United Nations — Members of the Security Council today designated chairpersons of 10 committees set up by the Council to monitor sanctions against countries or groups around the world.

The names of new chairpersons were announced by Ambassador Kishore Mahbubani of Singapore, who took over the rotating presidency of the Council for the month of January.

Following "very productive" closed-door consultations this morning, the Council President told the press that the following delegates were selected to chair the 10 sanctions committees: Ambassador Ole Peter Kolby of Norway (concerning Iraq); Ambassador Valeri P.

Kuchynski of Ukraine (Libya); Ambassador Said Ben Mustapha of Tunisia (Somalia); Richard Ryan of Ireland (Angola); Ambassador Moctar Ouane of Mali (Rwanda); Ambassador Anwarul K. Chowdhury of Bangladesh (Sierra Leone); Ambassador Patricia Durrant of Jamaica (Federal Republic of Yugoslavia); Ambassador Alfonso Valdivieso of Colombia (Afghanistan); Ambassador Anund Priyaya Neewoor of Mauritius (Ethiopia and Eritrea); and Ambassador Mahbubani (Liberia).

Ambassador Mahbubani also announced that the Council would hold informal consultations tomorrow on the situations in Sierra Leone and Ethiopia-Eritrea. He added that Singapore would work during its presidency to "keep the Council meetings brisk and efficient."

Today's session marked the start of the rotating two-year terms of Singapore and four other non-permanent Council members -- Colombia, Ireland, Mauritius and Norway.

On 1 January, they joined Bangladesh, Jamaica, Mali, Tunisia and Ukraine, which are continuing their two-year terms from 2000, as well as the Council's five permanent members -- China, France, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States.