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| Thursday, 12 February 2004 |
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Japan contributes US $ 143,400 to the Colombo Plan The Government of Japan has contributed US $ 143,400 towards the Programme for Public Administration (PPA) of the Colombo Plan for the financial year 2003/2004. Akio Suda, Ambassador of Japan to Sri Lanka, handed over the cheque to the Secretary-General of the Colombo Plan Secretariat, Kittipan Kanjanapipatkul at the Embassy of Japan on February 6. The Colombo Plan for Cooperative Economic and Social Development in Asia and the Pacific is a regional intergovernmental organisation established in 1951, with 26 member countries in Asia and the Pacific as of early 2004, to enhance economic and social development of the countries in the region. The Government of Japan has been contributing to the entire budget of the PPA since its inception in 1995. In addition to providing voluntary contribution, Japan has been providing the Secretariat with the services of experts from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), on a non-reimbursable basis, to head the Programme for Public Administration. The main purpose of the PPA is to enhance skill development and capacity building of public officials involved in policy formulation in the Developing Member Countries (DMCs) of the Colombo Plan. The PPA aims to assist the DMCs to acquire a critical mass of higher public sector cadres who will have the capacity to apply new insights, approaches and skills into the development management process of their respective countries. In this context, the PPA has been sensitive to the diversity of needs among member countries, and their changing or emerging needs. In 2003, the PPA conducted six international training workshops on important subjects such as sustainable social development, economic development, international economic negotiation, and information technology and e-Governance and disability awareness, in collaboration with centres of excellence, in India, Malaysia and Singapore as well as UNESCAP. Beneficiaries of the training programmes were senior and middle level public officials of the Colombo Plan member countries. Handing over the cheque, Ambassador Akio Suda praised the Colombo Plan for taking initiative to promote South-South Cooperation among its member countries which is crucial for the socio-economic development in the region. Receiving the contribution of the Government of Japan on behalf of the Colombo Plan, the Secretary-General of the Colombo Plan, Kittipan Kanjanapipatkul thanked the Government of Japan for its continued support for the Colombo Plan in general, and the Programme for Pubic Administration in particular. Furthermore, Kanjanapipatkul emphasised the importance of voluntary contributions from the developed countries to Colombo Plan for the successful implementation of future program. |
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