Doha, 06 November 2025 – On the sidelines of the World Social Summit, Mr. Omar Abdi, Deputy Executive Director UNICEF met with Ambassador Md. Golam Sarwar, Secretary General of SAARC. The Secretary General and the Deputy Executive Director, UNICEF reaffirmed the longstanding and robust collaboration between SAARC and UNICEF. They engaged in constructive dialogue on avenues to further enhance cooperation in key areas including child protection, nutrition, education, health, and climate resilience.

The exchange underscored the critical need for a harmonized regional strategy to effectively address shared challenges impacting children, especially in the context of global disruptions and prevailing socio-economic inequalities.

This high-level engagement serves as a testament to the shared resolve of both organizations to foster collaborative efforts in addressing regional priorities, with a steadfast commitment to promoting inclusive development and ensuring that the rights and needs of every child are duly recognized and upheld.

Doha, Qatar | 5 November 2025 — Ambassador Md. Golam Sarwar, Secretary General of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), attends the Second World Summit for Social Development held from 4-6 November 2025 in Doha, Qatar. Over 8,000 participants are at the World Social Summit 2025, including Heads of State, UN representatives, civil society, academia, private sector leaders, and youth.

Secretary General delivered a statement at the high-level Round Table discussion titled “Assessing progress and addressing gaps and challenges in the implementation of the commitments of the Copenhagen Declaration on Social Development and its Programme of Action and giving momentum towards the implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.”

In his remarks, he highlighted SAARC’s Plan of Action on the 2030 Agenda, which aligns regional priorities with global goals. He underscored the role of SAARC’s specialized Centres and Working Groups in promoting data sharing, policy dialogue, and capacity building across Member States. He further emphasized SAARC’s close collaboration with UN agencies, including UNDP, FAO, WHO, UNFPA, and UNICEF to support evidence-based policymaking and strengthen regional cooperation mechanisms.

Secretary General stated “The people of South Asia one-fourth of humanity stand united in this vision. Through SAARC, we reaffirm our determination to build a region where every child is nourished, every adolescent is empowered, every woman is respected, and every individual can live with equality and hope.”

On the sidelines of the Summit, Secretary General will also hold bilateral meetings with the Heads of Delegation from UNICEF and Plan International Asia Pacific.

The SAARC Agriculture Centre (SAC) held a two-day closing workshop on 17 October 2025 at the Rural Development Academy (RDA), Bogura, for the project titled “Livelihood Enhancement of Small Farmers in the SAARC Region through Small-Scale Agro-business focusing on Value Chain Development.” Funded by the SAARC Development Fund (SDF), the project was implemented in five member countries- Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives and Sri Lanka.
It aimed to strengthen value-added agro-businesses and improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers across the SAARC member states.

The project introduced a range of value-added products such as jackfruit and cassava chips, carrot and radish pickles, ginger powder, moringa-based products, and virgin coconut oil demonstrating how processing innovations can increase farmers’ income and reduce post-harvest losses. Implementing partners included RDA (Bangladesh), the Department of Agricultural Marketing and Cooperatives (Bhutan), M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation (India), the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Welfare (Maldives) and the Department of Agriculture Centre (Sri Lanka).

The inaugural session was chaired by Dr. Harunur Rashid, Director of the SAARC Agriculture Centre (SAC). In his address, Dr. Rashid highlighted the project’s objectives, major achievements, and challenges over the past six years. He noted that the project had significantly contributed to enhancing farmers’ income and entrepreneurial capacity through small-scale agro-processing initiatives and value chain development.

The Chief Guest, Dr. A.K.M. Wali Ullah, Director General (Additional Secretary), RDA, Bogura said, the project has produced significant outcomes, including the enhancement of national policies, the promotion of women’s entrepreneurship, and the strengthening of agricultural value chains across SAARC member states. These achievements, he noted, are vital for advancing agricultural development and ensuring food security in the region.

