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To be credible, the international community must focus on the needs of the world's poorest countries, the Secretary-General of an upcoming major United Nations meeting on the special needs of island nations said today as negotiators wrapped up three days of talks in preparation for that event.

A United Nations meeting on the impact of Israel's construction of a barrier in and around the West Bank concluded today with delegates expressing their deep concern about its humanitarian, political and economic effect on the Palestinians.

United Nations Secretary-General this evening welcomed the willingness of the Security Council to help all parties fully meet their commitments under the proposed comprehensive settlement of the Cyprus problem if that blueprint is approved in referendums next week.

The Security Council should pass a new resolution on Iraq to help the country move forward with the upcoming political transition, United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan and British Prime Minister Tony Blair agreed during their meeting Thursday evening in New York.

Only a month after hopes were raised at an international conference about good prospects for repatriation in nine African countries, the United Nations refugee agency today reported that “crucial” shortfalls were affecting planned operations in at least two of these nations – Liberia and Sudan.

A United Nation assessment mission has been sent to a flood-stricken area in the East African country of Djibouti, where heavy seasonal rains in recent days are reported to have killed 51 people, left 1,500 homeless and affected over 100,000.

The United Nations refugee agency today voiced “extreme concern” about reports this week of renewed unrest in Viet Nam's Central Highlands and strongly urged neighbouring Cambodia to ensure that any refugees fleeing the area be given access to protection.

With group growth averaging nearly 6 per cent in 2002 and 2003, the economies of the developing countries in Asia and the Pacific grew faster than those of other developing country groups and faster than the global economy itself, according to a United Nations report released today.

With conditions almost everywhere favouring buoyant economies, the global economy is expected to grow by 3.7 per cent this year, even though expansion will slow in the second half of 2004, according to a group of 100 economists from 60 countries meeting at the United Nations in New York.

A programme designed to eliminate sales of rough diamonds to finance armed conflicts, the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme, has received renewed support from the United Nations General Assembly.