Second term for UNICEF's Bellamy

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Monday reappointed Carol Bellamy as UNICEF Executive Director for a second five-year term, a UN statement said. "Over the past four-and-a-half years, Ms. Bellamy has served with distinction and devotion," Annan was quoted as saying. "The world's children will most certainly benefit from her continued leadership of this vital organisation," he said. Bellamy''s reappointment takes effect on 1 May 2000 at the conclusion of her present term. Bellamy, in a statement released in New York, said some of the challenges to be confronted during her second term would include the growing "scourge of HIV/AIDS, the damaging consequences of conflict, and the asphyxiating effect of poverty and debt" on children. UNICEF's annual operating budget is about US $1 billion.