The eighth session of the Governing Council of the Asian and Pacific Centre
for the Development of Disaster Information Management was held in Dushanbe on
8 December 2023. The Governing Council addressed the programmatic and
technical activities and the administrative and financial issues of the Centre.
The Governing Council took note of the report on the activities of the Centre
since the seventh session and expressed its appreciation for the progress made in the
implementation of the programme of work of the Centre. It noted that, owing to
insufficient financial resources, only some activities included in the Centre’s
programme of work for 2023 could be implemented and endorsed the Centre’s
programme of work for 2024.
The Governing Council noted the measures taken for the implementation of
the Regional Plan of Action on Sand and Dust Storms in Asia and the Pacific.
The Governing Council took note of the report on the administrative and
financial status of the Centre. It expressed its appreciation to the Government of the
Islamic Republic of Iran for the generous financial and in-kind voluntary
contributions made to date for the establishment and operation of the Centre. It also
expressed its appreciation for the verbal pledge made by the representative of the
Islamic Republic of Iran regarding an additional financial contribution to the Centre
in the amount of $2 million, to be disbursed in the first half of 2024. The Governing
Council expressed its thanks and appreciation to the Government of Cambodia, as
well as to Macao, China, for their valuable financial contributions to the Centre.

The Governing Council encouraged the members and associate members of the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific to mobilize financial and/or in-kind support for the Centre and to take an active role in the delivery of the Centre’s programme of work.
The Governing Council elected the representative of Tajikistan as the Chair and the representative of the Islamic Republic of Iran as the Vice-Chair for the eighth session to serve until the ninth session of the Governing Council.