United Nations Daily Highlights, 98-09-15

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From: The United Nations Home Page at <http://www.un.org> - email: unnews@un.org

DAILY HIGHLIGHTS

Tuesday, 15 September, 1998

Latest Developments

HEADLINES

• Secretary-General names former heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali as a UN Messenger of Peace.
• United Nations begins annual training programme for journalists from developing countries.
• Database of United Nations depository libraries posted on world wide web.

Messengers of Peace are individuals who possess widely recognized talents in the fields of arts, literature, music and sports, who have agreed to help focus world-wide attention on the work of the United Nations.

Since his retirement from the ring, Mr. Ali has been a relentless advocate for people in need, having delivered millions of dollars in food and medical relief to countries in Africa and Asia, and having raised in excess of $50 million for charities throughout the United States and the world. The 56-year old champion was credited in 1990 with securing the release of over a dozen American hostages from Iraq just days prior to the start of the Gulf War. Just last week, he delivered a second shipment of medical supplies to two impoverished children's hospitals in Havana, Cuba.

"The United Nations has gained an important emissary in Muhammad Ali," said United Nations Spokesman Fred Eckhard. "He is truly a citizen of the world, known on every continent for his courage and generosity of spirit."

Mr. Ali, who typically has shied away from formal affiliations with governing bodies, is known to be a great admirer of the United Nations Secretary-General. Lonnie Ali said of her husband, "Muhammad agreed to serve the UN because he believes this can be a vehicle to bring people together and that is what he has dedicated his life to."

For his part, Mr. Ali said that being designated as a Messenger of Peace was one of his greatest honours, "in or out of the ring." He is expected to travel to Africa on behalf of the UN later this year.

Secretary-General Kofi Annan presented Mr. Ali with a formal framed citation and a lapel pin in the form of a dove exclusively designed by artist Leni Fuhrman for the Messengers of Peace. The citation says, in part "...through your contributions to sports and human rights, the message of peace, harmony and human dignity will resound throughout the nations."

Eighteen junior and mid-level journalists and broadcasters, including three sponsored by the Friedrich Ebert Foundation of Germany, are taking part in the six-week programme, which is run by the Department of Public Information (DPI).

This year's participants work for media organizations in Bangladesh, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Brazil, Cambodia, China, Congo, El Salvador, Fiji, Georgia, Guatemala, Haiti, Iran, Liberia, Malaysia, Namibia, Syria and Zambia.

Among other activities, participants will have the chance to write assignments based on briefings from United Nations officials; visit major media organizations in New York and Washington, D.C.; and serve as temporary United Nations correspondents reporting for their home media organizations.

The database, which can be easily searched or browsed, provides contact information such as addresses, telephone/fax numbers and e-mail addresses of libraries which hold United Nations documents. Links to the home pages of those libraries are also provided.

In addition to providing contact information, the database shows the extent of the collection of each library with respect to United Nations materials, including how much and in which languages.

The database can be found at http://www.unsystem.org/depolib.

From the United Nations home page at <http://www.un.org> - email: unnews@un.org

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