Europe

Mohamed ElBaradei

UN atomic watchdog seeks ‘full transparency’ from Iran on all nuclear activities

28 February 2005
The United Nations agency entrusted with preventing the spread of nuclear weapons called on Iran today to provide “full transparency” on all its nuclear activities, noting that information on some outstanding issues was still pending, while progress has been made on others.
SRSG Jessen-Petersen briefs Council

Process to decide Kosovo's final status could begin this year, Security Council told

24 February 2005
There are good chances that the process leading to talks on the final status of Kosovo could begin in the second half of this year but also risks that tensions could rise in tandem, the top United Nations envoy administering the ethnically divided province said today.

Despite progress, none of needed goals in Kosovo has been fulfilled – UN report

23 February 2005
While noteworthy concrete steps have been taken in some areas in Kosovo, none of eight necessary standards have yet been fulfilled in moving the United-Nations-administered province forward towards final status talks, including building trust between majority ethnic Albanians and minority Serbs, according to the latest UN report.
Guéhenno

Top UN peacekeeper hopeful of resumption of talks in Georgian-Abkhaz conflict

17 February 2005
The top United Nations peacekeeping official has voiced optimism over a resumption of stalled talks between the Georgian Government and Abkhaz separatists in efforts to resolve a decade-old conflict that forced nearly 300,000 people to flee their homes.
Louise Arbour

UN human rights chief invited by Russian authorities to visit Chechnya

15 February 2005
The top United Nations human rights official has been invited by Russian authorities to visit Chechnya, where the Government is embroiled in a long-running war with separatists and where, according to a UN expert, the State is confronted with the challenge of ensuring security whilst observing human rights.

French jurist elected to fill vacancy on International Court of Justice

15 February 2005
A prominent French jurist was elected today to fill a vacancy on the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the United Nations' principal judicial organ for settling disputes between States.
Lubbers signing agreement with Benita Ferrero-Waldner

UN refugee agency, European Commission sign accords boosting cooperation on asylum laws

15 February 2005
The United Nations refugee agency and the European Commission today signed two agreements to bolster their cooperation on the development of European asylum laws, and on policy and assistance for refugees both within the European Union and beyond its borders.
UNMIK chief Søren Jessen-Petersen

UN envoy urges visiting Serbian President to show Kosovo that Belgrade will foster trust

13 February 2005
The senior United Nations envoy for Kosovo today urged the visiting Serbian President to send positive signals on Belgrade's readiness to build bridges of trust.

At Munich forum, Annan urges European-US work for global collective security

13 February 2005
Secretary-General Kofi Annan today called on officials gathered in Germany at a leading forum on security to support efforts to strengthen the United Nations so that its system of collective security can better respond to changing conditions in the world.
Annan (L) with IMO chief Efthimios Mitropoulos

Secretary-General heads to Germany after wrapping up visit to United Kingdom

11 February 2005
United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today headed to Munich, Germany, where he will deliver a speech this weekend to conference on security policy, after wrapping up his brief visit to the United Kingdom.