Nepal and ACD

Nepal and Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD)

  1. Asia Cooperation Dialogue was established on 18 June 2002. ACD aims to promote interdependence among countries of Asia in all areas of cooperation. Thirty-four countries of Asia are its members. ACD includes all members of some regional groupings such as BIMSTEC, ASEAN, GCC, SCO, and SAARC except Maldives. Permanent secretariat of ACD is located in Kuwait City.
  2. ACD originally identified twenty areas of cooperation and now is consolidated into six priority pillars, namely connectivity; science, technology and innovation; education and human resource development; interrelation of food, energy and water security; culture and tourism; and promoting approaches to inclusive and sustainable development. Each area of cooperation is driven by a group of countries identified as prime or co-prime movers. Nepal is a co-prime mover in culture and tourism sector.
  3. ACD has three main institutional mechanisms. ACD Summit is the apex decision-making body. First and Second ACD Summits were held in Kuwait City on 15-17 October 2012 and Bangkok, Thailand on 8-10 October 2016 respectively. Third ACD Summit will be held in Iran in 2018.
  4. ACD Ministerial Meeting comprises of annual meeting of Foreign Ministers.  They also meet annually at the margin of UNGA. Thailand hosted the 14th Ministerial Meeting in Bangkok from 8-10 March 2016 which approved Nepal’s membership and welcomed Nepal as its 34thmember.
  5. ACD Senior Officials Meeting (SOM) is attended by foreign secretaries or senior government officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Member States.
  6. Nepal became 34th Member of ACD on 10 March 2016. Since then Nepal has been participating in all activities/events of the Forum. Nepal as an ACD member attended the 14th ACD Ministerial Meeting held in Bangkok in March 2016; participated in the ACD Foreign Ministers’ Meeting held in New York in September 2016 on the sideline of UNGA; and took part in the 2nd ACD Summit held in Bangkok.
  1. Nepal attended the 15th ACD Ministerial Meeting held in Abu Dhabi on 15-17 January 2017. Foreign Secretary of Nepal H.E. Mr. Shanker Das Bairagi led Nepali delegation to the Meeting. Foreign Secretary delivered his statement and underlined the importance of harnessing Nepal’s immense hydropower potentials for the benefit of ACD region.

February 2018