Kamran Reza Chowdhury reported that the 16th summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation will commence on Wednesday in Thimphu, Bhutan. The organization, which was established in Dhaka in 1985, is celebrating its 25th anniversary. 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, will speak at the opening session. Bhutan's Prime minister Lyonchhen Jigmi Y Thinley will chair the session as the host country. One of the main focuses of the two-day summit will be climate change, as outlined in the Thimphu declaration. 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 general perception among member countries is that SAARC serves as a platform for annual meetings where leaders make ambitious promises but struggle to follow through. Bhutanese foreign secretary Daw Penjo stated that the summit allows South Asian leaders to have direct discussions away from the media and bureaucrats, which in turn helps improve relations. The upcoming 16th SAARC summit aims to establish a 25-year plan based on the desires of the region's people. Additionally, foreign ministers have completed drafts for two agreements - one on environmental cooperation and the other on trade in services - to be presented for approval at the summit. The council of ministers and the standing committee have also drafted the Thimphu declaration and the Thimphu statement on climate change for the 16th summit, with member states expected to announce a common SAARC position on climate change. The declaration will not include 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 for the summit, with Singh scheduled to arrive Wednesday morning before the summit begins at 2.30 pm. The summit will also include the official opening of the headquarters of the SAARC Development Fund in Thimphu.