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SAARC NEWS: July_December 2012 | 1

Newsletter of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation

July-December 2012

SAARC Charter Day observed The South Asian Association

for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) observed its Twenty-eighth Charter Day on 8 December.

SAARC Member States, SAARC Secretariat, Regional Centres, Specialized Bodies and Apex and Recognized Bodies marked the Day by organizing various commemorative events.

The Heads of State or Government of SAARC Member States issued special messages in commemoration of the Day.

At the Secretariat in Kathmandu, Ahmed Saleem, Secretary-General of SAARC, hosted a Press Conference on the eve of the Charter Day to share with the public success stories of the regional grouping since its inception.

On 8 December, the Secretary- General hosted a reception at the

Secretariat to commemorate the Day. The Vice President, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cabinet Ministers of the Government of Nepal, heads of constitutional bodies, members of Diplomatic Corps, representatives from the business community, civil society and media, and professionals from different walks of life attended the function.

The SAARC Charter was signed

by the Heads of State or Government of the Member States on 8 December 1985 in Dhaka to promote the welfare of the peoples of South Asia and to improve the quality of their life through acceleration of economic growth.

SAARC comprises Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka as its members.

Home Ministers meet

The Fifth Meeting of SAARC Ministers of Interior/Home concluded successfully in the Maldives on 26 September. All the Member States were represented at the Meeting.

Addressing the Ministerial meet, Ahmed Saleem, Secretary-General of SAARC said, “Given the important directives of the Seventeenth Summit, this Ministerial Meeting is timely and important, as it is expected to agree on measures to realize the Summit directives.”

The Ministers endorsed the Reports of the Tenth SAARC Police Conference on Cooperation in Police Matters and the Fifth Meetings of the Focal Points of SAARC Terrorist Offences Monitoring Desk (STOMD) and SAARC Drug

Offences Monitoring Desk (SDOMD) held in New Delhi in May.

During the meeting, the Ministers deliberated on measures to combat the menaces of terrorism, drugs, transnational organized crimes, and maritime security and piracy.

On a submission made by Maldives through a concept paper, the Ministers also agreed to consider matters related to combating cyber crimes.

The Ministerial Meeting was preceded by the Fifth Meeting of SAARC Secretaries of Interior/Home and the Fifth Meeting of SAARC Immigration Authorities.

2 | SAARC NEWS: July_December 2012

SAARC NEWS is the official Newsletter

of the South Asian Association for

Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and is

published by its Secretariat in Kathmandu.

It reports on on-going developments,

decisions and meetings of the Association.

It also covers activities within South Asia

aimed at promoting regional cooperation.

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FOR FURTHER ENQUIRIES:

SAARC SecretariatPO Box 4222KathmanduNepalPhone: + 977-1-4221785/4226350Fax: + 977-1-4227033/4223991Email:[email protected]: www.saarc-sec.org

BOARD OF EDITORSMohammad Ibrahim GhafooriTareque MuhammadDhan Bahadur OliKumar Shrestha

Newsletter of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation

July-December 2012 | Vol. XIX | No. 3

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) commemorated its Charter Day on 8 December. At their first-ever Summit in Dhaka in December 1985, the Heads of State or Government signed the Charter establishing the Association.

SAARC Home Ministers met in Maldives in September to bolster regional cooperation in combating the menaces of terrorism, drugs, organized crimes, and maritime security and piracy. A Secretary-level meeting preceded the Ministerial meet. The immigration authorities met prior to these sessions to streamline the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme.

As the overarching goal of SAARC, regional cooperation in poverty alleviation received impetus during the period under review. A three-day Workshop on SAARC Development Goals in November formulated recommendations on several thematic areas. Two Workshops on MDGs and Food Security in July and October provided a welcome opportunity to the participants to exchange their views and experiences. A meeting held in December called for greater investment in girls’ education. An Expert Group convened the same month reviewed progress in the implementation of the Thimphu Statement on Climate Change. In the meantime, Chiefs of Public Service Commissions of Member States agreed to devise impartial mechanisms to select civil servants.

The period witnessed significant progress in advancing the goal of regional economic integration. Meeting in Maldives, the Committee on Economic Cooperation agreed to expand the ambit of the SAARC Limited Multilateral Agreement on Avoidance of Double Taxation and Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters. At their meeting in November, Heads of SAARC Statistical Organizations agreed on measures to build databases on several fields. At its Second Meeting in July, the Sectoral Technical Committee agreed on measures to harmonize standards for several building materials. The Governing Board of the SAARC Arbitration Council held its third meeting in November. At its Sixth Meeting in August, the SAARC Trade Promotion Network recommended several important steps to facilitate trade in the region. Meeting for the first time in September, the SAARC Expert Group on Accreditation identified several avenues of cooperation in the field of accreditation. The SAARC Public Debt Managers’ Forum held its first meeting in December to finalize its programme of work for the coming years. A SAARC-PTB Workshop in December imparted knowledge to its participants on standards-related issues. A SAARC-ADB Workshop in August brought together experts to deliberate upon the draft Regional Common Schedule for negotiations under the SAARC Agreement on Trade in Services. A training programme held in August made it possible for the participants to exchange views on the best practices in Customs Administration. A Seminar on Tax Payers Services concluded successfully in November.

The period also saw considerable headway in promoting intra-regional connectivity. Meeting in November, a group of Experts discussed technical details for the launch of the Indian Ocean Ferry Service. An inter-Governmental meeting the same month finalized the SAARC Study on South Asia Regional Power Exchange.

The SAARC Development Fund Board held its Thirteenth and Fourteenth Meetings in July and December respectively. The Governing Boards of several Regional Centres met. In the meanwhile, the South Asian University invited applications for admission into its academic session beginning July 2013.

At the Secretariat in Kathmandu, the Secretary-General received a good number of visitors during the period. In December, the Secretariat hosted a talk programme by Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus. In the meantime, two Secretariat officials visited China on an exchange programme.

Editorial

SAARC NEWS: July-December 2012 | 3

Committee on Economic Cooperation meets The Fifteenth Meeting of the

Committee on Economic Cooperation was held in the Maldives on 15-16 July.

In his opening remarks, Ahmed Saleem, Secretary General of SAARC, while emphasising the importance of the mandate of the Committee, briefed the delegates about the progress achieved in trade and economic cooperation since its Fourteenth Meeting. He also thanked the Government of Maldives for making excellent arrangements for the Meeting.

Ahmed Mohamed, Minister of Economic Development, Government of Maldives inaugurated the Meeting. In his Address, the Minister welcomed the delegates to the Maldives. Reiterating the importance of further accelerating the pace of regional economic cooperation, he announced that the Maldives had reduced its Sensitive List under SAFTA by 78%. Further, he reaffirmed the commitment of the Maldivian Government to the speedier enhancement of economic cooperation for regional integration.

The Meeting held under the Chairmanship of Yusuf Riza, Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Economic Development, Government of Maldives, inter-alia, reviewed the progress in the implementation of decisions relating to Trade Liberalization Programme under the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA); reduction of sensitive lists under SAFTA; elimination of Non-Tariff Measures and Para-Tariff

Measures; current status of SAARC Agreement on Trade in Services; and trade facilitation measures like Standards, Accreditation, Metrology and Conformity Assessment; Customs; Draft Agreement on Promotion and Protection of Investment; Avoidance of Double Taxation; Statistical Matters (SAARCSTAT); SAARC Arbitration Council; and SAARC Trade Fairs. It also deliberated on matters relating to Least Developed Countries and SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI).

A representative of SCCI made a presentation giving the perspective of the private sector for the promotion of intra-SAARC trade and economic cooperation. It also made recommendations for developing a road map for realizing the vision of the South Asian Economic Union.

Recognizing delays in customs clearance procedures caused due to late transmission of original copies of specimen signatures and seals of officials authorized to sign SAPTA/

SAARC Study on Energy finalized The Study being carried out with

the assistance of ADB on “South Asia Regional Power Exchange” was finalized during an Inter-governmental Meeting held at the ADB Headquarters in Manila on 1-2 November.

The Study will be submitted to higher SAARC bodies for adoption.

SAARC Police Calendar 2013

Police training courses offered by Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka for 2013 are displayed in the SAARC Secretariat’s website under ‘Trainings/SAARC Police Calendar’.

The Secretariat’s website has information concerning the trainings, mode of application and deadlines, among others.

Indian Ocean Ferry Service in the offing

A meeting of Experts to discuss technical details regarding the launch of Indian Ocean Cargo and Passenger Ferry Service (India-Maldives-Sri Lanka) was held in Malé on 19-20 November.

The Study is being carried out with the assistance of ADB. ADB consultants will finalize the Report by 31 January 2013 by incorporating comments of the Member States. Subsequently, the Report will be presented to higher SAARC bodies for consideration.

SAFTA Certificates of Origin, the Committee agreed to accept electronic copies of such documents in order to save time and to ensure that the consignments are not held up at the customs border points.

While discussing matters relating to the SAARC Limited Multilateral Agreement on Avoidance of Double Taxation and Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters, the Meeting agreed with the proposal of the Maldives to expand its scope. For this purpose, the Meeting welcomed the offer of the Maldives to prepare a Concept Paper containing the elements to be incorporated in the expanded Agreement for consideration during the Second Meeting of SAARC Competent Authorities on Avoidance of Double Taxation and Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters scheduled to be held in Bangladesh.

The Sixteenth Meeting of the Committee on Economic Cooperation will be held in Nepal in 2013.

4 | SAARC NEWS: July-December 2012

Sectoral Technical Committee meets

The Second Meeting of the Sectoral Technical Committee on Building Materials, established under the South Asian Regional Standards Organisation (SARSO) was held at the SAARC Secretariat, Kathmandu on 10-11 July.

In his opening remarks, Ahmed Saleem, Secretary General of SAARC, welcomed the delegates to the SAARC Secretariat and appreciated the useful work being done by the Sectoral Technical Committee in harmonizing standards in the SAARC Member States in order to facilitate intra-SAARC trade.

The First Meeting of this Sectoral Technical Committee on Building Materials was held at the SAARC Secretariat, Kathmandu on 21-22 November 2011 which initiated the task of harmonisation of standards for cement, steel tubes and structural steel. The Report of the First Meeting was approved by the First Meeting of the Governing Board of South Asian Regional Standards Organisation (SARSO) held in Dhaka, Bangladesh on 14-15 December.

Convened under the chairmanship of P. Ghosh, Scientist ‘F’ and Head (MTD), Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), New Delhi, the Second Meeting held further discussions on harmonising the standards of Cement, Steel Tubes and Structural Steel. It also initiated discussions on harmonising the standards of Ceramic Tiles and on method of testing of steel and steel tubes (such as tensile testing, flattening, bend test etc.)

The Meeting also agreed to discuss the matter relating to harmonisation of Terminology Standards of Iron and Steel in order to see the possibility of their adoption as Draft SARSO Standards. This will be further deliberated at the Third Meeting of the Sectoral Technical Committee on Building Materials. It was agreed that a template, formulated in line with the ISO template for comments should be circulated to Member States enabling them to make their comments on standards. Accordingly, the template prepared by Sri Lanka has been circulated among all member states.

SAARC Trade Promotion Network convenesThe Sixth Advisory Committee

Meeting of SAARC Trade Promotion Network (SAARC-TPN) was held at the SAARC Secretariat, Kathmandu on 30 August under the chairmanship of Ahmed Ifthikhar, Director, Ministry of Economic Development, Government of Maldives.

The Meeting was attended by Amrit Lugun, Director, Economic, Trade and Finance Division, SAARC Secretariat;

Immigration Authorities meetThe Fifth Meeting of SAARC

Immigration Authorities preceding the Meeting of SAARC Ministers of Interior/Home was held in Malé on 24 September.

The Meeting agreed to convene another gathering of Core Group of Immigration Authorities to further streamline the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme and address issues related to the enhancement of number, validity and inclusion of new categories.

The Meeting of the Core Group will be held at the SAARC Secretariat in January 2013.

SAU invites applications for 2013 Applications are being accepted

for the new academic session of the South Asian University (SAU) established in New Delhi as a specialized body of SAARC.

The academic session (2013– 2014) will commence from July 2013. Besides its regular MSc and MA programmes, SAU will offer PhD programmes in seven disciplines

this year, such as Biotechnology, Economics, Law, Computer Science, Mathematics, Sociology and International Relations. Details of application procedure and admission tests are available on the link: www.sau.ac.in.

Horst Ammann, Program Manager, O.J. Krueck, Lead Consultant, Udo Weber, Counselor, Embassy of Federal Republic of Germany in Kathmandu; and Uwe Miesner from National Metrology Institute of Germany (PTB).

SAARC-TPN is a constellation of 28 key public and private-sector institutions responsible for trade-related issues from all the eight

SAARC member countries. The Meeting reviewed the activities of the Network held so far and made plans for the coming year for facilitation of trade in the region.

The Seventh Meeting of the Advisory Committee will be held in Sri Lanka in the last week of January 2013.


SAARC Expert Group on Accreditation meets The First Meeting of SAARC Expert

Group on Accreditation (SEGA) was held in the Maldives on 3-4 September in accordance with the Terms of Reference of SEGA with the financial and technical assistance of German National Metrology Institute (PTB), Berlin under the chairpersonship of Aishath Sahma, Fair Trade Consultant, Ministry of Economic Development, Government of Maldives and the leader of the delegation of the Maldives.

In his opening remarks, Amrit Lugun, Director, Economic, Trade and Finance Division, SAARC Secretariat briefed the Meeting about the background and mandate of the SAARC Expert Group on Accreditation. He thanked the Government of Maldives for hosting this important Meeting. He also thanked PTB, Berlin for their financial and technical support to the SAARC process in important fields like metrology, accreditation and raising awareness about their importance in the SAARC region.

The Draft Terms of Reference of SAARC Expert Group on Accreditation prepared by the SAARC-PTB Fifth Regional Workshop on Accreditation (Thimphu, 4-5 July 2011) were approved by the Eighth Meeting of SAARC Standards Coordination Board (SAARC Secretariat, Kathmandu, 25-26 August 2011). The Standing

Committee at its Thirty-ninth Session held in the Maldives on 7-8 November 2011 approved the Report of the Eighth Meeting of the SAARC Standards Coordination Board. The First Meeting of the Governing Board of the South Asian Regional Standards Organization (SARSO) held in Dhaka, Bangladesh on 14-15 December 2011 noted with appreciation that five Workshops on Accreditation had been held earlier in the Member States with the financial and technical assistance of German National Institute of Metrology (PTB), Berlin during the period 2008 to 2011 which were followed by one-day National Awareness Programmes.

The First Meeting of SEGA made several recommendations for furthering cooperation in the field of accreditation and strengthening capacity of the relevant Accreditation Bodies and National Focal Points on Accreditation in the Member States. For this purpose, the Meeting identified priorities in training programs and developed a list of trainings as per the needs identified by the concerned Member States. Priority would be given to programs on ISO/IEC 17025, ISO/IEC 17021 and ISO/IEC 17065. Sri Lanka, Pakistan and India offered to provide slots for a few participants from other SAARC

countries in their scheduled training programs on ISO 15189. Since Afghanistan preferred experts from other SAARC Member States to visit Kabul to train their personnel in the area of conformity assessment, Pakistan (PNAC) offered to send their resource persons to Kabul for this purpose the exact dates for which would be finalised in consultation with the SAARC Secretariat. The Meeting was also followed by one-day National Awareness Programme on 5 September.

The Second Meeting of SAARC Expert Group on Accreditation would be hosted by Nepal in the second half of June 2013.

Accreditation is an endorsement of an organization’s competence, credibility, impartiality and integrity in carrying out its conformity assessment activities. The increasing demand on quality of products and services offered both in external and internal trade necessitates compliance with technical regulations, standards and other regulatory measures covering health, safety and quality. Hence, the accreditation is crucially important for facilitating trade, both within and outside the region.

Workshop on Development Strategies held The SAARC Human Resource

Development Centre (SHRDC), Islamabad, and the Planning Division, Ministry of Planning, Government of Bangladesh, jointly organized a three-day Workshop on “Development Strategies to Mitigate Employment Problems in SAARC Region” in Dhaka on 18-20 December.

Mikail Shipar, Secretary-in-Charge, Ministry of Labour inaugurated the Workshop, attended by twenty-nine participants from Bangladesh, Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

The main objective of the Workshop was to discuss ways and means for making employment services available to all the citizens of the Member States without any discrimination of caste, creed, gender and age. The Workshop also

discussed development strategies to mitigate employment problems and suggest modalities to improve the situation in the region.

Three Working Groups presented their recommendations on thematic areas as: 1) Development Strategies for Employment Generation-Suggestions and Recommendations; 2) Private Sector Development for

Employment Generation-Suggestions and Recommendations; and 3) Employment Generation for Women-Suggestions and Recommendations.

