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

Date: 21 January 2008
Press Release No. G/02/2008

UN-ESCAP’S EXECUTIVE SECRETARY VISITS UN-APCAEM DURING OFFICIAL VISIT TO BEIJING

Bangkok (United Nations Information Services) -- Ms. Noeleen Heyzer, the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Affairs Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), visited the United Nations Asian and Pacific Centre for Agricultural Engineering and Machinery in Beijing (UN-APCAEM) on 21 January 2008. It was Ms. Heyzer’s first visit to China since becoming the ninth Executive Secretary of ESCAP in August 2007.

In her opening remarks in a meeting with UN-APCAEM staff, Ms. Heyzer indicated that investment in agricultural technology for rural development is important and UN-APCAEM can become the centre for regional South-South cooperation and innovation within the purview of its mandate.

Mr. Joong-Wan Cho, senior economic affairs officer and head of UN-APCAEM, gave a presentation on the Centre’s work plan and recommendations for 2008-2009. The Executive Secretary said that the Centre’s work programme should be focused, clear and integrated in the context of ecologically sustainable agricultural/rural development.

During her visit, the Executive Secretary also had a working luncheon in Beijing with the UN Country Team and bilateral donors.
Based in Beijing, UN-APCAEM is a regional institution/subsidiary body of ESCAP. For more information about the Centre, please visit http://www.unapcaem.org .