Professor Muhammad Yunus has urged the SAARC Secretariat to intensify efforts to revitalize the regional organization for the shared benefit of South Asian countries.
"SAARC is a forgotten word. If you can revitalize it, this will bring dividends to the people of the whole region," said Prof. Yunus during a meeting with SAARC Secretary General Golam Sarwar at his office in Tejgaon, Dhaka, on Monday (November 2).
Secretary General Sarwar expressed gratitude to Prof. Yunus for his strong support of SAARC and acknowledged his recent call to South Asian leaders to revive the multilateral body. Sarwar provided an update on SAARC's ongoing activities, including climate change initiatives, work on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), regional integration, and customs cooperation.
Despite efforts at the working level through programming committees and governing bodies, Sarwar noted that the absence of high-level meetings had weakened SAARC's effectiveness. Both Prof. Yunus and the Secretary General emphasized the importance of meetings involving foreign secretaries, ministers, and even summits of national leaders to bolster the organization's functionality.
The Chief Adviser highlighted the potential of regional partnerships, citing the export of Nepalese hydroelectric power to neighboring countries like Bangladesh, India, and Bhutan, as a vital multilateral initiative to pursue.
Prof. Yunus also extended an invitation to young people across SAARC nations to participate in a youth festival in Bangladesh scheduled for January. He described the event as a way to engage the youth and strengthen regional unity, aligning with SAARC's mission to foster connections among people in South Asia.

Marking SAARC's 40th Charter Day, Secretary General Sarwar urged Bangladesh to support efforts to revitalize the organization. He emphasized the need to achieve SAARC's core objectives for regional cooperation.
 

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