The Visioning and Strategy Meeting of the BEES Network was held in Kathmandu, Nepal, from the 10th – 12th of October 2022 under the leadership of Ms. Maithreyi Rajasingam, the newly appointed Chairperson of the Network and was successfully conducted with the participation of the Members/Directors, Advisors, Representatives from the World Bank, Consultants, and the team from the BEES Secretariat in Sri Lanka. The meeting was the culmination of a year-long endeavor for the development of the Network’s vision and strategic plan.
Extremely fruitful discussions were held during the 3-day physical meeting creating the necessary space for the participants to fully concentrate on the different aspects of the Network and their enthusiasm and passion truly drove forward the agenda. The board was able to align on the visioning of the Network, set up and action the strategic priorities, review and deliberate on the foundational manuals, gather inputs and insights from the BEES Advisors, configure the BEES organizational structure, and many more.
Ms. Monica Raina, the World Bank Consultant, assisted in the smooth sailing of the meeting at all times. In the midst of this meeting, some members of the board were able to have very promising discussions with His Excellency, Mr. Esala Ruwan Weerakoon, the Secretary General of SAARC, during the visit to the SAARC Secretariat in Kathmandu where he was introduced to the Network.
A Round Table Meeting was organized with invited partners and institutional representatives from select regional and international organisations such as UN Women, UNDP, ILO, and the World Bank in order to introduce the BEES Network and its strategic priorities and intended plan for the region and obtain their valuable insights on collaborations and opportunities for BEES.
It was a great pleasure for the Directors and other well-wishers of the Network to meet each other in person after a gap of three years. The meet-up accelerated the redefining of all the necessary pillars of the Network and its smooth functioning in the future for the collective development of the region, capitalizing on the exposure for the BEES Network as a social network striving for an integrated South Asia.