Friday April 25, 7:17 PM East Timor Joins Regional UN Body

DJ East Timor Joins Regional UN Body

BANGKOK (AP)--A United Nations regional body announced Friday it has voted to admit East Timor as its newest member.

Ambassador-level officials from member governments of the U.N. Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific, or ESCAP, unanimously decided to admit East Timor as its 62nd member, the commission said in a statement.

East Timor, a former Portuguese colony that was ruled since 1975 by Indonesia, became an independent nation in May 2002. East Timor is officially known as Timor Leste.

ESCAP on Friday concluded the first phase of its 59th annual meeting. The second phase, which will be attended by ministerial-level representatives, was postponed due to SARS fears. No new date has been set.

"We will observe closely the developments regarding SARS and further consult members" before setting a date, said Kim Hak-Su, ESCAP's executive secretary.

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