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The United Nations Secretary-General, Kofi Annan, today congratulated Abu Mazen on his swearing-in as Prime Minister of the Palestinian Authority and on the approval of his cabinet by the Palestinian Legislative Council.

In its launching of an innovative partnership with private companies to help eradicate polio globally by 2005, the World Bank has approved a $28 million no-interest loan for the purchase of the oral polio vaccine (OPV) in Nigeria, Africa’s most polio endemic country.

The top United Nations human rights official said today he was “appalled” by the suicide bombing in Tel Aviv early Wednesday morning, which resulted in three people being killed and some 50 wounded.

The United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) met today with UN agency chiefs and government representatives to open talks on ways the international community can launch a coordinated approach to rural development in the face of mounting crises such as food insecurity, disease and failing social services in many parts of the world.

The United Nations said today that access to southern Sudan would be enhanced as parties to the country's conflict have agreed to open the Nile River corridor, cutting the cost of delivering humanitarian supplies by enabling the use of water barges which are cheaper than airlifts.

The top United Nations expert on human rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has welcomed the government's decision to abolish the country's military tribunal and court prosecutor's office.

Wrapping up its work for the month with a session devoted to the role of the United Nations in post-conflict situations, the Security Council heard appeals today from fraternal bodies for a full UN role and an overall vision that looked beyond bringing peace and aid to one that encouraged economic and social development and respect for diversity.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) is negotiating with the United States on sending an assessment mission to Iraq early next month as part of its efforts to recover the priceless antiquities looted from Baghdad and other museums, the head of the agency said today.

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today cautioned that the second transition phase in Burundi, marked by the transfer of the Presidency from Tutsi minority to Hutu majority, was starting in an unstable environment as conflict persisted despite ceasefire agreements.

Representatives of major North American companies have met to establish a regional "learning forum" to promote United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan's Global Compact initiative, which seeks to advance good corporate citizenship and responsible globalization.