Who We Are
The Governing Council
The Governing Council (GC) is the highest decision-making body of ASEAN-IPR, consisting a representative from each ASEAN Member State (AMS), along with the Secretary-General of ASEAN and the Executive Director (who serve as Ex-Officio Members of the Council). The Council’s work includes formulation of guidelines and procedures for activities, funding and budget of the institute.
H.E. Kasmalati Dato Kassim graduated with B.A. in Economics from the Liverpool John Moores University in the United Kingdom in 1996. H.E. joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) as a Diplomatic Officer in 1997 and went for her first posting to Berlin, Germany in 2002. H.E. was promoted to First Secretary after she completed her posting in 2007. Since then, H.E. was assigned to a number of departments in the MFA including the Department of International Organisations, the Department Politics II, Technical Assistance Division and the Department of Administration. H.E. had led the Administration Department with special focus on human resources management as both deputy director in 2016 and acting director in 2018 before her appointment as the Permanent Representative of Brunei Darussalam to ASEAN. Her diplomatic experiences over two decades would provide invaluable insights to the work of ASEAN in peace and reconciliation.
H.E. Ambassador Yeap Samnang was born on 1 December 1979 in Pursat Province of Cambodia. He is currently Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, the Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Cambodia to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). He also sits as the Representative of Cambodia to the Governing Council (GC) of the ASEAN Institute for Peace and Reconciliation (ASEAN-IPR).
Prior to his current post, he was Deputy Director-General for ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC) and for Community and Corporate Affairs (CCA) from 2016 to 2019 at the General-Department of ASEAN (ASEAN-Cambodia), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Kingdom of Cambodia (MFA.IC). He has been appointed ? among others ? as Deputy Director, Head of Division of Administration and ASEAN Plus Three Cooperation at ASEAN-Cambodia (2015-2016); First Secretary at the Royal Embassy of Cambodia to the Republic of Indonesia and Permanent Mission of the Kingdom of Cambodia to ASEAN in Jakarta (2011-2015); and Deputy Director, Head of Division of ASEAN Political Cooperation at ASEAN-Cambodia (2010-2011). Before joining the MFA.IC in December 2004, he had been serving as a Desk Official at Bureau of Legislation and Copyrights at the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts of Cambodia from 2002.
Besides, Ambassador Samnang has also working background with NGOs/SCOs, teams of students, youth activities and a researcher in Cambodia. He is awarded with a Master Degree of Social (M.Sos) in Diplomacy from Paramadina Graduate School of Diplomacy in Jakarta, Indonesia, and a Diploma of High-Ranking Civil Servants, majoring in Diplomacy, from the Royal School of Administration in Phnom Penh. He holds a Bachelor Degree in Public Law from the Royal University of Law and Economics, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
He was decorated the Royal Order of the Kingdom of Cambodia in Commander in 2018.
Mrs. Artauli RMP Tobing is the Indonesian representative to the Governing Council of ASEAN-IPR. Previous to this, she was the Indonesian representative to the Advisory Board of the ASEAN-IPR from 2014-2017. She also served as the Indonesian Ambassador to Vietnam from January 2004 until February 2008. She was awarded the “Medal for Friendship” from the Vietnam Union Friendship Organisation, Hanoi, Vietnam (6 February 2007).
After returning from Vietnam, she served as the Head of the Policy Planning Agency of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia.
After her retirement as a career diplomat Mrs. Tobing served as the Executive Secretary of the Presidential Advisory Council on Foreign Affairs, Dr. N. Hassan Wirajuda from March 2011 until October 2014. Since 2014 Mrs. Tobing is also a lecturer for the graduate program on ASEAN Diplomacy at the Paramadina University and Pelita Harapan University.
She also served as the Eminent Person’s Group representing Indonesia to the Indian Ocean Dialogue in 2015.
Born in Jakarta, Mrs. Tobing earned a Degree in English Literature from the University of Indonesia in 1976 and later was awarded the Fulbright & Hayes Scholarship for her Masters degree in American Studies at the George Washington University in Washington DC from September 1976 – June 1978.
Mrs. Tobing started her career as a diplomat at the Department of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia in 1981 and was posted at the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Indonesia in Geneva from August 1984-August 1988; and then later in the Indonesian Mission to the EU in Brussels from August 1992-August 1996. Then, from June 1999-July 2002, Mrs. Tobing was posted in the Indonesian Embassy in Ottawa.
