Training Report: Millennium Development Goals in the SAARC Region

Inaugural Ceremony
Inaugural Ceremony
The inaugural ceremony of the training course was held on July 16, 2012. Honourable Brig (R) Amanullah,
Director General, National Centre for Rural Development, Islamabad graced the occasion as chief guest.
Participants from Afghanistan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka attended the course. The
course brought together participants from Afghanistan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The
ceremony started with the recitation of few verses from the Holy Quran.
Dr. Riffat Aysha Anis, Director SHRDC in her welcome address highlighted the main objectives and contents
of the course. She said that the SAARC Member States have to strengthen their commitment to the MDGs by
integrating the MDGs driven targets into their national and sub-national policies and legal frameworks as well
as in their budgetary priorities. They need to mainstream the MDGs within the policy-making body of the
government and establish the MDGs legislative committee to promote structural response. Further, achieving
progress towards the MDGs entails multi-pronged approaches including inclusive and sustainable growth,
investment in anti-poverty programs, effective service delivery, adequate investment in education and health
sectors, good governance, creating job opportunities, capacity building and fiscal stimulus for social
expenditure. The SAARC Member States need to step up their efforts to replicate good practices and lessons
learnt from early achievers in the region. She hoped that the one-week training course would enable the
participants to develop knowledge and skills to assess the progress, prospects and way forward through
lectures, in-house exercises and group discussions.
Brig (R) Amanullah, in his inaugural address said that over the last two decades, South Asian region has
witnessed a plethora of MDG-related declarations, high-powered commissions, plans of actions and regional
projects to achieve MDGs. The region has made significant progress on some MDGs, but still lags behind in
several others. The vast amount of resources and planning required for MDGs’ achievements is beyond the
capacity of individual economies especially Least Developed Countries. He urged that regional economic
integration is the best way forward and is more viable as economies are on a level-playing field. Regional
economic integration will offer opportunities for strengthening the overall environment in which MDGs can
be achieved and enable the smaller economies to extend their markets and reap efficiency gains from
specialization and economies of scale and scope. He added that enhancing regional cooperation is a
multifaceted task that will require the implementation of bold policy initiatives at national and regional levels.
He noted that each country in the region has its own specific challenges to address, however, across the region
there are many common issues and priorities. Connectivity and cooperation is vital in addressing the key
challenges in the region and facilitating progress towards achieving all the MDGs by 2015. Dr. Javed
Humayun, Research Fellow (Training) / Course Coordinator extended vote of thanks to all the dignitaries,
resource persons, participants of the course and media persons.
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