KATHMANDU: The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, has signaled a readiness to enhance collaboration with the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).

During a recent courtesy meeting between Secretary-General Guterres and SAARC Secretary-General Golam Sarwar at the UN Headquarters in New York on April 8, Guterres expressed the UN’s interest in bolstering ties with SAARC, representing a significant portion of the global population.

Ambassador Sarwar commended the UN Secretary-General for the UN’s consistent support to SAARC, an Observer Organization of the UN since 2004, according to SAARC Secretariat sources.

Discussions during the meeting revolved around reinforcing relations between SAARC and the UN across various domains of mutual interest, particularly focusing on climate change, food security, and renewable energy collaborations.

Highlighting the existing Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) between SAARC and various UN agencies, Ambassador Sarwar stressed the importance of updating these agreements to align with current contexts, thus augmenting collaboration between the two entities.

Proposing a joint meeting between the SAARC Secretariat and UN agencies in Kathmandu, Ambassador Sarwar aimed to facilitate brainstorming sessions for identifying future areas of collaboration.

Secretary-General Guterres welcomed the proposal, underlining the need for heightened cooperation between SAARC and the UN. He promptly directed his office to facilitate connections between the SAARC Secretariat and relevant UN officials for effective sectoral cooperation.

To bolster the effectiveness and sustainability of the Secretariat, Ambassador Sarwar explored avenues for capacity-building opportunities for SAARC officials.

Moreover, Secretary-General Guterres assured continued UN support and assistance to SAARC. Both dignitaries agreed to work closely to further enhance ties between SAARC and the UN in the forthcoming years.