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Urging all States to build on the progress achieved by the recent United Nations Summit meeting, the President of the General Assembly today outlined concrete plans to move the negotiation process forward.

Concerned over the spread of bird flu in Indonesia, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) today called for stepped up Government control measures and funding to combat the virus, which in a worst case scenario could mutate into a worldwide pandemic, killing tens of millions of people.

With largely preventable obesity and overweight contributing to more than 17 million deaths every year, the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) warned today that more than 1 billion people worldwide are overweight and that, under current trends, the number will increase to 1.5 billion by 2015.

Condemning the recent murder of two reporters in Iraq as an outrageous attack on human rights, the head of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) today once again called on all authorities in the strife-torn country to give greater priority to improving the safety of journalists.

In a further effort to help the Palestinian people build the institutional structures of a future state after Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza, the United Nations trade agency today announced projects to create a shipping council and extend computerized customs operations to the border with Egypt.

Developing countries must keep their commitments made at the World Summit to reach the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), to reduce poverty and disease, make our world safer, advance human rights and make the United Nations more effective, Secretary-General Kofi Annan said today in opening remarks to foreign ministers of the Group of 77.

Convened by former United States President Bill Clinton, the United Nations tsunami recovery envoy, key players in the reconstruction of areas devastated by last year’s giant waves today endorsed stepped-up measures to improve transitional shelters, replace livelihoods and build local government capacity.

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan will travel to Washington tomorrow to meet with United States Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Earlier in the day he will make the keynote speech at the forum “Africa Matters” to an audience of political leaders and business people.

The United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) will do its utmost to support Sudan's new Government of National Unity as it addresses the enormous challenges of establishing a durable peace and bringing economic development after decades of civil war, Secretary-General Kofi Annan said today as he welcomed the Government's swearing-in.

As a result of the proliferation of anti-terrorist policy, discrimination against religious groups, minorities and migrant populations is on the rise, particularly at waiting areas at airports, ports and borders, the United Nations' top official for monitoring racism warns in his latest report to the UN General Assembly.