VIENNA The United Nations Commission for Asia and Pacific (ESCAP) ended its 55th session Wednsday in Bangkok with a call for comprehensive economic and social recovery through reform and regional cooperation. The UN Information Service in Vienna Thursday added that the session focused on the theme of "Asia and Pacific into the Twenty-First Century, Information Technology, Globalization, Economic Security and Development". The ministers and senior officials from 49 ESCAP member and associated member countries adopted unanimously a report containing a series of resolutions.

They called for greater economic and financial monitoring in the region, sustainable development of inland water transport, integration of older persons into work of the United Nations and national socio-economic programmes and closer regional cooperation for tackling the year 2000 problem. In her closing statement, chairperson of the session Nyam-Osoryn Tuya, urged governments in the region to sustain efforts and speed up reforms towards economic recovery.

"Considering that the Asian crisis was not the first one in the last few years and that it may not be the last one in the coming years, countries are encouraged to fully participate in the formulation of the new international financial system," Tuya said. ESCAP Executive Secretary Adrianus Mooy also stressed that the UN Commission, as a truly reperesentative intergovernmental body, remained committed to exploring new avenues and modalities of regional cooperation that could benefit members, especially the neediest of them.

(IRNA)