SOUTH ASIAN ASSOCIATION FOR REGIONAL

COOPERATION

CHAPTER 1.

INTRODUCTION:

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is an organisation

of South Asian nations, which was established on 8 December 1985 when the

government of Bangladesh , Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka

formally adopted its charter providing for the promotion of economic and social

progress, cultural development within the South Asia region and also for friendship

and cooperation with other developing countries. It is dedicated to economic,

technological, social, and cultural development emphasising collective self-reliance.

Its seven founding members are Sri Lanka, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan,

and Bangladesh. Afghanistan joined the organization in 2007. Meetings of heads of

state are usually scheduled annually; meetings of foreign secretaries, twice annually.

It is headquartered in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Area of operation of SAARC nations are Agriculture and Rural Development Health

and Population Activities Women, Youth and Children Transportation Environment and

Forestry Science and Technology and Meteorology Human Resources development .

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1.1 History

The first concrete proposal for establishing a framework for regional cooperation in

South Asia was made by the late president of Bangladesh, Ziaur Rahman, on May 2,

1980. Prior to this, the idea of regional cooperation in South Asia was discussed in at

least three conferences: the Asian Relations Conference in New Delhi in April 1947,

the Baguio Conference in the Philippines in May 1950, and the Colombo Powers

Conference in April 1954. In the late 1970s, SAARC nations agreed upon the creation

of a trade bloc consisting of South Asian countries. The idea of regional cooperation

in South Asia was again mooted in May 1980. The foreign secretaries of the seven

countries met for the first time in Colombo in April 1981. The Committee of the

Whole, which met in Colombo in August 1985, identified five broad areas for

regional cooperation. New areas of cooperation were added in the following years.

Afghanistan was added to the regional grouping on 13 November 2005 With the

addition of Afghanistan, the total number of member states were raised to eight (8). In

April 2006, the United States of America and South Korea made formal requests to be

granted observer status. The European Union has also indicated interest in being

given observer status, and made a formal request for the same to the SAARC Council

of Ministers meeting in July 2006. On 2 August 2006 the foreign ministers of the

SAARC countries agreed in principle to grant observer status to the US, South Korea

and the European Union. On 4 March 2008, Iran requested observer status. Followed

shortly by the entrance of Mauritius.

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1.2 OBJECTIVES

The objectives of the Association as defined in the Charter are:

1. To promote the welfare of the people of South Asia and to improve their

quality of life;

2. 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;

3. To promote and strengthen selective self-reliance among the countries of

South Asia;

4. To contribute to mutual trust, understanding and appreciation of one another's

problems;

5. To promote active collaboration and mutual assistance in the economic, social,

cultural, technical and scientific fields;

6. To strengthen cooperation with other developing countries;

7. To strengthen cooperation among themselves in international forums on

matters of common interest; and

8. To cooperate with international and regional organisations with similar aims

and purposes.

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1.3PRINCIPLES

The principles are:

Respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity, political equality and

independence of all members states

Non-interference in the internal matters is one of its objectives

Cooperation for mutual benefit

All decisions to be taken unanimously and need a quorum of all eight

members

All bilateral issues to be kept aside and only multilateral (involving many

countries) Issues to be discussed without being prejudiced by bilateral issues

1.4. CURRENT MEMBERS

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CURRENT MEMBERS

 Afghanistan

 Bangladesh

 Bhutan

 India

 Maldives

 Nepal

 Pakistan

 Sri Lanka

OBSERVERS

 Australia

 China

 European Union

 Japan

 Iran

 Mauritius

 Myanmar

 South Korea

United States

OTHERS

 South Africa has participated in

meetings.

1.5 REGIONAL CENTRES

5

The SAARC Secretariat has established various regional centers in member

states. Each regional centre is managed by a governing board. The GB has

representatives of each of the member state and SAARC Secretariat.

The SAARC Secretariat is supported by following Regional Centres

established in Member States to promote regional cooperation. These Centres are

managed by Governing Boards comprising representatives from all the Member

States, SAARC Secretary-General and the Ministry of Foreign/External Affairs of the

Host Government. The Director of the Centre acts as Member Secretary to the

Governing Board which reports to the Programming Committee.

REGIONAL CENTRES

SAARC Agricultural Centre (SAC), Dhaka

SAARC Meteorological Research Centre (SMRC), Dhaka

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SAARC Tuberculosis Centre (STC), Kathmandu

SAARC Documentation Centre (SDC), New Delhi

SAARC Human Resources Development Centre (SHRDC), Islamabad

SAARC Coastal Zone Management Centre (SCZMC), Maldives

SAARC Information Centre (SIC), Nepa l

SAARC Energy Centre (SEC), Pakistan

SAARC Disaster Management Centre (SDMC), India

SAARC Forestry Centre (SFC), Bhutan

SAARC Cultural Centre (SCC), Sri Lanka

1.6 APEX AND RECOGNISED BODIES

SAARC Apex Bodies

SAARC Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCI)

SAARCLAW

South Asian Federation of Accountants (SAFA)

South Asia Foundation (SAF)

