Annan confers with advisors on priorities for new term

Secretary-General Kofi Annan met over the weekend with 30 experts from around the world, together with members of his own staff, to discuss priorities for his second term, a United Nations spokesman announced today.

The group met during a dinner on Friday and held an "all-day brainstorming session" on Saturday, spokesman Fred Eckhard told reporters in New York.

The Secretary-General, who outlined key priority areas for his second term in a speech to the General Assembly last November, told the experts on Saturday, "There is still a lot of strategic thinking to be done."

In his speech to the Assembly, Mr. Annan said emphasis would be placed on eradicating poverty, combating HIV/AIDS, preventing deadly conflicts, and protecting the environment. "The common thread connecting all these issues is the need to respect fundamental human rights; and Africa is the region where all of them present the greatest challenge," he noted, pledging to "integrate human rights even more fully into every aspect of our work."

According to Mr. Eckhard, the Secretary-General plans to further this weekend's discussions with his Senior Management Group in a retreat to be organized in the coming months.