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Looking at the Colombo Plan with new eyes
For
the third time, a group of Eminent Persons met in Colombo to map
strategic directions for the Colombo Plan. Two previous Eminent Persons
Group Meetings were held in 1994 and 2004. In these earlier meetings
critical I and strategic recommendations were made which revitalized the
Colombo Plan to make it what it is today. This current Advisory Meeting
of Eminents Persons was tasked with the similar objective to review the
progress of the Colombo Plan since its restructuring in 1995 and to
consider strategic recommendations for its future.
"The fundamental question of relevance will continue to be asked not by the Colombo Plan but even the UN, as international cooperation and emerging global issues evolve" said Dr. Kam Hak-Su, former Executive Secretary of the UNESCAP and the first Secretary-General of the Colombo Plan who was instrumental in its restructuring and revitalization.
The Eminent Persons who participated in this meeting were Dr. Kim Hak-Su (Korea), former Secretary-General of the Colombo Plan and former Executive Secretary of the UNESCAP; Mr. Thomas Browne Jr (USA), Director, Criminal Justice Programme Division, Bureau for International Narcotics and Law Enforcement Affairs, US Department of State; Mr. Vikram Misri (India), Acting High Commissioner, High Commission of India, Mr. Saeid Khani Oushani (Iran), Deputy Director-General for Loans, International Organizations and Institutions, Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance, Iran, chaired by Dr. Lloyd Fernando (Sri Lanka), Director/Distance Learning of the Postgraduate, Institute of Management. Dato Patricia Yoon-Moli Chia, Secretary-General of the Colombo Plan Secretariat was the Secretary of this meeting. The President of the Colombo Plan Council, H.E. Mr. Thinakorn Kanasuta addressed the meeting at both the opening and the closing ceremonies.