South Asia Initiative to End Violence Against Children (SAIEVAC)

Foundation of SAARC Writers and Literature (FOSWAL)

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SAARC Recognized Bodies

SAARC Federation of University Women (SAARCFUW)

Association of Management and Development Institutions in South Asia

(AMDISA)

South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation of Architects (SAARCH)

Federation of State Insurance Organizations of SAARC Countries (FSIO)

SAARC Diploma Engineers Forum (SDEF)

Radiological Society of SAARC Countries (RSSC)

SAARC Teachers Federation (STF)

SAARC Surgical Care Society (SSCS)

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South Asian Regional Association of Dermatologists, Venereologists and

Leprologists (SARAD)

South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA)

SAARC Women’s Association in Sri Lanka (SWA)

Hindukush Himalayan Grassroots Women’s Natural Resources Management

(HIMAWANTI)

Federation of Association of Pediatric Surgeons of SAARC Countries

(FAPSS)

South Asian Federation of Exchanges (SAFE)

SAARC Federation of Oncologists (SFO)

South Asia Association of National Scout Organization (SAANSO)

South Asian Network of Economic Research Institute (SANEI)

1.7 ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE

The SAARC comprises five layers of organizational structure:

1. Council: At the top, there is the Council represented by the heads of the

government of the member countries. The council the apex policy making body. It

meets once in 2 years time.

2. Council of Minister: It is to assist the council. It is represented by the foreign

minister of the member countries. Its functions include:

Formulation of policies

Review of functioning

Deciding new areas of cooperation

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Chalk our additional mechanism

Decide about general issues of common of interest of the SAARC member.

3. Standing Committee: It is comprised by the foreign secretarian of the member

government. Its major functions are:

To monitor and co-ordinate the programmes

To determine inter-sectored priorities

To mobilise cooperation within and outside the region

To deal with the modalities of financing.

4. Programming Committee: It consist of the senior official of the member

governments. Its functions include:

Scrutinizing the budget of the secretarial

Finalizing the annual schedule

External activities assigned by the standing committee

Analyses the respects of the technical committee.

5. Technical Committee: It consist of the represented of the member nations. Its

function are:

To formulate project and programmer

To monitor and execute the projects

To submit reports.

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The Technical Committee converts the areas such as: Agriculture, Communication,

Environment, Rural Development, Health and Population, Science and Technology,

Tourism and Transport.

.

SECRETARIAT

The SAARC Secretariat was established in Kathmandu on 16 January 1987 and was

inaugurated by Late King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah of Nepal.

It is headed by a Secretary General appointed by the Council of Ministers from

Member Countries in alphabetical order for a three-year term. He is assisted by the

Professional and the General Services Staff, and also an appropriate number of

functional units called Divisions assigned to Directors on deputation from Member

States. The Secretariat coordinates and monitors implementation of activities,

prepares for and services meetings, and serves as a channel of communication

between the Association and its Member States as well as other regional

organizations. The Memorandum of Understanding on the establishment of the

Secretariat which was signed by Foreign Ministers of member countries on 17

November 1986 at Bangalore, India contains various clauses concerning the role,

structure and administration of the SAARC Secretariat as well as the powers of the

Secretary-General.

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In several recent meetings the heads of state or government of member states of

SAARC have taken some important decisions and bold initiatives to strengthen the

organisation and to widen and deepen regional co-operation.

Secretarial: The SAARC secretarial is located in Nepal. Its function include:

1. Coordination, execution and monitoring of SAARC activities

2. Servicing the SAARC meetings

3. Work as communication link between the SAARC and other international forume.

SECRETARIES-GENERAL OF SAARC

Abul Ahsan January 16, 1987 to 15 October 1989

Kishore Kant Bhargava October 17, 1989 to December 31, 1991

Ibrahim Hussain Zaki January 1, 1992 to December 31, 1993

Yadav Kant Silwal January 1, 1994 to December 31, 1995

Naeem U. Hasan January 1, 1996 to December 31, 1998

Nihal Rodrigo January 1, 1999 to January 10, 2002

Q.A.M.A. Rahim January 11, 2002 to February 28, 2005

Lyonpo Chenkyab Dorji March 1, 2005 to February 29, 2008

Sheel Kant Sharma March 1, 2008 to February 28, 2011

Fathimath Dhiyana Saeed March 1, 2011 to March, 2012

Ahmed Saleem March, 2012 to present

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CHAPTER 2.

