On March 10, Mr. Olavo Rasquinho, Secretary-General of the UNESCAP / WMO Typhoon Committee (TC), paid a call on Amb. LU Shumin, Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China in the Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR). Mr. Resquinho made a brief introduction on TC and its Secretariat and expressed his appreciation to the central government of China and the government of Macao SAR for their generous support in the past 3 years after TC’s Secretariat was moved to Macao in early 2007.

                                  

Commissioner LU expressed his warm welcome to Mr. Resquinho and his colleagues for their visit to the Commissioner’s Office. He pointed out that the work of TC is very important, with its vision to protect people’s lives and properties and enhance their development and livelihood. He believes that the Chinese government will continue to support the work of TC and its Secretariat.

                                  

The Typhoon Committee is an inter-governmental organization officially established in 1968 as a regional body of United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) and World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The organization has now 14 members and aims to improve and coordinate programmes and measures of disaster prevention in Asia and the Pacific and reduce the loss of lives and properties caused by typhoon-related disasters. In early 2007 the TC’s Secretariat was moved to Macao and will remain here for a second 4-year period from 2011 to 2014 according to the decision at the TC’s 42nd Annual Session held in Singapore, 25-29 January 2010.