Dr Prem Nath, Assistant Director General and Regional Representative of the FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, deeply thanks Mr Pakdee Ratanapon, Deputy Governor of Chiang Mai province and Dr Anek Nakhabutr, Director, Social Investment Fund Office, Royal Thai Government for delivering the inaugural and keynote addresses, respectively. He also thanks the resource persons, chairpersons of sessions, participants and delegates from other United Nations bodies and international agencies. He further extends appreciation to the Royal Thai Government and the Sangsai TAO supporting the workshop, for arranging field trips to farmers' and women's self help groups and for other logistic support. Special thanks are due to SHG members in Pingnoy for their reception and hospitality. He appreciates the work of Mr Wim Polman, Regional Rural Development Officer (RAP) and his staff, Ms Anupama Joshi, Consultant, Rural Development (RAP) and Mr W. I. Khan, Programme Adviser, (RAP) and Ms Montip Krachangvej, Chief, Foreign Relations Subdivision, Division of Planning, Department of Agricultural Extension, Royal Thai Government.
Mr Polman and Ms Montip Krachangvej deserve special mention for planning, coordinating and executing overall workshop activities. It is appropriate to note their hard work, commitment and efficiency in conducting a memorable workshop. Thanks are also due to Dr A.V.S. Reddy, Director General, CIRDAP for actively supporting the workshop; CIRDAP's technical contribution; and the hard work of Dr P. Subrahmanyam, Director, Pilot Projects Division, CIRDAP, Dhaka, Bangladesh in finalizing the workshop report and producing the proceedings in a functionally appropriate manner.
On the first day, opening ceremonies were chaired by Mr Pakdee Ratanapon, Deputy Governor of Chiang Mai. Dr Prem Nath, Assistant Director General and Regional Representative for Asia and the Pacific, FAO Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, Bangkok presented a welcoming speech and a keynote address was given by Mr Anek Nakhabutr, Director, Social Investment Fund Office, Thailand.
Key issues from a regional perspective were offered by: Mr Jan B. Orsini, UN-ESCAP, Bangkok; Ms Ingeborg Ponne, ILO Bangkok and Mr Prem Sharma, PWMTA, FAO Nepal. Presentation of key issues on Thailand: Ms Montip Krachangvej, Department of Agricultural Extension; Mr Wilas Lohitkul, Population and Community Development Association; Ms Wannee Ratanawarha, Cooperative Promotion Department; Dr Asanee Ratanamalai, Cooperative League of Thailand; Dr Supriya Kuandachakupt, Kasetsart University; and Dr Viroj Na Ranong, Thailand Development Research Institute.
Further key issues were presented by: Dr P. Subrahmanyam, CIRDAP, Bangladesh; Mr Phoung Parisak Pravongviengkham, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Lao PDR; Mr Bedgar Perera, Ministry of Agriculture and Lands, Sri Lanka; Mr Soe Thant Aung, Myanmar; Mr P.K. Mishra, NCDC, Mr Raghav Gaiha, Delhi University; Mr B.H.Gowda, SEARCH and Mr Amitabh Kumar Singh, SAMARTHAN, India; Em Haryadi, Bina Swadaya, Indonesia; Mr Bishan Singh, MINSOC; Mr Roel Ravanera, ANGOC and Mr Demetrio Imperial, IIRR, Philippines.
On the second day, workshop group discussion session one focused on technical and policy guidelines on Decentralized Rural Development. On Friday, the third day outcomes and conclusions from workshop sessions were presented, together with ideas for follow-up evaluation of field trips.
An introduction to the objectives of FAO-World Bank Electronic Guidebook on Decentralization, RED-IFO model was followed by group discussion regarding country-specific typologies of decentralization, dentification of Support and RED-IFO activities and project ideas/proposals.
