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UNDP Chief Kemal Dervis Visits Thailand
Bangkok, 14 November 2005 - UNDP Administrator Kemal Dervis begins his first official visit to Thailand today as part of a three-country Asia trip that also includes India and Pakistan. In Bangkok, Mr. Dervis will be meeting with senior Thai officials to discuss the country’s status as an emerging donor.
“Throughout the past two decades, Thailand has been among the leading economies in Asia and the world. We have much to learn from its experience in terms of sound fiscal management, trade policy and regional economic cooperation. Because of its enlightened economic policies, Thailand is on track not only to achieve the Millennium Development Goals but to surpass most of the targets in its efforts to improve the lives of its citizens,” said Dervis.
Dervis will meet with Thai officials to discuss UNDP’s commitment to long-term post-tsunami recovery efforts and the promotion of livelihoods and disaster preparedness. Dervis will also lead discussions with key government officials and leading Thai academics on aid, trade and investment in reducing poverty throughout the region.
“Thailand now has the opportunity to further diversify its development cooperation and increase the proportion of Thai aid going to the social sectors such as health, education, community development and poverty reduction. These are areas in which the South East Asian kingdom has much to offer other countries,” said Joana Merlin-Scholtes, UNDP Resident Representative and UN Resident Coordinator in Thailand.
As economy minister of Turkey, Dervis led the country’s recovery from a devastating financial crisis in February 2001 that was not entirely different from the crisis that hit Thailand in ‘97-‘98. He has also held leadership positions at the World Bank, where he played a key role in mobilizing support for Bosnia’s post-war reconstruction programme. At the World Bank he assumed the role of Regional Vice-President, as well as Vice-President for Economic Management and Poverty Reduction.
When in Thailand, he will visit the UNDP Regional Centre in Bangkok which opened earlier this year. The regional centre assists other UNDP country offices in Asia to manage and respond to critical challenges in the areas of crisis prevention and recovery, governance, energy and environment.
Kemal Dervis recently wrapped up a visit to India where he met with senior government officials to discuss financing mechanisms for India’s human development, employment for the rural poor, and the role of the private sector in boosting India’s efforts toward reaching its development goals.
The final leg of his Asian tour takes him to Pakistan, where he will join UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan in opening an international conference in support of the October 8 earthquake victims. The earthquake left more than 87,000 dead and three million people homeless. The conference will discuss immediate and medium-term recovery needs.
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For more information, please contact:
Dennis Duncan
Email: dennis.duncan@undp.org
Tel: +666-022-7443 or +662 288 2646
Christelle Chapoy
Email: christelle.chapoy@undp.org
Tel: +669-816-6413 or +662 288 1398
UNDP is the UN’s global development network, an organization advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. We are on the ground in 166 countries, working with them on their own solutions to global and national development challenges. As they develop local capacity, they draw on the people of UNDP and our wide range of partners.