The meeting that was organizd by the UNESCO Office Bangkok in collaboration with the Malaysia National Library in Kuala Lumpur, was opened by the Secretary General, Dato’ Zakiah Ahmad, Ministry of Culture, Arts and Heritage.

In her message she stated that the 3rd APIN meeting was another step forward to encourage networking and the sharing of information and experiences among countries in the Asia Pacific region.

Susanne Ornager, UNESCO’s Adviser for Communication and Information in Asia, stressed that APIN is faced with many challenges and that all these issues require clear strategies for broad-based development, moving hand-in-hand with ICT policies and strategies. Increased connectivity is essential in the region and would allow access to the global reservoir of knowledge and sanction the creation of local knowledge communities.

Siti Zakiah, Director General of National Library of Malaysia stressed in her speech that APIN provides the forum for delegates to learn and share best practices in the use of ICT and that she was confident that the synergy of the human talents and knowledge would guide plans and programs for the development in all participating countries.

More than thirty participants representing 18 APIN countries and observers discussed an action plan for establishing IFAP National Committees, the development of human resources, considered collaboration and cooperation in the development of information tools, deliberated about the development of National Information Policies, and discussed content development and knowledge management with a focus on cultural and linguistic diversity.

The 4th Session of APIN will be hosted by the National Centre for Scientific and Technological Information and Documentation (NACESTID) in Hanoi, Vietnam in late 2008.