President Sarkissian will chair the UNCTAD Panel of Eminent Persons: President Sarkissian participated in Geneva at the Panel’s deliberations

President Armen Sarkissian, who is in the Swiss Confederation on a working visit, today at the UN headquarters in Geneva participated at the conference of the UNCTAD Panel of Eminent Persons.

Armen Sarkissian was elected the Chairman of the UNCTAD Panel of Eminent Persons.

The Panel provides counselling on the vision regarding the next ten years for trade and development in the world, on critical and urgent economic challenges, and offers ideas and solutions to overcome them.

Members of the Panel, who are heads of states and governments, prominent economists and experts, are invited personally by the Secretary-General of the UNCTAD. The sessions of the Panel are conveyed in a closed format, according to the Chatham House rules.

The core discussion titled The Main Challenges and Opportunities with the participation of President Armen Sarkissian, were chaired by the Secretary-General of UNCTAD Mukisa Kituyi. After the discussions Secretary-General said that the Panel of Eminent Persons is called to assist in understanding where the world is headed and what should the focus of the attention be, considering the existing challenges.

“The main purpose is to find out how the experience existing in the academic and political areas can advance the discussions on the topics which will emerge in the next ten years. How the UN can respond to these questions; how we can model our programs, bringing them in line with the current challenges, and how to set forth pioneering ideas to face that challenges,” he said.

“This year, we were able to bring here a number of prominent persons, including the President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian to participate at the Panel of Eminent Persons.” The former Secretary-General of Francophonie Michael Jean, who is also a member of the Panel of Eminent Persons, said in particular, “It is very important for me to see Armenia as a member of the Panel because I have wonderful memories of Armenia which will always stay in my heart. I believe, your country is an important player in the IT area, for instance, the TUMO center which exports educational system to different countries of the world. The special attention, which Armenia pays to education, assisting the young people in using modern technologies, is a very innovative approach and a significant fact.”