The outgoing Director General of CIRDAP stated that policymakers are not interested in ideas that do not receive support from donors. Dr. Durga P Paudyal shared this observation while reflecting on his eight-year term in Bangladesh, where the institute is based. He mentioned that although they come up with new policies and ideas, it is challenging to persuade policymakers to act on them without financial support. Dr. Paudyal made these remarks during a briefing with journalists about the upcoming celebration of CIRDAP's 33rd founding anniversary. CIRDAP was established on July 6, 1979, with six founding members from the Asia-Pacific region and the UN's FAO, with the aim of promoting cooperation in rural development and poverty alleviation. By 2010, the organization had expanded to include 15 member states, with Fiji being the most recent addition. The countries currently involved in CIRDAP are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Iran, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam, and Fiji. Dr. Paudyal emphasized the importance of south-south cooperation, stating that it is more beneficial to learn from neighboring or developing countries than from developed ones. Regional dialogues and meetings are regularly organized by CIRDAP to facilitate the sharing of best practices among member states. He explained that CIRDAP has helped governments in various ways, some of which may be visible while others may not be. He emphasized the importance of considering all 15 member countries when discussing climate change and rural development, not just Bangladesh. He also clarified that CIRDAP focuses on policy-level work rather than grassroots activities, so programs organized in other countries may not be well-known in Bangladesh. The Director General mentioned that CIRDAP is involved in developing Bangladesh's current poverty monitoring system and praised the government for showing interest in 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 announced that they would host a 'Founding Day' lecture featuring former Indian President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam discussing sustainable development in the Asia-Pacific region, as they do every year. Dr Cecep Effendi from Indonesia will take over for Dr Paudyal on Jul 6, as per CIRDAP's official statement.