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Secretary-General Kofi Annan phoned United States President George W. Bush today to reiterate his offer of United Nations aid for the recovery from Hurricane Katrina, while the world body’s entire emergency relief system went on standby for a possible request for help in the huge disaster.

The United Nations human rights chief said today a rapidly changing China had great potential in the area of human rights but she also raised a number of concerns with leading officials, including the system known as re-education through labour and the extensive use of the death penalty.

Afghanistan has signed the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol, a significant sign of recovery for a country that used to be one of the world's largest producers of displaced persons, the United Nations refugee agency said today.

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today expressed sadness at the death of Joseph Rotblat, the 1995 Nobel Peace Laureate who was a founder of the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs calling on scientists to accept responsibility for the consequences of their creations.

Continuing its efforts to ensure the safe and economic use of nuclear science and technology, the United Nations atomic agency recently co-organized a workshop of 41 experts from 24 countries to tackle such issues as the lag in the rise of a new generation to replace the current ageing nuclear workforce.

The United Nations refugee agency today expressed consternation over the reported death earlier this week of a 17-year-old boy from Cameroon in the Spanish North African enclave of Melilla and said all governments need to ensure that their immigration policies are carried out with respect for human rights.

The chief of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in Liberia has said it will react robustly to any attempt to disrupt the electoral process before or after polling day in October and expects the results of the elections to be respected.

Following up on a Spanish and Turkish initiative to establish an “Alliance of Civilizations” to foster mutual respect for religious beliefs and traditions, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today announced the composition of a High-Level Group to guide the initiative and help bring about cooperation.

Secretary-General Kofi Annan waived the diplomatic immunity of the chairman of a General Assembly advisory committee who was arrested by United States officials in connection with the investigation of a former procurement officer accused of soliciting kickbacks, a United Nations spokesperson said today.

An investigation has shown significant financial misconduct by the Ukrainian military unit in the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), including the commanding officer, and they are to be replaced, a UN spokesperson said today.