History and Evolution of SAARC The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation(SAARC) comprises the seven countries of South Asia, i.e. Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan andSri Lanka. It is an Association based on the consciousness that in an increasingly interdependent world, the objectives of peace, freedom, social justice and economic prosperity are best achieved in the South Asian region by fostering mutual understanding, good neighborly relations and meaningful cooperation among the Member States which are bound bytes of history and culture. The idea of regional cooperation in South Asia was first mooted in May 1980. After consultations, the Foreign Secretaries of the seven countries met for the first time in Colombo in April 1981. This was followed by a meeting of the Committee of the Whole in Colombo in August-September 1981, which identified five broad areas for regional cooperation. The Foreign Ministers of South Asia, at their first meeting in New Delhi in August 1983, adopted the Declaration on South Asian Regional Cooperation (SARC) and formally launched the Integrated Programme of Action (IPA) initially in five agreed areas of cooperation namely, Agriculture; Rural Development; Telecommunications; Meteorology; and Health and Population Activities. The Heads of State or Government at their First SAAR Summit held in Dhaka on 7-8 December 1985 adopted the Charter formally establishing the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). The objectives, principles and general provisions contained in the SAARC Charter are as follows: Objectives
This document is posted to help you gain knowledge. Please leave a comment to let me know what you think about it! Share it to your friends and learn new things together.
Transcript
History and Evolution of SAARC
The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation(SAARC) comprises the seven countries of
South Asia, i.e. Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan andSri Lanka.
It is an Association based on the consciousness that in an increasingly interdependent world, the
objectives of peace, freedom, social justice and economic prosperity are best achieved in the
South Asian region by fostering mutual understanding, good neighborly relations and meaningful
cooperation among the Member States which are bound bytes of history and culture. The idea of
regional cooperation in South Asia was first mooted in May 1980. After consultations, the Foreign
Secretaries of the seven countries met for the first time in Colombo in April 1981. This was
followed by a meeting of the Committee of the Whole in Colombo in August-September
1981, which identified five broad areas for regional cooperation. The Foreign Ministers of South
Asia, at their first meeting in New Delhi in August 1983, adopted the Declaration on South Asian
Regional Cooperation (SARC) and formally launched the Integrated Programme of Action (IPA)
initially in five agreed areas of cooperation namely, Agriculture; Rural Development;
Telecommunications; Meteorology; and Health and Population Activities. The Heads of State or
Government at their First SAAR Summit held in Dhaka on 7-8 December 1985 adopted the Charter
formally establishing the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
The objectives, principles and general provisions
contained in the SAARC Charter are as follows:
Objectives
To promote the welfare of the peoples of South Asia and to improve their quality of life;
To accelerate economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region
and to provide all individuals the opportunity to live in dignity and to realize
their full potential;
To promote and strengthen collective self-reliance among the countries of South Asia;
To contribute to mutual trust, understanding and appreciation of one another’s
problems;! To promote active collaboration and mutual assistance in the economic, social,
cultural, technical and scientific fields;
To strengthen cooperation with other developing countries;
To strengthen cooperation among themselves in international forums on matters of
common interests; and
To cooperate with international and regional organizations with similar aims and
purposes.
History and mission of SAARC
The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) comprises eight countries
of South Asia, i.e. Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri
Lanka. The idea of regional cooperation in South Asia was first mooted in May 1980 by
Bangladesh President Ziaur Rahman.
President Rahman addressed letters to the Heads of Government of the countries of South
Asia, presenting his vision for the future of the region and the compelling arguments for
regional cooperation in the
context of evolving
international realities.
The Foreign Secretaries of
seven countries in South
Asia met for the first time in
Colombo in April 1981 and
identified five broad areas
for regional cooperation.
A series of meetings followed in Nepal (Kathmandu/November 1981), Pakistan
(Islamabad/August, 1982), Bangladesh, India (Delhi/July 1983) to enhance regional
cooperation.
The next step of this process was the Foreign Ministers meeting in New Delhi in 1983
where they adopted the Declaration on South Asian Regional Cooperation (SARC).