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H.E. Mr. Ekkaphab Phanthavong has been appointed as Ambassador, Permanent Representative of the Lao PDR to ASEAN since April 2018. He served as Deputy Director for External Relations Division in ASEAN Department of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Lao PDR from 2004 to April 2009 before posting as Second Secretary of the Permanent Mission of the Lao PDR to ASEAN in Jakarta from May 2008 to 2009. He was then appointed as Deputy Permanent Representative and First Secretary from 2009 to January 2012.
After completing his diplomatic mission in Jakarta, he was appointed as Deputy Director-General of ASEAN Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs from February 2012-March 2018.
Ambassador Ekkaphab received his Master of Arts in International Relations at Flinders University in South Australia in 2002.
H.E. Ms. Kamsiah Kamaruddin is currently the Permanent Representative of Malaysia to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). She also sits as the Representative of Malaysia to the Governing Council of the ASEAN Institute for Peace and Reconciliation (ASEAN-IPR).
Previously, she was the Undersecretary for Americas in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Malaysia. She has also served as – among others – Undersecretary for Europe (2017); Deputy Director-General for the ASEAN-Malaysia National Secretariat (2016); Deputy High Commissioner, High Commission of Malaysia in Singapore (2011); Principal Assistant Secretary, Southeast Asia Division, MFA of Malaysia (2005); Second Secretary, Embassy of Malaysia in Bangkok (2001); Assistant Secretary, Public Diplomacy (1998) and Assistant Secretary, Policy Planning (1993) in the MFA of Malaysia.
H.E. Ms. Kamsiah Kamaruddin was born on 3 October 1967. She has a B.A. (Hons.) from University of Keele, United Kingdom and a Postgraduate Diploma in Public Management from the National Institute of Public Administration.
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Ambassador Min Lwin is a career member of Myanmar Ministry of Foreign Affairs since 14th January 1980.
Prior to his appointment as Myanmar Ambassador to Republic of Indonesia (7th August 2012 – 14th April 2014) and Myanmar Permanent Representative/Ambassador to ASEAN (8th August 2012 to date) as well as non-resident Myanmar Ambassador to Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste (14th February 2013 – 14th February 2015) he served as Myanmar Ambassador to Peoples Republic of Bangladesh (21st April 2011 – 15th May 2013) and Director General of the Consular & Legal Affairs Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (25th January 2008 – 5th February 2011).
He was born on 14 February 1955 in Yangon. He graduated with Geology major from Yangon University in 1977 and joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in January 1980. He served in various capacities in the Departments including as Principal Officer at Ministers Office of Ministry of Foreign Affairs as well as at Myanmar Embassies abroad in Bonn (1983-87), in Islamabad (1992-96) and in Washington DC (2000-2005). He also participated in the Diplomatic Studies Programme in Geneva (1991) and Senior Executive Programme in Bandar Seri Begawan (2006).
He attended International Conferences including United Nations General Assembly in 1989, 1997 & 1998, Regional and Bilateral Meetings including ASEAN Summits and related Summits in ASEAN member states, Australia, Bangladesh, Belgium, China, Columbia, Cuba, Germany, India, Japan, Republic of Korea, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Switzerland, Timor-Leste and USA while serving at the Myanmar Missions and at the Departments of the Ministry.
He was conferred Rule of Law and Order Medal in 1984, State Peace Medal in 1989, Public Service Medal in 1997, Outstanding Public Service Medal in 2006, Excellent Performance [second class] in Administrative Field in 2008 and Presidential Award of Excellent Performance in 2016 for his service, performance and dedication.
Ambassador Min Lwin is married to Sabai Win and has a daughter and 2 sons.
Ambassador Noel Eugene Eusebio M. Servigon is a career Foreign Service Officer of the Republic of the Philippines. He joined the Department of Foreign Affairs in 1988. His diplomatic postings were in Vienna, Austria as Third/Second Secretary, Vice Consul/ Consul and Alternate Representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency; in Ankara, Turkey, as First Secretary and Consul; in The Hague, Netherlands as First Secretary, Consul, and Deputy Permanent Representative to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons; in Abu Dhabi, UAE, as Minister and Consul General; in Manado, Indonesia, as Chief of Mission and Consul General; in Hong Kong as Chief of Mission and Consul General; and in Hanoi as the Philippine Ambassador to the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam. On 8 May 2019, he assumed his position as Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the Philippines to ASEAN.
