ALMATY CONFERENCE OPENS WITH AGREEMENT ON ACTION PLAN

FOR LANDLOCKED DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

(Received from a UN Information Officer.)

ALMATY, KAZAKHSTAN, 28 August -- The first global conference on issues confronting low-income landlocked countries opened today in Kazakhstan, the world’s largest landlocked country and the one that is furthest from the sea, with a message from UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

UN COMMITTED TO HELPING LANDLOCKED DEVELOPING COUNTRIES OVERCOME OBSTACLES

TO DEVELOPMENT SAYS SECRETARY-GENERAL TO ALMATY CONFERENCE

UNEP SENDS ADVISOR TO PAKISTAN OIL SPILL SITE

(Reissued as received.)

NAIROBI/BANGKOK, 28 August (UNEP) -- The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) has dispatched one of its emergency response specialists to Pakistan to assist the authorities to assess the damage caused by oil spilled from the tanker MT Tasman Spirit.

The UNEP Executive Director Klaus Toepfer said this followed a request for assistance from the Pakistan Government.

REPRESENTATIVES OF GREECE, FORMER YUGOSLAV REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA MEET

UNDER AUSPICES OF SECRETARY-GENERAL

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

Security Council

4818^th Meeting (AM)

SECURITY COUNCIL DISCUSSES WAYS TO IMPROVE SUPPORT

FOR UNITED NATIONS PEACEKEEPING OPERATIONS

Members Stress Need for Clear Mandates, Importance of Humanitarian

Efforts, Electoral Assistance, Adequate Resources, Economic Reconstruction

Security Council

4817^th Meeting* (AM)

SECURITY COUNCIL SPLITS PROSECUTORIAL DUTIES FOR RWANDA, YUGOSLAVIA TRIBUNALS,

UNANIMOUSLY ADOPTING RESOLUTION 1503 (2003)

The Security Council this morning decided to split the prosecutorial duties for the criminal tribunals for Rwanda and the former Yugoslavia, which to date had been the responsibility of a single official, currently Carla Del Ponte.

FREE, PEACEFUL IRAQ WILL IN TIME BE FITTING MEMORIAL TO LOST COLLEAGUES

SAYS SECRETARY-GENERAL IN MESSAGE TO OSLO SERVICE

Following is Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s message for the memorial service honouring victims of the bombing of the United Nations mission in Iraq, delivered by Terje Roed-Larsen, Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process, in Oslo, 28 August:

Security Council

4815^th Meeting (AM)

SECURITY COUNCIL WELCOMES 18 AUGUST LIBERIA PEACE AGREEMENT,

REAFFIRMS READINESS TO DEPLOY UN FORCE BY 1 OCTOBER

Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Briefs

Council, Appeals for Lifting of All Sanctions, Except Arms Embargo

Accord between 30 low-income landlocked countries and THEIR transit neighbours

agreed at UN meeting in Almaty

(Received from a UN Information Officer.)

ALMATY, KAZAKHSTAN, 27 August -- An historic agreement between countries separated from the sea and adjoining nations with ocean access was concluded today in the central Asian city of Almaty, capping three consecutive days of intensive negotiation.

ORGANIZED CRIME TO BE GROWING PROBLEM IN IRAQ,

UNODC FACT-FINDING MISSION REPORTS

(Reissued as received.)

VIENNA, 27 August (UN Information Service) -- A four-member team from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) recently returned from a two-week fact-finding mission in Iraq.