Marie Heuzé, the Director of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired the briefing, which focused on United Nations system efforts to address the deteriorating security and humanitarian situation in Kenya. Information was also provided on a $90 million appeal to assist internally displaced persons in seven countries launched by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). Ms. Heuzé and others also bid farewell to Jean-Michel Jakobowicz of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE), who was retiring after 34 years at the UN. Spokespersons for the Office for the…

Elena Ponomareva-Piquier, Chief of the Press and External Relations Section of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired the briefing which also heard from Spokespersons for and Representatives of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East, the World Health Organization, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the World Trade Organization and the International Organization for Migration.Secretary-General’s Travels Ms. Ponomareva-Piquier said Secretary-General Ban-Ki-moon was in Davos where he addressed the plenary session of the World…

Elena Ponomareva-Piquier, Chief of the Press and External Relations Section of the United Nations Office at Geneva, chaired the briefing which provided information on the Secretary-General's travels, in particular his programme in Geneva; the upcoming sixth Special Session of the Human Rights Council, on Israeli human rights violations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory; the opening of the Conference on Disarmament's 2008 session; humanitarian efforts in Gaza; the situation in Kenya; and an update on smuggling in the Gulf of Aden, among others. Spokespersons and representatives from the…

Elena Ponomareva-Piquier, Chief of the Press and External Relations Section of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired the briefing which also heard from the Spokespersons for the United Nations Children’s Fund, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the UN Refugee Office, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the World Trade Organization and the International Organization for Migration. At the beginning of the briefing, Ms. Ponomareva-Piquier welcomed a group of Norwegian journalists who were in Geneva at the invitation of the Office of the High…

Marie Heuzé, the Director of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired the briefing which provided information about Geneva Activities, in particular highlighting the first session of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women since its move to Geneva; United Nations action to counter terrorism; the situation in Kenya; and reports being launched in Geneva. It also provided an update on flooding in Southern Africa, where continuing torrential rains were continuing to threaten millions. Spokespersons for the World Health Organization, the Office of the…

Marie Heuzé, the Director of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired the briefing which also heard from Spokespersons for and Representatives of the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the World Food Programme, the United Nations Children’s Fund, the International Organization for Migration, the World Trade Organization and the World Meteorological Organization.Geneva Activities Ms. Heuzé said the Committee on the Rights of the Child would be meeting at the Palais Wilson from 14 January to 1 February to…

Marie Heuzé, the Director of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired the briefing which provided information on the Secretary-General's priorities for 2008, upcoming Geneva meetings, the situation in Kenya and floods in southern Africa, among others. Spokespersons for the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the World Food Programme, the International Organization for Migration, the United Nations Children’s Fund and the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development made statements.…

Elena Ponomareva-Piquier, Chief of the Press and External Relations Section of the United Nations Office at Geneva, chaired the briefing which provided information on the United Nations follow-up to the Algiers bombing; the first Forum of the Alliance of Civilizations, to take place in Madrid in January; the situation of children in Iraq; and the recent influx of asylum-seekers to Poland, which joined the Schengen zone today. A spokesperson for the United Nations Children’s Fund and a representative of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees made statements.…

Elena Ponomareva-Piquier, Chief of the Press and External Relations Section of the United Nations Office at Geneva, chaired the briefing which provided information on the activities of the Secretary-General, including his remarks on the outcome of the Palestinian Donors Conference in Paris; the situation in Somalia; humanitarian assistance to Sudan; displacement in northern Iraq owing to Turkish shelling; and an update on human toll of smuggling in the Gulf of Aden. Representatives and spokespersons for the United Nations Children’s Fund, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the…

Elena Ponomareva-Piquier, Chief of the Press and External Relations Section of the United Nations Office at Geneva, chaired the briefing which was also attended by Spokespersons for the United Nations Children’s Fund, the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, the World Food Programme, the UN Refugee Agency and the International Organization for Migration.Algeria Ms. Ponomareva-Piquier said that United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Administrator Kemal Derviº had been in Algeria yesterday, where he had met with families of the victims of Tuesday’s bomb attack on the UN…