The Conference on Disarmament, the world's sole multilateral forum for disarmament negotiations, will open its 2005 session on Monday, 24 January, at the Palais des Nations. The first public plenary will take place at 10 a.m. on Thursday, 27 January. The session will open under the presidency of…

Elena Ponomareva-Piquier, Chief of the Press and External Relations Section, chaired the briefing which provided information on the launch of the Millennium Project report in New York, a special session of the General Assembly, the World Conference on Disaster Reduction, Geneva activities, tsunami…

Following are the remarks addressed by Sergei Ordzhonikidze, the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva, at a ceremony at the Palais des Nations today marking the handover of donations raised by the Staff Coordinating Council: "It is a pleasure for me to be with you. Today’s…

Elena Ponomareva-Piquier, Chief of the Press and External Relations Section of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired the briefing which provided information on the Secretary-General's activities in Mauritius, the tsunami relief effort, activities in New York and Geneva, human…

Patrice Tonda, the new Permanent Representative of Gabon to the United Nations Office at Geneva, today presented his credentials to Sergei Ordzhonikidze, the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva. Prior to his appointment to Geneva, Mr. Tonda had served as Gabon's Ambassador to…

The United Nations Compensation Commission has made available today a total of $ 193,744,502.92 to 16 Governments and one office of international organizations for distribution to 329 successful claimants. Payment is being made in respect of 252 claims in category "D" (claims of individuals for…

Jan Egeland, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, briefed journalists as part of the regular briefing by the Information Service about the appeals for the tsunami relief efforts as well as for the start of the launch of the 2005 Consolidated…

Jan Egeland, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, speaking following the Ministerial-level Meeting on Humanitarian Assistance to Tsunami-Affected Communities, said that the United Nations had concrete commitments today from donors for $ 717 million…

Elena Ponomareva-Piquier, Chief of the Press and External Relations Section of the United Nations Information Service in Geneva, chaired the briefing which focused mainly on the tsunami relief effort. Spokespersons for the United Nations Children's Fund, the Office of the High Commissioner for…

Jan Egeland, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, updated correspondents today in Geneva on the massive relief effort in the tsunami-stricken areas, where he said half a dozen UN relief agencies, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement…