Dr. Shamshad Akhtar, the new Executive Secretary of the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP), encouraged CSAM to work harder by taking on bolder and broader initiatives in response to the needs of the member states in the context of the regional thrust for sustainable development, and to take the institution to new heights, during her inaugural visit to Beijing last week.

Dr. Akhtar was in Beijing on May 13-15 to address the Symposium of the 17th China Beijing International High-Tech Expo (CHITEC) and the China Financial Summit 2014. She came to the CSAM office on May 13, where she was affectionately welcomed by all staff.

Having listened to a presentation by Mr. Zhao Bing, Head of CSAM, Dr. Akhtar commended on the Centre’s recent efforts and progress on achieving its mandated goals through re-focusing its strategic direction, the design and implementation of well-conceived projects/activities, as well as effective reach-out and partnership initiatives. She went on to encourage the Centre to make full use of its comparative advantages and double its efforts not only on pursuing goals to promote sustainable agricultural mechanization in the region but also on ‘thinking out of the box’ to explore opportunities to develop into a full-fledged institution contributing to the ESCAP’s corporate aspiration to promote sustainable development in Asia and the Pacific.

Dr. Akhtar also spent time listening, with enthusiasm, to each CSAM staff member introducing themselves and having a warm conversation with them on issues of interest.