Europe

Luciano Pavarotti

Marking UN's 60th anniversary, Pavarotti to advocate development goals in two concerts

25 May 2005
Marking the 60th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, celebrated opera singer and UN Messenger of Peace Luciano Pavarotti will use two of his concerts this week to advocate supporting the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), designed in 2000 to reduce or eliminate a host of socioe-conomic ills by 2015.
António Guterres

Former Portuguese Prime Minister proposed as next UN High Commissioner for Refugees

24 May 2005
United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today recommended to the General Assembly that former Portuguese Prime Minister Antonio Manuel de Oliveira Guterres become the next UN High Commissioner for Refugees, with a three-year mandate beginning 15 June.

UN official concludes preliminary talks on Cyprus, heads to region at month's end

20 May 2005
The top United Nations political affairs official today wrapped up a series of preliminary talks with a senior Cypriot envoy on the Cyprus issue, ahead of an expected visit to the region at the end of the month.
USG Prendergast

Kieran Prendergast, top UN political affairs official, to retire in June

18 May 2005
The top United Nations political official, Sir Kieran Prendergast, will retire at the end of June after giving the world body more than eight years of service.

UN war crimes tribunal for former Yugoslavia transfers case to Bosnian court

18 May 2005
For the first time ever, the United Nations war crimes tribunal for the former Yugoslavia has referred one of its indictments to a national jurisdiction – Bosnia and Herzegovina – to try a former Serb militia member for rape and sexual assault of Muslim women during the Balkan wars of the 1990s.

UN environment agency praises new strategy to cut Eastern Europe's mining risks

15 May 2005
Governments attending an international conference in Romania have adopted an historic strategy to reduce the environmental risks of mining in Eastern Europe, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) reported.
Cultural heritage sites in Kosovo

UN conference seeks €40 million to restore cultural heritage sites in Kosovo

13 May 2005
Donors gathered in Paris today for a United Nations conference to raise €40 million (euros) to repair and restore 75 cultural and religious monuments in Kosovo destroyed or damaged during the 1998-99 war and subsequent violence, or which have simply fallen into disrepair.
Kofi Annan (r) with EC chief Barroso

Annan, European official flag 2005 as 'decisive year' for UN and the world

13 May 2005
United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan and the head of the European Commission today stressed their shared goal of strengthening multilateral institutions and emphasized that 2005 was a decisive year for the UN and the world on a wide range of issues.
Cultural heritage sites in Kosovo

UNESCO to host donors' conference on cultural heritage in Kosovo

11 May 2005
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is set to host a donors' conference on cultural heritage in Kosovo, where 75 monuments are in need of urgent repair or restoration.
Louise Fréchette addresses Assembly

General Assembly marks 60th anniversary of end of World War II in Europe

9 May 2005
As the world's nations looked back today to honour the dead and pay their respects to the heroes of World War II, United Nations Deputy Secretary-General Louise Fréchette said it was equally important to look ahead and "reaffirm our commitment to the goal of building a world fit for humankind."