KATHMANDU, April 24: The Second Meeting of the SAARC Inter-Governmental Expert Group on Poverty Alleviation to finalize the first SAARC Development Report with the theme “SDR 2025: Shaping the Future Together for a Resilient SAARC” was held in Malé, Maldives on Thursday, the SAARC Secretariat stated.
The Meeting was hosted by the Government of the Maldives with the financial and technical support from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
The Meeting 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 meeting was opened by Prathma Uprety, Director (Information and Poverty Alleviation) at the SAARC Secretariat, representing the Secretary General of SAARC.
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In her remarks, she expressed gratitude to the Government of Maldives for hosting the Meeting and to the Asian Development Bank for its continued support in advancing regional cooperation.
Speaking at the opening session, Chief Guest Hussain Imran Abdul Muhaimin, Minister of State for Finance and Public Enterprises of the Republic of Maldives emphasized the importance of the first SAARC Development Report.
He noted the significance of hosting the meeting in the Maldives, highlighting that as a small island developing state, the country reflects both development progress and structural vulnerabilities, and underlined the need for resilient and inclusive development strategies.
Addressing the opening session, Dongxiang Li, Lead Regional Cooperation Specialist of ADB, reaffirmed ADB’s continued commitment as a longstanding development partner of SAARC.
Delegations from the Member States presented their respective national perspectives and priorities for the finalization of the SAARC Development Report, highlighting in particular their visions of a Resilient SAARC through deepened regional collaboration aimed at addressing shared vulnerabilities, fostering collective resilience, and promoting inclusive growth across the region.
The meeting was chaired by Ali Rasheed, Deputy Minister, Ministry of Finance and Public Enterprises of the Republic of Maldives. The Meeting concluded with the adoption of a report.
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