SAARC to close 3 centres, merge 4

The foreign secretaries of the member states have upheld the decision of the senior officials to close down three SAARC centres while merging four others, lowering the number to five from 11.

The Standing Committee took the decision at the end of the their two-day meeting on Monday ahead of the foreign ministers’ meet on Tuesday at Kathmandu.

Officials say the move aimed at ending duplication of activities of the regional centres and cutting costs.

Foreign secretaries from all SAARC countries – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka – led their respective sides at the 41st session of the SAARC Standing Committee chaired by Nepal’s acting foreign secretary Shankere Das Bairagi.

According to a statement issued after the meeting, the committee decided to scrap SAARC Documentation Centre (SDC) in New Delhi, SAARC Human Resource Development Centre (SHRDC) in Islamabad, and SAARC Information Centre (SIC) in Kathmandu.

It has decided to merge SAARC Coastal Zone Management Centre (SCZMC) in the Maldives, SAARC Meteorological Research Centre (SMRC) in Bangladesh, SAARC Forestry Centre (SFC) in Bhutan, and SAARC Disaster Management Centre (SDMC) in India for setting up a new Centre called SAARC Environment and Disaster Management Centre (SEDMC).

However, it was not decided where this new centre would be set up. Bangladesh has shown its interest.

The SAARC Agriculture Centre in Dhaka, the SAARC Tuberculosis Centre in Kathmandu, the SAARC Energy Centre in Pakistan, and the Cultural Centre in Sri Lanka will continue to function.

Before the foreign secretaries convened, the programming committee comprising senior officials recommended trimming of the SAARC centres on Saturday.

The Standing Committee also adopted “Phase-out Plans” for all those seven SAARC Regional Centres, as recommended by the Programming Committee.

The Member States presented their country reports, highlighting the status of SAARC activities during the meeting, and stressed the “timely and effective” implementation of the programmes and activities to make the process “more productive and result-oriented”.

The Committee considered the matter of upgrading the Laboratory of the SAARC Tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS Centre, located in Bhaktapur, to a “Supranational Laboratory”.

Nepal has already constructed a new building, and is considering finalising voluntary contribution for the Lab's upgradation. During the meeting, Bangladesh and India offered financial contribution to the process.

The Standing Committee also recommended granting of SAARC Recognized Body status to “South Asian Women Development Forum (SAWDF)"

The head of states will meet for a two-day summit from Wednesday.