Presiding over the Concluding Session of the Workshop, M. A. Sattar Mandal, Member, Agriculture, Planning Commission of Bangladesh distributed the certificates among the participants.


Workshop on SDGs held

SDGs encompass 22 goals, eight of which relate to livelihood, four to health, four to education and six to environment, representing the collective vision of the South Asian countries to address the problems of poverty and social development.

Recognizing the importance of SDGs, the SAARC Human Resource Development Centre (SHRDC) in collaboration with the Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development, India,

organized a three-day Workshop on “SAARC Development Goals: Commitments, Achievements and Challenges” in New Delhi on 20-22 November.

R.P. Sisodia, Joint Secretary, Department of Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India, inaugurated the Workshop that was attended by participants from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives and Pakistan.

During the Workshop, four Working Groups presented their recommendations on thematic areas as: 1) Livelihood – achievements, gaps and how to fast-track; 2) Education – achievements, gaps and how to fast-track; 3) Health – achievements, gaps and how to fast-track; and 4) Environment – gaps and how to fast-track.

K. Ramachandran, Advisor, NUEPA, New Delhi chaired the concluding session. He also distributed certificates among the participants.

Chiefs of Public Service Commissions meet The Second Meeting of Chiefs of

Public Service Commissions (PSC) of SAARC Member States was held in Islamabad on 4 – 6 December with representation of all the Member States. During their meeting, the Chiefs reviewed the progress in the implementation of decisions of their First Meeting held in New Delhi on 20–22 November 2011.

The Meeting recommended that the Meeting of Chiefs of Public Service Commissions should be held annually with the primary objective of promoting merit-based and impartial mechanisms to select Public/Civil Servants within the Member States. The Meeting

also agreed that in order to ensure regular sharing of information among PSC officials, each Member State may appoint a nodal officer. During the Meeting, India offered to conduct a Workshop on ICT in March 2013.

In keeping with the decision of the First Meeting to create hyperlinks for Public Service Commissions’ websites through the SAARC Secretariat website, all the Member States were requested to send their web addresses to the SAARC Secretariat by 31 January 2013.

The SAARC Secretariat briefed the Meeting that the responsibility of carrying out the Study of Public/

Civil Service Commissions to identify similarities/dissimilarities including their operational status and the challenges faced by them so as to arrive at possible best practices has been entrusted to the SAARC Human Resource Development Centre (SHRDC). The draft Study will be circulated among the Member States by 30 August 2013.

The Third Meeting of Chiefs of Public Service Commissions of SAARC Member States will be held in Sri Lanka in 2013.


Governing Boards of Regional Centres meet The Thirteenth Meeting of the

Governing Board of the SAARC Human Resources Development Centre (SHRDC) was held in Islamabad on 24-25 September.

D. P. Bhandari, Counsellor/Deputy Chief of Mission, Embassy of Nepal opened the Meeting and welcomed the GB Members. He expressed gratitude to the Government of Pakistan and SHRDC for making excellent arrangements for the Meeting and for extending warm hospitality to the Members of the Governing Board.

The Meeting was attended by the GB Members from Afghanistan, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and a representative of the SAARC Secretariat. The Board reviewed the

Centre’s activities and budget for 2012 and recommended a list of trainings, workshops, research studies, regular publications and other activities for the year 2013.

The Seventh Meeting of the Governing Board of SAARC Energy Centre (SEC) was held in Islamabad on 18-19 September.

The Board finalized the budget of the Centre for the year 2013. It also formulated a calendar of activities for the year.

The Eighteenth Meeting of the Governing Board of SAARC Meteorological Research Centre (SMRC) was held in Dhaka on 12-13 September, which finalized the budget of the Centre for the year 2013. The Board also formulated a calendar of

activities for the year. Likewise, the Governing Boards

of SAARC Forestry Centre (SFC), SAARC Disaster Management Centre (SDMC) and SAARC Coastal Zone Management Centre (SCZMC) met in Thimphu on 3-4 September, in New Delhi on 6-7 September and in Maldives on 4-5 November respectively.

The Governing Boards recommended the institutional and program cost budgets for 2013 in respect of their Centres.

The SAARC Agriculture Centre (SAC) hosted the Sixth Meeting of its Governing Board in Dhaka on 3-4 September. Among other things, the Meeting finalized regular, need-based programmes and specially mandated activities of the Centre.

SAARC-PTB Workshop held Under the Memorandum of

Understanding signed between SAARC and German National Metrology Institute (PTB) in 2003, an on-line blended course on Standardization and Trade in South Asia called “Quality Infrastructure for Sustainable Development (QUISP)” was conducted by PTB with the participation of all SAARC Member States.

The Kick-off Workshop was held in New Delhi on 17-20 April, which was followed by a six-month blended e-learning course on quality infrastructure. The Concluding Workshop was held at the headquarters of PTB and in Berlin on 3-7 December with an objective to enhance the understanding of the economic role of standardization, and to improve skills in dealing with standards-related issues in the context of international trade negotiations.

At the Opening Session, Andreas Zimbal of PTB briefed the participants

about the structure and functioning of PTB; Uwe Miesner, Head of Technical Cooperation with Asia in PTB delivered the welcome address; and the programme of the Workshop was presented by Martin Stavenhagen, Project Coordinator, PTB.

The participants made country presentations and briefed the Workshop about their experience of completing the QUISP course over the six-month period. They visited three laboratories viz. “Dissemination of Time”; “Realization of Acceleration”; and “Applied Ecoustics” located within the premises of the headquarters

of PTB at Braunschweig. A visit to Volkswagen Car Factory near Braunschweig was also arranged by PTB.

