Secretary-General Kofi Annan told the top United Nations human rights body today that its mission was more important than ever in an era when “war, terror and the threat of political violence have become a much greater part of many peoples’ lives,” an era when “inaction is not an option.”

A senior United Nations official today urged the Security Council to reject calls to end the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), stating that the mission has, and will continue to encourage dialogue and multi-ethnicity in the province, which still has some way to go in establishing independent functioning institutions.

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan arrived today in Vienna, set to begin his official visit with Austrian leaders before attending meetings in Switzerland and France later this week.

As Black Sea nations continue efforts to integrate into the European and global trade systems, the degree of collaboration among the countries in addressing a broad spectrum of issues will be a key factor in achieving their goals, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan said in a message to a regional ministerial meeting set to open today in Armenia.