The draft of the new AIT Charter was finalized at the fourth and last
intergovernmental meeting, which was convened on 11 and 12 September
2008, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Thailand.
Representatives from Bangladesh, Cambodia, France, India, Indonesia,
Japan, Laos, Korea, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Vietnam, and
the host country Thailand, were in attendance aside from the AIT
delegation. The Chairman informed the delegates that prior to the
meeting several countries and international organizations had already
communicated their support and endorsement of the Chairman of the
Intergovernmental Working Group’s version of the draft text of the AIT
Charter. Although unable to attend the intergovernmental working group
meeting, endorsements had also been received from Norway, the
Philippines and ADB.
According to the timeline that has been agreed upon, the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs Thailand will now circulate a clean text of the new
finalized AIT Charter, to all the countries and international
organizations that were part of the intergovernmental process. There
will be three months provided for internal legal processing by the
respective countries and international organizations. Following the
completion of this process, and not later than by March 2009, the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Thailand will announce a date for the
formal adoption of the new AIT Charter and opening up for signatures,
the two events most likely taking place back-to-back.
AIT President Said Irandoust expressed on behalf of
AIT, our sincere thanks, appreciation and gratitude to the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs Thailand, in particular the Chairman of the
Intergovernmental Working Group Meeting Mr. Ittiporn
Boonpracong, Deputy Director-General of the Department of
International Organizations, for his leadership in
having successfully guided and steered the process to a positive
conclusion. The process was a very inclusive one in which the views,
concerns and inputs of all participants were duly considered.
It has been an extremely lengthy process, that which was initiated
under the helm of former Board Chairman H.E. Mr. Anand
Panyarachun, and subsequently taken up and actively pursued by
former Board Chairman H.E. Dr. Tej Bunnag. AIT
President also acknowledged the strong and committed manner in which a
succession of Chairmen of the Executive Committee namely,
Ambassador Jan Axel Nordlander, Ambassador
Laurent Aublin, Ambassador Jonan
Hafstrom, Ambassador Pieter Marres, have all
contributed to the process.
The AIT administration also thanks and appreciates all our partners
who have sacrificed so much of their time and effort and for their
unwavering belief in AIT’s cause which has helped us arrive at this
successful conclusion. Behind the scene, our alumni and institutional
partners have also played an important and instrumental role in helping
push AIT’s case with their respective governments, and in garnering
support for the process, which helped expedite the process, and for
which we remain indebted.
AIT President will be providing members of the community with the
finalized version of the new AIT Charter once it is received from the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs Thailand. In concluding, and as earlier
communicated, attaining full-fledged international status has been on
the agenda of the Institute over many years, as a much needed process
to strengthen AIT’s ownership and to provide a clear legal status in
line with the Institute’s mission.
The AIT President reminded all that AIT is entering a new era for AIT
and he urged the entire AIT community to move forward together in
making AIT stronger than ever. On this occasion, and as we enter into
AIT’s 50th anniversary, let us all be reminded of the deep and wise
words of Mahatma Gandhi “we must become the change we want to
see".