SAARC Decade for Poverty Alleviation proposed
DHAKA, Sunday (Xinhua) - Prime Minister of Bangladesh Begum Khaleda
Zia stressed the need for mobilizing all necessary human and material
resources of South Asian nations for poverty alleviation in the region
and proposed declaring the coming 2006-2015 as "the SAARC Decade for
Poverty Alleviation."
In her welcome address Khaleda Zia said that in the last SAARC summit
held in Islamabad in 2004, all member states recognized alleviation of
poverty as the over arching goal of all SAARC activities.
"We must mobilize all necessary human and material resources" to
address the poverty on a regional scale, she said.
Widespread incidence of poverty continues to be a major concern for
the South Asian nations. Intra-regional trade in South Asia is still
about 4 percent of the region's combined trade with the rest of the
world. Foreign direct investment in the region accounts for a mere one
percent of the global total.
Terming accelerating economic growth as major SAARC objective, the
prime minister said all member states must ensure that the SAFTA (South
Asia Free Trade Area) Agreement enters into force as agreed upon with
effect from Jan. 1, 2006.
She also called for a common investment strategy to generate
investment flows from within and outside the region.
Terming South Asia as an emerging economic giant with unlimited
potential, the prime minister said, "Realizing South Asia's true
potential is the challenge facing us today."
The prime minster said the ongoing 13th SAARC Summit enables the
South Asian nations "to look to the future and forge a blueprint for the
next phase of SAARC activities." |