The Saarc (South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation) body dealing with the national co-ordination to implement Saarc Social Charter will review progress made by member states to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The meeting will be held in Islamabad on November 4-5. Suhail Safdar, Secretary, Planning & Development Division, will inaugurate the meeting.
Participants from all Saarc member states, namely Afghanistan, Bangla Desh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka will attend the meeting, beside Saarc Secretary General. The Saarc social charter provides an effective framework for member states to support programs for achieving Saarc Development Goals and Millennium Development Goals.
The principal goal of Saarc is to promote welfare of the peoples of South Asia, to improve their quality of life, to accelerate economic growth, social progress and cultural development and to provide all individuals opportunity to live in dignity and to realise their full potential.
Based on shared knowledge of gaps and capabilities, the representatives will discuss the strategies for enhancing co-operation at regional level with a view to gaining insight from successful practices of one another and realisation of targets of Saarc Social Charter at regional level.
The Saarc Social Charter was signed by Saarc member states in Islamabad in January, 2004 with the principles of addressing common social issues and developing and implementing result-oriented programmes in specific social areas.
The participating member states would share progress and current status on the implementation of Social Charter on health, nutrition, food security, safe drinking water, sanitation, population activities, preventing and combating trafficking of women and children.