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Despite widespread pessimism, some African countries are on course to meet key internationally-set development goals and many more could meet the targets if they adopt the right policies now, says a new report from the United Nations regional commission for the continent.

Early hopes that private sector partnerships would bring new funding to the United Nations have largely gone unfulfilled, but business relationships have brought new networks, experiences and skills from which the organization has benefited, such as harnessing markets for development, according to a new report from Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

Unemployment reached a new record high in Asia, job growth remained disappointing, and low wages failed to raise the living standard of many despite a robust economy that grew more than 7.3 per cent in 2004, the United Nations International Labour Organization (ILO) said in a report issued on the eve of the UN World Summit.

After a short trip away from Iraq, the top United Nations envoy in the war-torn country has plunged back into talks with political leaders in an effort to facilitate the political process ahead of next month's scheduled referendum on a new constitution.

With Pacific Island nations increasing their provision of personnel for United Nations peacekeeping operations, the UN anti-AIDS programme today joined forces with police chiefs from 21 Pacific island nations across Polynesia, Micronesia and Melanesia to provide AIDS training to their forces.

After being stymied for weeks by swollen rivers and wrecked bridges, the United Nations refugee agency has established contact with the leaders of some 2,000 refugees fleeing continued violence in the Central African Republic (CAR) and who are presently stranded in southern Chad, the agency said today.

The Security Council today voted unanimously to extend the mandate of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan for a year from the middle of next month and called upon United Nations Member States to commit more personnel, equipment and funds so that the force can work more effectively.

Addressing the leaders of South-East Asian countries on the eve of the World Summit, Secretary-General Kofi Annan today stressed the importance of close cooperation between regional organizations and the United Nations in promoting peace, stability and prosperity in the world.

The Security Council today extended the mandate of the United Nations mission monitoring the Temporary Security Zone between Ethiopia and Eritrea until mid-March, but it expressed concern about the high concentration nearby of troops from the two countries, which waged a two-year border war.

United Nations agencies appealed today for $29 million to assist 1.2 million Kenyans who have been struggling with critical shortages of food and safe water, limited agricultural production and grave deficiencies in basic health care caused by drought and extreme poverty, especially in the southeast and the rural areas of the coastal and northeastern provinces.