On Monday, the outgoing Director General of CIRDAP, Dr Durga P Paudyal, stated that ideas that do not receive support from donors are not of interest to policymakers. Dr Paudyal reflected on his eight-year term in Bangladesh, where the institute is based, and mentioned the challenge of convincing policymakers to act on new policies and ideas without sufficient funding. He made these remarks while discussing the upcoming 33rd founding anniversary celebration of CIRDAP with journalists. CIRDAP was established on July 6, 1979 through collaboration between countries in the Asia-Pacific region and the UN's FAO, with the initial goal of promoting cooperation in rural development and poverty alleviation. Since its inception, the organization has grown to include 15 member states, with Fiji being the most recent addition in 2010. The member countries include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Iran, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, and Fiji. Dr. Paudyal highlighted the organization's focus on south-south cooperation, emphasizing the importance of learning from neighboring or developing countries rather than developed ones. Regional dialogues and meetings are organized to facilitate the sharing of best practices among member states. He stated that CIRDAP has assisted governments in various ways, whether visible or not, especially in relation to climate change and rural development across multiple countries, not just Bangladesh. He emphasized that CIRDAP's programs in different countries may not be well-known in Bangladesh, as they focus on policy-level work rather than grassroots initiatives. The Director General also mentioned that CIRDAP is involved in developing Bangladesh's poverty monitoring system, while praising the current government for its support of CIRDAP as a form of regional cooperation. He mentioned that they received more than USD 2 million from Bangladesh to construct an international conference center. The Director General stated that they would hold a 'Founding Day' lecture, as they do every year, with former Indian President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam speaking about sustainable development in the Asia-Pacific region. Dr Cecep Effendi from Indonesia will take over for Dr Paudyal on July 6, according to CIRDAP's official announcement.