During the second leg of their tour in Berlin, the participants visited German Institute for Standardization (DIN); Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM); Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ); and Berlin State Office for Metrology and Verification. The Workshop concluded with discussions on consumer protection in Germany and Asia, and presentation of Certificates to the participants.


Training Courses on MDGs and Food Security held The SAARC Human Resources

Development Centre (SHRDC) organized a training course on “Millennium Development Goals in the SAARC Region: Progress, Prospects and Way Forward” in Islamabad from 16 to 21 July.

The training course had participation from the SAARC Member States except Bhutan and Bangladesh.

Brig. (R) Ammanullah, Director General, National Centre for Rural Development, Islamabad was the chief guest at the inaugural ceremony. Eminent resource persons included Savita Sharma, Adviser, Planning Commission, Government of India and Baikuntha Aryal, Joint Secretary,

Ministry of Finance, Government of Nepal.

Riffat Ayesha Anis, Director, SHRDC distributed the certificates among the participants of the training course.

Later in October, the Centre organized another training course on “Food Security Situation in South Asia: Problems and Prospects” in Islamabad from 2 to 7 October.

Iftikhar Ahmad, Chairman, Pakistan Agricultural Research Council (PARC) inaugurated the training course. Participants from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka attended the course.

The objectives of the training

course were to assess the food security and associated problems and prospects with reference to South Asia and bring together researchers and practitioners to facilitate a dialogue on the key issues of food security situation in the SAARC region. It also provided an opportunity to the researchers of the region to cooperate in devising policies related to pricing, procurement, and trade of major foodstuffs in Member States to ensure food security in the region.

At the end of the training course, Muhammad Tariq, Director, SAARC Division, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of Pakistan distributed the certificates among the participants.

SDF Board convenes The SAARC Development Fund

(SDF) Board held its Thirteenth and Fourteenth meetings in Thimphu and Kathmandu respectively.

The Thirteenth Meeting of the SDF Board held in Thimphu, Bhutan on 25-27 July took note of the progress achieved in the operationalization of the two Windows, namely, Economic

and Infrastructure. Pursuant to the decision of the

Second Meeting of the Governing Council of SDF, the Board also finalized a screening mechanism, which will be applied for projects proposed under the Social Window.

The Fourteenth Meeting of the SDF Board held in Kathmandu on 17-20

December discussed ways and means to operationalize the two Windows. The Board decided to use already available funds for implementing a few projects under the two Windows. The Board also recommended recruitment of necessary personnel for the purpose.


Seminar on Tax Payers Services concludes The SAARC Limited Multilateral

Agreement on Avoidance of Double Taxation and Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters was signed during the Thirteenth SAARC Summit (Dhaka, 12-13 November 2005).

As mandated under Article 12 of the Agreement, the First SAARC Meeting of Competent Authorities on Avoidance of Double Taxation and Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters was held at the SAARC Secretariat, Kathmandu on 5-6 April 2011 to facilitate its effective implementation. As recommended by this Meeting, a Seminar/Training Programme on Tax Payers Services was organised by the Department of Inland Revenue of Government of Nepal at Dhulikhel on 27-30 November.

The Seminar was inaugurated by Barsha Man Pun, Finance Minister of Nepal on 27 November. Mohammad Ibrahim Ghafoori, Director, SAARC Secretariat delivered a statement on

behalf of Ahmed Saleem, Secretary General of SAARC.

The participants from Member States presented Country Papers on Tax Payers Services in their respective countries. Their presentations were followed by discussions and question-answer sessions.

During the Working Sessions, a paper was presented on Tax Payers Services in Nepal by Ram Mani Duwadi, Deputy Director General and Chet Nath Dahal, Director, Inland Revenue Department. Madhu Marasini, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Finance made a presentation on Tax Reform Initiatives in Nepal while Madan Kumar Dahal, Professor of Economics, Tribhuvan University spoke on Fiscal Policy Issues in Nepal. Baikuntha Aryal, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Government of Nepal presented a Paper on Macro Economic Situation in Nepal.

The Closing Session on 30 November was addressed by

Leelamani Poudel, Chief Secretary, Government of Nepal; Shanta Raj Subedi, Secretary, Ministry of Finance; Amrit Lugun, Director, SAARC Secretariat; and Tanka Mani Sharma, Director-General, Inland Revenue Department. O. P. Kakralia, Commissioner of Income-tax, Aurangabad, India and the leader of the delegation of India briefed the Closing Session about the deliberations and achievements of the three-day Seminar and thanked the Government of Nepal for hosting the Seminar on such an important topic.

Earlier, India had hosted a Seminar/Training Programme on Automation and System Management at National Academy of Direct Taxes (NADT), Nagpur on 11-14 July 2011. Likewise, Sri Lanka had hosted a Seminar/Training Programme on Corporate Taxation Issues in Colombo on 20-23 February 2012.


SAARC Public Debt Managers’ Forum heldThe SAARC Workshop on Public

Debt Management held in December 2011 at the SAARC Secretariat, Kathmandu, had agreed to establish the SAARC Public Debt Managers’ Forum in order to serve as the platform for senior government debt managers from SAARC countries to exchange their views, experiences and policies in the field of public debt management. Accordingly, the first Public Debt Managers’ Forum was hosted by Sri Lanka on 19-20 July at the John Exter Conference Hall of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka, Colombo with the participation of many distinguished resource personnel and participants from the SAARC region that included Government Officials, representatives of Primary Dealers and private sector investors, among others.

In his Keynote Address, Ajith Nivard Cabraal, the Governor of Central Bank of Sri Lanka, made some useful suggestions for prudent

debt management, drawing from Sri Lanka’s experience. He particularly mentioned the importance of paying due attention to risk indicators, technical analysis, broadening the investor base such as opening the debt market to foreign investors, increasing transparency, not placing too much reliance on external parties, importance of repaying debt on time, better coordination between reserve and debt management, and on improving country ratings. He concluded by underlying the importance of prudent debt management, adding that debt management is the bedrock of confidence in any country.

