The 37th Technical Committee was inaugurated at 9.00 am (Bangkok time) on 9th September 2022 at the Krungthep 2 Conference Room of the Centara Grand at Central Plaza Ladprao in Bangkok, Thailand. The meeting was attended by 36 participants including 14 CIRDAP member countries. A representative of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the IRD expert, the representatives of national and international observers, CIRDAP experts, and mentors also embraced the meeting. The Technical Committee meeting was chaired by the TC member of Thailand. The committee adopted the report of the Director General; adopted on the current status on the implementation of the TC-36, the EC-33 and the GC-23 meetings; endorsed the brochure of the Women, Youth and Rural Development Programme; endorsed the ToR, scope of work, deliverable and reporting system of the position of the Technical Assistance to the DG of CIRDAP; endorsed the initiative on ISO 30401:2018 Knowledge management systems for CIRDAP and the IOTA consulting firm for advising on this and to assist on certification; noted on the outcome on the sub-centre activities; and endorsed the venue of the next Technical Committee Meeting (TC-38) in Lao PDR in 2023.
The opening speech was given by Dr. Yusharto Huntoyungo, M.Pd, Director General of Village Administration (DGVA) Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of the Republic of Indonesia as the outgoing Chair of the 36th Technical Committee. In his opening remark, he expressed his sincere thanks to the CIRDAP Secretariat for organizing this face-to-face technical committee meeting after almost three years of the COVID-19 pandemic. The DG of CIRDAP Dr. Cherdsak Virapat sincerely thanked the outgoing Chairman for his unwavering support and leadership during his chairmanship. He also presents a small token of appreciation and gratitude to him.
On the 9th of September, CIRDAP and Ministry of Agriculture organized a welcome dinner along with the Aziz-ul-Huq Rural Development Model Ceremony and the Launching of Rural Development Report (RDR) 2021 at the Horvang 2 & 3 Room, the Centara Grand at Central Plaza Ladpra, Bangkok, Thailand. CIRDAP honored six recipients representing individual person and organizations with the award, those who worked tirelessly to improve the life standards of the marginalized rural people. The names are as follows:
- The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives (MoAC) of Thailand
- The Ministry of Rural Development of India
- Bangladesh Academy for Rural Development (BARD), Bangladesh
- Benazir Income Supports Programme (BISP), Pakistan
- The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
- Dr. Somporn Hanpongpandh, Former Director General of CIRDAP (1992 to 1996)
A Study Tour at the Mab Aung Natural Agriculture Center in Ban Bueng District in Chon Buri Province was arranged by Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives of Thailand on 11th September, 2022. All the participants and observers attended this amazing field trip to learn and to appreciate on how the classes and trainings in nature for improving the rural livelihoods and sustainable agriculture can be introduced and directed based on the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy of the King Rama IX the Great of Thailand.
Another significant event was the eleventh Global South-South Development Expo 2022 (GSSD Expo 2022) organized by the UNESCAP and the Government of Thailand at the UNCC on 12th September, 2022. The overarching theme of the GSSD Expo 2022 is “Advancing South-South and Triangular Cooperation for Sustainable Covid-19 Recovery: Towards a smart and resilient future”.
Contact:
Ms. Hurain Jannat, Communication Officer
Centre on Integrated Rural Development for Asia and the Pacific (CIRDAP)
Email: communication_officer@cirdap.org
