Impunity in Nepal: A persistent crisis of justice

A culture of impunity—where perpetrators of grave crimes evade accountability—has seeped into Nepal’s political, judicial, and social fabric, leaving victims

How the US immigration system is failing Bhutanese refugees

It is exhausting to hear some of my fellow countrymen echo political rhetoric with blanket statements like, “I don’t support

Monarchy or republic? Without budget credibility, neither will make lives better

Last few weeks, the media and the streets have been resonant with pro-monarchy voices. In response, some republican forces have

Persecuting Dalits in the name of religion

On March 20, 2081, houses of Dalit community were demolished in Aurahi Municipality-5, Siraha district of Madhesh Province of Nepal.

Nepal’s post-earthquake recovery: What the UN can do

I still remember the chaos of April 25, 2015. The ground beneath me trembled violently, buildings cracked like fragile shells,

Roundtable on prospects and challenges of regional cooperation in South Asia

Participants suggested ways to revive the SAARC process to make it a viable platform for regional cooperation.

Kathmandu: The India Study Centre at the Institute of Strategic Studies, Islamabad (ISSI) organised a Roundtable Discussion, titled “Prospects and Challenges of Regional Cooperation in South Asia”, with Ambassador Golam Sarwar, Secretary General of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). The event was attended by diplomats, academics, practitioners, and researchers of various Islamabad-based think-tanks and Universities.

During the discussion, the importance of SAARC for the region was highlighted by the participants. It was noted that SAARC is a people-centric organization and it has played an instrumental role in addressing myriad of common challenges faced by member states like food insecurity, growing population, natural disasters, and deficient intra-regional trade and connectivity.

The participants focused on the need for improving implementation of SAARC’s decisions, strengthening economic cooperation and trade and deepening regional integration and connectivity. The participants shared their perspectives on the progress made by SAARC so far and suggested ways to revive the SAARC process to make it a viable platform for regional cooperation.