A/RES/51/161 Page 3 8. Expresses the desirability for increased efforts by the Commission, in sponsoring seminars and symposia, to provide such training and technical assistance, and in this connection: (a) Expresses its appreciation to the Commission for organizing seminars and briefing missions in Belarus, Chile, Colombia, Gabon, Greece, Guinea, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Kazakstan, New Zealand, Paraguay, Slovenia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates; (b) Expresses its appreciation to the Governments whose contributions made it possible for the seminars and briefing missions to take place, and appeals to Governments, the relevant United Nations organs, organizations and institutions and individuals to make voluntary contributions to the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law trust fund for symposia and, where appropriate, to the financing of special projects, and otherwise to assist the secretariat of the Commission in financing and organizing seminars and symposia, in particular in developing countries, and in the award of fellowships to candidates from developing countries to enable them to participate in such seminars and symposia; 9. Appeals to the United Nations Development Programme and other bodies responsible for development assistance, such as the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, as well as to Governments in their bilateral aid programmes, to support the training and technical assistance programme of the Commission and to cooperate and coordinate their activities with those of the Commission; 10. Appeals to Governments, the relevant United Nations organs, organizations and institutions and individuals, in order to ensure full participation by all Member States in the sessions of the Commission and its working groups, to make voluntary contributions to the trust fund for travel assistance to developing countries that are members of the Commission, at their request and in consultation with the Secretary-General; 11. Decides to include the trust funds for symposia and travel assistance in the list of funds and programmes that are dealt with at the United Nations Pledging Conference for Development Activities; 12. Also decides, in order to ensure full participation by all Member States in the sessions of the Commission and its working groups, to continue its consideration in the competent Main Committee during the fifty-first session of the General Assembly of granting travel assistance to the least developed countries that are members of the Commission, at their request and in consultation with the Secretary-General; 13. Requests the Secretary-General to ensure the effective implementation of the programmes of the Commission; 14. Stresses the importance of bringing into effect the conventions emanating from the work of the Commission for the global unification and harmonization of international trade law, and to this end urges States that have not yet done so to consider signing, ratifying or acceding to those conventions. 85th plenary meeting 16 December 1996