During the next two years South Asian nations committed themselves to form this South Asian
alliance and the process culminated in the First SAARC Summit held on 7-8 December in 1985
in Dhaka where the Heads of State or Government of seven countries, Bangladesh, Bhutan,
India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka adopted the Charter formally establishing the
South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
Preamble to the SAARC Charter
The preamble to the SAARC Charter spells out the intention of forming this South Asian
alliance as “We, the Heads of State or Government of BANGLADESH, BHUTAN, INDIA,
MALDIVES, NEPAL, PAKISTAN and SRI LANKA; ‘Desirous of promoting peace, stability, amity
and progress in the region through strict adherence to the principles of the UNITED NATIONS
CHARTER and NON-ALIGNMENT, particularly respect for the principles of sovereign equality,
territorial integrity, national independence, non-use of force and non-interference in the
internal affairs of other States and peaceful settlement of all disputes’ ‘Conscious that in an
increasingly interdependent world, the objectives of peace, freedom, social justice and
economic prosperity are best achieved in the SOUTH ASIAN region by fostering mutual
understanding, good neighbourly relations and meaningful cooperation among the Member
States which are bound by ties of history and culture’ ‘Aware of the common problems,
interests and aspirations of the peoples of SOUTH ASIA and the need for joint action and
enhanced cooperation within their respective political and economic systems and cultural
traditions’” ‘Convinced that regional cooperation among the countries of SOUTH ASIA is
mutually beneficial, desirable and necessary for promoting the welfare and improving the
quality of life of the peoples of the region; ‘Convinced further that economic, social and
technical cooperation among the countries of SOUTH ASIA would contribute significantly to
national and collective self-reliance; ‘Recognising that increased cooperation, contacts and
exchanges among the countries of the region will contribute to the promotion of friendship
and understanding among their peoples; Do hereby agree to establish an organisation to be
known as SOUTH ASIAN ASSOCIATION FOR REGIONAL COOPERATION hereinafter referred to
as the ASSOCIATION...’ Objectives Moreover, the cooperation of the SAARC is also based on
broader principles of respect for the principles of sovereign equality, territorial integrity,
political independence, noninterference in internal affairs of the Member States and on
mutual benefit. Decisions are taken on the basis of unanimity and bilateral and contentious
issues are excluded from the deliberations of SAARC.
The highest authority of the Association rests with the Heads of State or Government. The
SAARC Charter provides that the Heads of State or Government shall meet once a year or
more often as and when considered necessary by the Member States. The country which
hosts the summit holds the Chair of the Association.
The Association also convenes meetings at Ministerial level on specialised themes Council of
Ministers comprising the Foreign Ministers of Member States, the Council of Ministers is
responsible for formulating policies, reviewing progress, deciding on new areas of cooperation,
establishing additional mechanisms as deemed necessary, and deciding on other matters of
general interest to the
Association.
The Council meets
normally twice a year
and may also meet in
extraordinary sessions
by agreement of
Member States.
Standing Committee
The Standing Committee comprising the Foreign Secretaries of Member States is entrusted
with the task of overall monitoring and coordination of programmes, approving of projects
and programmes, and modalities of financing, determining inter-sectoral priorities,
mobilising regional and external resources, and identifying new areas of cooperation.
Usually this Committee meets twice a year preceding the Council of Ministers and submits
its reports to the Council of Ministers.
It may also meet in special session as and when necessary by agreement among Member
States. The Standing Committee is authorised to set up Action Committees comprising
Member States concerned with implementation of projects involving more than two but
less than seven Member States. (Article VII of the SAARC Charter).
Programming Committee
The Programming Committee (which is not a SAARC Charter body) comprises senior
officials of member States. It assists the Standing Committee in scrutinising the Secretariat
Budget, considers the reports of the Technical Committees, SAARC Audio Visual Exchange
(SAVE) Committee, and Regional Centres finalising, and the Calendar of Activities.
Technical Committees
The SAARC Technical Committees are responsible for determination of the potential and
the scope of regional cooperation in agreed areas, formulation of programmes and
preparation of projects, determination of financial implications of sectoral programmes,
formulation of recommendations regarding apportionment of costs, implementation and
coordination of sectoral programmes, and monitoring of progress in implementation.
In addition to the Technical Committees, various Working Groups are established to
consider specific issues and make recommendations to the appropriate SAARC bodies.
Currently five Working Groups are established in the areas of Telecommunications and ICT,
Biotechnology, Intellectual Property Rights and tourism. SAARC Secretariat The SAARC
Secretariat is based in Kathmandu, Nepal.
The Secretariat coordinates and monitors implementation of activities, prepares and
services meetings, and serves as a channel of communication between the Association and
its Member States as well as other regional organizations.
The Secretariat is headed by the Secretary General, who is appointed by the Council of
Ministers from member countries in alphabetical order for a three-year term. Dr. Sheel Kanta
Sharma from India currently serves as the Secretary General of SAARC.
The Secretary General is assisted by Directors on deputation from Member States. Committee
on Economic Cooperation The Committee of Economic Cooperation consists of Secretaries of
Commerce of member states and it promotes regional cooperation in the economic field.
The Agreement on SAARC Preferential Trading Arrangement (SAPTA) was signed in Dhaka
during the 7th SAARC Summit, in 1993.
It aims to promote and sustain mutual trade and the economic cooperation among the South
Asian States, through exchanging concessions.
Later, with the broad objective of moving towards a South Asian Economic Union (SAEU),
the SAARC Member States signed the Agreement on SAARC Free Trade Area (SAFTA) on 6
January 2004 at the 12th SAARC Summit held in Islamabad and came into force on 1
January 2006.
SAFTA has six core elements covering trade liberalization programme, rules of origin,
institutional arrangements, safeguard measures, special and differential treatment for
least developed countries (LDCs), and dispute settlement mechanisms.
