Secretary-General outlines her vision for the next chapter

In her first-ever press interview, Secretary-General Ambassador Chulamanee Chartsuwan discusses her vision for the Colombo Plan as it enters its 75th year. In an interview with the Daily News, Ambassador Chulamanee speaks about strengthening the Colombo Plan as a responsive platform for cooperation, with priorities including broader donor engagement, stronger member-country ownership, repositioning the organisation as a knowledge hub, facilitator of South-South cooperation and neutral convening platform. She also discusses a more demand-driven approach to capacity-building, greater peer learning and triangular cooperation, as well as opportunities to engage the private sector in areas such as workforce readiness and community resilience. As the Colombo Plan looks towards its next chapter, this first press interview offers an insight into the Secretary-General’s priorities and her vision for an organisation that continues to evolve.