SAARC SUMMITS:-

No Date Country Host Host leader

1st 7–8 Dec 1985 Bangladesh Dhaka Ataur Rahman Khan

2nd 16–17 Nov 1986 India Bangalore Rajiv Gandhi

3rd 2–4 Nov 1987 Nepal Kathmandu Marich Man Singh Shrestha

4th 29–31 Dec. 1988 Pakistan Islamabad Benazir Bhutto

5th 21–23 Nov. 1990 Maldives Malé Maumoon Abdul Gayoom

6th 21 Dec. 1991 Sri Lanka Colombo Dingiri Banda Wijetunge

7th 10-11pril 1993 Bangladesh Dhaka Khaleda Zia

8th 2–4 May 1995 India New Delhi P. V. Narasimha Rao

9th 12–14 May 1997 Maldives Malé Maumoon Abdul Gayoom

10t

h

29–31 July 1998 Sri Lanka Colombo Sirimavo Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike

11t

h

4–6 January 2002 Nepal Kathmandu Sher Bahadur Deuba

12t 2–6 January 2004 Pakistan Islamabad Zafarullah Khan Jamali

13

h

13t

h

12–13 Nov 2005 Bangladesh Dhaka Khaleda Zia

14t

h

3–4 April 2007 India New Delhi Manmohan Singh

15t

h

1–3 August 2008 Sri Lanka Colombo Ratnasiri Wickremanayake

16t

h

28–29 April 2010 Bhutan Thimphu Jigme Thinley

17t

h

10-11 Nov 2011 Maldives Addu Mohamed Nasheed

18t

h

2013 Nepal Kathmandu Baburam Bhattarai

SAARC SUMMITS:-

First summit

The first summit was held in Dhaka, Bangladesh on 7–8 December 1985, and was

attended by the presidents of Bangladesh, Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, the kings

of Bhutan and Nepal, and the prime minister of India. They signed the SAARC

Charter on 8 December 1985, thereby establishing the regional association, and

established study groups on the problems of terrorism and drug trafficking, as well as

planning a ministerial-level meeting about GATT, and a ministerial-level conference

on increasing the participation of women at the regional level. The summit also

agreed to establish a SAARC secretariat and adopted an official SAARC emblem.

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Second summit

The second summit was held in November 16-17 Bangalore, India in 1986. The

Heads of State or Government welcomed the signing of the Memorandum of

Understanding on the establishment of the SAARC Secretariat by the Council of

Ministers and their decision to locate the Secretariat in Kathmandu and appoint

Ambassador Abul Ahsan of Bangladesh as the first Secretary-General of SAARC.

Third summit

The third summit was held in Kathmandu, Nepal on 2–4 November 1987, and was

attended by the presidents of Bangladesh, the Maldives and Sri Lanka, the prime

ministers of India and Pakistan, and the kings of Bhutan and Nepal. The foreign

ministers of the member states signed the SAARC Regional Convention on

Suppression of Terrorism and an agreement to establish a South Asian Food Reserve.

Fourth summit

The fourth summit was held in Islamabad, Pakistan on 29–31 December 1988 and

was attended by the presidents of Bangladesh, the Maldives and Sri Lanka, the prime

ministers of India and Pakistan, and the kings of Bhutan and Nepal. The summit

discussed the coup attempt on 3 November 1988, declared 1989 to be the "SAARC

Year Against Drug Abuse", declared 1990 to be the "SAARC Year of the Girl Child",

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set up a technical committee on education, and launched a regional plan called

"SAARC-2000-A Basic Needs Perspective" to meet specific targets by the end of the

twentieth century in areas such as food, shelter, education and environmental

protection. It was also agreed to hold regular "South Asian Festivals" with the first

being hosted by India.

Fifth summit:

The fifth summit was held in Malé, Maldives on 21–23 November 1990 and was

attended by the presidents of Bangladesh, the Maldives and Sri Lanka, the prime

ministers of India, Nepal and Pakistan, and the king of Bhutan. The leaders signed the

SAARC Convention on Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances, launched the

Special SAARC Travel Document (providing visa-exemptions for national judges,

parliamentarians and academics and their immediate families), launched a Scheme for

the Promotion of Organised Tourism, authorized the SAARC secretariat to share

information and exchange reports, studies and publications with the European

Community and the Association of South East Asian Nations, declared various

SAARC years (1991-2000 AD) to be the "SAARC Decade of the Girl Child", 1991 to

be the "SAARC Year of Shelter", 1992 to be the "SAARC Year of the Environment",

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1993 to be the "SAARC Year of Disabled Persons", and decided to set up the SAARC

Tuberculosis Centre in Nepal and the SAARC Documentation Centre in India.

Sixth summit

The sixth summit was held in Colombo, Sri Lanka on 21 December 1991 and was

attended by the prime ministers of Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan, the

presidents of the Maldives and Sri Lanka, and the king of Bhutan. The discussion on

regional co operation , non interference in each other internal affairs and peaceful

settlement of issue about international economic issue and international political

development and strengthen of SAARC and fight with terrorism and development of

small states .

Seventh summit

The seventh summit was held in Dhaka, on 10–11 April 1993, and was attended by

the presidents of the Maldives and Sri Lanka, the prime ministers of Bangladesh,

India, Nepal and Pakistan, and the king of Bhutan. It was discussed mainly about

Science and technology is important for the development of south Asia to facilated

the research and exchange of information through networking arrangement in field of

biotechnology, genetic engineering & energy modeling techniques.

Eighth summit

The eighth summit was held in New Delhi, on 2–4 May 1995, and was attended by

the presidents of the Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, the prime ministers of

Bangladesh, India and Nepal, and the king of Bhutan. It was Decade of SAARC.The

main point of this summit is eradication of poverty women development, SAARC

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Preferential trading Agreement (SAPTA), Protection of person with disability and

literacy.

