In Geneva, the Commission on Human Rights begins its new session, which is to last until April 27. In Kingston, Jamaica, the Assembly of the International Seabed Authority will hold its sixth session through March 31. In Vienna, the Working Group on Arbitration Law will begin its 24th session. Also in Vienna, the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency will hold a one-day meeting. The control of the production and use of such toxic substances as DDT, PCBs and dioxins are to be covered in the proposed treaty, which is being negotiated under the auspices of the UN Environment Programme.
Today is the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination.
The Secretary-General will deliver a message on racial discrimination to mark the occasion. Ruben Blades, Goodwill Ambassador against Racism, will be the guest at the noon briefing. At a press conference at 11 a.m., Joseph Chamie, Director of the Population Division, will discuss a report on replacement migration, which is being launched today. The Security Council will hold open briefings on East Timor and Tajikistan. The newly-appointed Panel on UN Peace Operations, chaired by Lakhdar Brahimi, will hold its first meeting in New York.