Afro-Asian Rural Development Organization
# Afro-Asian Rural Development Organization

African-Asian Rural Development Organization (AARDO) formed in 1962, is an autonomous inter-governmental organization comprising 34, 18 from Africa, 15 from Asia as full members and one associate member from Asia. AARDO is devoted to develop understanding among members for better appreciation of each other's problems and to explore, collectively, opportunities for coordination of efforts for promoting welfare and eradication of thirst, hunger, illiteracy, disease and poverty amongst hundreds of millions of rural people. AARDO has its headquarters in New Delhi, India. India, one of the founding members of the AARDO, is the largest contributor in terms of membership contribution.

## Member states

* Burkina Faso
* Arab Republic of Egypt
* Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia
* Republic of Gambia
* Republic of Ghana
* Republic of Kenya
* Republic of Liberia
* Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya
* Republic of Malawi
* Republic of Mauritius
* Kingdom of Morocco
* Federal Republic of Nigeria
* Republic of Sierra Leone
* Republic of the Sudan
* Republic of Zambia
* People's Republic of Bangladesh
* Republic of China (Taiwan)
* Republic of India
* Republic of Iraq
* Japan
* Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
* Republic of Korea
* Republic of Lebanon
* Malaysia
* Sultanate of Oman
* Islamic Republic of Pakistan
* Republic of the Philippines
* Syrian Arab Republic
* Republic of Yemen
* . Kingdom of Eswatini (Swaziland)

## History

The first Afro-Asian Conference on Rural Reconstruction was held in New Delhi in January 1961. The President of India inaugurated the conference which was attended by twenty three countries and five international organizations. At the end of the conference, the African-Asian Rural Reconstruction Organization was formed.

## Secretary Generals

| Name | Country | Tenure |
| - | - | - |
| Dr. Manoj Nardeosingh | Mauritius | Since 3 Sept 2019 |
| Eng. Wassfi Hassan El-Sreihin | Jordan | 3 Sept 2011– 2 Sept 2019 |
| Dr. Abdalla Yahia Adam | Sudan | 3 Sept 2003– 2 Sept 2011 |
| Dr. Bahar Munip | Malaysia | 3 Sept 1997 – 2 Sept 2003 |
| Mr. Ahmed Abdelwahed Khalil | Egypt | 3 Sept 1991 – 2 Sept 1997 |
| Mr. B.C. Gangopadhyay | India | 2 Sept 1985 – 2 Sept 1991 |
| Dr. B.S. Minhas | India | 2 Feb 1981 – 1 Sept 1985 |
| Mr. S.M. Osman | Egypt | 4 Oct 1974 – 12 Nov 1979 |
| Mr. Krishan Chand | India | 17 May 1965 – 4 Oct 1974 |
| Mr. Keshav Dutt Sharma | India | 4 Apr 1962 – 16 May 1965 |
