Lao Succeeds Cambodian to Head Mekong River Commission Secretariat

The Mekong River Commission (MRC) announced that Lao national Anoulak Kittikhoun succeeded Cambodia’s An Pich Hatda on Monday for a three-year term as chief executive at the MRC secretariat in Vientiane.
Dr. Anoulak was previously the MRC’s chief strategy and partnership officer, a position he took up in 2016. Before that, he was team leader for the MRC’s Basin Development Programme and lead desk officer in the Asia-Pacific division at the UN headquarters in New York.
“I’m deeply honoured and humbled for the esteemed position,” Dr. Anoulak said.
“My mission for the next three years is to facilitate cooperation among riparian countries on critical Mekong River Basin challenges and opportunities, further uplift the MRC as a world class river basin organisation, and maintain and build new partnerships to support the first two endeavours.”

In a statement, the MRC said the Mekong Basin “faces unprecedented challenges from climate change and erratic water flows” — and that Dr. Anoulak’s most recent position “places him in a strong position to deepen engagement between MRC Member Countries, Dialogue Partners, Development Partners and other stakeholders.”
Dr. Hatda’s three-year term as chief executive ended last week.

Source: Agency Kampuchea Press