Nineteenth Governing Board Meeting of the SAARC Energy Centre
The Nineteenth Governing Board Meeting of the SAARC Energy Centre (SEC) was held on 08-09 October 2026 in Colombo, Sri Lanka. The Meeting, held in hybrid mode, was attended by the Governing Board Members and Representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the host country, Pakistan, and the SAARC Secretariat officials. Mr. G. M. R. D. Aponsu, Secretary of the Ministry of Energy of Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka also participated in the Governing Board Meeting.
The current Chairpersonship of the Governing Board, Mr. Ugen Thaye, Chief Engineer, Department of Energy, Ministry of Natural Resources, Royal Government of Bhutan, presided over the meeting.
Addressing on behalf of H.E. the Secretary General of SAARC, Mr. Waseem Shahzad, Director ETS, SAARC Secretariat highlighted the important role of the Governing Board in empowering and guiding the Centre in its programme of activities. He emphasized that the collective insights and strategic direction of the members remain indispensable to steering the organization towards its core objectives.
In his remarks, Governing Board Chair Mr. Ugen Thaye, reaffirmed the mandate of the SAARC Energy Centre and urged Member States to cooperate in moving this process forward.
Mr. Abdul Rasheed Jokhio, Director of the SEC, presented the budget for 2027, and briefed the Meeting on the programme activities undertaken during 2026. He further outlined key challenges encountered and sought the Board’s guidance and endorsement for the proposed programme activities for 2027.
The Meeting reviewed the program activities undertaken by the Centre over the past year and proposed activities for the Calendar Year 2027. It also reviewed the Reports of the Centre’s audited accounts, prepared by the Joint Audit Team and Internal Audit Team, and the proposed Budget for the Fiscal Year 2026.
The Governing Board provided comprehensive recommendations concerning the Centre’s Calendar of Activities, Budget, and other essential operational matters. These recommendations will be duly presented for consideration at the next Programming Committee Meeting. The recommendations are aimed to further enhance the Centre’s strategic initiatives and ensure optimal efficacy in programme implementation over the next year.
SAARC Energy Centre
Islamabad, 09 October 2026
