Annan to attend World Economic Forum, other meetings in Europe this weekend

United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan will travel to Europe this weekend to attend the World Economic Forum, and to deal with topics ranging from Afghanistan to sports, his spokesman announced today.

The Secretary-General begins his trip in Switzerland, where he plans to visit the headquarters of the International Olympic Committee in Lausanne and the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) in Zurich before attending the World Economic Forum in Davos.

In Davos, Mr. Annan will continue the sports theme at the opening media lunch on the subject of “The Impact of Sports in the World,” following up on the International Year of Sports and Development 2005.

At a plenary session of the Forum, in addition, he will deliver a speech entitled: “A New Mindset for the United Nations.”

He will then make a short visit to The Hague, where he is scheduled to attend the Global Management Meeting of the UN Development Programme (UNDP).

Mr. Annan’s final stop will be in London. There, he plans to meet with the principals of the Middle East Quartet.

Also in London, he will deliver a speech at a meeting in Central Hall, Westminster, to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the first meetings of the General Assembly and Security Council.

He will then co-chair – with Afghan President Hamid Karzai and British Prime Minister Tony Blair – the London Conference on Afghanistan.

The Conference, he says, “is an excellent opportunity to send a signal to the Afghan people that the outside world continues to share their goals as they build a democracy that respects the rights of all.”