The Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) is honored and privileged by the trust and confidence expressed by its partners, in hosting the ASEAN Regional Center of Excellence on Millennium Development Goals (ARCMDG) at AIT. This noble initiative is very much attuned and aligned to AIT’s mission and development objectives in the region and beyond.

In an video message to international stakeholders at the ASEAN Region Roundtable meeting held on 24-25 March 2008 at AIT, which saw the establishment of the Center, UN Secretary General H.E. Ban Ki-Moon stated that “the Millennium Development Goals are no mere aspirations…. and that they are commitments – sacred vows to the poorest, most vulnerable sections of humanity. Let us keep our promises. Let us build a world we can all be proud of”.

H.E. Dr. Surin Pitsuwan, Secretary General of ASEAN, has also affirmed his organization’s support for the Center and his hope that it would work closely with ASEAN’s Jakarta-based Secretariat. More recently, the “Joint Declaration on the Attainment of the Millennium Development Goals in ASEAN” which was signed and adopted by the Heads of State, at the 14 th ASEAN Summit held in Hua Hin, Thailand in March 2009 has formally recognized the ASEAN Regional Centre of Excellence on MDGs set up at AIT as an important platform for sharing information, experiences and best practices in the attainment of the MDGs among ASEAN Member States.

A key strength of AIT is its capacity to link together a wide range of international partners, collaborating together in research, teaching, outreach and development activities.  AIT is expanding its geographical coverage to developing countries in ASEAN and beyond which reach out to Africa, Afghanistan, Central Asia and there are also plans to further our linkages and cooperation with the Middle East as well.

To this end, the ARCMDG will function as a coordinator for the ASEAN region, and contribute to raising awareness and capacity building on MDGs. The Center will support and nurture partnerships amongst ASEAN government, non-governmental organizations and academic and training institutions at the national levels; and would support national and local Centers of Excellence on MDGs, based in other South-East Asian countries. It will also help and support institutions of civil society and NGOs willing to become Centers of Excellence on specific MDG issues.

Through this unique platform, AIT together with its partners, pledges to actively work with decision makers, experts, policy makers and representatives from civil society towards meeting the challenges in achieving the MDGs.

Yours sincerely,

Said Irandoust

President
Asian Institute of Technology (AIT)