While on official travel outside Nepal, I was dismayed to belatedly receive a copy of your article "ICIMOD Downsizes". This article contained harmful errors of fact and opinion, which were neither true nor attributed. These statements have hurt the reputation of highly estee-med professional colleagues in ICIMOD. The failure to correctly identify the internationally recruited staff, who are separating by virtue of having completed two or more terms with ICIMOD, was highly irrespon-sible. The one line correction in the following issue does not even clarify that Anupam Bhatia and Narpat Jodha were not among those whose contracts are expiring. Likewise, your correction continues the error that this was a Board decision, rather than a normal management action upon the completion of contracts, for which the Board is not responsible.

However, the failure to correctly obtain the facts before reporting them pales before the hurtful negative comment on the professional calibre of our departing colleagues through the unattributed quotation. The professionals who are completing their assignments with ICIMOD have outstanding accomplishments to their credit throughout the seven countries of the Hindu Kush-Himalaya region we serve. These accomplishments are documented in numerous publica-tions and letters of appreciation. They were highlighted in ICIMOD's recent Centre's Day with its Board of Governors and Support Group. Your unsupported and unkind remark dishonours these professionals, and is unfair to them and ICIMOD.

All of us at ICIMOD devote much of our efforts to supporting the efforts of the highly skilled and competent professionals of this region to facilitate increased regional capacity and hope for the future. We welcomed Nepali Times as a creative demonstration of the professionalism developing in the region. It is thus deeply disappointing to find such an article in the Nepali Times.

Gabriel Campbell
Director General, ICIMOD