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

Date 31 January 2006
Press Release No: G/02/2006

REPUBLIC OF KOREA, UNESCAP SIGN AGREEMENT TO ESTABLISH
NEW ICT TRAINING CENTRE

Centre to be first United Nations office based in Republic of Korea

BANGKOK (United Nations Information Services) – The Republic of Korea and the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific signed an Agreement today in Bangkok to establish a new ICT training centre to be located in the Republic of Korea.

Known as the Asian and Pacific Training Centre for Information and Communication Technology for Development (APCICT), the institute will be the first United Nations office based in Republic of Korea.

Signing on behalf of the two parties were H.E. Yoon Jee-joon, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea in Thailand, and Kim Hak-Su, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and UNESCAP Executive Secretary.

During the ceremony, Mr. Kim noted that the APCICT will be located in Incheon City, “a vibrant area that is also a hub of ICT business.”

UNESCAP expects that APCICT will play a leading role in its ICT work, and contribute towards the achievement of Millennium Development Goal 8, Target 18, to make available the benefits of new technologies, especially information and communications technologies, in cooperation with the private sector.

Once approved by the National Assembly in the Republic of Korea, the Headquarters Agreement and the Administrative and Financial Agreement for the Asian and Pacific Training Centre for Information and Communication Technology for Development (APCICT) will enter into force.

The Government of the Republic of Korea will provide financial and in-kind contributions of US$ 10 million cover the operations of APCICT for the initial five years, including the premises for the new Centre.

For further information please contact:
David Lazarus, Chief, UN Information Services
Tel: +(66-2) 288-1861/66; Fax: +(66-2) 288-1052
E-mail: unisbkk.unescap@un.org

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