Ambassador Md. Golam Sarwar, Secretary General of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), addressed the High-Level Donor and Partner Forum on Reimagining the Future of Children in Asia in Bangkok. The Forum, convened by the Asian Disaster Preparedness Center (ADPC) and Save the Children, brought together governments, donors, civil society, and private sector partners to advance resilience and opportunity for children across Asia.

In his address, the Secretary General emphasized SAARC’s enduring commitment to the protection, wellbeing, and empowerment of children, highlighting the SAARC Social Charter and regional conventions on child welfare and trafficking prevention as guiding frameworks.

The Secretary General noted that children across South Asia are increasingly impacted by climate volatility, prolonged crises, economic shocks, rapid urbanisation, and migration pressures. He emphasized that, “To uphold the aspirations of Vision 2030, it is imperative that we collectively re-envision our systems, strengthen our partnerships, and reaffirm our shared responsibilities.”

The Secretary General called for a comprehensive agenda built on four key pillars: Transformative Partnerships, Innovative Financing, Child-Centered Resilience and Innovation to Impact. He highlighted ongoing cooperation with ADPC, including the South Asia Regional Dialogue on Climate Adaptation and Resilience held in Bangkok earlier this year, and noted that SAARC is working to renew its Memorandum of Understanding with ADPC.

Concluding his remarks, the Secretary General reaffirmed SAARC’s commitment to working closely with partners to build resilience and ensure that innovation delivers meaningful impact in the lives of children. He urged all stakeholders to advance together with imagination, compassion, and determination, striving to create a future in which every child across Asia can grow up with protection, opportunity, and hope.

SAARC Secretariat
Kathmandu, 4 December 2025

Ambassador Md. Golam Sarwar, Secretary General of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), attended the Delivering for Nutrition 2025 (D4N) Conference in Kathmandu, Nepal, as a Distinguished Guest at the Opening Session. The conference, convened under the theme “Towards Impact at Scale,” brought together policymakers, researchers, practitioners, and development partners from across South Asia and beyond to advance collective action on nutrition.

In his opening statement, the Secretary General expressed deep appreciation to the Government of Nepal for hosting the conference and to the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), CGIAR, and regional partners for convening this important dialogue. He underscored the urgency of addressing South Asia’s persistent nutrition challenges, noting that over one billion people in the region still cannot afford a healthy diet, a stark reminder of systemic gaps in food, health, and economic systems.

The Secretary General highlighted the interconnected nature of malnutrition, including anaemia, stunting, micronutrient deficiencies, and obesity, and emphasized the need for multi-sectoral, scalable, and evidence-based responses. He recalled the outcomes of the SAARC and UNICEF Regional Conference on Reducing Anaemia among Adolescent Girls and Women held earlier this year in Colombo, where IFPRI played a vital role in providing technical expertise and evidence to enrich regional dialogue.

The Secretary General welcomed the recently signed Memorandum of Understanding between IFPRI and the SAARC Agriculture Centre (SAC), describing it as a milestone in strengthening research cooperation, knowledge exchange, and joint action to improve food and nutrition security. Reflecting on SAARC’s longstanding mandate for regional cooperation, the Secretary General cited milestones such as the SAARC Charter (1985), the Social Charter (2004), and regional frameworks on nutrition and food security. He emphasized that the D4N Conference builds on this foundation by bringing science, policy, and practice together to drive impact at scale.

The Secretary General reaffirmed SAARC’s commitment to supporting Member States through its regional centres, technical committees, and collaborative mechanisms, particularly in data-sharing, capacity-building, and integrated approaches to nutrition.

The Secretary General stressed that future priorities must focus on scalability, sustainability, and equity, ensuring that interventions reach the most vulnerable populations, especially women, adolescent girls, and children. He noted that while progress is underway with Member States scaling up maternal health interventions, school-based nutrition programmes, and agri-food system reforms implementation remains uneven. Stronger systems, sustained financing, and accountability mechanisms are essential to translate commitments into measurable impact.

In conclusion, the Secretary General called for renewed determination to build a South Asia where every individual particularly women, adolescent girls, and children has access to nutritious, affordable food supported by resilient, inclusive, and equitable systems. He expressed confidence that the partnerships and commitments strengthened at D4N will help deliver transformative nutrition outcomes across the region.

SAARC Secretariat
Kathmandu, 2 December 2025

Ambassador Md. Golam Sarwar, Secretary General, South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and Ms. Bhagyashri Dengle, Regional Director of Plan International Asia Pacific launched, Asia Launch: State of the World’s Girls Report 2025 “Let Me Be a Child, Not a Wife”, marking a significant milestone in advancing gender equality and amplifying the voices of adolescent girls worldwide.

The launch event brought together government representatives, civil society leaders, youth advocates, and international partners to highlight the urgent need for collective action to address the challenges faced by girls in education, health, safety, and leadership.

The report highlights the lived realities of married girls across diverse contexts, shedding light on challenges they face in education, health, and protection, while amplifying their voices to inform global advocacy and policy.

In his keynote address, the Secretary General underscored that efforts must extend beyond prevention, ensuring that married girls have access to education, health services, psychosocial care, protection mechanisms, and socio-economic empowerment opportunities.

The Secretary General highlighted the SAARC Regional Action Plan on Adolescent Pregnancy and the Regional Stakeholders Working Group on Adolescent Pregnancy as key mechanisms to address root causes, strengthen policy frameworks, and align regional efforts with global priorities, including the Sustainable Development Goals.

The Secretary General expressed gratitude for the strong collaboration between SAARC, Plan International, civil society, UN agencies, and development partners, noting that these partnerships have enriched regional dialogue and strengthened national capacities.

The Secretary General cautioned that global crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic, climate change, displacement, and persistent gender inequalities, have heightened vulnerabilities for girls and, in some cases, reversed hard-won gains.
The Secretary General urged governments, civil society, community leaders, and families to intensify efforts through integrated, multi-sectoral responses, while emphasizing the importance of listening to girls, respecting their agency, and ensuring their participation in shaping policies and programmes.

In his concluding remarks, the Secretary General reaffirmed SAARC’s unwavering commitment to ending child marriage, advancing the rights and wellbeing of girls, and fostering an enabling environment in which every girl can reach her full potential.

“When South Asia protects its daughters, it protects its future. Together, let us continue building a South Asia where every girl is safe, empowered, educated, and free to shape her own future,” he stated.

SAARC Secretariat
Kathmandu, 28 November 2025

Ambassador Md. Golam Sarwar, Secretary General of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), met with Ms. Christine Arab, Regional Director, UN Women, Asia and the Pacific in Bangkok.

The meeting provided an opportunity for both sides to engage in constructive discussions on matters of mutual understanding and cooperation. The dialogue highlighted shared priorities in advancing gender equality, promoting women’s empowerment, and strengthening partnerships to support inclusive development across South Asia.

Ambassador Sarwar underscored SAARC’s commitment to fostering collaboration with international organizations to address regional challenges, while the Regional Director reaffirmed UN Women’s dedication to supporting initiatives that enhance social welfare and resilience for women and girls.

The meeting emphasized the importance of continued engagement between SAARC and UN Women in exploring opportunities for joint initiatives that align with their common vision of equality, inclusion, and sustainable development.

SAARC Secretariat
Kathmandu, 28 November 2025