Kathmandu: The 62nd Session of the Programming Committee of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) began today at the SAARC Secretariat in Kathmandu. The two-day meeting, held from February 11 to 12, 2026, is being conducted under Nepal’s Chairmanship.
The session has brought together National Focal Points and delegates from SAARC Member States; Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, along with senior officials of the Secretariat.
The meeting was inaugurated by Nepal’s Foreign Secretary and Chair of the SAARC Standing Committee, Amrit Bahadur Rai. In his address, he highlighted the importance of the Programming Committee in keeping SAARC active and relevant. Stressing the need for regional cooperation amid global challenges, he said such cooperation is essential to bridge national efforts with global processes and to promote collective regional solutions.
Reaffirming Nepal’s commitment to SAARC, Rai proposed a gradual approach to resuming pending meetings and emphasized the need for a pragmatic and forward-looking strategy to ensure the organization and its bodies effectively address emerging challenges for the benefit of the region’s people.
In his welcome remarks, SAARC Secretary General Md. Golam Sarwar thanked Nepal and Member States for their continued support. Recalling the 40th Anniversary of the SAARC Charter Adoption marked on December 8, 2025, he called for renewed efforts to translate the aspiration of regional cooperation into tangible progress. He described the Programming Committee as the “lifeline” of SAARC, particularly during the hiatus of higher-level meetings.
During the session, the Committee is expected to review and approve the Secretariat’s budget and programmes for 2026, finalize the SAARC Calendar of Activities, and decide on the next session of the Programming Committee.