Ninth summit

The ninth summit was held in Malé, on 12–14 May 1997, and was attended by the

presidents of the Maldives and Sri Lanka, the prime ministers of Bangladesh, India,

Nepal and Pakistan, and the king of Bhutan.

Tenth summit

The tenth summit was held in Colombo, on 29–31 July 1998, and was attended by the

presidents of the Maldives and Sri Lanka and the prime ministers of Bangladesh,

Bhutan, India, Nepal and Pakistan.

Eleventh summit

The eleventh summit was held in Kathmandu, on 4–6 January 2002, and was attended

by the presidents of the Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka and the prime ministers of

Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal.

Twelfth summit

The twelfth summit was held in Islamabad, on 4–6 January 2004, and was attended by

the presidents of the Maldives and Sri Lanka and the prime ministers of Bangladesh,

Bhutan, India, Nepal and Pakistan.

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Thirteenth summit

The thirteenth summit was held in Dhaka, on 12–13 November 2005, and was

attended by the prime ministers of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Pakistan, the

presidents of the Maldives and Sri Lanka, and the king of Nepal

Fourteenth summit

The fourteenth summit of SAARC was held in New Delhi, on 3rd-4 April 2007, and

was attended by the presidents of Afghanistan, the Maldives and Sri Lanka and the

prime ministers Bhutan, India, Nepal and Pakistan and the chief adviser of the

government of Bangladesh.

Fifteenth summit

The fifteenth summit of SAARC was held in Colombo, Sri Lanka on 1–3 August

2008. The issues discussed were regional cooperation, partnership for growth for the

peoples of South Asia, connectivity, energy, the environment, water resources,

poverty alleviation, the SAARC Development Fund, transport, information and

communications technology development, science and technology, tourism, culture,

the South Asian Free Trade Area, the SAARC Social Charter, women and children,

education, combating terrorism, and the admission of Australia and Myanamar as

observers.

Food Security

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At the summit, one of the major points of discussion was the global food crisis. The

SAARC heads of government made a statement saying "in view of the emerging

global situation of reduced food availability and worldwide rise in food prices, we

direct that an Extra-ordinary Meeting of the Agriculture Ministers of the SAARC

Member States be convened in New Delhi, India in November 2008, to evolve and

implement people-centered short to medium term regional strategy and collaborative

projects.

They also acknowledged the need to forge greater cooperation with the international

community to ensure the food availability and nutrition security.

Sixteenth summit

The sixteenth summit was held in Thimpu, Bhutan on 28–29 April 2010. Bhutan

hosted the SAARC summit for the first time. This was marked the silver jubilee

celebration of SAARC that was formed in Bangladesh in December 1985. Climate

change was the central issue of the summit with summit's theme "Towards a Green

and Happy South Asia". Outcome of Thimpu Summit regarding climate change issue:

SAARC leaders signed a SAARC Convention on Cooperation on

Environment to tackle the problem of climate change.

The SAARC nations also pledged to plant 10 million trees over the next 5

years.

India proposed setting up of climate innovation centres in South Asia to

develop sustainable energy technologies.

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India offered services of India's mission on sustaining the Himalayan

Ecosystem to the SAARC member states saying that the initiative could serve

as a nucleus for regional cooperation in this vital area.

India announced "India endowment for climate change" in South Asia to help

member states meet their urgent adaption and capacity building needs posed

by the climate change.

2.1. 17th SAARC Summit: 'Building Bridges'

The 17th Summit level conference of South Asian Association for Regional

Cooperation (Saarc) is going to be held in Maldives on November 10-11. The theme

of this year's Summit is "Building Bridges."

South Asia is a region where there are more than 100 languages, 10 main religions,

one-fifth of world population and various types of regional, bilateral and multilateral

organizations. The intention of establishing this regional body was "to cooperate

regionally, to work together towards finding solutions to common problems in a spirit

of friendship, trust and mutual understanding and to the creation of an order based on

mutual respect, equity and shared benefits" (Dhaka Declaration, 1985). It was hoped

that through the creation of Saarc economic, social and technical cooperation among

the countries of South Asia would contribute significantly to national and collective

self-reliance.

Though 26 years have passed there are mixed views about the successes and failures

of Saarc. The main successes of Saarc are first, for the first time the member states are

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legally obliged to respect each other's territorial integrity and sovereignty. Second,

yearly meeting of heads of the states/governments bring the countries closer and

prevent exacerbation of existing tensions, and also search for possible approaches to

mitigate them. Third, the areas of cooperation identified by the technical committee

facilitate the economic and social development of the member states.

Fourth, the agreement to combat women and child trafficking is an important

benchmark for such a regional forum. Fifth, considering climate change, "the leaders,

deeply concerned by the extent of environmental degradation in the region, reiterated

the importance of sustainably managing environment and development through

adoption of eco-friendly approaches and technologies, and that South Asia should

become a world leader in low-carbon technology and renewable energies" (Thimphu

Declaration, 2010). Sixth, to alleviate poverty, the 13th Summit meeting endorsed

formulation of Saarc Development Goals (SDGs) and also emphasized regular

monitoring of the process. Seventh, the inclusion of Afghanistan increases the

acceptability of the forum.

