MESSAGE FROM H. E. MR. AMJAD HUSSAIN B. SIAL,

SECRETARY GENERAL OF SAARC ON THE OCCASION OF THE INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY, 8 MARCH 2017

International Women’s Day is marked on 8 March every year as an opportunity for advocacy and creating awareness on issues that affect the lives of women and girls around the globe. This year’s theme is “Women in the Changing World of Work: Planet 50-50 by 2030”.

 

Globally, women and girls carry high burden of household work, compared to that of men and boys. While these efforts are generally unrecognized, unrewarded and taken for granted, what is most worrisome is that they diminish opportunities for women and girls. These hours of household work tend to reduce their opportunities for learning, paid work, sports, engagement in civic or community leadership and contribution to the formal economy.

           

Worldwide, only 50 per cent of working age women are represented in the labour force, compared to 76 percent of men. Moreover, an overwhelming majority of working women are concentrated in low-pay and low-skill occupations.

 

The world of work is changing rapidly, with technological advances and globalization. However, to a great extent, women have been left on the sidelines with no access to the opportunities brought about by these advancements. It is, therefore, a responsibility of governments, international organisations, the civil society and individuals alike, to step up efforts to achieve gender equality at work place and elsewhere to ensure that women too reap the full benefit of the unprecedented opportunities brought about by the changing world of work.

 

Since its inception, issues related to women have figured prominently on the SAARC agenda. Moreover, during successive Summit meetings, the SAARC Leaders have unequivocally expressed firm commitment to amleliorate the condition of women and girls across the region. In line with the Leaders’ directive, the internalised version of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), namely, the SAARC Development Goals (SDGs), contain four Goals devoted to the cause of women. In the meanwhile, established in 2015, the SAARC Gender Policy Advocacy Group  (SAARC GPAG) is currently working on developing a three-year Action Plan for the Member States. For the first time in SAARC, this Action Plan is intended to address “Recognition of the female heads of households, unpaid care work and women in the agriculture sector” as a strategic action area.

 

As we observe the International Women’s Day today, I reiterate SAARC’s commitment to achieve Gender Equality across South Asia. I would also like to take this opportunity to call upon all the stakeholders to accelerate efforts for Gender Equality towards a Planet 50-50 by 2030, by ensuring that the world of work, works for all women as well.

 

 

 

 

Amjad Hussain B. Sial

Secretary General, SAARC

Kathmandu, 08 March 2017

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SCCI DELEGATION CALLS ON SECRETARY GENERAL, SAARC

 

An eight-member delegation of the SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI)-Nepal Chapter led by Mr. Suraj Vaidya, President, SCCI, called on H. E. Mr. Amjad Hussain B. Sial, Secretary General of SAARC. 

 

On behalf of the SCCI, Mr. Vaidya congratulated Ambassador Sial on his assumption of charge as the thirteenth Secretary-General of SAARC and wished him every success in this important assignment. 

 

During the meeting, Mr. Vaidya shared with the Secretary-General the primary goal of the SCCI, which is to promote regional economic integration with particular emphasis on the promotion of people-to-people contacts, regional connectivity and tourism. He also shared with the Secretary General upcoming activities of the SCCI.  

 

Ambassador Sial appreciated the SCCI for the useful work it had been doing since its establishment as an Apex Body of SAARC. He emphasized that the promotion of people-to-people contacts will create space and facilitate closer cooperation among the SAARC Member States.  He assured that the SAARC Secretariat will extend its full cooperation to the SCCI in promoting the economic agenda of SAARC.

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SAARC Secretary General, addresses the First Meeting of
the South Asia Parliamentarians Platform for Children, in Kathmandu

 

Secretary General of SAARC, H.E. Mr. Amjad Hussain B. Sial, this morning addressed the First Meeting of the South Asia Parliamentarians Platform for Children, being held in Kathmandu. The two-day Meeting organized by UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia (UNICEF ROSA), from 2-3 March 2017, is attended by parliamentarians from Member States of SAARC.

 

Speaking on the theme, “Making SDGs work for children in South Asia” the Secretary General noted that the presence of the parliamentarians from all SAARC countries at the Meeting is testimony to the importance South Asia attaches to the well-being of children.

 

In his address, the Secretary General, while emphasizing the importance SAARC attaches to its agenda on children, highlighted major mechanisms and initiatives such as the SAARC’s Social Charter, Declarations of the SAARC Summits, Ministerial Statements, the SAARC Decade of the Rights of the Child and its two major Conventions related to children, namely, Convention on Combating Trafficking in Women and Children for Prostitution and Convention on Regional Arrangement for the Promotion of Child Welfare. He also highlighted important areas related to children on which SAARC is collaborating with UNICEF, such as nutrition, sanitation, children affected by HIV & AIDS and children in disasters.

 

While noting the tremendous progress achieved by the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), in addressing many issues affecting the lives of children, the Secretary General observed that this progress was uneven and more importantly, there were thousands of children, who were left out or left behind. He noted that the transformational, ambitious, yet more inclusive global agenda of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), have aspired to change the fate of those left behind.

 

In his address, Secretary General Sial, stressed five important points for consideration while working to achieve the SDGs, in order to ensure that children are put at the center of the SDGs agenda. These are: among competing objectives policies must be prioritized for resources and investment for children; issues affecting children must not be addressed in isolation and all efforts should be well-coordinated across sectors; partnerships must be sought in order to create opportunities for win-win situations; out-of-the-box solutions should be explored to mobilize resources and investment to make policies targeted at the most vulnerable and marginalized; an actionable plan be prepared for our vision, to ensure that the vision does not remain merely a dream.

 

The Secretary General expressed his belief that parliamentarians of South Asia, as key policy makers are placed at the center stage of our efforts to transform the lives of the South Asian children for the better. He also stressed the importance of a platform like this, which gives a great opportunity to reflect on experiences, learn from each other, and commit ourselves to do more, together. He expressed his hope that the positive outcome of the Meeting will be a guiding force, for efforts towards making the world a better place for our children. Mr. Sial assured full cooperation of SAARC Secretariat in this respect.

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H.E. Mr. Amjad Hussain B. Sial has assumed

charge of the office of Secretary General of SAARC from 01 March 2017, on completion of the tenure of former Secretary General.

Mr. Sial is a seasoned diplomat from Pakistan Foreign Service with a career spanning over 33 years. He has Masters degree in Defense and Strategic Studies from National Defense University, Islamabad. He has a rich experience in bilateral and multilateral diplomacy both at Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Islamabad and Missions abroad. He was Director (Pakistan) from 2003-2006, at SAARC Secretariat Kathmandu.

Secretary General Sial served as Ambassador of Pakistan to the Republic of Tajikistan from 2011-2014 and Ambassador/Alternate Permanent Representative at Pakistan Mission to the United Nations, New York. Before joining SAARC Secretariat he was Special Secretary at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Islamabad.

 

Kathmandu.

01 March 2017

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