Dr Durga P Paudyal, the outgoing Director General of CIRDAP, emphasized that policymakers are not interested in ideas that do not have the support of donors. He reflected on his eight-year tenure in Bangladesh, where the institute is based, and highlighted the challenge of convincing policymakers to act on new policies and ideas without the necessary funding. Dr Paudyal shared this insight during a briefing with journalists about CIRDAP's upcoming 33rd founding anniversary celebration. CIRDAP was established on July 6, 1979 by the Asia-Pacific countries and the UN's FAO with six original members to collaborate on rural development and poverty reduction. The number of member states increased to 15 by 2010, with Fiji being the most recent addition. The organization includes Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Iran, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, and Fiji. Dr. Paudyal stated that the goal is south-south cooperation, as it is more beneficial to learn from neighboring or developing countries rather than developed ones. Regional dialogues and meetings are organized to share best practices among the member states. "As questions were raised about the visibility of CIRDAP's activities in Bangladesh, the Director General emphasized that the organization has helped governments in various ways, whether they are apparent or not. He highlighted that discussions on climate change and rural development in the region involve not just Bangladesh, but also 15 other member countries of the institution. The Director General explained that programs organized in countries like Iran may not be well-known in Bangladesh, as CIRDAP primarily focuses on policy-level work rather than grassroots activities. Additionally, he mentioned that Bangladesh's current system for monitoring and analyzing poverty was being developed by CIRDAP. Despite this, he commended the incumbent government for showing interest in CIRDAP as a form of regional cooperation." He mentioned that they received more than USD 2 million from Bangladesh for the construction of an international conference center. The Director General also stated that they would be hosting a 'Founding Day' lecture this year, with former Indian President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam discussing sustainable development in the Asia-Pacific region. Dr Cecep Effendi from Indonesia will take over for Dr Paudyal on July 6, as per CIRDAP's official announcement.