Press Release No. G/23/99
2 September 1999

BANGKOK (UN Information Services) -- Distinguished representatives and experts from civil society have been invited for a two-day regional hearing on The United Nations in the 21st Century to be held in Tokyo from 9-10 September at the United Nations University Building.

In preparation for the milestone session, the Executive Secretary of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), Adrianus Mooy, announced that ESCAP's regional hearing will focus on issues of particular interest to the region such as peace and security, economic and social development, human rights and good governance and strengthening the United Nations.

Representatives of States in the region, local and regional non-governmental organisations, academics and opinion leaders will gather to discuss those central aspects in relation with the work of the United Nations, including its efforts in these fields.

Nobutaka Machimura, State Secretary for Foreign Affairs for the Government of Japan will preside over the hearings. In addition, Miles Stoby, Assistant Secretary-General and Coordinator of the Millennium Summit and Mr Hans van Ginkel, Rector of the United Nations University will also contribute to the discussions.

Drawing on the outcome of the hearings, which have been held in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, the Latin America-Caribbean region, UN Secretary-General Mr Kofi Annan will produce a report to Member States on the United Nations in the twenty-first century.

The report will be presented at the fifty-fifth session of the General Assembly in September 2000. The session has been designated the Millennium Assembly, and willl also have, as an integral part, a Millennium Summit at Heads of State level.

The General Assembly designated its year 2000 session as the Millennium Assembly because the occasion constituted "a unique and symbolically compelling moment to articulate and affirm an animating vision for the United Nations in the new era".

For further information:

UNIC Tokyo, 8/F UNU Building, 53-70 Jingumae, 5-Chome, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo-150, Japan. Tel:(81-3) 5467 4451, Fax: (81-3) 5467 4455. E-mail: tocon@blue.ocn.ne.jp

UNIS Bangkok, United Nations Bldg., Rajdamnern Ave., Bangkok 10200, Thailand. Tel: (66-2) 288 1861-4, Fax: (66-2) 288 1052. E-mail: unisbkk.unescap@un.org