Bangkok--Jul 29--UNISBKK
UN MESSENGER OF PEACE VIJAY AMRITRAJ TO VISIT TSUNAMI AREAS Former tennis champion advocates for tsunami victims
Former world-class tennis champion and UN Messenger of Peace Vijay Amritraj will visit Thailand from 2-4 August to meet with victims of last year's tsunami as well as senior UN and Government officials.
On Tuesday, 2 August Mr. Amritraj will meet with senior officials from the UN family in Thailand including the UN Economic and Social Commission for
Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), UN Development Programme (UNDP), UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), and representatives of the UN Country Team in Thailand.
In the Phuket area, Mr. Amritraj's programme includes a meeting with the
Governor of Phuket on the afternoon of 2 August, and site visits organized in conjunction with the Thai Department of Disaster Preparedness and Mitigation on Wednesday, 3 August.
On the last day of his visit, Thursday, 4 August, he will meet with senior Thai Government officials and representatives of the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs, Ministry of the Interior, and Ministry of Tourism and Sports.
Vijay Amritraj, former tennis champion, sports broadcaster, and
entrepreneur, was designated a UN Messenger of Peace by Secretary-General
Kofi Annan in February 2001 and focuses his work on sport for development.
In the wake of the Indian Ocean tsunami, he has taken on the additional
role of UN advocate for tsunami victims. Mr. Amritraj will visit tsunami-affected areas in Sri Lanka and India when he leaves Thailand.
Note to Editors: Vijay Amritraj will be available in Bangkok for one-on-one interviews in person or by telephone from 12:30-14:30 hrs on Thursday, 4
August. Interested media organizations should contact UNIS Bangkok to make
arrangements as soon as possible.
United Nations Messengers of Peace are individuals who possess widely
recognized talents in the fields of arts, literature, music, and sports and
who have agreed to help focus world-wide attention on the work of the United Nations. More information on UN Messengers of Peace may be found at: www.un.org/News/ossg/messengers.htm
For more information or to schedule an interview with Mr. Amritraj, please contact:
Mr. David Lazarus, Chief
United Nations Information Services Bangkok
Tel: +(66-2) 288-1861-66; Fax: +(66-2) 288-1052
E-mail: [email protected] End.