The 14th Summit was particularly significant as it emphasized connectivity.

According to Declaration 4, "the heads of states/governments recognized the

importance of connectivity in fulfilling these objectives. It was vital to first have

better connectivity within South Asia and then with the rest of the world. They agreed

to improve intra-regional connectivity, particularly physical, economic and people-to-

people connectivity. They agreed to the vision of a South Asian community where

there was smooth flow of goods, services, people, technologies, knowledge, capital,

22

culture and ideas in the region." The South Asian Preferential Trade Agreement

(SAPTA) is another notable achievement of Saarc.

However, Saarc has failed to establish itself as an effective body of regional

development as compared to other regional organizations like European Union or

ASEAN.

Although, as per Article 1 of the Charter, some of the main objectives of the

organisation were to promote welfare of the people and improve their lives, and

accelerate economic growth and social progress, the forum has failed to achieve these

basic objectives and the members are mostly moving individually towards economic

emancipation in spite of having broad-based areas of mutual cooperation.

Though, in principle, the member states agreed on sovereign equality, territorial

integrity, political independence and non-interference in the internal affairs of other

states, small states like Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri-Lanka and Bhutan are in many

respects dependent on the will of the bigger state India. Almost all the countries in the

region have bilateral problems with India. There are problems related to border,

terrorism, arms competition etc. between India and Pakistan. There are problems

related to water sharing, exchange of enclaves, border fencing, border killings etc.

between Bangladesh and India while landlocked states Nepal and Bhutan have no

options but to abide by the will of India. Without managing or minimising these, it

will be very difficult to make Saarc an effective body. Article 10(2) of the Saarc

Charter is a barrier in resolving these problems as it states: "Bilateral and contentious

issues shall be excluded from the deliberations."

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South Asia is a unique region as it has linguistic and cultural diversification, and is a

geo-strategic location. Maldives is the lowest lying state in the region whereas Nepal

is the highest point. Both the countries, along with Bangladesh, are in a vulnerable

situation because of global climate change. This needs special attention, but Saarc has

failed to address them.

As a result, the theme of the 16th Summit at Bhutan in 2010, "Towards a Green and

Happy South Asia," has become nothing but a slogan.

Because of the many problems within SAARC, it is of immense importance to make

this body functional. Farsighted, democratic political leadership can solve the

problems, but in most of the South Asian countries democracy is still developing.

The theme of the upcoming Summit indicates its significance as it aims to build

bridges of friendship, peace and security, which can benefit all the states. By forming

a task force, as proposed by the Bangladesh prime minister at the 16th Summit at

Bhutan, Saarc can lay the foundation stone for achieving peace and prosperity.

In the era of globalisation, only collective efforts can ensure national development. As

development is a combined process, narrow national interest can only ensure short-

term benefits, but creates numerous obstacles in the long run. The European Union is

the brightest model of regional cooperation, and even Asean has been more successful

than Saarc in many respects. Although it has a lot of potential, Saarc is still far from

24

it's destination. We the people are waiting to see a happy and prosperous South Asia.

Hopefully, the dream will be materialised.

CHAPTER 3.

ACHIEVEMENT OF SAARC:

South Asian Free Trade Area

Over the years, the SAARC members have expressed their unwillingness on signing a

free trade agreement. Though India has several trade pacts with Maldives, Nepal,

Bhutan and Sri Lanka, similar trade agreements with Pakistan and Bangladesh have

been stalled due to political and economic concerns on both sides. In 1993, SAARC

countries signed an agreement to gradually lower tariffs within the region, in Dhaka.

Eleven years later, at the 12th SAARC Summit at Islamabad, SAARC countries

devised the South Asia Free Trade Agreement which created a framework for the

establishment of a free trade area covering 1.6 billion people. This agreement went

into force on January 1, 2008. Under this agreement, SAARC members will bring

their duties down to 20 percent by 2009. .

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ENVIRONMENT:

1. A SAARC Disaster Management Centre (SDMC) was established in New Delhi in

October 2006. The SDMC provides policy advice and facilitates capacity building

including strategic learning, research, training, system development, expertise

promotion and exchange of information for effective disaster risk reduction and

management.

2. Regional Centers such as the SAARC Coastal Zone Management Centre in the

Maldives, the SAARC Forestry Centre in Bhutan, the SAARC Disaster Management

Centre in India and the SAARC Meteorological Research Centre in Bangladesh

constitute a framework of SAARC Institutions which address diverse aspects of

environment, climate change and natural disasters.

