SG/SM/8551

DECEMBER 6 PRESS STATEMENT BY SECURITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT

ON BRIEFING OF COUNCIL MEMBERS BY DR. BLIX

This is the text of a statement to the press by the President of the Security Council, Alfonso Valdivieso (Colombia), on Friday, 6 December:

Members of the Security Council received a briefing by Dr. Blix.

Members of the Council had a discussion regarding the reception of the Iraqi declaration.

Fifty-seventh General Assembly

Plenary

71^st and 72^nd Meetings (AM & PM)

NEED FOR SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF MARINE RESOURCES, PROTECTION OF MARINE

ENVIRONMENT STRESSED IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY'S DISCUSSION OF OCEAN ISSUES

Combined Value of Ocean Resources and Uses

Estimated at Seven Trillion Dollars Annually

UNRWA LAUNCHES $94 MILLION APPEAL FOR WEST BANK AND GAZA

JERUSALEM, 10 December -- The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) today launched an appeal to the international community for $94 million needed to allow the Agency to carry out emergency relief work in the occupied Palestinian territory during the first half of 2003.  By comparison, in 2002 UNRWA asked donors for $173 million over the full year and almost

'KNOWLEDGE MEANS POWER' -- AND THOSE WHO PROVIDE HONEST INFORMATION ARE

BEST ALLIES OF UN, SAYS KOFI ANNAN IN BBC WORLD SERVICE LECTURE

Secretary-General Announces

New World Service Series on 'Millennium Milestones'

Following is Secretary-General Kofi Annan's BBC World Service lecture, delivered in New York on 10 December:

HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS WELCOMES SIGNING OF PEACE AGREEMENT

BETWEEN GOVERNMENT OF INDONESIA AND FREE ACEH MOVEMENT

NEW YORK, 9 December -- The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Sergio Vieira de Mello, adds his congratulations to those of the Secretary-General, following the signing today in Geneva of the Framework Agreement between the Government of the Republic of Indonesia and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM).

PRESS STATEMENT ON IRAQ BY SECURITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT

Following is the statement to the press on Iraq by the President of the Security Council, Alfonso Valdivieso (Colombia) on 8 December:

After consulting with the members of the Security Council, the Presidency decided to allow access to the Iraqi declaration to those members with the expertise to assess the risks of proliferation and other sensitive information to begin its immediate review.

Fifty-seventh General Assembly

Informal Panel 1

 on Law of the Sea (PM)

IMPORTANCE OF DISPUTE SETTLEMENT, ESTABLISHMENT OF MARITIME BOUNDARIES

HIGHLIGHTED IN PANEL DISCUSSION ON LAW OF SEA

Security Council

4657^th Meeting (PM)

SECURITY COUNCIL, WELCOMING PROGRESS IN ANGOLA PEACE PROCESS, ENDS SANCTIONS

ON UNITA, UNANIMOUSLY ADOPTING RESOLUTION 1448 (2002)

Fifty-seventh General Assembly

Information Panel 2

 on Law of the Sea (PM)                       

URGENT ACTION NEEDED ON DETERIORATION OF OCEANS,

PANEL ON SEA LAW CONVENTION IS TOLD

Delegate Cites Accidental Oil Spills, Other Dangerous