KATHMANDU: The 61stSession of the Programming Committee of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) commenced on Wednesday. The Meeting, being held in virtual platform, brings together senior officials from the Member States, Heads of SAARC Specialized Bodies and SAARC Regional Centres, as well as senior officials from the Secretariat.

The SAARC Programming Committee meeting is being held under the Chairmanship of Nepal and is attended by the National Focal Points of the SAARC Member States, comprising of Joint Secretary/ Director General of the Ministries of Foreign/External Affairs of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, according to a press statement issued by the SAARC Secretariat.

The Session was formally opened by Joint Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Nepal and the Chairperson of the SAARC Programming Committee, Kiran Shakya. In his opening remarks, the Joint Secretary stated that SAARC, as the premier regional organization of our region, continues to serve as an essential platform for dialogue, collaboration and collective action among our Member States. He added that this gathering remind us that SAARC remains a vital regional mechanism for addressing our shared challenges and harnessing the vast opportunities before us and to stay relevant and effective, SAARC must continue evolving and strengthening its institutions and ensuring that its activities yield tangible benefits for the peoples of South Asia.

Present at the Programming Committee, Ambassador Md. Golam Sarwar, the Secretary General of SAARC, thanked the Member States for their steadfast support. He stated that positioned at the forefront of the role of the Programming Committee, as an important Charter Body of SAARC, cannot be overstated. He added that SAARC was founded on the belief that through cooperation and shared purpose, the nations of South Asia can achieve more collectively than individually. He also mentioned SAARC will be commemorating the 40thAnniversary of the adoption of its Charter in the coming days, and added that while it is a matter of profound joy and pride, it is also a time to reflect on the journey of SAARC, the achievements made, the challenges faced and the future it looks at.

During the Session, the Committee will be reviewing and finalizing the budgets and Calendars of Activities of the Specialized Bodies and Regional Centres for 2026.