3. Sixteenth SAARC Summit, Thimphu, 28-29 April 2010

Climate Change was the theme of the Sixteenth SAARC Summit (Thimphu, 28-29

April 2010) and, among others, the Heads of State or Government of SAARC adopted

the Thimphu Statement on Climate Change which outlines a number of important

initiatives at the national and regional levels to strengthen and intensity regional

cooperation to address the adverse effects of climate change in a focused manner. The

Inter-governmental Expert Group on Climate Change (IGEG.CC), established by the

26

Thimphu Statement, is scheduled to meet in Sri Lanka in 2011. The IGEG.CC is

required to monitor, review progress and make recommendations to facilitate the

implementation of the Thimphu Statement. The IGEG.CC will report to the SAARC

Environment Ministers.

HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

At the Thirteenth SAARC Summit held in November 2005 in Dhaka, India proposed

to create a Centre of Excellence, in the form of a South Asian University, which can

provide world class facilities and professional faculty to students and researchers

drawn from every country of the region.

POVERTYALLEVIATION

Recognizing the imperative to address poverty related issues and to suggest strategies

and measures to alleviate poverty in the region, the SAARC Leaders at their Sixth

Summit (Colombo, 1991) established an Independent South Asian Commission on

Poverty Alleviation (ISACPA).

TOURISM

The Tourism Ministers who met at Cox's Bazar (Bangladesh) in May 2006, adopted

the Cox's Bazar SAARC Action Plan on Tourism.

Several factors such as political, economic, security and potentiality of

mutual economic benefit through regionalism seem to have influenced President Ziaur

Rahman’s thinking about establishing a regional organization in South Asia. 15

27

SAARC’s existence, however, has enabled South Asian political leaders to meet

regularly and carry on informal discussions to address their mutual problems.

This is no mean achievement given South Asia’s past history and low level

of interaction among South Asian countries since their independence. Informal talks

among the leaders at regularly held SAARC meetings have led to inter-elite

reconciliation on many sensitive issues, producing some noteworthy results in South

Asia. The informal talks between the Indian and Pakistani Prime Ministers at the

second SAARC Summit meeting at Bangalore in November 1986 led to the diffusion

of tension between the two countries on the issue of India’s military exercise,

Operation Brasstacks, on the Indo-Pakistan border, and the India-Sri Lanka talks at

the 1987 SAARC foreign ministers’ meeting led to their accord on the Tamil problem.

As a result of an informal meeting and discussion between Prime Minister of India

and Pakistan, Narasimha Rao and Nawaz Sharif, at Davos (Switzerland), in 1992, the

Pakistani government took action to prevent the move of the Jammu and Kashmir

Liberation Front (JKLF) to cross the ceasefire line in Kashmir later that year. The

Davos meeting was possible because of an earlier informal agreement between the

two leaders at the sixth SAARC Summit meeting at Colombo in December 1991.

Given this utility of SAARC, can the organization grow or expand its role in the

coming decades? The Heads of State or Government during the Ninth SAARC

Summit agreed for the first time that a process of informal political consultations

would prove useful in promoting peace, stability, amity and accelerated socio-

economic cooperation in the region. The leaders reiterated this intent during their

Tenth and Eleventh Summits in Colombo and Kathmandu respectively also. The

Agreement on SAARC Preferential Trading Arrangement

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(SAPTA) was signed in 1993 and four rounds of trade negotiations have been

concluded. With the objective of moving towards a South Asian Economic Union

(SAEU), the Agreement on South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) was signed during

the Twelfth Summit in Islamabad in January 2004. SAFTA may enter into force by

the end of the year 2006. The Association has carried out Regional Studieson trade,

manufactures and services, environment and poverty

alleviation, SAFTA and Customs matters. Since its inception in 1984 there have also

been serious differences among member countries over the aims and functioning of

SAARC.16 Such differences have been pronounced in verbal bickerings in several

SAARC meetings. This is in the face of the fact that closer social, economic and

cultural ties (the espoused ideals of SAARC) are considered the one and only hope for

building regional cooperation efforts in South Asia in the coming years. Indeed,

increasing rationalization of world trade and the fluidity of the emerging global

system has increased trade within each trade bloc and those countries that do not

belong to any trade blocs are likely to be the losers.17 This also provides a strong

rationale for sustaining the SAARC vis-à-vis future trade prospects of South Asia.

The assumption that peace can be achieved through SAARC without addressing the

political problems of the region has neither been able to cultivate peace nor to

invigorate the SAARC process successfully. Though since its very inception it has

been regularly able to hold Summit meetings yet there have been interruptions in

between owing mainly to intrastate conflicts between the member countries.

3.1 FUTURE PROSPECTS:

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South Asia needs increased co operations among its countries to face challenges

posed by hikes in food prices energy prices, recurrent disasters and climate change.

Due to gerographic, economic, cultural and other strategic reasons. South asia has

distinct advantages to cooperate in many areas including cross border infrastructure

and services, health, trade finance, and regional public goods. Due to its strategic

geographic location. southasia can play an important role in the wider Asian

integration, Though there are significant achievement in cooperation among the south

asian countries the progress in regional cooperation and integration has been slow.

The SAARCH has tremendous prospects to expedite the integration process.