At the Department of Foreign Affairs in Manila, he served in the Office of Personnel and Administrative Services, Office of ASEAN Affairs (as Director for the then-ASEAN Standing Committee), Office of United Nations and Other International Organizations, Office of the Undersecretary for Administration and as an Assistant Secretary of Foreign Affairs and Head of the Human Resources Management Office. Ambassador Servigon has degrees of Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Laws and Master of Public Management from the University of the Philippines.
His first job was teaching. He has taught history, political science, and consulardiplomatic affairs in several colleges in Iloilo City and Manila. Ambassador Servigon was born in 1962 in Iloilo City. He is married to Marichu Torrato Servigon, formerly a Training Specialist at the Foreign Service Institute. They have two adult sons, Eugene Sumakwel and Patrick Suleiman.
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Ms. Kok Li Peng has been serving as Singapores Permanent Representative to ASEAN in Jakarta.
Ms. Kok graduated with a Bachelor of Laws, Second Class Honours, from the National University of Singapore in 1994.? She obtained a Masters in Arts (Political Science) from Columbia University in 2006, on a Fulbright Scholarship.
A career diplomat, Ms. Kok joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1995. She has served as Ambassador in Manila from March 2015 to December 2018. Before her ambassadorial appointment, Ms. Kok served as Director-General in the ASEAN Directorate from 2012 to 2015. Her other overseas postings include Permanent Mission of Singapore to the United Nations in New York, where she was Deputy Permanent Representative and Counsellor from 2008 to 2012, and Embassy of Singapore in Washington, D.C as a First Secretary from 1999 to 2002. Her other assignments in Ministry Headquarters include Deputy Director covering Malaysia and Brunei from 2006 to 2008 and Assistant Director covering Malaysia and Brunei and subsequently Assistant Director for Special Projects from 2002 to 2005.
Ms. Kok Li Peng was awarded the Public Administration Medal (Bronze) in 2008. She was appointed to the NIE International Board in 2012.
Dr. Sukontasap has been appointed as Representative of Thailand to the Governing Council of ASEAN-IPR since 2017. He has extensive experience in working in the government and private sectors, as well as in the academic circle. He has served as head of the Cambodian Desk at the Foreign Ministry of Thailand in the final stages of the Cambodian Conflict, which resulted in the signing of the Paris Peace Agreement in 1993. He was in charge of the ASEAN-SOM desk and was responsible for organizing the 1st ASEAN Regional Forum in Bangkok in 1994. He also served at the United Nations in New York as assistant to the first Co-Chairs of the General Assembly Open-ended Working Group on the Reform of the UN Security Council, between 1995-1996.
In the private sector, Dr. Sukontasap currently serves as Chairman, Board of Directors, Vesak Capital Ventures Co. Ltd. (VCV). Prior to this, he served as Director, CEO and deputy CEO of a number of publicly listed companies in Thailand. Dr. Sukontasap specializes in Tax, Trade and Fiscal issues, with special focus on WTO and AFTA rules and regulations. He was also based in Hong Kong and Malaysia.
Dr. Sukontasap received his B.A. in political science from Chulalongkorn University, Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy and Doctorate degrees from the Fletcher School, Tufts University. Has also attended the Managing Global Business Program for Senior Executives at INSEAD, France. Dr. Sukontasap was a Fulbright, John E. Peurifoy and Manuel L. Quezon scholar. He is an advisor to the Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, National Legislative Assembly of Thailand. He is also a Director to the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors of the Exim Bank of Thailand. Most recently, he was the editor of a 260-page book entitled 50 Years of Thailand in ASEAN, published in May 2018.
He is married to Mrs. Ruyaporn Sukontasap, a diplomatic officer at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Thailand.
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H.E. Tran Duc Binh joined the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Viet Nam in 1994, when Viet Nam prepared for ASEAN membership in July 1995.
Mr. Binh was Head of the Political and Security Division of the ASEAN Department between 1999 and 2002. During Viet Nam’s Chairmanship of ASEAN in 2000-2001, he was Chair of the ASEAN SOM Working Group on Political and Security Matters, and led the consultations between ASEAN and the P5 on the SEANWFZ Protocol.
