SARSO's 11th Governing Board meeting concludes in Dhaka, eyes trade

The 11th SARSO Governing Board meeting concluded in Dhaka, where delegates from 7 South Asian nations finalised a 2026 action plan and decided on new partnerships to remove technical barriers and harmonise regional trade standards.

The 11th Governing Board meeting of the South Asian Regional Standards Organisation (SARSO) successfully concluded today at the BSTI Headquarters in Dhaka, BSTI said in a statement on Thursday. The two-day meeting (June 3-4) was chaired by Kazi Emdadul Hoque, SARSO Chairperson and Director General (Secretary) of BSTI. Delegates from Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, and the Maldives participated both in person and virtually. The board reviewed SARSO's 2025 performance, approved the Technical Management Board report, and finalised the 2026 action plan. Key decisions were also made regarding global partnerships (MoUs) and the formation of new Sectoral Technical Committees.

In his closing remarks, Chairperson Kazi Emdadul Hoque urged member states to work collectively to remove technical barriers to trade and harmonise quality standards across South Asia.

Recap of 10th Governing Board Meeting

Earlier on November 26-27, 2024, the 10th Meeting of the Governing Board of SARSO member States was held in Dhaka, an official statement by SAARC said.

Shahzad Afzal, Director General, South Asian Regional Standards Organisation, in his remarks, conveyed his sincere gratitude to all the participants who participated physically and via Virtual Mode. Afzal mentioned that SARSO has been established to achieve and enhance coordination and cooperation among SAARC member countries in the fields of standardisation and conformity assessment with the aim of developing harmonised standards for the region in order to facilitate intraregional trade.

As per SAARC practice, the Meeting was opened by Jamal Uddin Ahmed, Director, SAARC Secretariat, Kathmandu as the representative of the Secretary General of SAARC. He wished the proceedings all the success. Jamal briefed the Meeting about the existing status and activities of the South Asian Regional Standards Organisation (SARSO).

Pramod Kumar Tiwari, Director General, Bureau of Indian Standards, welcomed the delegates for the 10th Governing Board Meeting and expressed warm greetings to all. He pointed out that circulation of the agenda, including documents, should be done to member countries of the Governing Board before two months of the meeting so that members can get them prepared for the meeting, the statement said. (ANI)

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