The high level officials and prominent speakers in the sphere of debt management and capital markets who attended the Forum included Antonio Velandia Rubiano, Lead Financial Officer, Banking and Debt Management of the World Bank;

Holger Eick, Managing Director, Head of Rating Advisory and Capital Structuring of Barclays Bank; Andre De Silva, Managing Director, Head, Asia Pacific Rates of HSBC; Alvaro F. Patron, Managing Director, Head, Derivative Structuring and Consultative Sales of Citibank; Syed Ali-Mumtaz H. Shah, Senior Financial Sector Specialist of Asian Development Bank; and R. Gandhi, Executive Director of Reserve Bank of India.

The participants took the opportunity to highlight issues, challenges and recent developments in debt management strategies of their respective countries. Some countries had made substantial progress in developing their Government securities market and further measures are underway to develop a more deep and liquid debt market.

India will host the Second Meeting of SAARC Public Debt Managers’ Forum in 2013.


Heads of Statistical Organizations meetThe Fifth Meeting of Heads of

SAARC Statistical Organisations (SAARCSTAT) was held in Maldives on 4-5 November.

The Meeting was inaugurated by Asim Ahmed, Minister of Education, Government of Maldives. In his inaugural address, the Minister underlined the importance of cooperation in the field of statistics for assessing the overall development in various sectors of economies of Member States.

On behalf of the Secretary General of SAARC, Amrit Lugun, Director, SAARC Secretariat, while thanking the Government of Maldives for hosting the Meeting, briefed the delegates about the progress achieved in the implementation of earlier recommendations of SAARCSTAT.

In his capacity as the current Chairperson of SAARCSTAT, Suhail Ahmad, Secretary, Statistics Division, Government of Pakistan opened the Fifth Meeting of SAARCSTAT, which was chaired by Aishath Shahuda, Deputy Executive Director, Department of National Planning, Ministry of

Finance, Government of Maldives. Among other things, the Meeting

considered the SAARCSTAT Study prepared by the Consultant with the assistance of the Asian Development Bank (ADB); reviewed progress in publication of SAARC Statistical Yearbook, Capacity Building, Informal Sector, Catalogue of Statistical Publications, Directory of Statistical Experts, System of National Accounts (SNA 2008), Leaflet “SAARC in Brief”, and Manual of Statistical Systems of Member States; SAARCSTAT Website; SAARC Classification; Project on Concepts, Definitions and Standards of Health Statistics for the SAARC region; Development of institutional framework for data collection on Trade in Services; SAARC Forum for Disability Statistics; Sample Surveys and related issues; and Gender Statistics and Agricultural Statistics.

The Meeting welcomed the offer of Nepal to host the Sixth Meeting of SAARCSTAT in 2013 the theme of which will be Agriculture.

As recommended by the Fourth Meeting of SAARCSTAT, the following

three Training Programmes were conducted by the National Academy of Statistical Administration, Government of India, Greater NOIDA, Uttar Pradesh during 2012: (a) One-week Training Programme on Agricultural Statistics including Animal Husbandry and Horticulture, Crop Area Estimates and Use of GIS Technology on 27 - 31 August; (b) One-week Training Programme on Gender Issues and Gender Statistics on 24 - 28 September; and (c) One-week Training Programme on Data Editing, Analysis and Processing on 10-14 December.

The Fifth Meeting of SAARCSTAT also welcomed the offer of India to conduct the following Training Programmes for SAARC Member States in 2013: (a) Training Programme on Health and Demographic Statistics; and (b) Training Programme on Wholesale/Producer Price Index & Index of Industrial Production.


SAARC-ADB Meeting concludes At the SAARC-ADB Workshop on Studies on Trade, Economics and Finance (SAARC Secretariat, Kathmandu, 21-22

June 2012), the Draft Study on “Development of Institutional Framework for Data Collection on Trade in Services, including Capacity Building” was presented by the Consultant. The Workshop, inter-alia, recommended that as part of the Phase-II of the Study, the Consultant may prepare a regional common schedule for SATIS negotiations in sectors like Tourism, Construction, Health, Education, Power and Telecommunication which may be submitted to the SAARC Secretariat.

Accordingly, a SAARC-ADB Meeting of Country Experts on Trade in Services was held at the SAARC Secretariat, Kathmandu on 28-29 August. The Meeting was opened by Amrit Lugun, Director, Economic, Trade and Finance Division of the SAARC Secretariat. In his opening remarks, he welcomed the participants to the SAARC Secretariat and emphasized the importance of finalizing Draft Regional Common Schedule for negotiations on Trade in Services for consideration by the Eleventh Meeting of Expert Group on SAARC Agreement on Trade in Services. He noted with appreciation the continuous support of the Asian Development Bank for expanding cooperation in the field of trade and economic cooperation under SAARC.

Ram Upendra Das, Senior Fellow, Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS), New Delhi and the Lead Consultant for the Study on “Development of Institutional Framework for Data Collection on Trade in Services, including Capacity Building” was elected Chairperson of the Meeting.

The Meeting held in-depth discussions on preparation of the Draft Regional Common Schedule for SATIS negotiations in mandated sectors like Tourism, Construction, Health, Education, Power and Telecommunication. After detailed deliberations, the Meeting finalized the Draft Regional Common Schedule.

Governing Board of SAARC Arbitration Council meetsThe Third Meeting of the

Governing Board of the SAARC Arbitration Council (SARCO) was held in Islamabad, Pakistan on 21-22 November under the chairpersonship of Neeru Chadha, Joint Secretary (Legal and Treaties Division), Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India, who was elected as the Chairperson of the Governing Board for a period of two years on 20 December 2011 during the Second Meeting of the Governing Board.

