The Working Group Meeting on Drafting Strategy and Work Programme for Phase-VII (2021-2025) of the Malé Declaration (MD WG2021)

The Malé Declaration on Control and Prevention of Air Pollution and Its Likely Transboundary Effects for South Asia (Malé Declaration) organized the Working Group Meeting on Drafting Strategy and Work Programme for Phase-VII (2021-2025) of the Malé Declaration (MD WG2021) on 8 April 2021 virtually. Nearly 30 participants representing the National Focal Points (NFPs) and the National Implementing Agencies (NIAs) of the eight member countries of the Malé Declaration, namely, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Iran, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka, participated the Session. The Regional Facilitator of the Malé Declaration, Mr. J.S. Kamyotra, and the AIT RRC.AP as the Secretariat, were also present at the meeting.

The MD WG2021 was convened to facilitate discussion among member countries on the Strategy and Work Programme for Phase-VII (2021- 2025) implementation of the Malé Declaration. At the meeting, the participants had the opportunity to brainstorm and exchange views on the workable arrangements for the implementation of the Malé Declaration in the future. The member countries showed keen interest, and demonstrated support, to the continuation of the Malé Declaration Network. The meeting made good progress in drafting the Strategy and the Workplan for Phase-VII, including identification of objectives and activities to be implemented during 2021-2025, the mechanism of implementation, and the financial requirements. The outcomes of this meeting will be presented for further deliberation at the Sixtennth Session of the Intergovernmental Meeting(IG16) to be convened during the last quarter of this year.