News and Events Archive [April-June 2004]

ECOSOC High-Level Segment (28 June-1 July 2004)
Aid to poor countries should focus on building good economies - UN report
29 June 2004: Improving the effectiveness of aid to poor countries requires a focus on economic infrastructure, according to a new United Nations report discussed today by the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) in New York.
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Related Press Release
High Representative's Statement
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UN officials urge action on behalf of 700 million people in world's vulnerable States
28 June 2004: With the world's 50 poorest countries - home to 700 million people - struggling to tackle poverty, senior United Nations officials today urged attention to their plight as the annual meeting of the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) began in New York
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High Representative's Statement

UNCTAD XI (13-18 June 2004) : High Representative advocates for the world's most vulnerable nations
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High Representative calls for action to reinforce progress in vulnerable nations
16 June 2004: (UN Office of the High Representative for the Least Developed Countries) -- There is both opportunity and urgency to address the needs of the least developed countries, the United Nations High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, Anwarul Chowdhury, said today. Click for details

Progress in world’s poorest countries should be boosted through aid – High Representative
11 June 2004 – Just ahead of a major United Nations conference on trade and development, a senior UN official has issued a call for action to reinforce recent economic progress in the world’s poor nations. Click for details

Major UN meeting on small island States set for Mauritius in early 2005
10 June 2004 – Climate change, fragile ecosystems, economic vulnerability, geographic isolation and other concerns of small island developing countries will be taken up at a major United Nations conference set for early 2005 to examine a decade’s worth of efforts to address these issues, the General Assembly decided today. Click for details

High Representative to address symposium with Nobel Peace Laureate Shirin Ebadi
24 May 2004: 2003 Nobel Peace Laureate Shirin Ebadi will visit Lehman College on Monday, May 24, to present the keynote address at the College's symposium on "The Role of Women in World Peace and the Role of Men and Boys in Gender Equity."
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Click for High Representative's remarks at the symposium

G8 Finance Ministers support further relief for Highly Indebted Poor Countries
22-23 May 2004: G8 Finance Ministers pledged to extend the Highly Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative, which had been due to expire at the end of this year. In the final communiqué, they reaffirmed their strong commitment to debt sustainability in the poorest countries and to the full implementation of the HIPC Initiative. Click for details

17-21 May 2004: Workshop for the National Focal Points on the implementation of the Programme of Action for the Least Developed Countries Click for details

EU expansion adds 70 million potential new customers to the market for world's most vulnerable countries
10 May 2004: "More than 70 millions potential consumers have just been added to the already existing preferential market access to the European Union enjoyed by the world's 50 Least Developed Countries (LDCs)", UN Under-Secretary-General Anwarul Chowdhury said today.
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Survival of developing countries depends on market access - High Representative
6 May 2004: Speaking at the opening of the Third Least Developed Countries (LDC) Trade Ministers Conference in Dakar, Anwarul K. Chowdhury said the specific geographic and economic concerns of poor countries must to be taken into account when setting up global trade rules.
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Click for the statement
Article published on Senegalese Newspaper, le-soleil, 5 May 2004 (French)
Article published on Senegalese Newspaper, le-soleil, 6 May 2004 (French)
Article published on Senegalese Newspaper, le-soleil, 6 May 2004 (French)
Article published on Senegalese Newspaper, le-soleil, 6 May 2004 (French)
Article published on Senegalese Newspaper, le-soleil, 12 May 2004 (French)

Special Events of LDCs, LLDCs and SIDS on ESCAP Session in Shanghai
	Regional efforts a useful halfway step on path to international aid for LDCs: High Representative said at an Asian summit meeting in Shanghai 23 April 2004: Regional efforts to help the least developed countries work their way out of extreme poverty are a useful halfway house between needed global action and the primary responsibility of the least developed countries themselves, UN Under-Secretary-General Anwarul Chowdhury said at an Asian summit meeting on economic and social affairs. Click for the press release
	UN official commends Asia-Pacific regional development efforts 23 April 2004: "Regional development cooperation, particularly in the shape of South-South cooperation, could open up potential opportunities and provide a good framework of international support to the LDCs," Under-Secretary-General Anwarul Chowdhury told a high-level panel discussion at the 62-member UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) in Shanghai. Click for details
	High Representative's Statement at the ESCAP Special Event " Achieving the Millennium Development Goals in the LDCs through Regional Development Cooperation" 23 April 2004: High Representative highlights the potential for South-South cooperation and urges Asia-Pacific Least Developed Countries to forge a higher level of partnership with their Asian development partners Click for the statement
	20 April 2004: High Representative urges ESCAP Special Body on Pacific Island Developing Countries to organize its future work for the regional level follow up on the outcome of the Mauritius International Meeting Click for the statement Related press release

Negotiators plan for major UN meeting to address needs of small island States: High Representative told at a press briefing on preparations for Mauritius meeting on Small Island Developing States
16 April 2004: To be credible, the international community must focus on the needs of the world's poorest countries, the Secretary-General of an upcoming major United Nations meeting on the special needs of island nations said today as negotiators wrapped up three days of talks in preparation for that event.
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Webcast video on press briefing

Regional groups should play bigger role in aiding Small Island Developing States: High Representative told the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD)
14 April 2004: The role of regional organizations such as the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) and the Pacific Islands Forum in the economic development of the world's small island nations should be enhanced because they understand the situation more than international organizations, a senior United Nations official said today.
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Click for the statement
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Webcast video on official opening of CSD-12

Small island States to hold talks on their difficulties at UN development forum
13 April 2004: The world's small island nations are set to begin tomorrow three days of talks at the United Nations Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) to help focus attention on their struggles, including their fragile ecosystems, isolation and economic dependency on just a few export commodities. Click for details

High Representative's statement at the Third General Meeting of UN-CARICOM
12 April 2004: In his statement to the Third General Meeting of UN-CARICOM, Mr. Anwarul K. Chowdhury, Under-Secretary-General and High Representative (OHRLLS) and Secretary-General of the Mauritius International Meeting called for meaningful and practical outcome of the meeting to be held in Mauritius from 28 August to 3 September 2004. Click for the statement

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