ANNEX VIII

CLOSING REMARK

 By H.E. Mangasi Sihombing

Director General for Information, Public Diplomacy and

International Agreement/ Chairman of the Working Group

for Tsunami Assistance

Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Republic of Indonesia

 At the Closing Session of the Inter-Governmental Meeting of Experts

to Formulate “Psychosocial Programme for Rehabilitation of

Tsunami Survivors”

(Jakarta, 5 April 2005) 

Distinguished Experts and Participants,

Ladies and Gentlemen, 

I have the honour to address this Meeting of Experts to Formulate Psychosocial Programme for Rehabilitation of Tsunami Survivors. Let me congratulate all of you for working so hard during the last two days in finalizing your work, and being able to formulate so important programmes and recommendation through productive sharing process. I trust that the tsunami-affected countries will be able to further adopt and adapt the recommendation derived from this expert meeting to technically make necessary actions in a way that will benefit those who are in needs. 

I should also like to express, on behalf of the Government of Indonesia, our deep appreciation and sincere gratitude to the Ministry of Health, Ministry of National Education, Ministry of Public Works, Ministry of Social Affairs, World Health Organization, UNICEF and UNESCO for successfully supporting this undertaking, as well as to the prominent experts from Thailand, India, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Iran, Japan, Australia, Turkey, USA, for your substantial contributions to the meeting. I wish also to commend our colleagues from Non-Aligned Movement Centre for South-South Technical Cooperation (NAM CSSTC) for the excellent conduct of the meeting. 

Distinguished Experts and Participants,

Ladies and Gentlemen, 

It is of more than passing significance that the successful holding of this meeting has been made possible through the productive support of the competent experts and participants from different countries and institutions. This collaborative effort reflects a common interest among countries of both developed and developing world. It also demonstrates our shared commitment to enhancing the capacity of tsunami-affected countries to cope with their problems as soonest as possible in a proper manner. 

It is encouraging that we are able to maximize the use of our resources, knowledge and skills that are already in our hands. In that manner we can jointly overcome the tsunami impacts and seize the opportunities on mutual cooperation like this meeting we already have. That is why we regard it as a vital need to strengthen and enlarge global cooperation. We have to marshal the spirit of collective self-reliance that always guides our relations with one another. 

There will, of course, be instances when we are hampered by constraint of available resources in spite of our best efforts to pool our resources together. Nevertheless we can still overcome this basic challenge by forging triangular partnerships with countries of the North and international donor institutions. For in this globalized world, mutual cooperation is one strategic factor that cannot be left out. In view of this reality, it is difficult to imagine how we can manage and sustain ourselves without international supports. 

The important thing is that we should never cease forming and strengthening partnerships. To this end, the Government of Indonesia is firmly committed. That is why we are especially pleased to host this important meeting to contribute to the acceleration of rehabilitation process for the tsunami survivors of the affected countries. 

We look forward to the practical application of the recommendation we already have to the work at field level that awaits us in our respective countries. It would be essential that at the national level, wise and effective policies are formulated and technically carried out to overcome the tsunami impacts.  

And while I wish you all a safe journey home, I fervently trust that our future accomplishments will help make a better world, a faster-developing global cooperation and more prosperous countries. Once again, I thank you all for your positive contributions.  

With this remark, the expert meeting is officially close. 

Thank you.