Regional co operation can help achieve economic and social development. Cross-

border development of basic infrastructure such as highways, railways, shipping and

air connectivity, inland waterways, power grids, san telecommucation links can

reduce physical barriers to the movement of goods and people across national

boundaries, it can in turn help to expand regional trade and tourism, increase foreign

echange earning capacity, and create labour intensive activites generating emplyement

oppportunites. Reginoal co operation can increase the regional cooperation can play a

very important role in assisting south asian coutires speed up economic growth.

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SAARC has a vital role to play in poverty reduction and building a more intergrated

and prosperous asian region the SAARC can help to be a stabilizing element to

bilateral relationship.

The history of SAARC shows that it had been high on promise and low on delivery,

to change the organization into a more vibrant and result oriented body, they need to

overcome their differences and disputes and create a climate of mutual trust and

confidence.

The recent steps such as social charter, SAFTA, and declarations on Terrorism are in

the positive direction and their goals appear achievable there political will to do so

appears forthcoming now this looks good for the future of the SAARC.

3.2 FUTURE MEMEBERSHIP:-

The People's Republic of China has shown its interest in joining SAARC.

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While Pakistan and Bangladesh support China's candidature, India is against

the prospect of Chinese membership. China's entry in to SAARC will likely

balance India's overbearing presence there. However, during the 2005 Dhaka

summit, India agreed on granting observer status to the PRC along with

Japan. During the 14th summit, Nepal along with Pakistan and Bangladesh,

announced their support for the membership of China. China seeks greater

involvement in SAARC, however, finds it too early to apply for full

membership.

Indonesia intends to become an observer as well, and is supported

by Sri Lanka. Iran, a state with borders to two SAARC members, has

traditionally enjoyed strong cultural, economic and political relationships

with Afghanistan and Pakistan and has expressed its desire to become a

member of the South Asian organization. On 22 February 2005, the Foreign

Minister of Iran, Kamal Kharrazi, indicated Iran's interest in joining SAARC

by saying that his country could provide the region with "East-West

connectivity".

On 3 March 2007, Iran asked to join the SAARC as an observer. SAARC

Secretary-General Lyonpo Chenkyab Dorji responded by saying that Iran's

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request for observer status would be taken up during a meeting of ministers

of foreign affairs of SAARC member countries in the 3 April summit in New

Delhi.

Russia intends to become an observer as well, and is supported by

India. Myanmar has expressed an interest in joining as a full member, even

though it is already a member of the ASEAN. If done so, Myanmar will

become the ninth member in the group. India is currently backing Myanmar.

Myanmar's military regime officially applied for full SAARC membership in

May 2008. However, the application is still being considered and the

government is currently restricted to observer status. South Africa has

participated in meetings.

3.3 SAARC Youth Award

The SAARC Youth Award is awarded to outstanding individuals from the SAARC

region. The award is notable due to the recognition it gives to the Award winner in the

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SAARC region. The award is based on specific themes which apply to each year. The

award recognizes and promotes the commitment and talent of the youth who give

back to the world at large through various initiatives such as Inventions, Protection of

the Environment and Disaster relief. The recipients who receive this award are ones

who have dedicated their lives to their individual causes to improve situations in their

own countries as well as paving a path for the SAARC region to follow. The

Committee for the SAARC Youth Award selects the best candidate based on his/her

merits and their decision is final.

Previous Winners:

1997: Outstanding Social Service in Community Welfare - Mr. Md. Sukur Salek

(Bangladesh)

1998: New Inventions and Discoveries - Dr. Najmul Hasnain Shah (Pakistan)

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2001: Creative Photography: South Asian Diversity - Mr. Mushfiqul Alam

(Bangladesh)

2002: Outstanding contribution to protect the Environment - Dr. Masil Khan

(Pakistan)

2003: Invention in the Field of Traditional Medicine - Mr. Hassan Sher (Pakistan)

2004: Outstanding contribution to raising awareness for TB and/or HIV/AIDS - Mr.

Ajij Prasad Poudyal (Nepal)

2006: Promotion of Tourism in South Asia - Mr. Syed Zafar Abbas Naqvi (Pakistan)

2008: Protecting the Environment in South Asia - Ms. Uswatta Liyanage Deepani

Jayantha (Sri Lanka) 2009: Outstanding contribution to humanitarian works in the

aftermath of Natural Disasters - Dr. Ravikant Singh (India)

2010: Outstanding contribution for the Protection of Environment and mitigation of

Climate Change - Ms. Anoka Primrose Abeyrathne (Sri Lanka)

CHAPTER 4.

SAARC: CAUSES OF FAILURE

The two-day 16th summit of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation

(Saarc) held in Bhutanese capital of Thimpu on April 28-29 concluded with a joint

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declaration expressing the resolve of their leaders to wage common struggle for

economic development, improve their inter-connectivity, promote people to people

contacts and evolve a joint strategy to tackle the issues of climate change, water and

food shortages.

During the last quarter of the previous century international relations witnessed a

strong surge towards regionalism. The underlying idea was to promote peace and

economic progress through multilateral partnership of states in the region by pooling

the available resources. Further impetus was provided by the emergence of new issues

that threatened the fabric of international norms, such as terrorism, drug trafficking,

extremism, and economic crisis. It was realized that these problems could not be

solved at bilateral level and required joint efforts and close coordination. Accordingly

regional groupings such as ECO, GCC, Asean and Saarc emerged.

