H. E. Mr. Amjad Hussain B. Sial, Secretary General of SAARC, addressed the Opening Ceremony of the Asian Youth Assembly-2018 this morning. The Assembly was devoted to the theme, “Revitalizing Asian Youth Integration for Climate Change in the era of SDGs.”

 

Organized by the Global Youth Parliament in cordination with the Youth Parliament of Nepal, the Assembly brought together a large number of young participants from Asia to discuss the role of youth in creating awareness about and averting the adverse impacts of Climate Change.

 

In his Address, the Secretary General congratulated the organizers for choosing an apt theme for the Assembly. He said, “The relevance of the theme of this meeting stems from the fact that the challenges of Climate Change and Sustainable Development are interlinked that must be addressed concomitantly to deliver a stable and secure world to our future generations. There is, therefore, urgent need to effectively address the Climate Change issues to accelerate progress towards the attainment of the Sustainable Development Goals.”

 

“Youth constitute a growing proportion of the world’s population, with a majority of them living in Asia. The South Asian region as well is experiencing increase in the proportion of youth in the total population. This creates a potential window of opportunity for the youth to shape the destiny of our region for the betterment of our future generations,” he stated. He briefed the Assembly about the initiatives taken by SAARC towards the overall development of youth in the region, with particular reference to the SAARC Social Charter, SAARC Youth Charter and SAARC Youth Awards Scheme.

 

“Climate Change has emerged as a global threat, posing a serious risk to the fundamental rights to life, health, food and an adequate standard of living of individuals and communities across the world, including the South Asian region. Frequent earthquakes, cyclones, floods, droughts, tsunamis, landslides, and heat and cold waves have been impinging lives, property, and livelihoods across the region. Global warming and rising sea levels are other existential threats to the humanity,” he said. He informed the gathering about the activities undertaken by SAARC in preserving and protecting the environment and making South Asia resilient to Climate Change and disaster risks. 

 

In concluding his remarks, the Secretary General said, “I wish to call upon the youth of today, who are our future, to act as an “Agent of Change” in creating a safer and better world to live in. I say this not only because you are the ones who are to inhabit the Earth tomorrow. I say this also because you inherit the responsibility to protect your own habitat.”

 

Kathmandu, 11 August 2018

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H. E. Mr. Amjad Hussain B. Sial, Secretary General of SAARC, delivered a talk on Regional Cooperation under SAARC: Way Forward at the Tribhuvan University this morning.

 

The talk was attended by the Rector of the University, faculty members and students of International Relations and Diplomacy Programme.

 

In his presentation, the Secretary General introduced SAARC to the participants, focusing primarily on its genesis, membership, objectives, principles, general provisions, institutional mechanisms and areas of cooperation, as determined by the Council of Ministers. He briefed the meeting about SAARC’s collaboration with Observers, regional and international organizations, many of which are UN’s specialized agencies. He also enunciated important developments since the establishment of SAARC in 1985. Stating that the cardinal objective of SAARC is to promote the welfare of the peoples of South Asia, he emphasized that SAARC’s focus has been on effective implementation of the decisions taken by the Member States rather than proliferation of areas of cooperation, mechanisms and institutions.

 

Touching upon the core subject of his talk, the Secretary General brought to the fore the way forward in making SAARC vibrant in the attainment of its Charter objectives. He emphasized the need to promote project-based collaboration through the SAARC Development Fund, an umbrella funding mechanism created in 2010. Underscoring that improved connectivity is the key to effective regional integration, and promotion of economic relations, people-to-people contacts and tourism, he highlighted the need to effectively implement the Agreement on the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) and actively pursue the decisions of the Eighteenth Summit regarding establishment of the South Asian Economic Union (SAEU) in a phased and planned manner through creation of Free Trade Area, Customs Union, Common Market and Common Economic and Monetary Union.

 

The Secretary General’s presentation was followed by a question-answer session in which the participants raised issues pertinent to the efficacy and sustainability of SAARC in the present context.

 

Kathmandu, 18 July 2018.

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The Fifty-fifth Session of the Programming Committee of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) was held in Kathmandu today under the Chairpersonship of Nepal.

 

The one-day Session of the Programming Committee was attended by representatives from all Member States of SAARC.

 

H. E. Mr. Amjad Hussain B. Sial, Secretary General of SAARC, addressed the Fifty-fifth Session of the Programming Committee this morning. He congratulated Mr. Krishna Prasad Dhakal, Joint Secretary (SAARC) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nepal on assuming the Chairmanship of the Programming Committee. He also welcomed the delegates to the meeting and wished them successful deliberations.

 

In his opening remarks, Mr. Dhakal reiterated commitment of Nepal to the SAARC process and commended constructive contribution of the Member States in the attainment of the objectives of SAARC. He also appreciated role of the SAARC Secretariat and excellent arrangements made for the meeting.

 

The Programming Committee performs functions of selection of regional projects and their location, formulation of cost-sharing modalities and mobilization of external resources. The Committee is also mandated to scrutinize budgets of the SAARC Secretariat, SAARC Regional Centres and Specialized Bodies of SAARC, besides determining inter-sectoral priority and finalizing annual Calendar of Activities. It makes its recommendations to the Standing Committee of SAARC comprising Foreign Secretaries.

 

The Programming Committee was accorded the status of a Charter Body of SAARC by the Eighteenth SAARC Summit in Kathmandu in November 2014. The Committee comprises Heads of SAARC Division at the level of Director General/Joint Secretary in the Ministries of Foreign/External Affairs of the Member States, who also act as National Focal Points of SAARC.

 

The Programming Committee last met at the SAARC Secretariat in Kathmandu on 12-13 December 2017.

 

Kathmandu, 06 July 2018

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The Core Group of SAARC Immigration Authorities and Visa Experts commenced its meeting at the SAARC Secretariat, Kathmandu, today.

 

Comprising representatives from the Immigration Authorities of the Member States of SAARC, the Core Group will discuss measures to streamline the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme, including development of its security software for implementation across the region.

 

Addressing the meeting of the Core Group, H. E. Mr. Amjad Hussain B. Sial, Secretary General of SAARC, referred to the launch of the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme as a milestone step towards enhancing people-to-people contacts in the region. He said, “It is essential for promoting regional integration, economic relations and tourism. The ultimate goal is to have a visa free regime in the SAARC region.”

 

The First Meeting of the Core Group was held in October 2017 in the SAARC Secretariat, which deliberated over the Requests for Proposal for development of a security software for the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme. The current Meeting is expected to finalize an electronic visa under the Scheme.

 

The Fifth SAARC Summit held in the Maldives in 1990 had decided to launch the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme. The Scheme became operational in 1992. It allows entitled categories of people visa-free travel across the region.

Kathmandu, 28 June 2018

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