BIMSTEC ministerial meeting on poverty alleviation Jan 9
Saturday, 5 January 2008
Bangladesh hosts the first BIMSTEC ministerial meeting on poverty alleviation in Dhaka on January 9-10 that aims to adopt a comprehensive plan of action on poverty alleviation, reports UNB.
Senior officials of the seven-member BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) will meet on January 9 to prepare the agenda of the ministerial meeting to be held on January 10.
Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed will inaugurate the ministerial meeting.
The 9th BIMSTEC ministerial meeting held in New Delhi on August 9, 2006 approved Dhaka's proposal to host the first meeting on poverty alleviation in the wake of Bangladesh's vast experience in poverty alleviation initiatives like micro-credit.
An official of the foreign ministry told the news agency that the forthcoming ministerial meeting on poverty alleviation would adopt a comprehensive plan of action on poverty alleviation, in keeping with the Millennium Development Goals.
The meeting will emphasise the collective action for poverty alleviation through exchange of best practices and mobilisation of resources, especially in rural areas employing innovative approaches and initiatives such as micro-credit and development of small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
The recommendations to be adopted at the Dhaka Ministerial Meeting will be placed before the next BIMSTEC summit to be held in New Delhi this year for final approval.
Nepal is the lead country of the poverty alleviation, one of the 13 priority areas of the grouping that includes countries from South Asia and South East Asia.
Other priority areas are: Trade and investment, technology, energy, transport and communications, tourism, fisheries, agriculture, culture, terrorism and trans-national crimes, environment and disaster management, public health and people-to-people contact.
BIMSTEC was formed on June 6, 1997 in Bangkok. Member countries are Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
Senior officials of the seven-member BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) will meet on January 9 to prepare the agenda of the ministerial meeting to be held on January 10.
Chief Adviser Dr Fakhruddin Ahmed will inaugurate the ministerial meeting.
The 9th BIMSTEC ministerial meeting held in New Delhi on August 9, 2006 approved Dhaka's proposal to host the first meeting on poverty alleviation in the wake of Bangladesh's vast experience in poverty alleviation initiatives like micro-credit.
An official of the foreign ministry told the news agency that the forthcoming ministerial meeting on poverty alleviation would adopt a comprehensive plan of action on poverty alleviation, in keeping with the Millennium Development Goals.
The meeting will emphasise the collective action for poverty alleviation through exchange of best practices and mobilisation of resources, especially in rural areas employing innovative approaches and initiatives such as micro-credit and development of small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
The recommendations to be adopted at the Dhaka Ministerial Meeting will be placed before the next BIMSTEC summit to be held in New Delhi this year for final approval.
Nepal is the lead country of the poverty alleviation, one of the 13 priority areas of the grouping that includes countries from South Asia and South East Asia.
Other priority areas are: Trade and investment, technology, energy, transport and communications, tourism, fisheries, agriculture, culture, terrorism and trans-national crimes, environment and disaster management, public health and people-to-people contact.
BIMSTEC was formed on June 6, 1997 in Bangkok. Member countries are Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand.