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Secretary-General Kofi Annan has re-appointed the head of the United Nations panel investigating last year’s killing of Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri until the end of the year, a spokeswoman for Mr. Annan said today.

The United Nations force monitoring the line of withdrawal between Israel and Lebanon reported continued heavy firing today from both Hezbollah and Israeli Defence Forces (IDF), while Secretary-General Kofi Annan said the recent upsurge in violence had restricted the force from carrying out even basic activities.

The annual campaign for the signature and ratification of international treaties that takes place during the opening of the General Assembly session each fall will focus this year on human migration, according to the United Nations Office of Legal Affairs, which today made available a book about the 30 accords being highlighted at the event.

With less than a week to go before the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) holds its first free elections in 45 years, the senior United Nations envoy to the country is travelling to its troubled north-eastern province of Ituri to gauge the state of readiness there.

Top Serbian and Kosovar leaders met for the first time today to discuss plans for the future status of the United Nations-run province of Kosovo, and while both sides remain far apart politically, the UN official overseeing the discussions welcomed the start of dialogue and said the world body remained committed to further negotiations.

Secretary-General Kofi Annan praised some of the world’s leading pharmaceutical and diagnostic companies for their commitments to expand access to HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention after meeting with their top executives at United Nations Headquarters today.<

Fostering regional cooperation with transit countries, especially in the field of transport, is crucial if the world’s poorest landlocked nations are to make substantial economic gains, according to a United Nations study released today.

After hearing presentations from United Nations officials about the 250,000 boys currently exploited as child soldiers and tens of thousands of girls subject to sexual violence, the Security Council today called for a “reinvigorated effort” to protect children in areas of armed conflict.

Following meetings with the United States Secretary of State, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan told a US television audience that Washington and the world body share the same long-term objectives in responding to the Middle East crisis.

As the death toll in Lebanon surpassed 350, including large numbers of children, the United Nations Emergency Relief Coordinator headed to the country as part of his bid to facilitate ‘humanitarian corridors’ to allow relief aid to reach besieged residents, while UN agencies worked to shore up their own aid efforts.