text: groups not only representatives of the appropriate academic disciplines but also representatives of the different planning organizations and other governmental units involved in programme planning and execution. In that connexion, the Group recommended that ESCAP should provide technical assistance and financial support to those member and associate member countries which required such assistance in improving their own social statistics systems. The Group also recommended that ESCAP should initiate the establishment of a comprehensive data resource in collaboration with member countries, with the following objectives (a) to encourage the gradual adoption of common concepts and defini­ tions and thus facilitate international comparability; (b) to provide a multipurpose data storage and retrieval system to serve a variety of research and administrative needs; and (c) to compile and publish annual reports containing selected statistical information relating to conditions and trends among member countries. E. GENERAL OBSERVATIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 125. The Group recognized the need to satisfy pressing current obliga­ tions within existing resource limitations while pursuing long-term objectives as resources permitted. It also recognized that further progtess in social indicator development would require certain underlying institu­ tional supports as well as solutions to a number of technical problems in indicator construction. A fundamental institutional requirement · was the cultivation of a spirit of constructive criticism and public debate of social problems and issues, based on objective and factual information concerning relevant trends and conditions. In fostering such a spirit, the role of the government agencies in gathering and freely disseminating 32 such information and the role of the media in bringing that information to the attention of the public were seen to be of critical importance. 126. With respect to technical problems remaining to be resolved, the Group made the following observations: (I) The need to express measurements of observed trends and 
analysis: The text appears to be discussing the development of social statistics and indicators, with a focus on international comparability and the role of governments and international organizations in providing technical assistance and resources. It also mentions the need for objective and factual information to be freely disseminated and publicly debated. This suggests that the category is likely related to social or economic development.