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	The UNDP Regional Centre in Colombo is a regional knowledge hub aimed at providing UNDP Country Offices in Asia-Pacific with easy access to knowledge through high quality advisory services based on global applied, cutting-edge research and previous experiences. In Asia-Pacific, in addition to the Regional Centre in Colombo, UNDP has established a Regional Centre in Bangkok as well as a multi-disciplinary Pacific Sub-Regional Centre in Suva with focus on the Pacific Islands.

	The main priorities of the Regional Centre in Colombo are to provide UNDP Country Offices in the Asia- Pacific with easy access to knowledge through high quality advisory services based on global applied research and UNDP lessons learnt and to build partnerships and promote regional capacity building initiatives, which allow UNDP, governments and other development partners to identify, create and share knowledge relevant to solving urgent development challenges.

	The Regional Centre in Colombo covers 37 Countries in the Asia-Pacific. These are: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, Cook Islands, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Korea, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Iran, Kiribati, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nauru, Nepal, Niue, Palau, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Timor-Leste, Thailand, Tuvalu, Tokelau, Tonga, Vanuatu and Vietnam.

	The Regional Centre in Colombo covers the UNDP Practice Areas of Poverty Reduction and HIV/AIDS. Under these the issues of specialization range from pro-poor macro-economic policies and human development policies to international trade, the trans-border challenges of HIV/AIDS, gender equality and helping Government achieve the world's anti-poverty Goals. Democratic Governance and Energy & Environment are the two main focus areas of the Regional Centre in Bangkok. It also supports UNDP Country Offices in capacity development, private-public partnerships, ICT for development, mine action, and management.

	UNDP Country Offices in Asia-Pacific can benefit from the services of the Regional Centre in Colombo in its two main practice areas of Poverty and HIV/AIDS. The specific services include: Policy Research and Analysis; Programme Development; Strategic Policy Advice and Advocacy; Capacity Development and Training and Knowledge Services.

	The Regional Centres in Colombo and Bangkok have been established to further build on the successes of the two SURFs and the UNDP regional programmes being implemented in Asia-Pacific. The policy advisory services of the SURF and the regional programme services have been merged to achieve greater synergies and impact in their respective thematic areas. The Regional Centres will continue the successful traditions of providing demand driven services and leveraging UNDP regional programme resources to the ultimate benefit of UNDP programme countries.

	Referrals for experts and requests for research/policy advice in the Practice Areas of Poverty and HIV/AIDS is one of the services provided by the RCC. To make a referral request simply send us an e-mail to regional.centre@undp.org and provide the necessary details of the specific assignment. If the request is for a consultant, we will follow up with you directly upon receiving the request and the terms of reference. If it is a research/policy advice request, we will get back to you as soon as we have the required information.

	A consultant, who is interested in short-term assignments, can register for possible inclusion in the RCC roster by sending your CV and referee details to regional.centre@undp.org or by emailing kevin.coffey@undp.org. If our policy advisors screen your CV for approval we will send you an invitation to register on the RCC roster.

	Yes, the federated nature of the roster allows you to contact any Regional Centre and/or SURF, and receive the same referral service. We, however, encourage you to contact the Regional Centre and/or SURF which best matches your request and geographical location.

	A cost equalisation scheme exists which ensures that all Country Offices are served equitably and fairly, irrespective of the distance to Colombo.

	Yes, Regional Centre in Colombo staff are at the disposal of Country Offices so if you need some support, even if via email or from a desk, let us know!

	Yes, in fact, that is an important aim and comparative advantage of UNDP as the UN's global development network, namely, to learn from and feed good development practices at our global hub and in other UNDP regional offices around the world.