESPONSIBILITIES

IN EASTERN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

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

WORKSHOP ON CONTRIBUTION OF SATELLITE COMMUNICATIONS

TECHNOLOGY TO BRIDGE DIGITAL DIVIDE

(Reissued as received.)

ORIGIN OF SARS VIRUS STILL OBSCURE -- DISEASE COULD RECUR

No Evidence That Farm Animals Have Been Infected

(Reissued as received.)

      ROME, 1 September (FAO) -- The threat of future Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreaks must be considered real as long as the source of the SARS coronavirus remains obscure, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned in a statement today.

WORKING GROUP ON ARBITRARY DETENTION OPENS THIRTY-SEVENTH SESSION

(Reissued as received.)

GENEVA, 2 September (UN Information Service) -- The United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention opened its thirty-seventh session today in Geneva.