Welcome Address by H E Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Minister for Education, Singapore and Vice President of SEAMEO Council

Final Report: 41st SEAMEO Council Conference
The Swissotel the Stamford
Republic of Singapore
22-23 March 2006

Proceedings

Contents

Appendices

1.	Programme & Agenda
2.	List of Participants
3.	Speeches at the Opening Ceremonies
	3.1	Welcome Address by H E Tharman Shanmugaratnam, Minister for Education, Singapore, and Vice President of SEAMEO Council
	3.2	Opening Address by H E Prof Dr Nguyen Minh Hien, Minister of Education and Training, Socialist Republic of Vietnam, and President of SEAMEO Council
	3.3	Keynote Address by H E Prof S Jayakumar, Deputy Prime Minister of Singapore
4.	Statements/Speeches (Plenary Session 1 - Formalities)
	4.1	Remarks and Report of the SEAMEO Council President
	4.2	Remarks of Vice Minister Tran Van Nhung at the Awarding of the Vietnam Friendship Medal to SEAMEO RELC
	4.3	Opening Statements
		4.3.1	Australia
		4.3.2	Brunei Darussalam
		4.3.3	Cambodia
		4.3.4	Canada
		4.3.5	France
		4.3.6	Indonesia
		4.3.7	Lao PDR
		4.3.8	Malaysia
		4.3.9	Myanmar
		4.3.10	New Zealand
		4.3.11	Norway
		4.3.12	Philippines
		4.3.13	Singapore
		4.3.14	Thailand
		4.3.15	Timor-Leste
	Invited Opening Statements
		4.3.16	ASEAN Secretariat
		4.3.17	Spain
		4.3.18	UNESCO
5.	Speeches/Statements at the Welcome Dinner & Awarding Ceremonies
	5.1	2005 SEAMEO Jasper Research Award
	5.2	6th SEAMEO-Australia Press Award 2005
6.	Joint Statement from the 1st ASEAN Education Ministers Meeting and 41st SEAMEO Council Conference
7.	Lead Presentation for Policy Forum

	Appendix 3.1
Welcome Address by H E Tharman Shanmugaratnam Minister for Education, Singapore at Opening Ceremony 41st SEAMEO Council Conference, 22 March 2006
Professsor S Jayakumar, Deputy Prime Minister, and Coordinating Minister for National Security and Minister for Law, Singapore, Your Excellencies, Distinguished Guests, Delegates and Observers, Ladies and Gentlemen,
1.	Singapore is greatly honoured to host the 41st Conference of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization Council. Let me first welcome all of you to Singapore and to this Conference.
2.	I would also like to express my appreciation to Professor S Jayakumar, Deputy Prime Minister, Coordinating Minister for National Security, and Minister for Law, Singapore for agreeing to open the conference and give the keynote address.
SEAMEO
3.	Since its establishment some 40 years ago, SEAMEO has made significant contributions towards raising the standard of education in the Southeast Asia region, as well as promoting regional understanding. As we know, education is the bedrock for the development of all our societies. It is how we equip our young with the skills, attitudes and values that will take our societies forward. SEAMEO’s work in promoting regional cooperation in education and culture thus plays a useful and important role in the socio-economic development of the region.
4.	SEAMEO does this in a number of ways. SEAMEO has built up a strong network of regional centres, with a deep repository of knowledge and expertise in various aspects of education. It also serves as a platform for regular interactions among our education ministries and authorities in the region, both at the ministerial level and amongst senior officials and educationists. SEAMEO is a useful conduit for good ideas that have been tried and tested in Member Countries to be shared with the others.
5.	Moving ahead, SEAMEO will have to study how it can build on its strengths, to help Member Countries respond to the challenges of a new global environment as well as to seize the new opportunities it presents.
CONFERENCE FORMAT
6.	This year, we have also had the inaugural ASEAN Education Ministers Meeting, held back-to-back with the 41st SEAMEO Council Conference. This will create greater synergy between ASEAN and SEAMEO in enhancing education collaborations in the region. I am pleased to report that the ASEAN Education Ministers had productive discussions during their first meeting last evening, which followed an informal retreat in Bangkok last year. The discussion was candid, and we agreed on several ideas for future collaboration.
7.	For the SEAMEO Council Conference this year, we have streamlined the conference programme, so as to allow more time for substantive discussion of the challenges that we face in education. We hope this will facilitate more exchange of views and experiences among participants, and provide opportunities for the sharing of lessons from our experiences.
8.	We hope too that the visits by delegates to our schools and technical institution tomorrow morning will spur further exchange and sharing.
9.	Finally, we celebrate the rich and diverse cultural heritage of the Southeast Asian region. This year we have taken the opportunity of the SEAMEO Council Conference to convene and Art & Design Exhibition, ‘Colours of Southeast Asia’. Let me thank all Member Countries for their overwhelming support in sending student artists and designers to present their art and design works. The Exhibition will showcase the artistic and design talents of our young, and allow them to gain insights into each other’s cultures and make new acquaintances.
CONCLUSION
10.	In closing, I look forward to engaging discussions with my colleagues from the region during the Conference, and to the sharing of views and ideas by Members, Associate Members, Regional Centres and observers. I hope that you will find the 41st SEAMEO Council Conference meaningful and rewarding, and also find time to take in the sights and enjoy your stay in Singapore.

Last updated: 15 June, 2006
Last updated: 15 June, 2006		Top