SAARC Moves to Finalize First Ever Development Report for a Resilient Future

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) has moved forward in finalizing its first-ever Development Report, following a key meeting held in Malé on Thursday.

According to the SAARC Secretariat, the Second Meeting of the Inter-Governmental Expert Group on Poverty Alleviation focused on finalizing the report titled “SDR 2025: Shaping the Future Together for a Resilient SAARC.” The meeting was hosted by the Maldives government with support from the Asian Development Bank.

Senior officials from SAARC member states, representing development and foreign affairs ministries, participated in the discussions. The session was opened by Prathma Uprety of the SAARC Secretariat, who thanked the Maldives and ADB for their support in strengthening regional cooperation.

Speaking at the event, Maldives’ Minister of State for Finance and Public Enterprises Hussain Imran Abdul Muhaimin highlighted the importance of the report, stressing the need for resilient and inclusive development, particularly for vulnerable economies.

The meeting, chaired by Deputy Minister Ali Rasheed, concluded with the adoption of a report, incorporating member states’ inputs on enhancing regional collaboration, resilience, and inclusive growth.