Minister of Education of Thailand, and President of the SEAMEO Council, Mr Jurin Laksanawisit, called for greater cooperation in promoting Education for All and lifelong learning during the opening of the 32nd SEAMEO High Officials Meeting on 23 November 2009 in Bangkok, Thailand.

The President of the Southeast Asian Education Ministers remarked that by combining the experiences and strengths of the eleven SEAMEO Member Countries and working through the nineteen SEAMEO Regional Centres, SEAMEO moves towards the same goal, that is, achieving education for all and lifelong learning. He expressed optimism that through continuous dialogues and collaborations, SEAMEO is effectively helping improve the quality of life and well-being of the peoples in the region.

The 32nd SEAMEO High Officials Meeting was convened by the SEAMEO Secretariat on 22-25 November 2009 at the Royal Orchid Sheraton Hotel, Bangkok, Thailand.  Participants consisted of vice ministers, permanent secretaries and high-level education officials from the Southeast Asian countries.  Issues tackled during the three-day discussions included adopting climate change messages in educational materials in schools, devising strategies to address the educational needs of students in difficult-to-reach communities, harmonizing higher education in Southeast Asia, building capacity on maximizing the use of language in teaching, promoting student mobility in the region, integrating ICT in teaching and learning, and strengthening visibility of SEAMEO, among others.

Other meeting participants included representatives from SEAMEO Associate Members: Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Spain; SEAMEO Affiliate Member: Tsukuba University, Japan; international organizations: ASEAN Secretariat, British Council, and UNICEF; SEAMEO Regional Centres and other partners from the region and beyond.

The 32nd SEAMEO High Officials Meeting was chaired by the Philippines and co-chaired by Brunei Darussalam.

The SEAMEO High Officials Meeting is the precursor of the SEAMEO Council Conference that is attended by Education Ministers of the Southeast Asian Countries. The Philippines will host the next Conference, which is the forty-fifth, in Cebu City on 26-29 January 2010.

Minister of Education of Thailand, and President of the SEAMEO Council, Mr Jurin Laksanawisit, delivers his keynote message during the opening of the 32nd SEAMEO High Officials Meeting.

SEAMEO High Officials discuss various issues on promoting stronger collaboration in education in Southeast Asia.

Heads of Delegations of SEAMEO Member Countries, Associate Members and Affiliate Member; and the SEAMEO Secretariat in a group photo with the SEAMEO Council President

SEAMEO Regional Centre Directors and the SEAMEO Secretariat in a group photo with the SEAMEO Council President