Upon completing a tenure as Second Secretary in the Vietnamese Embassy in the United Kingdom from July 2002 to January 2006, he was appointed Assistant Director-General in October 2006 and then Deputy Director-General of the ASEAN Department in March 2008. Since 2006, Mr. Binh had been supervising ASEAN Relations with all Dialogue Partners, ASEAN-led processes such as ASEAN+3, East Asia Summit (EAS), and the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC). In the preparation for and during Viet Nams ASEAN Chairmanship in 2009-2010, he was Head of the Substantive Secretariat. During Viet Nam’s ASEAN Chairmanship 2010, he was working, among others, on the admission of the United States and Russian Federation into the East Asia Summit. During the 2009-2012 period, he was responsible for the overall ASEAN-China Dialogue Relations, and the ASEAN-EU Dialogue Relations during July 2012-July 2014 period.
Mr. Binh served as Consul-General of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam in Osaka, Japan, from July 2014 to November 2017. He was appointed Ambassador, Permanent Representative of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam to ASEAN, Jakarta in June 2018.
Mr. Binh’s research interests include ASEAN, East Asian integration, regional architecture, China, US. He has also served as resource person and contributed to the reports of the Eminent Persons Groups for ASEAN-Japan, ASEAN-US, ASEAN-India Relations, and the East Asian Vision Group II.
Dato Lim Jock Hoi was the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Brunei Darussalam since 2006.
During his tenure, he served as Brunei Darussalams Senior Official for the ASEAN Economic Community Pillar (SEOM), APEC (Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation) and the ASEM (Asia-Europe Meeting). He was a member of the High Level Task Force on ASEAN Economic Integration (HLTF-EI) since 2001, serving as the HLTF-EI Chair in 2017. He was Brunei Darussalams Chief Negotiator for the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPP), as well as for the P4, precursor to the TPP negotiations. Previously, he was also the Co-Chair during the negotiations for the ASEAN-Australia-New Zealand Free Trade Area (AANZFTA), and also served as Brunei Darussalams Chief Negotiator for the Brunei Darussalam-Japan Economic Partnership Agreement (BJEPA).
From June 2011-2017, he was the Chairman of the Governing Board of the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA). He was also on the External Advisory Board for the ASEAN 2030 Study being undertaken by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
He entered the Government Service as an education officer in 1977 and served as principal of a Secondary School from 1981-1985. From February 2001-July 2005, he was appointed as Director-General, International Relations and Trade Development, Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources. In September 2005, he was appointed as Deputy Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
He graduated from the City of London Polytechnic in B.Sc (Hons) Economics in 1976 and received his Post Graduate Certificate of Education in 1977.
He was awarded The Most Honourable Order of Seri Paduka Mahkota Brunei, second Class (D.P.M.B) in 2007. He is married with two sons.
The Advisory Board
The Advisory Board (AB) is responsible to advise the GC on the research priorities of the Institute. The AB also comprises of a representative from each ASEAN Member State, consisting of eminent persons in the field of peace and reconciliation, with the Executive Director of ASEAN-IPR also serving as an Ex-Officio Member.
Dr. Nurmala Kartini Pandjaitan Sjahrir or known as Dr. Kartini Sjahrir, is the Indonesian representative to the Advisory Board of ASEAN-IPR. She also served as the Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to Argentina, Uruguay and Paraguay from 2010 to 2014. She was awarded Order de Mayo el Meritoen el Grande Cruz from the Government of Argentina in 15 September 2014.
Since 2015, she is the Advisor for Climate Change for the Indonesian Coordinating Ministry of Maritime Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia.
Born in Balige, North Sumatera, Indonesia, she was active in women’s rights movement and environment activities in Indonesia, organizing and speaking in national and international forums on women’s rights, diversity, building a culture of peace and climate changes. She received her Masters degree and Ph.D. in Anthropology from Boston University in Massachusetts in 1990 and her B.A. in Anthropology from the University of Indonesia.
H.E. Ms. Phavanh Nuanthasing is appointed as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Lao PDR to the Republic of Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste since April 2015. Previously she served as Director-General of International Organisations Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Lao PDR from 2012 to 2015, and as the Deputy Director-General of ASEAN Department from 2009 to 2011. Earlier she served as Senior Officer and Deputy Director of UN Division of the Department of International Organi?sations from 1991 to 1996.She started her diplomatic career as the desk officer and interpreter of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Lao PDR.