In his opening remarks, Amrit Lugun, Director, Economic, Trade and

Finance Division, SAARC Secretariat, Kathmandu expressed his hope that with the cooperation of all Members of the Governing Board, the SAARC Arbitration Council will be able to become an effective institution for settlement of trade and investment-related disputes in the region in a very economical manner.

Syed Sultan Ahmed, Director-General, SAARC Arbitration Council briefed the Third Meeting of the Governing Board about the functioning of the Council. He informed the Meeting that the SAARC Arbitration

Council has now moved to a new location in Islamabad at House No. 169-B, Green Villas, Street No.36, Sector F-10/1, Islamabad, Pakistan; Website of SARCO has been launched for providing information about arbitration; the Secretary General of SAARC, Ahmed Saleem visited the office of SAARC Arbitration Council; and the audit of Accounts of SARCO for the year 2011 was conducted by a Joint Audit Team of SAARC consisting of Auditors from Maldives and Nepal as per SAARC procedure.

The Meeting recommended


that with a view to making SARCO an effective vehicle of settlement of disputes, Member States may forward (i) names of 5 to 10 Arbitrators from different fields like law, arbitration, trade, investment etc., along with their CVs for inclusion in the Panel of Arbitrators; (ii) lists of National Arbitration Bodies/Councils along with their contact details; (iii) the texts of all updated Acts and Rules relating to Arbitration; and (iv) views on the Arbitration Fees to be charged by the Council for settlement of disputes as proposed by the Director General of SARCO.

The Meeting also agreed that at a later stage, the SAARC Arbitration Council may also assist

in the implementation/enforcement of arbitration awards of Arbitration Bodies of SAARC Member States relating to disputes between parties of two different SAARC Member States in accordance with the New York Convention on Recognition and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards, 1961 of which all Member

States of SAARC, except Bhutan and Maldives, are the Contracting States. The Meeting also agreed to have a SAARC mechanism on the lines of the New York Convention. In this regard, it welcomed the offer of India to prepare a Concept Paper for consideration by the Member States.

SAARC Officials visit China At the invitation of the Ministry of

Foreign Affairs, Beijing, officials of the SAARC Member States attended the Exchange Programme at the China Foreign Affairs University (CFAU), Beijing and Chengdu from 21 October to 1 November.

The Opening Session of the Programme was attended by ZHU Liqun, Vice President, CFAU; SUN Weidong, Deputy Director General, Department of Asian Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, China; and Faculty Members of CFAU. Two participants each from Afghanistan, Maldives, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and SAARC Secretariat attended the Programme.

In Beijing, ZHU Liqun, Vice President of CFAU delivered a lecture on Chinese Diplomacy in New Era; Wang Fan, Assistant President of CFAU on U.S. Asia-Pacific Strategy and Chinese Periphery Diplomacy; and WANG Yongchun, Deputy Director, Department of Asian Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, China spoke on China’s Relations with

South Asian Countries while Fan Ying, School of International Economics, CFAU delivered a lecture on China’s Economic Development and Economic Relations with Foreign Countries. The lectures were followed by inter-active discussions involving all the participants.

On 26 October, a Seminar on South Asian Countries and South Asian Regional Cooperation was organized in which faculty members of CFAU and nominees from SAARC Member States participated.

The Closing Ceremony in Beijing was addressed by Jiang Ruiping, Vice President, CFAU and Chen Feng, Director, Department of Asian Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, China.

In Beijing, visits for the participants were arranged to historical places like the Forbidden City, the Great Wall and New Countryside. Participants also visited the Beijing regional office of Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. which is a multinational networking and telecommunications equipment and

services company headquartered in Shenzhen, Guangdong, China.

The second leg of the program took the participants to Chengdu where they visited Chengdu Foreign Affairs Office. A presentation on experience, issues and prospects of social and economic development of Chengdu was made by a representative of Foreign Office. An interaction with the participants was also arranged at the Institute of South East Asian Studies of Sichuan University.

In Chengdu, visits to places of tourist interest and historical importance were arranged. These included visits to Huanglongxi Ancient Town, Dujiangyan Irrigation System, Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding and Jinsha Ruins.

The SAARC Secretariat was represented at the Exchange Programme by Subash C. Sharma and Md. Abdul Mannan.


SAARC Secretary General calls to invest in Girls’ educationGirls’ education was at the centre

of discussion during the Regional Consultative Meeting in Kathmandu where the SAARC Member States, South Asia Initiative to End Violence Against Children (SAIEVAC), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), focused on actions against child marriage. The Meeting was held on17-18 December to commemorate the International Day of the Girl Child (IDGC).

In his inaugural address, Ahmed Saleem, Secretary-General of SAARC, stated that education for girls is one of the best strategies for protecting girls against child marriage. “If we truly believe that investing in girls is a catalyst for changing the world, we must do everything possible to reduce the gap between girls and boys in respect to their level of

health, nutrition as well as education and other discriminatory practices based on their gender,” he stated. Referring to the initiatives of SAARC, he said, “Special efforts have been made to decrease gender disparity in education, with particular provisions for girls. As a result, girls’ initial enrolment in primary school has increased. New mechanisms introduced during the Decade also have focused on promoting education for marginalized and vulnerable children.”

Wasil Noor Muhmand, Chairperson of the SAIEVAC Governing Board; Rinchen Chophel, Director-General, SAIEVAC; and Upendra Adhikari, SAIEVAC Governing Board Member from Nepal also spoke during the inaugural ceremony.

The Meeting was attended by delegates from all the SAARC Member States; Nobuko Horibe, Regional

Director of UNFPA APRO; and Karin Hulshof, Regional Director of UNICEF ROSA, among others.

