SECRETARY-GENERAL CONGRATULATES COLOMBIAN PRESIDENT, REVOLUTIONARY ARMED FORCES

COMMANDER, ON SIGNING OF ACCORD ON 20 JANUARY

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

Committee on Elimination of

Discrimination against Women

Twenty-sixth Session

536^th and 537^th Meetings (AM and PM)

EXPERTS WELCOME POSITIVE ASPECTS OF TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO’S ANTI-DISCRIMINATION

MEASURES BUT STRESS PERSISTENCE OF GENDER-BASED CONSTRAINTS

Committee on NGOs

42^nd Meeting (PM)

COMMITTEE APPROVES TWO NGOS FOR CONSULTATIVE STATUS,

DEFERS DECISION ON TWO OTHER ORGANIZATIONS

AFGHANISTAN NEEDS $1.3 BILLION TO COVER IMMEDIATE NEEDS, $10 BILLION

OVER NEXT FIVE YEARS, SECRETARY-GENERAL TELLS TOKYO CONFERENCE

Following is the address by Secretary-General Kofi Annan to the International Conference on Reconstruction Assistance to Afghanistan, held in Tokyo, 21 January 2002:

Committee on NGOs

40^th Meeting (PM)

NGO COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS CONSULTATIVE STATUS WITH ECOSOC

FOR ONE ORGANIZATION, DEFERS ONE APPLICATION

Committee Continues Consideration

Of Reports by Freedom House, Other Human Rights NGOs

SECRETARY-GENERAL APPOINTS EXECUTIVE SECRETARY OF UNITED NATIONS

FRAMEWORK CONVENTION ON CLIMATE CHANGE

The Secretary-General has appointed Joke Waller-Hunter of the Netherlands as Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change to succeed Michael Zammit Cutajar, who retires on 31 January.  The appointment has been made after consultations with the Conference of Parties through its Bureau.

Donors Meet in Tokyo to Commit to Major Recovery Plan

for Conflict-Ravaged Afghanistan

Ministers from leading donor countries are meeting in Tokyo, Japan, on

21-22 January to make commitments to a major recovery plan for conflict-ravaged Afghanistan.

CONFERENCE ON DISARMAMENT TO OPEN 2002 SESSION ON 21 JANUARY

(Reissued as received.)

GENEVA, 18 January (UN Information Service) -- The Conference on Disarmament, the world's sole multilateral forum for disarmament negotiations, will open its 2002 session on Monday, 21 January at the Palais des Nations.  The first public plenary will take place at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, 22 January.

Committee on Elimination of

Discrimination against Women

Twenty-sixth Session

534^th and 535^th Meetings (AM and PM)

COMMITTEE EXPERTS PRAISE PORTUGAL’S EFFORTS TO PROMOTE EQUALITY OF WOMEN

Country Is Urged to Further Raise Public Awareness

Committee on NGOs

39^th Meeting (AM)

QUESTIONS RAISED IN NGO COMMITTEE CONCERNING REPORT OF FREEDOM HOUSE

A representative of Freedom House responded this morning to comments on a recently submitted special report to the Committee on Non-Governmental Organization (NGOs) as the Committee met this morning to continue discussing its methods of work and to begin consideration of special reports.