Ambassador Phavanh was posted as Second Secretary at the Permanent Mission of the Lao PDR to the United Nations in New York from 1997 to 2001. Later she was appointed as Director of Initiative for ASEAN Integration Division (IAI Division) of ASEAN Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Lao PDR from 2001-2004. Later, she was posted as First Secretary and Spouse of Ambassador of the Lao PDR to the Commonwealth of Australia and New Zealand from 2005-2008.
Ambassador Phavanh graduated with a Master Degree from the Moscow Pedagogical Institute of Foreign Languages, Russian Federation in 1982.
Professor Dr. Kamarulzaman Askandar is the Representative of Malaysia to the Advisory Board of the ASEAN Institute for Peace and Reconciliation (ASEAN-IPR). He is a Professor on Peace and Conflict Studies in School of Social Sciences and Professor on International Relations Programme, Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Heritage, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM).
At present, Prof. Dr. Kamarulzaman also holds positions and/or membership in various organisations. Among others, Regional Coordinator of the Southeast Asian Conflict Studies Network (SEACSN), Steering Committee Member of the Southeast Asian Human Rights and Peace Studies Network (SEAHRN), International Advisor for the Consortium for New Aceh, as well as a Member of the Mediation Support Network (MSN). He has written many books and proceedings on peace, conflict management and reconciliation; in addition to numerous articles on the subject.
Prof. Dr. Kamarulzaman Askandar holds a B.Sc. (Political Science) from the Department of Political Science of West Texas State University, USA; a M.A. (Government) from the Department of Government of the University of Texas at Austin, USA; and, a Ph.D. (Conflict Resolution) from the Department of Peace Studies of the University of Bradford, UK. His honours include nomination for Merdeka Award in 2016, recipient of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Recognition Award for Peacebuilding in Southeast Asia in 2014, Certificate in Peace Mediation from the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), Switzerland, Centre for Security Studies ETH Zurich, and Swisspeace in 2011, and Certificate in Conflict Transformation from Eastern Mennonite University, Harrisonburg, Virginia, USA in 2000.
U Kyaw Myaing is a retired diplomat with 20 years of service. In 1988 he was given early retirement for taking part in the nationwide demonstrations for a democratic government.
His last post at the MOFA – Ministry of Foreign Affairs was Deputy Director of the Consular Division. As a foreign service officer he has served at the Myanmar embassies in New Delhi and Kuala Lumpur. In Malaysia he served for four years.
In 1989 he joined the UNDP Country Office as NPO – National Programme Officer. He took care of the Trade, Transport, Cooperatives and Labour sectors. He served as the Leader of the Border Control team in the Foreign Affairs Service of UNTAC – United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia for one year in 1992. From 1994 to 2004 he has served at the UNDP head quarters in the areas of programme management and information management. After 1999 he has worked as a consultant for the UN in the area of youth affairs.
He is now working as a member of the Myanmar ISIS (Institute for Strategic and International Studies). He is currently a member of the Advisory Board of the ASEAN Institute for Peace and Reconciliation.
Dr. Gloria J. Mercado, MNSA
Executive Director
Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process
Vice-Chair
Philippine Government Peace Implementing Panel, Government of the Philippines (GPH) and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) Peace Accords, OPAPP
Expertise:
Mediation; Education and Research; Policy Making; Capacity Building; Disarmament, Demobilization of combatants; Reintegration of combatants; Program Monitoring and Evaluation; Resource / Fund Mobilization; Networking and Liaison
Joseph Chinyong Liow is Dean of College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences and concurrently, Dean of the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, where he is also Professor of Comparative and International Politics. He held the inaugural Lee Kuan Yew Chair in Southeast Asia Studies at the Brookings Institution, Washington DC, where he was also a Senior Fellow in the Foreign Policy Program.
Josephs research interests encompass Muslim politics and social movements in Southeast Asia and the geopolitics and geoeconomics of the Asia-Pacific region.
