I. THE GLOBAL AND REGIONAL SETTING

Opening Section

Mr. Daniel Toole, Regional Director, UNICEF Regional Office for South Asia, Kathmandu

• Key socioeconomic developments in South Asia and implications for child poverty and deprivations

 

Mr. Niranjan Basnyat, Director of Information and Poverty Alleviation, SAARC Secretariat, Kathmandu

• Assessing Progress on the SAARC Decade of the Rights of the Child

 

Honourable Minister of Planning, Government of Bangladesh, Mr. A.K. Khandaker, Chief Guest

• Opening Speech 

Analysing Child Poverty

Professor David Gordon, Director of the Townsend Centre for International Poverty Research, University of Bristol, UK

• Concepts and measures of child poverty - Theory and practice in developing and industrialized countries

Social Exclusion in South Asia – Implications for Child Poverty and Disparities

Ms. Annie Namala, Director, Centre for Inclusion and Equity, Delhi

• Processes of social exclusion in South Asia and impact on children

The Global and Regional Context

Ms. Sharmila Kurukulasuriya, Policy Officer, Social Policy and Economic Analysis, Division of Policy and Practice, UNICEF New York

• Global Economic Slowdown: Protecting the World's Vulnerable Children

 Dr. T. Palanivel,  Senior Economist, UNDP Regional Centre, Colombo

• Food, Fuel and Financial crises - Implications for the achievement of MDGs in South Asia

Keynote Address

Honourable Dr. Yuba Raj Khatiwada, Vice Chair, Nepal Planning Commission, Government of Nepal

• Social protection - Addressing poverty with a special focus on child poverty and disparities. Lessons from Nepal
  

II. KEY  THEMES AND FINDINGS FROM THE REGIONAL RESEARCH

Child Poverty and Deprivations – Global, Regional and Country Research and Policy Proposals

Dr. N.C. Saxena, Senior Adviser UNICEF India & Secretary (ret), Planning Commission, Government of India

• Operationalising a multidimensional approach to poverty and child well-being - The Indian experience

Ms. Sharmila Kurukulasuriya, Policy Officer, Social Policy and Economic Analysis, Division of Policy and Practice, UNICEF HQ  

• Global Study on Child Poverty and Disparity

Ms. Gabriele Koehler, Regional Advisor Social Policy & Ms. Azra Jafferjee, Consultant, UNICEF ROSA  

• Some Findings from the South Asia regional project on child poverty and disparities – Trends, challenging areas, implications for policy

Opportunities and Challenges - Methodological Issues in Researching Child Poverty

Dr. Muhammad  Golam Sarwar, Joint Chief, General Economic Division, Planning Commission 

Profesor Sadkika Halim, Chief Advisor, Human Development Research Centre, HDRC (lead consultant for report preparation)

• Findings and challenges in researching child poverty and disparities in Bangladesh

Mr Ruwan Jayathileke, Senior Economist, Institute of Policy Studies 

Indra Tudawe, Chief, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation section, UNICEF Sri Lanka

• Child Poverty in Sri Lanka - An econometric analysis

Convergence and Synergy in Social Policies to Address Child Poverty and Deprivations

Mr Atma Ram Pandey, Joint Secretary, Social development Division, Nepal Planning Commission, Nepal / Dr Bal Gopal Baidya, New ERA 

• The findings of the child poverty study and informing the policy change process

Ms. Kuenzang Lhadon, Researcher, Center for Bhutan Studies

• Gross National Happiness Index and the incorporation of social sector dimensions within it

Dr.Lham Dorje, Centre for Bhutan Studies, Government of Bhutan

• Access and quality of basic social services in Bhutan – Findings and implications for the Bhutanese children

Challenges of Addressing Child Poverty and Disparities in  Middle Income Countries

Honourable  Mariya Ali,  Deputy Minister of Health and Family & NN, Department of National Planning, Ministry of Finance and Treasury, Government of the Republic of Maldives

• Child poverty analysis in Maldives - Policy implications

Mr. A.G.W Nanayakkara,  Former Director General of Department of Census and Statistics and member of the Sri Lanka Study Team 

• Policies towards poverty reduction in Sri Lanka

Child Poverty and Disparity Challenges in Countries in Difficult Situations 

Mr. Abdul Hakeem Makhdoom, Director General, Federal bureau of Statistic, Government of Pakistan 

Mr. Amanullah Niazi, National Planning Commission, Government of Pakistan

Mr. Zafar Hameed Ismail, Consultant, Child Poverty and Budget Study 

• Coping with the dynamics of child poverty in Pakistan

III. ADVOCACY AND POLICY DIALOGUE

Mr. Dennis Arends, Chief Social Policy, Monitoring and Evaluation, UNICEF Egypt 

• Child rights observatories around the world – potential in influencing decision making

Ms. Myriam Blaser, Programme Officer, Education Section, UNICEF Nepal

• Tracking the Impact of the 3F Crisis on Education in Nepal – Methodology and Capacity Building

Challenges, Advocacy at Regional and Country Level, Next Steps

Panel on child poverty: Conclusions and Outlook

Chair: Ms. Gabriele Koehler, Regional Advisor, Social Policy, UNICEF ROSA

• Mr. Niranjan Basnyat, Director of Information and Poverty Alleviation, SAARC Secretariat, Kathmandu
• Ms. Annie Namala, Director, Centre for Inclusive Policy, New Delhi
• Professor David Gordon, Director of the Townsend Centre for International Poverty Research, University of Bristol, UK
• Dr. Naresh C. Saxena, Senior Advisor, UNICEF India
• Mr. Philippe Duamelle, Representative, UNICEF Sri Lanka
• Mr. Fakrul Ahsan, Division Chief, General Economics Division, Planning Commission, Government of Bangladesh
• Ms. Sharmila Kurukulasuriya, Policy Officer, Social Policy and Economic Analysis, Division of Policy and Practice, UNICEF NY