Mr. Tanvir Ahmad Torophder, Director (ARD & SDF) at the SAARC Secretariat, praised SAC’s coordinating role and emphasized the need for stronger linkages between regional institutions and national governments. He appreciated the project’s achievements and urged policymakers to integrate its successful lessons into national rural development strategies.

In his inaugural address, Mr. Waseem Shahzad, Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of the SAARC Development Fund (SDF), congratulated SAC and its partners for successfully implementing the project across diverse agricultural contexts. He reaffirmed SDF’s continued commitment to supporting regional initiatives that promote sustainable rural livelihoods. Mr. Shahzad noted that the project’s achievements mark the beginning of a long-term transformation one that will expand its reach, strengthen training facilities and ensure lasting, real-world impacts across SAARC member states. He emphasized that the success stories emerging from the project demonstrate how collaboration and innovation can drive inclusive growth and resilience in rural communities throughout South Asia.

Ms. Shabnam Shivakoti, Governing Board Member of SAC and Joint Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock Development, Nepal, stressed the importance of regional collaboration, policy alignment, and knowledge sharing to ensure long-term sustainability of value-added agribusiness models.

The opening remarks, focusing on project achievements and challenges, were delivered by Dr. Md. Younus Ali, Project Coordinator, SAC. He highlighted the importance of strengthening regional partnerships to sustain these outcomes. Dr. Ali expressed gratitude to all national focal points and implementing partners for their active contribution and dedication throughout the project period.

Dr. Nowsher Ali Sarder, PCR Consultant of the Livelihood Project, presented the Project Completion Report and Endline Survey findings, showing remarkable improvements in farmers’ income, post-harvest handling, and adoption of improved technologies.

SAARC Agriculture Centre (SAC)
Dhaka, Bangladesh

17 October 2025

PRESS RELEASE

Consultative Workshop on the Preparation of the SAARC Development Report held in Dhaka

A Consultative Workshop on the Preparation of the SAARC Development Report (SDR) was held in Dhaka on 15-16 October 2025 under the theme “Shaping the Future Together for a Resilient SAARC.” The Workshop was hosted by the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh with financial and technical support from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

The Workshop was attended by delegations from the SAARC Member States comprising senior officials of the Ministries/ Agencies responsible for development issues as well as Foreign Ministries.

The Workshop was opened by Ms. Prathma Uprety, Director (Information and Poverty Alleviation) at the SAARC Secretariat, representing the Secretary General of SAARC. In her remarks, she expressed gratitude to the Government of Bangladesh for hosting the Workshop and to the Asian Development Bank for its continued support in advancing regional integration.

Speaking at the opening session, Chief Guest Dr. Monzur Hossain, Member (Secretary) of the Bangladesh Planning Commission, the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, underscored the importance of the Workshop in making the SAARC Development Report meaningful and action-oriented. He highlighted that as the world approaches the 2030 deadline for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the choices made today will determine whether South Asia, home to one-fourth of the global population, can achieve these shared objectives. He emphasized that the SDR should serve not merely as a technical document but as a strategic regional blueprint aligning national ambitions with regional cooperation, identifying both progress and gaps in poverty reduction, inequality, climate resilience, governance, and integration, and providing actionable recommendations for policymakers.

Addressing the opening session, Mr. Dongxiang Li, Lead Regional Cooperation Specialist, Regional Cooperation and Integration Unit, South Asia Department of ADB, reaffirmed ADB’s continued commitment as a longstanding development partner of SAARC.

Delegations from the Member States made presentations on their respective national perspectives and priorities for the preparation of the SAARC Development Report. Dr. Posh Raj Pandey, ADB Consultant, presented the first draft of the SAARC Development Report, which formed the basis for discussions and recommendations during the Workshop.

The Workshop was chaired by Mr. Bidhan Baral, Joint Secretary, Bangladesh Planning Commission of the Government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh. The Workshop concluded with the adoption of a report.

SAARC Secretariat,

Kathmandu

16 October 2025