Joseph is the author, co-author, or editor of 14 books. His most recent single-authored books are Ambivalent Engagement: The United States and Regional Security in Southeast Asia after the Cold War (Brookings 2017), Religion and Nationalism in Southeast Asia (Cambridge University Press, 2016) and Dictionary of the Modern Politics of Southeast Asia, fourth edition (Routledge, 2014). A regular columnist for the Straits Times, his commentaries on international affairs have also appeared in New York Times, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, National Interest, Nikkei Asian Review, and the Wall Street Journal.? He has testified to the United States Congress, and been invited to deliver a special closed door briefing to the ASEAN Defence Ministers Meeting. ?In addition to scholarship and policy analysis, Joseph has also consulted for a wide range of MNCs including Shell, BHP Billiton, Chevron, Japan Bank for International Cooperation, Total, and Statoil. He sits on the board of several peer-reviewed academic and policy journals and the expert panel of the Social Science Research Council (Singapore), and is Singapores representative on the Advisory Board of the ASEAN Institute of Peace and Reconciliation formed under the auspices of the ASEAN Charter.
Joseph Liow holds a PhD in International Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science, an MSc in Strategic Studies from the Nanyang Technological University, and a BA (Hons) in Political Science from the University of Madison-Wisconsin.
Ms. Phasporn Sangasubana has been appointed as the Permanent Representative of the Kingdom of Thailand to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) since 31 May 2017.
Prior, she was Deputy Director-General of the Department of ASEAN Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) of Thailand. She has held the position of ? among others ? Minister, the Royal Thai Embassy in Singapore (2012-2013); Minister-Counsellor/Minister, the Royal Thai Embassy in Moscow, Russia (2009-2012); as well as Counsellor, the Royal Thai Embassy/ Permanent Mission of Thailand to the United Nations and other International Organizations in Vienna, Austria (2001-2004).
Ambassador Phasporn has supported Thailand as ASEAN Chair in 1987 and 2009. She has also supported tasks to assist Thais during the Gulf War (1990) and joined Thailands campaign as the Candidate to the Secretary-General of the United Nations (2004-2006).
Ambassador Phasporn was born in Bangkok, Thailand. She has BA in Political Science from Sophia University, Tokyo, Japan, and MA in International Affairs from Ohio University, Athens, USA. She has been awarded with the Knight Grand Cross (First Class) of the Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant in 2014.
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H.E. Ambassador Le Cong Phung is a veteran diplomat, formerly the Permanent Vice Minister of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Viet Nam. During his 40-year career as diplomat, he has held various positions and built up a wide range of experience in international relations, foreign policies, international economics, international negotiations and international relations research. He was Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Viet Nam to the United States and Thailand; the APEC SOM Chair for 2006 during Viet Nams Chairmanship; Head of Delegation to Viet Nam-China Boundary and Territory Negotiation; and the Chairman of Viet Nam National Commission for UNESCO.
He is married with two children.
Education
He graduated in 1971 from the University of Diplomacy (now the Diplomatic Academy of Viet Nam).
He is fluent in English.
Career
From 2007-2010, he was appointed as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam to the United States of America. From 2004-2006, he was Permanent Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs. Prior to that, he was Assistant Foreign Minister and then Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs from 1999-2004. From 1997-1999, he was Director-General of South East Asia ? South Asia ? South Pacific
From 1971-1997, he worked in various positions within the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Viet Nam.
During his career, Ambassador Le Cong Phung served in various foreign service posts in England (1974-1977), China (1978-1980), Indonesia (1984-1987) and as Ambassador to Thailand (1993-1997) and to the United States of America (2007-2010).
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ASEAN-IPR Secretariat
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
The Executive Director (ED) of ASEAN Institute for Peace and Reconciliation (ASEAN-IPR) represents the Institute in all administrative and operational matters, and manage activities of the Institute. The ED is responsible to the Governing Council, and would make regular reports on the work of the Institute to the relevant Senior Officials to the ASEAN Political-Security Community (APSC) Council.
The current and first ED of ASEAN-IPR is Ambassador Rezlan Ishar Jenie, who was appointed on 17 October 2017. Previously, Amb. Rezlan was Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Indonesia to France, Andorra and Monaco, concurrently the Permanent Representative (PR) to UNESCO (2010-2014). He was Director-General of Multilateral Affairs, MFA Indonesia (2007-2010). He also served as Ambassador/PR of Indonesia to the United Nations, New York (2004-2007).
In addition to the above assignments, Amb. Rezlan also served as Head of Indonesian Delegation to the Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) between Indonesia & Timor Leste on the Implementation of Result of the Commission of truth and Friendship (2008-2010); and Chair of the Peace Committee of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) on Southern Philippines, mediating the talks between Government of the Philippines and the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) on the Implementation of the 1996 Final Peace Agreement (2007-2012).