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Thursday, January 28, 2010 - 6.33 GMT |
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Sri Lanka
assumes Chairmanship of Asia Pacific Group
in UNESCO |
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Sri
Lanka
was
unanimously
elected
to
assume
the
Chairmanship
of the
Asia
Pacific
(ASPAC)
Group of
the
United
Nations
Educational
Scientific
and
Cultural
Organization
(UNESCO)
at the
1st
Plenary
Meeting
of the
Grouping
on
January
25.
Having
served
as Vice
Chair
and
Secretary
of the
ASPAC
Bureau
in
previous
years,
Sri
Lanka
assumed
the
Chair
for the
year
2010
from
Japan.
At the
1st
Plenary
Meeting
held at
the
UNESCO
headquarters,
the
outgoing
Chair
Ambassador
Tadamiche
Yamamoto
of Japan
handed
over the
leadership
of the
Bureau
of ASPAC
to Sri
Lankan
Ambassador
Lionel
Fernando.
In
addition
the
Delegation
of
Thailand
assumed
the post
of Vice
Chairman,
while
the
Delegation
of
Australia
ably
assisted
by New
Zealand
assumed
the post
of
Secretary/Treasurer
of the
regional
grouping.
Ambassador
Fernando,
while
noting
the
valuable
contribution
made by
Japan in
steering
the
regional
body
over the
last
year
noted
that Sri
Lanka
was
assuming
the
Chair of
one of
the
largest
regional
groupings
at a
crucial
time in
UNESCO
as the
new
Director
General
was
gearing
the UN
body to
face new
challenges
in 2010
with it
new
opportunities,
opens
new
vistas
and
provides
prospects
for
exploring
dynamic
areas of
activity.
He added
that
ASPAC
member
countries
have a
joint
responsibility
to play
a
vibrant
role in
UNESCO
so as to
ensure
that the
achievements
of the
past,
serve as
a
realization
of the
potential
the
regional
grouping
possesses
for the
years
and
decades
ahead.
ASPAC
comprises
24
countries
which
are
represented
in Paris
and 18
other
countries
which
are
represented
from
elsewhere.
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