In an opportunity to pursue collaborative activities with The Colombo Plan and personally meet and convey good wishes to the new Secretary General of The Colombo Plan, Mr. Kinley Dorji, CPSC Director General Dr. Mohammad Naim Yaakub attended the 282nd Colombo Plan Council Meeting at the Galadari Hotel, Colombo, Sri Lanka on May 7, 2014. This momentous occasion marks the first meeting organized by the newly appointed Secretary General of The Colombo Plan who hails from Bhutan.

The meeting gathered the council members from the different member countries of the Colombo Plan. The event was convened to tackle emerging organizational matters and areas of common concerns in the Colombo Plan agencies. The occasion also provided the opportunity for Dr. Naim to present CPSC’s mandate, background and current activities to the council members.

In a landmark event highlighting stronger bond between the Secretariat and CPSC, through a promising partnership and cooperation with the Colombo Plan Asian Center for Certification and Education for Addiction Professionals (CP-ACCE), a memorandum of understanding (MOU) was forged right after the council meeting. The MOU signifies agreement of CPSC and CP-ACEE on collaboration for the implementation of training and certification activities of addiction professionals, among many other forms of cooperation.


The memorandum of understanding agreement forged by Dr Naim (left), Mr. Tay Bian How, CP-ACCE Director (right) and Mr. Kinley Dorji (center) witnessing the signing.

Pertinent to the capacity building stipulation in the MOU, the agreement states that CPSC will be responsible for the provision of the training facilities and equipment for the training of addiction professionals coming from the different member countries of Colombo Plan. The understanding designates CPSC as the training and testing center in the region for the said undertaking.

Witnessed by none other than the CPS Secretary General, Mr. Dorji, the MOU was jointly signed by the Director of the CP-ACCE Mr. Tay Bian How and Dr. Naim. The signing affirms cordial and productive ties that CPSC and the CP Secretariat have enjoyed through the years. It also solidifies their commitment in achieving a drug addiction-free region by developing the capacity and skill of professionals that will serve as the frontline for the fulfillment of this goal.

CPSC is a specialized agency of the Colombo Plan on human resources development in the Colombo Plan region. “The Colombo Plan was instituted as a regional intergovernmental organisation for the furtherance of economic and social development of the region`s nations. It is based on the partnership concept for self-help and mutual help in the development process with the focal areas being, human resource development and south-south cooperation. While recognising the need for physical capital to provide the lever for growth, the Colombo Plan also emphasised the need to raise the skill level to assimilate and utilise the physical capital more efficiently.”-http://www.colombo-plan.org/index.php/about-cps/history/


Council Meeting attendees (left photo) among them Dr. Naim (right photo)