13 Oct 2015
13-Oct-2015
Source: ASEAN Secretariat News
ASEAN appoints Thai Diplomat as new Deputy Secretary-General for Socio-Cultural Pillar
JAKARTA, 13 October 2015 - H.E. Vongthep Arthakaivalvatee, a former diplomat and criminal justice expert from Thailand took his oath yesterday as the new Deputy Secretary-General (DSG) for ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community. H.E. Le Luong Minh, ASEAN Secretary-General administered the oath for Arthakaivalvatee at the Association's headquarters in Jakarta.
Prior to joining the ASEAN Secretariat, DSG Arthakaivalvatee headed the International Affairs Division of Thailand's Ministry of Justice, Office of the Permanent Secretary. As Director of the Division, he provided leadership in the formulation and implementation of the overall foreign affairs strategy of the Ministry, particularly in the areas ofcrime, justice, human rights and drug control among others. He also played a key role in mainstreaming the rule of law, crime prevention and criminal justice in the post-2015 development negotiation process. Before his stint at the Ministry of Justice, he was posted to various Thai missions and embassies.
"I am honoured to be a part of this great institution and I look forward to making my humble contributions to ASEAN community building efforts so that our region will become truly people-oriented and people-centered," DSG Arthakaivalvatee said after his oath-taking. "I am also privileged to work with dedicated people at the ASEAN Secretariat who are working very hard to ensure that the commitments made by the Member States are translated into real benefits and opportunities for our people," he added.
In his new capacity at the ASEAN Secretariat, DSG Arthakaivalvatee will lead the socio-cultural department in charge of implementing ASEAN's commitments towards improving the people's day-to-day lives. His department covers divisions dealing with health, environment, education, disaster management, labor, women and culture among others.
According to the ASEAN Charter, DSG Arthakaivalvatee will serve his term for three years. His CV is available here: http://www.asean.org/news/item/deputy-secretary-general-of-asean-for-asean-socio-cultural-community
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