Kathmandu: The 61st Session of the Programming Committee of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) began on November 26 on a virtual platform, bringing together senior officials from all Member States, Heads of SAARC Specialized Bodies and Regional Centres, and representatives from the SAARC Secretariat.
Chaired by Nepal, the meeting includes National Focal Points from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, represented by Joint Secretaries and Director Generals from their respective Ministries of Foreign or External Affairs.
The session was formally opened by Mr. Kiran Shakya, Joint Secretary at Nepal’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Chairperson of the SAARC Programming Committee. In his welcome remarks, he highlighted SAARC’s role as a key regional forum for dialogue and cooperation. He emphasized the need for the organization to continue evolving, strengthening its institutions, and ensuring that its initiatives deliver concrete benefits for the people of South Asia.
SAARC Secretary General Ambassador Md. Golam Sarwar also addressed the meeting, expressing appreciation for the continued support of Member States. He underscored the crucial role of the Programming Committee and recalled SAARC’s founding vision of collective progress through cooperation. Noting that SAARC will soon mark the 40th anniversary of its Charter, he described the milestone as an opportunity to reflect on the organization’s achievements, challenges, and future direction.
During the session, the Committee will review and finalize the budgets and activity calendars of SAARC Specialized Bodies and Regional Centres for the year 2026.
