Planning Commission in collaboration with the World Bank is organising a regional workshop here from November 29 to prepare plan to implement Saarc Social Charter to eradicate poverty and promote development in the region. The delegates from Saarc countries, civil society from Saarc region associated with the Social Charter work, ministers, state ministers, representative from P&D Department of four provinces, representatives from United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and other senior officials will participate in the two-day workshop.
It will be inaugurated by Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Khusro Bukhtiar.
Chairman National Reconstruction Bureau,, Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, State ministers for economic affairs, Minister of State and Chairman National Commission for Human Development, State Minister for Youth Affairs, Director Saarc Human Resource Development Centre, Secretary and Chief Economist Planning Commission will preside other sessions.
The Social Charter relates to promotion and welfare of the people of South Asia by improving their quality of life, to accelerate economic growth, social progress and cultural development and to provide all individuals the opportunity to live in dignity and to realise their full potential.
The Social Charter was signed by the Saarc member countries at Islamabad on 4th January, 2004 with the principles of addressing common social issues and developing and implementing results oriented programmes in specific social areas. Pakistan is presently the chairman of the Saarc.
Various sessions of the workshop would identify programs to be included in the Pakistan Plan of Action to implement the Saarc Social Charter including poverty alleviation, access to social services, youth development and implementation of the principles, goals and objectives in specific areas.
The subjects of health, nutrition, food security, safe drinking water, sanitation, population activities, preventing and combating trafficking in women and children as well as improving the structure and content of social policies and programs, ensuring greater efficiency in the utilisation of national and regional human resources would also be discussed in the conference.