Kamran Reza Chowdhury reports that the 16th summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation will commence on Wednesday in Thimphu, Bhutan, marking the organization's 25th anniversary since its establishment in Dhaka in 1985. Various leaders including Afghan president Hamid Karzai, Maldivian president Mohamed Nashid, Sri Lankan president Mahinda Rajapaksha, Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina, Indian premier Manmohan Singh, Nepalese prime minister Madhav Kumar Nepal, and Pakistan's prime minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gillani are scheduled to deliver speeches during the opening session. Bhutan's Prime Minister Lyonchhen Jigmi Y Thinley, serving as the chair of the session, will oversee the summit, which will focus on the Thimphu declaration as well as a statement on climate change. Despite being in existence for 25 years, critics argue that SAARC has not made significant progress in reducing poverty and improving the lives of over 1.5 billion people in the region. The common belief among member countries is that SAARC is a platform for annual meetings of top leaders who make ambitious promises but do not follow through. According to Bhutanese foreign secretary Daw Penjo, the summit allows South Asian leaders to interact face to face in a setting without media or bureaucrats, which helps improve relations. The upcoming 16th SAARC summit will focus on creating a 25-year roadmap based on the region's people's aspirations. Additionally, SAARC foreign ministers have completed drafts for two agreements - one on environmental cooperation and another on trade in services - for approval at the summit. The Thimphu declaration and the Thimphu statement on climate change were prepared by the council of ministers and the standing committee for the 16th summit. A common SAARC position on climate change will be announced by member states, but there will be no text on legally binding emission cut targets for polluters. Bangladesh proposed including a SAARC charter for democracy in the declaration to promote democracy in all eight countries, according to foreign secretary Mohamed Mijarul Quayes. All heads of states and governments, except Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh, have arrived in Thimphu, a picturesque hilly city. Singh is expected to arrive Wednesday morning before the summit begins at 2.30 pm. The summit will also mark the opening of the headquarters of the SAARC Development Fund in Thimphu.