Colombo Plan Eminent Persons meet

The Colombo Plan Group of Eminent Persons met in Colombo for the third time to map strategic directions for the Colombo Plan. Two previous Eminent Persons Group Meetings were held in 1994 and 2004. In these meetings critical and strategic recommendations were made which revitalized the Colombo Plan to make it what it is today.

This current Advisory Meeting of Eminent 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 former UNESCAP Executive Secretary and the Colombo Plan first Secretary General Dr. Kam Hak-Su who was instrumental in its restructuring and revitalization.

The eminent persons at this meeting were, Colombo Plan former Secretary General and UNESCAP former Executive Secretary Dr. Kam Hak-Su (Korea), US Department of State, Bureau for International Narcotics, Criminal Justice Program Division Director Thomas Browne (USA), High Commission of India Acting High Commissioner Vikram Misri (India) and Iran Ministry of Economic Affairs and Finance, International Organizations and Institutions Deputy Director General, Saeid Khani Oushani (Iran) participated. The meeting was chaired by Postgraduate Institute of Management Director/Distance Learning Dr. Lloyd Fernando (Sri Lanka) and the Secretary of this meeting was Colombo Plan Secretariat Secretary General Patricia Yoon-Moi Chia. The Colombo Plan Council President Thinakorn Kanasuta also addressed the meeting.