SAARC Summits since inception
Dhaka, Bangladesh 7-8 December 1985
Bangalore India 16-17 November 1986
Katmandu, Nepal 2-4 November 1987
Islamabad, Pakistan 29-31 December 1988
Male, Maldives 21-23 November 1990
Colombo, Sri Lanka, 21 December 1991
Dhaka, Bangladesh, 10-11 April 1993
New Delhi India, 2-4 May 1995
Male, Maldives 12-14 May 1997
Colombo, Sri Lanka, 29-31 July 1998
Katmandu, Nepal, 4-6 January 2002
Islamabad, Pakistan, 2-6 January 2004
Dhaka, Bangladesh, 12-13 November 2005
New Delhi, India, 3-4 April 2007
SAARC Social Charter
The signing of the Social Charter by the Heads of State/ Government at the 12th SAARC
Summit held in Islamabad in 2004, has been a major development in SAARC.
The Social Charter aims at promoting the welfare of the peoples of South Asia and
accelerating economic growth and social progress through poverty alleviation, improving
health conditions of peoples, human resource development, empowerment of women,
and providing welfare to the children.
Although the Social Charter is not a binding document, it underpins the SAARC Charter
objective of ‘providing all individuals the opportunity to live in dignity and to realize their
full potentials’.
SAARC Regional Convention of Suppression of Terrorism The SAARC Regional Convention
of Suppression of Terrorism was signed during the Third SAARC Summit in Kathmandu in
November 1987.
This was the result of a series of discussions held between Member States for more than
two years starting from very first SAARC Summit held in Dhaka. This Convention recognizes
dangers posed by the spread of terrorism and its harmful effects on peace & cooperation
and also the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the States.
This Convention came into force on 22 August 1988. Later, an Additional Protocol to this
Convention was signed during the 12th SAARC Summit in Islamabad on 06 January 2004. This
Additional Protocol updates the Convention by adding terrorist financing and has been ratified
by all Member States.
SAARC Regional Agenda The Agenda of Regional Cooperation under SAARC has expanded
over the years and are broadly covered under the Regional Integrated Programme of
Action (RIPA). In addition, a number of issues are given high priority.
At the 12th SAARC Summit held in Islamabad in 2004, the Heads of States/Government
recognized ‘poverty alleviation’ as the greatest challenge facing the peoples of South Asia
and declared poverty alleviation as the overarching goal of all SAARC activities.
Co-operation with the International Organizations SAARC has established institutionalized
arrangements for cooperation with a number of other regional groupings and
international and regional organizations.
It has entered into cooperative arrangements through the signing of MOUs with
organizations like the EC, UNCTAD, ESCAP, UNIFEM, APT, ITU, UNDP, UNDCP, UNEP,
UNIFEM, CIDA, WHO, ADB, PTB, UNAIDS, UNICEF, World Bank etc.
SAARC has recently agreed with ASEAN Secretariat for a Partnership Work Plan (2004-
2005) in a number of areas including trade, HIV/AIDS, energy and tourism. SAARC has a
dialogue forum with ASEAN and EU on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly sessions.
People to People Contacts
Under the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme, some specifically identified categories of
persons along with their spouses and dependent children are entitled to travel within the
SAARC region without visa.
Although the Visa Scheme is yet to attain the depth and coverage of regional visa schemes
like the Schengen visa, it has proved to be effective in generating credibility about the SAARC
process.
SAARC as an institution has always emphasized the need for strengthening people-to-
people contacts through greater participation of NGOs, including professional bodies in
the private sector, to promote socio-economic and cultural co-operation in South Asia.
SAARC has formulated a set of guidelines and procedures for granting recognition to
regional NGOs and professional bodies. SAARC Charter Day The SAARC Secretariat and
Member States observe 8th December as the SAARC Charter Day.
SAARC designated years SAARC has designated years to draw special focus on specific
social issues and has contributed to raising awareness, mobilizing resources and
adopting/adapting national programs.
SAARC designated years
1989 Year of Combating Drug Abuse and Drug Trafficking
1990 Year of Girl Child
1991 Year of Shelter
1992 Year of Environment
1993 Year of Disabled persons
1994 Year of the Youth
1995 Year of Poverty Alleviation
1996 Year of Literacy
1997 Year of Participatory Governance
1999 Year of Biodiversity
2002-2003 Year of Contribution of Youth to Environment
2004 Year of Awareness for TB & HIV/AIDS
2006 South Asia Tourism Year SAARC has also declared decades on specialized themes;
.
SUCCESS OF SAARC AFTER 25 YEARS OF ESTABLISHMENT
The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) summit is often described as
being a mere photo opportunity for south Asian leaders who should actually be using the
comatose organization to reinvent regional cooperation in a globalize world. Such
pessimism is inevitable if one takes stock of the progress that SAARC has made over the
period of time. There exists a SAARC convention to deal with all issues that have a certain
salience in the regional context. Yet, even 25 years after its inception the organization is
found wanting both in terms of forming a regional identity and of forging any sense of a
regional belongingness. This is where the problem lies. Contested national identities
constructed by member states have not encouraged an identity based on common socio-
cultural heritage to take root.
South Asian countries engage readily and often with powerful states in the international
system, yet when it comes to regional engagement, their bilateral relations have remained
strained, and are characterized by mistrust and suspicion thus making regional
cooperation hostage to bilateral politics.
Gaining Strategic Space
At present, consisting of eight members, SAARC has the potential to expand its
membership to include Myanmar. What has been intriguing in the recent past is that while