Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, good morning. This is an opening ceremony, but it is also like a birthday as we welcome a new member to the family of WHO Collaborating Centres. This is a large family, with almost 70 other members here in China.
Just like in a family, each member has duties and responsibilities. The WHO Collaborating Centre for Research and Training in Suicide Prevention has a very important responsibility as you focus on mental health. We hope that you will be proactive in moving forward the agenda of mental health not only in China, but in the region.
Your designation as WHO Collaborating Centre brings with it the expectation that you will be a leader in your field. You automatically go beyond a focus on your own work, and become a resource for the whole region. You will be expected to support other key players in the region, as well as in China, for example in exchange programs. Just like in a family, you are there to support your brothers and sisters, and they will support you too.
At WHO, experience has taught us that support and partnership of collaborating centres help the Organization fulfil its role as the specialized technical agency within the United Nations system responsible for matters relating to health. Collaborating Centres have an important role to play in defining the scientific and technical bases for health programmes, as well as in facilitating technical cooperation. They are excellent, both, as individual institutions and as a part of a large network. The intrinsic functions of these collaborating centres include working in areas such as standardization, synthesis and dissemination of information, research, training, and special services.
We know this is not easily done, but we can see from the example of your fellow Collaborating Centres in China that you can rise to the challenge.
The WHO Collaborating Centres in Shanghai met in November last year. These centres are working to enhance their collaboration with each other, and also with WHO. There are indeed some good examples of joint activities among collaborating centers in Shanghai which can be introduced as models to other collaborating centers. We hope we can all learn from each other.
Both DIC/MOH and WHO China Office recognize the importance of strengthening the effectiveness of the contribution of WHO Collaborating Centres in China. We have been working with DIC on developing an Action Plan on improving the work with collaborating centres for the period of 2008-2010.
In the past decades, the WHO collaborating centers in China have made great contributions to implementing WHO's programme priorities, which are also priorities for China. I am sure this new member of the family will help even further expand advancements in mental health to the benefit for those in China, and in the whole region.
Once again, welcome to the family.