Press Release.............................. UNESCAP News Services

Date: 18February 2004
Media Alert No: N/02/2004
[Not an official record]

Regional High-Level Roundtable on Spearheading Sub-Regional Programmes and Cooperation for Eradication of Poverty and Food Insecurity
in Asia and The Pacific
United Nations Conference Center (UNCC)
23-24 February 2004, Bangkok, Thailand

Asia-Pacific ministers to discuss food security

BANGKOK (UN Information Services) -- The secretaries- general of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and the Pacific Islands Forum-Forum Island Countries (PIF-FIC) together with agricultural ministers from Bangladesh, China, India, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Niue (premier), Pakistan, Samoa and Thailand will attend a high-level roundtable on food security and the eradication of poverty in Bangkok from 23 to 24 February 2004.

The Regional High-level Roundtable Meeting: Spearheading Sub-regional Programmes and Cooperation for the Eradication of Poverty and Food Insecurity in Asia and the Pacific is jointly organized by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), the United Nations Economic Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations.

Other key participants at the roundtable include non-governmental and inter-governmental organizations, regional universities and research institutes (AIT, USP, IRRI), UN agencies and other development partners.

NOTE TO EDITORS

You or your representatives are cordially invited to attend the opening ceremony on Monday, 23 February from 09:00 to 10:00 hours in Conference Room 3, Second floor of the UN Conference Centre (Rajadamnern Nok Avenue, Bangkok).

The prime minister of Thailand, HE Thaksin Shinawatra, is expected to open the roundtable. In addition, the executive heads of the three organizing agencies and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) will deliver a statement during the opening ceremony.

Due to high security alert, those journalists without media accreditation are requested to register from 8:00 to 8:30 am. Please kindly present your credentials at the registration desk upon arrival at the UN Conference Centre.

For further information, contact Diderik de Vleeschauwer, FAO information officer at telephone number 02-6974124, 01-899.7354 or Thawadi Pachariyangkun, UNIS information officer at telephone number 02-288.1861.

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