The Tobacco Free Initiative, WHO's tobacco control programme, estimates that, if unchecked, this silent epidemic could kill 10 million people per year in the first quarter of the next century, over 70 per cent of them in the developing world. In its plenary session earlier today, the Governing Board also gave final approval to three draft resolutions which committees had passed late last week, including one to delay destruction of the remaining known stocks of smallpox virus, committing to review the situation by 2002 at the latest. We've been telling you about a series of hearings that will be held in advance of next year's Millennium Assembly to gather views from a broad spectrum across the world. The first set of hearings took place over the weekend in Beirut, with the participation of representatives of both government and civil society. Many stressed the need for the United Nations to redefine its role in today's changing world.
More details are available in a press release upstairs.
We understand from their representative in Khartoum that discussions are ongoing between the Sudanese Government and members of the international community to develop a detailed workplan enabling work to proceed as quickly as possible and in a manner that is both thorough and transparent. In a press release issued out of Rome, the FAO said that disposing of pesticides is hazardous because the containers are often leaking or corroding. The agency is urging members of the chemical industry to contribute money to help the effort to safely remove these pesticides. The press release is available upstairs. World Food Programme Also available upstairs is a press release from the WFP announcing they resumed food deliveries to northern Liberia after last month's hostage-taking.