The sixty-first session of the United Nations commission for Asia and the Pacific opened today in Bangkok, Thailand, with member delegations joining experts for discussions that touched on poverty reduction, the region's rapidly ageing populations and economic recovery after last year's devastating tsunami.

Recognizing that rural women in South Asia are among the poorest people in the world, two United Nations development agencies are teaming up to co-host a conference in New Delhi, India, to promote policies and programmes aimed at reducing gender inequality in that region.