"This disaster, which is unfolding before our eyes, is our collective responsibility," Mr. Boutros-Ghali said in an address to representatives of about 150 nations gathered here.

Top economic policy makers from the Group of Seven nations gathered in New York to review a variety of financial and monetary issues.

Europe sought a common military strategy independent of Washington's (an experiment with mixed results), and Asian and Latin American nations gathered together, mostly to negotiate trade accords.

But an equally fascinating struggle is happening six floors up, in the convention center where President Clinton made a last appeal today to the representatives of the 135 nations gathered here.

The hard-nosed chief of staff has held them all at bay and threatens to stymie the nations gathered in Chantilly, Va., with a transparent gimmick.

He should know that all of the nations gathered here were invited officially by King Leopold ofBelgium himself.

Yesterday, envoys from more than 140 nations, including 80 foreign ministers, gathered in Paris to ponder the larger issue that was a backdrop for this latest confrontation: chemical weapons.

The 79 nations gathered in Vienna are discussing an indiscriminate weapon likelier to kill or maim farmers, shepherds, refugees and other civilians than soldiers.

And he urged the nations gathered here not to ignore the repeated appeals of Eastern European leaders for aid from the wealthy Western states.

Judges were mostly wine educators from around the nation gathered for the annual convention of the Society of Wine Educators.