Europe

France generally respects religious freedom despite areas of concern – UN expert

30 September 2005
While the French Government generally respects the right to freedom of religion or belief, there are still some areas of concern about such issues as the ban on conspicuous religious symbols in public schools, a United Nations expert has found after a visit to the country.

Annan, eulogizing survivor-activist, calls for annual Holocaust commemoration

28 September 2005
Speaking at the memorial for Holocaust survivor and rights activist Simon Wiesenthal, who died last week, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan has called for a yearly, international day of Holocaust commemoration.

Top UN official in Kosovo condemns attempt on police commander's life

28 September 2005
The top United Nations official in Kosovo this evening condemned the attempted assassination of the police commander for the Gjilan/Gnjilane region of the province, according to a statement released by the UN mission there.
Kofi Annan

Annan urges all sides to ‘seize opportunity’ of Northern Ireland disarmament

27 September 2005
United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today called on all sides in the Northern Ireland dispute to seize the “unique opportunity” offered by the decommissioning of weapons by the Irish Republican Army (IRA) to advance the 1998 Good Friday agreement laying out a framework for a peaceful and democratic settlement.

UN human rights agency disappointed with new Swiss restrictions on asylum

27 September 2005
Despite a falling number of asylum applications, restrictive legislation being adopted by Switzerland could make access by genuine refugees to the country exceedingly difficult, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said in a statement today.

Veteran civil servant appointed as UN envoy for Cyprus

14 September 2005
Secretary-General Kofi Annan today notified the Security Council of his intention to appoint a veteran United Nations civil servant his Special Representative in Cyprus and head of the UN Peacekeeping Force in Cyprus (UNFICYP).

UN Tribunal for former Yugoslavia calls on Serbia to give up Mladic

14 September 2005
The Chief Prosecutor for the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) has called on Serbia to arrest and turn over one of the major figures indicted for genocide by early next month and has noted that two of the three lesser accused who had been hiding in Russia would be transferred soon.

Antarctica: ‘unique’ cooperation yields results, but challenges persist – UN report

12 September 2005
While Antarctica continues to serve as a unique example of environmental cooperation among nations, a number of concerns – including the depletion of the ozone layer, the growth of tourism and the emergence of biological prospecting – call for a timely response by the world community, according to a report released at United Nations Headquarters in New York.

UN agency draws up action plan to mitigate extreme weather in Europe

9 September 2005
With extreme weather such as severe flooding, drought and heat waves blighting Europe, the United Nations World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and its regional members are drawing up an action plan at a nine-day session currently under way in Heidelberg, Germany, to mitigate the worst effects.

Kosovo: with president ill, UN calls for progress towards multi-ethnic society

6 September 2005
The United Nations administrator for Kosovo has called on all citizens of the ethnically divided province to continue their efforts towards building a peaceful, stable, and multi-ethnic society following the announcement that President Ibrahim Rugova has lung cancer.