On 23 February 2026, H.E. Mrs. Chulamanee Chartsuwan, Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, was selected as the 9th Secretary-General of the Colombo Plan for a four-year term from July 2026 to June 2030. She is the second Thai national to assume this position, following Mr. Kittipan Kanjanapipatkul for the 2003-2007 term. This selection reflects the confidence of Member Countries in Thailand’s continued commitment to advancing development cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs extends its congratulations to Advisor Chulamanee on her selection to this position.

The Colombo Plan was established in 1951 to promote the economic and social development of the countries in Asia and the Pacific. The Secretariat is situated in Colombo, Sri Lanka, and comprises 28 Member Countries. Thailand joined the group in 1954 and has played an active role ever since.

As Thailand’s national focal point for the Colombo Plan, the Thailand International Cooperation Agency (TICA) has offered training programmes to share best practices in areas Thailand has expertise in, such as agriculture and food security, community-based tourism, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy (SEP). These initiatives aim to promote the attainment of the SDGs among the Colombo Plan’s Member States and further strengthen development cooperation across the region.