The Thai Minister of Education, H E Mr Jurin Laksanawisit, President of the SEAMEO Council at the 44th SEAMEO Council held in Phuket, Thailand, in January 2009. During his term in office, with directors and staff of the nineteen SEAMEO Regional Centres in their respective host countries to follow up on the many education and training programmes and projects SEAMEO offers. As an organization, SEAMEO is able to draw on a vast network of expertise in human resource development as a means to fight poverty, unifying and strengthening the region and ensuring an improved quality of life among the people of Southeast Asia.