Saarc came into being in December 1985, with the adoption of its charter in Dhaka.

The objectives were to promote the welfare and improve the quality of life of the

people of South Asia by accelerating economic growth in the region and building up

mutual trust among the member states.

The importance of Saarc as a regional organization despite its rather unsatisfactory

record, is recognized by all leaders. The feeling that peace and prosperity are

indivisible and that the South Asia region has a common destiny and a shared struggle

for a better and brighter future has emerged dominant theme.

The leaders who gathered in Thimpu made a frank appraisal and acknowledged that

the organisation has failed to live up “to the hope and aspiration of 1/5th of humanity”

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represented by Saarc members. The Prime Minister of Bhutan also expressed the hope

that Saarc will not turn into just “a talk shop”.

This honest confession that “the bloc has not moved away from declarations of intent

to concrete implementation”, should however not blind us to the achievements.

Its performance has not been entirely dismal. Despite failings, a number of significant

achievements such as

(i) The Regional Convention on Suppression of Terrorism

(ii) Saarc Agriculture Information Centre at Dhaka

(iii) Saarc audio visual exchange programme (SAVE)

(iv) Social Charter to set targets for eradication of poverty, population stabilisation

and human resource development fall to its credit.

The South Asia Preferential Trading Agreement (SAPTA) was signed in the 7th

summit at Dhaka in April 93, but it has not yet been operationalised. The proposal to

establish South Asian Food Reserve and South Asian Development Fund have also

met the same fate. Similarly declarations on enhancing political cooperation and

promotion of mutual trust and understanding reiterated in each summit have

registered limited success. Saarc despite these limitations and poor performance,

however, remains a useful tool for smaller countries to promote understanding and

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cooperation at bilateral level.

Facing criticism that Saarc has failed to realise its ambitious objectives during the last

25 years, the Thimpu Summit decided not to indulge in rhetoric and set ambitious

goals. The two major and modest projects agreed upon were US$300 million fund to

reduce poverty in the region and also on trade and environmental protection.

The perceptions of the failure of Saarc to implement its charter have been aggravated

by the political climate obtaining in the region. SAARC summits should act as a

forum where member states discuss not only matters of regional importance but also

the underlying causes of tension in bilateral relations.

To retain its credibility and relevance Saarc should eschew unrealistic economic and

social goals; instead it should be effectively used as a medium to discuss issues of

peace, security and development with international organisations and agencies to

promote interests of the member countries.

At the Thimpu Summit, the leaders pledged that they will unitedly work to realise the

aspirations of the founding fathers as set out in the first Summit.

The fundamental weakness that Saarc suffers from is trust deficit among the members

states. The political differences had deep negative impact on the political will to

realise the economic cooperation and integration. Besides political differences and

conflict, economic factors have also played an unhelpful role. The member states

except India have still not reached the take-off stage to be able to pursue the

programme of economic integration and collaboration.

The establishment of Saarc Development Fund, Food Bank, The Arbitration Council,

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and the Regional Standards Organizations are the right moves. Saarc should also seek

free and preferential trading arrangements with other regional bodies notably EU and

the Asean. The people of South Asia desire to have a peaceful, prosperous and secure

future. The security can be obtained through sincere and sustained efforts to narrow

the political differences. Saarc is the appropriate tool not only to build trust but also to

solve disputes and create conducive climate for realisation of Saarc charter.

Political issues:- SAARC has intentionally laid more stress on "core issues"

mentioned above rather than more divisive political issues like the Kashmir dispute

and the Sri Lankan civil war. However, political dialogue is often conducted on the

margins of SAARC meetings. SAARC has also refrained from interfering in the

internal matters of its member states. During the 12th and 13th SAARC summits,

extreme emphasis was laid upon greater cooperation between the SAARC members to

fight terrorism.

Conclusion

Though the formation of SAARC is a landmark step taken by the leaders of

the region, the main rational behind its establishment is to develop a congenial

environment through summit policy where all nations may interact peacefully with

each other, cultivate sustainable peace and promote mutual economic well being by

harnessing available resources in the region through the peaceful process of economic

integration

The political tensions and conflicts surrounding the countries of a South Asia pose

question of uncertainty and challenge to the formation of South Asian Union.

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In order to achieve the objectives the SAARC would have to evolve into a full-

fledged ‘regional entity’ that can cultivate peace in the region. The realization of

durable peace and the future of economic integration through SAARC depend upon

the ability and interest of South Asian leaders to resolve domestic as well as long-

standing differences through peaceful eliberations.

REFERENCES:

Books:-

Author :Pierre Philippe combes. Economic Geography the Integration of Regions and

Nations Publisher : Princeton University Press (September 8, 2008)

Websites:

http://www.preservearticles.com

http://archives.dawn.com/archives/67400

http://www.saarc-sec.org

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http://www.thedailystar.net/newDesign/news-details.php?nid=208701

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