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| Wednesday, 10 March 2004 |
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The first meeting of the SAARC Technical Committee on Human Resource Development (TC on HRD) was held at the Colombo Plaza Hotel on 4th and 5th March, 2004. Representative of all SAARC countries attended the meeting. A representative of the SAARC Secretary General, Q. A. M. A. Raheem as well as the Actg. Director of the SAARC HRD Centre (based in Islamabad) were also present. The Technical Committees of SAARC were reconstituted at the 12th SAARC Summit in Islamabad and the Colombo meeting has been designated the first meeting of the (reconstituted) Technical Committee on HRD. The committee now covers matters relating to education, skills development, arts, culture and sports. In view of Sri Lanka's advanced position in the SAARC region relating to HRD, the Technical Committee on HRD has been chaired by Sri Lanka over the past several years, states a Ministry of Foreign Affairs press release. The welcome address at the inaugural was made by V. K. Nanayakkara, Secretary, Ministry of Human Resources Development, Education & Cultural Affairs. The inaugural speech of Dr. Karunasena Kodituwakku, Minister for Human Resources Development, Education & Cultural Affairs highlighted that ".....the talents of South Asians are well recognised in the world in all disciplines of learning whether it is in Science, Information Technology, Medicine, Economics, Arts and Culture. While recognising the rich talents of South Asians, one must also recognise that there are millions left behind in this part of the world who are living in poverty without adequate food, education and access to basic human needs such as housing, health and sanitation......." The Secretary, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, B. A. B. Goonetilleke who also spoke at the inaugural ceremony stated that due to a number of developments in the region, as well as within the SAARC process, SAARC is now embarked on a "fast-track" approach to achieving the objectives spelt out in the Charter. "Of particular relevance to this meeting is the impetus that has been focused on the economic and social agendas of SAARC". The meeting was chaired by R. S. Medagama, Advisor for the Ministry of Human Resources Development, Education and Cultural Affairs. The Sri Lanka delegation was led by Prof. (Mrs.) Uma Coomaraswamy, Vice Chancellor of the Open University of Sri Lanka and included senior representatives of all relevant line Ministries. A number of issues coming under the purview of the TC were discussed. These included a revised scheme relating to SAARC Chairs and Scholarships in Institute of Higher Education in the region. In the field of Culture, follow up matters of the Colombo Meeting of SAARC Cultural Ministers (2003) were reviewed. Several areas of cooperation in relation to sports were also discussed. Sri Lanka undertook the following specific activities of relevance to the TC. * Progress on South Asian Cultural Centre to be established in Kandy, * SAARC Writers & Publishers Forum 2005, * SAARC Film Festival 2004 and * SAARC Teachers Forum. Sri Lanka also proposed that SAARC should consider a link with the ABIA Index - Annual Bibliography of Indian Architecture - an index covering academic publications on research in art, archaeology and architecture of the region. |
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