15 January 2001 -- On mission in East Timor, the President of the United Nations General Assembly has reiterated his support for the territory's post-crisis recovery, noting that he was "impressed" with the progress to date.

Speaking to the press on Sunday at the end of his two-day visit, Harri Holkeri of Finland pledged his continued support to the efforts of the East Timorese people and the UN Transitional Administration in East Timor (UNTAET) in rebuilding the country.

From Dili, Mr. Holkeri flew to Jakarta, where he was scheduled to meet with Indonesian President Abdurrhaman Wahid and other political and military leaders.

In other news, an UNTAET-supported congress of journalists has adopted a code of ethics that calls on reporters to avoid bias in their news coverage - including discrimination based on political orientation - and to refrain from accepting gifts and payments from outside parties.

At the end of the congress on 13 January, National Council Speaker Xanana Gusmão said East Timor's journalists should adhere to the code of ethics in presenting news in a "fair, accurate and balanced manner," and should not serve the interests of any political party, business group or individual, UNTAET said.

More than 150 delegates representing 14 news organizations participated in the five-day congress, which was supported by UNTAET, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and donor organizations.

 

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Not an official document of the United Nations. Maintained by the Peace and Security Section of the Department of Public Information in cooperation with the Department of Peacekeeping Operations. (c) United Nations 2001