The 16th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit took place from 28-29 April 2010 in Thimphu, Bhutan. The meeting was attended by the SAARC member states of Nepal, India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and Afghanistan. In addition, representatives of China, Japan, Republic of Korea, the US, Iran, Mauritius, Australia, Myanmar and the European Union attended as observers.
Climate change was the main theme of the Summit and member states adopted the Thimphu Statement on Climate Change, in which they decide to establish an Inter-governmental Expert Group on Climate Change to develop a clear policy direction for regional cooperation as envisaged in the SAARC Plan of Action on Climate Change. The Thimphu Statement also resolves to commission a study, for presentation at the 17th summit, on “Climate Risks in the Region: ways to comprehensively address the related social, economic and environmental challenges.” The SAARC leaders also sought observer status for the regional grouping at the sixteen Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC to be held in Cancún, Mexico, in late 2010.
Link to further information
Meeting web site