Sweden’s official presence in Thailand has been strengthened with the decission to locate the Swedish Environmental Secretariat in Asia at the Embassy of Sweden in Bangkok.
“The secretariat, which is funded by Sida, will soft-start in August, along with a new function as Regional Adviser for Humanitarian Assistance and Conflict Management as well as the already existing post as Regional Adviser for Good Governance, both financed by Sida,” Ambassador Jan Norlander writes in a column in the September issue of STEP, the magazine of the Thai-Swedish Chamber of Commerce.
The Ambassador also notes several changes in Embassy staff:
Ingegerd Adlercreutz (Administration and Consular Affairs) will be transferred to Tokyo and replaced by Stellan Berg from Damascus. Joakim Ladeborn (Political and Cultural Affairs) will return to Stockholm and be replaced by Victoria Jacobsson from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. She will also take up responsibility for Migration Affairs. Par Skold, regional adviser for good governance has already left. Kristina Hedlund Thulin, posted to Kabul until recently, will succeed him.
“A major event in October will be an international seminar on gender perspectives on trafficking in human beings, arranged in Bangkok by Sweden jointly with the United Nations,” the Ambassador writes.
“The prevention of trafficking for prostitution, bonded labour etc. has been on top of Sweden’s foreign policy agenda for some time. The problem is common for Sweden and South East Asia, although we are mostly affected by trafficking from Eastern Europe.
Other matters touched upon in the Ambassador’s message is the parliamentary and municipal elections on September 15 in which all Swedish citizens residing abroad have the right to vote, provided that they are or have registered in the electoral register (rostlangden).
“For the first time, it will be possible to send one’s vote by mail in a simplified procedure. You can do that any time between August 16 and September 16 and you will receive the needed material from home.”
Otherwise, the Embassy will be open for voting between August 19 and September 9. There will be no voting at the honorary Consulates.
