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A high level ESCAP Mission
comprising three members, Mr. Nokeo Ratanavang, Scientific
Affairs Officer, in Space Technology Applications Section in
ESCAP, Mr. John Ure, Director of Telecommunications Research
Project of the Center of Asian Studies, University of Hong
Kong and Mr. Sanjay Sriotara, Deputy Director, ISRO HQ in
BanglaDesh, visited ASRC on December 04, 2007 in Tehran.
They were visiting Iran to assess the feasibility of
establishing an ESCAP Regional Centre for Disaster
Management. Dr. Fatemi briefed the Mission on the activities
taken by the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran for
the establishment and launching of ASRC in Iran .He stated
that Iran's cash contribution to this Center stood at $
500,000 that the Government had earmarked for the Center.
He stated that it was
largely due to the disaster damages and high death toll in
Asia, estimated at 500,000 deaths in the past that the need
for establishing such a center in Iran was felt. The World
Conference on Disaster Reduction (WCDR) in Kobe, Hyogo Japan
has also adopted Clause 31 which clearly states the need for
establishment of regional collaborative centers for risk
reduction. He also elaborated in detail on the objectives
and functions of the Center in the future .The two Parties
exchanged information on collaboration for establishing an
ESCAP Center in Iran and they were briefed on comments made
by ASRC experts and authorities. Representatives of the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs and ISDR Special Coordinators
were also present in the meeting. ASRC welcomes any
cooperation that could be offered on expansion of ties with
other scientific and research centers in the Asia and
Pacific regions.
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