South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Secretary General Md Golam Sarwar-File photo

DHAKA, April 28, 2025 (BSS) - South Asian Association for Regional
Cooperation (SAARC) Secretary General Md Golam Sarwar today called for
renewed efforts to address emerging regional and global challenges through
integrated actions.

He also stressed the need to revitalize the SAARC, he urged Member States to
engage constructively to restore high-level engagements leading to the SAARC
Summit.
 
The Secretary General made the remarks while giving welcome speech at the
opening of the three-day 60th Session of the Programming Committee of SAARC
at the SAARC Secretariat in Kathmandu, Nepal, according to a press release
received here.  

The SAARC Programming Committee meeting is being held under the Chairmanship
of Nepal and is attended by the National Focal Points of the SAARC member
states at the level of Joint Secretary Director General of the Ministries of
Foreign or External Affairs of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal,
Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

The meeting also brought together Heads of SAARC Specialized Bodies and
Regional Centres, as well as senior officials from the Secretariat.

Nepal Foreign Secretary Amrit Bahadur Rai, who is also Chair of the SAARC
Standing Committee, inaugurated the session.

Rai emphasized the urgent need to revitalize SAARC mechanisms and deepen
regional cooperation, reaffirming Nepal's steadfast commitment to the SAARC
Charter and its objectives.

He underlined the importance of convening the 19th SAARC Summit and other
core mechanisms to restore momentum in regional process.

During the Session, the Committee is deliberating on a wide range of
important issues, including reviewing the status of implementation of
previous decisions and considering and approving budgets and programmes for
the SAARC Secretariat, Specialized Bodies, and Regional Centres for 2025.

It is also examining reports from key SAARC entities and assessing progress
in areas such as food security, economic cooperation, trade, energy, climate
change, health, education, poverty alleviation, and social development.

The Committee is also addressing matters related to the convening of future
SAARC meetings and endorsing the SAARC Calendar of Activities for 2025.