The Meeting concluded with the adoption of the Regional Action Plan to End Child Marriage.

Meanwhile, SAARC has begun implementation of regional projects for child rights, such as the one on Maternal and Child Health. This year, SAARC will initiate dedicated regional toll-free Helplines for Women and Children to provide a common number for victims and survivors of human trafficking. With the observance of the SAARC Decade for Girl Child (1991 – 2000) backed up by a Plan of Action for the Girl Child, SAARC countries have taken a number of steps to grant high visibility to health and nutrition; universal access to basic education; and marriage and motherhood.

Expert Group on Climate Change convenesThe Third Meeting of the Inter-

Governmental Expert Group on Climate Change was held at the SAARC Secretariat on 20-21 December to review the progress made since its last meeting in April 2012.

Addressing the Meeting, Ahmed Saleem, Secretary-General of SAARC, stated that South Asia, as a region, is one of the most ecologically vulnerable regions of the world and continues to face daunting challenges arising out of the adverse effects of climate change. He also highlighted the need to strengthen cooperation in order

to preserve, protect and manage the region’s diverse and fragile eco-systems for the well-being of its people.

During the two-day Meeting, the experts from SAARC Member States, Regional Centers and the South Asian University reviewed the progress made in the implementation of the Thimphu Statement on Climate Change. The Report of the Meeting will be considered by the Technical Committee on Environment and Forestry for submission to the Meeting of Environment Ministers of SAARC Member States for approval.

The Thimphu Statement on Climate Change adopted at the Sixteenth SAARC Summit held in Bhutan in April 2010 outlines a number of initiatives to be implemented both at the national and regional level to address the adverse effects of climate change. The Inter-Governmental Expert Group on Climate Change is mandated to monitor and review the implementation of the Thimphu Statement and to make recommendations to facilitate its implementation.


Nobel Laureate Yunus delivers a talk SAARC is observing, 2006 – 2015, as the Decade of Poverty Alleviation. During this period, SAARC is in the process of

developing regional projects on poverty alleviation. In this context, SAARC Secretariat organized an interactive session with Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus on the theme

“Microfinance and Poverty Reduction in South Asia” on 22 December.Welcoming Nobel Laureate Yunus to the interactive session, Ahmed Saleem, Secretary-General of SAARC, said that as

SAARC is observing the Decade of Poverty Alleviation, SAARC looked forward to learning from his insights and experiences on a subject which is extremely relevant in the context of South Asia.

Chaired by Dependra Bahadur Kshetry, Vice-Chairman of the National Planning Commission of Nepal, the interactive session included panelists as Yuba Raj Khatiwada, Governor of Nepal Rastra Bank; Binod Chaudhary, President of the Confederation of Nepalese Industries (CNI); Chandani Joshi, Former Director of UNIFEM South Asia; and Raj Babu Shrestha, Executive Director of the Poverty Alleviation Fund, Nepal.

In his inspiring speech, the Nobel Laureate pointed out that the South Asian region being home to nearly one-fourth of the world’s population is also a hub of poverty in the world. He emphasized the role of women and youth in poverty reduction processes and the need for redesigning economic, political, educational, financial and technological systems to reduce poverty in the region.

A number of distinguished invitees including diplomats, high ranking officials of the Government of Nepal, senior politicians, academics, media personnel and officials of the SAARC Secretariat participated in the programme supported by CNI and SACEPS.

Delivering a Vote of Thanks, Dhan Bahadur Oli, Director, Information and Poverty Alleviation Division, SAARC Secretariat expressed gratitude to Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus, Chair, panelists and distinguished invitees for making the event a success.

Training Programme in Customs Administration held As recommended by the Ninth

Meeting of the SAARC Sub-Group on Customs Cooperation held at the SAARC Secretariat, Kathmandu on 22-23 August 2011, a three-day Training Programme on “Automation in Customs Administration” was held at the National Academy of Customs Excise and Narcotics (NACEN) located in Faridabad, India on 30 July – 1 August.

The Training Programme was

inaugurated by Rasheda Hussain, Director General, NACEN.

During the Training Programme, a field visit to Air Cargo Complex (ACC) or Inland Container Depot (ICD) was arranged for the participants to see the operation of EDI/ICEGATE at Tughlakabad, New Delhi where they were briefed about operations at EDI/ICEGATE and given practical exposure of functions handled in Noting Hall, Appraising Hall, filing and

processing of bill of entry, operations in Import Shed and Export Shed and Examination of Goods and report feeding in the EDI.

The Training Programme included presentations by participants on the automation of Customs in their countries; presentation by India on EDI/ICEGATE; discussion on the Customs Automation; and on inter-operability of Systems of the participating countries.


Ajay Chhibber, UN Assistant Secretary-General and Director calls

on SG

Durga Prasad Bhattarai, Foreign Secretary calls on SG

Laxman Basnet, General Secretary to SA Regional Trade Union Council

(SAR-TUC) calls on SG

Lin Aung, Representative of WHO calls on SG

Madhu Raman Acharya, Executive Director of SA Centre for Policy

Studies pays courtesy call on SG

Peter W. Bodde, Ambassador of United States of America calls on SG

Arshed Saud Khosa, Ambassador of Pakistan calls on SG

Yang Houlan, Chinese Ambassador calls on SG

Jean-Charles DEMARQUIS, Ambassador of France calls on SG

Phillippa Erica Dargan, Acting Director of Asia Pacific Forum of National

Human Rights Institution, Australia calls on SG

Nagesh Kumar, Chief Economist of UN-ESCAP calls on SG

Fatima Rabab, Regional Coordinator & Advisor for South Asia, IOM calls

on SG

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