SAARC
SAARC
SAARC
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1. INTRODUCTION
The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, or SAARC, is an economic and
geopolitical organization that was established to promote socio-economic development,
stability, and welfare economics, and collective self-reliance within its member nations.
Founded during a summit in 1985, SAARC’s initial members include Bangladesh, Bhutan,
India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Due to rapid expansion within the region,
Afghanistan received full-member status and countries are considered observers. SAARC
respects the principles of sovereign equality, territorial integrity, and national independence
as it strives to attain sustainable economic growth.
2.HISTORY 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).
3 . SAARC
The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) was established with the
signing of the SAARC Charter in Dhaka on 8 December 1985.
The idea of regional cooperation in South Asia was first raised in November 1980. After
consultations, the foreign secretaries of the seven founding countries—Bangladesh, Bhutan,
India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka—met for the first time in Colombo in April
1981.
Afghanistan became the newest member of SAARC at the 13th annual summit in 2005.
3.1 PRINCIPLES
Cooperation within the framework of the SAARC shall be based on:
o Such cooperation shall not be a substitute for bilateral and multilateral cooperation but
shall complement them.
o Such cooperation shall not be inconsistent with bilateral and multilateral obligations.
Eight states―Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri
Lanka. Six observers—China, Japan, European Union, Republic of Korea, United States, Iran
The idea of regional cooperation in South Asia was first raised in November 1980. After
consultations, the foreign secretaries of the seven founding countries—Bangladesh, Bhutan,
India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka—met for the first time in Colombo in April
1981. This was followed a few months later by a meeting of the Committee of the Whole,
which identified five broad areas for regional cooperation. The foreign ministers, at their first
meeting in New Delhi in August 1983, adopted the Declaration on South Asian Association
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for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and formally launched the Integrated Program of Action
(IPA) in the five agreed areas of cooperation: agriculture; rural development;
telecommunications; meteorology; and health and population activities. Later, transport; postal
services; scientific and technological cooperation; and sports, arts, and culture were added to
the IPA. Afghanistan became the newest member of SAARC at the 13th annual summit in
2005. China and Japan were granted observer status at the same.
o Afghanistan
o Bangladesh
o Bhutan
o India
o Maldives
o Nepal
o Pakistan
o Sri Lanka
o There are currently nine Observers to SAARC, namely: (i) Australia; (ii) China; (iii) the
European Union; (iv) Iran; (v) Japan; (vi) the Republic of Korea; (vii) Mauritius; (viii)
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Myanmair; and (ix) the United States of America
4. OBJECTIVE
a) To promote the welfare of the peoples of South Asia and to improve their quality of life;
b) 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 realise their full potential
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c) To promote and strengthen collective self-reliance among the countries of South Asia;
d) To promote active collaboration and mutual assistance in the economic, social, cultural,
technical and scientific fields
g) To cooperate with international and regional organisations with similar aims and purposes.
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’
‘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
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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;
After more than two decades since its founding at the initiative of General Zia-ul -Rahman, the
then President of Bangladesh, the number of members is being increased from seven to eight.
And for the first time a member with no common border with India — Afghanistan — joined
SAARC. Also China, Japan, US, South Korea and the European Union attended the Summit
as observers. It is only logical that in the not very distant future Russia too will be added to the
list of observers.
In fact one member of SAARC (Pakistan) refuses to extend the normal most favoured nation
treatment to its neighbour (India) though this is a basic prerequisite under the World Trade
Organisation regulations.
Though there has been a formal agreement to convert the SAARC region into a free trade area,
Pakistan and Bangladesh have been reluctant to move towards the fulfillment of that objective.
In reality SAARC is largely a name board with annual rituals, not always regularly observed.
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While in other parts of the world, the trend is towards countries coming together to form larger
markets, in South Asia this sentiment prevails only among Sri Lanka, Bhutan and India.
Pakistan and Bangladesh do not contribute to the world-wide wisdom that countries coming
together to form larger markets is a mutually beneficially proposition.
In Europian countries like Germany and France got over their centuries old animosity. This
happened when countries like Germany, Italy, Spain discarded their authoritarian regimes and
became democracies. In ASEAN too Indonesia and Malaysia concluded peace after years of
confrontation. Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia who fought long wars with the US, which was
supported by other ASEAN countries have now become economic and political partners of
countries which helped to wage war against them.
Unfortunately such radical transformation has not taken place in South Asia. There are reasons
to believe that underlying this difference in development may be that religion-based identity
exercises greater dominance in some countries of South Asia than nationalism-based identity.
The future of SAARC appears to be brighter because in the past. SAARC was buffeted by
Cold War tensions and Pakistan, Nepal and Bangladesh were attempting to exploit the
differences between India and China and India and the US. Recent changes in the orientation
of US policy and the Washington perception about the need to have a balance of power in Asia
and consequent need to enhance Indo-US relations have had a radical impact on India’s
relations with China and South East Asia.
Increasingly India is referred to as one of the six balancers of power in the emerging
international system. India today has a strategic partnership with Russia, the US and the
European Union and a strategic dialogue with China and Japan.
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The visits of Premier Wen Jia Bao of China, President Vladamir Putin of Russia, Prime
Junichiro Minister Koizumi of Japan and President Bush to India and invitation to India along
with China to attend the G-8 summit of advanced industrial powers has helped to transform the
situation in the SAARC region towards increasing cooperation.
There is now better realisation that neither India-China nor India-US relations can be exploited
by other nations as happened during the Cold War.
In the SAARC region democracy is gaining ground. Afghanistan has an elected government
for the first time. Recent developments in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nepal, though yet to result
in full blown democracy are moving in a positive direction. In Bhutan monarchy is voluntarily
transforming itself into a democracy.
Some Pakistani intellectuals argue that the factor that stands in the way of regional cooperation
and integration in South Asia is the overwhelming dominance of India which constitutes more
than 70 per cent of the population, resources and industrial and agricultural production of the
region. It is therefore difficult to compare the evolution of SAARC with that of European Union
or ASEAN. In a sense it could be argued that India itself with its multi-culturalism,
multilingual, multiethnic and multi religious composition is like a further integrated European
Union.
Political evolution within India has made it inevitable that India will be federally governed by
coalitions of all-India and regional parties with regional autonomy and aspirations fully
accommodated. This development is bound to have its impact on the rest of the SAARC region.
So will India’s rapid economic development, its aspirations to become a knowledge based
There were people in India’s neighbourhood who thought Indian unity would not survive. This
conviction persuaded them not to invest in the evolution of SAARC over the last two decades.
That situation is changing.
Though it is unrealistic to expect any immediate radical changes in the attitudes of Pakistan
and even Bangladesh towards SAARC there is no doubt that a new era of increasing integration
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is beginning, because of the forces of globalisation and emergence of an international balance
of power.
The region is full of challenges and opportunities. South Asia is home to more than 1.5 billion
people associated with various racial, lingual and religious groups. Some of the main
challenges and problems facing the region include poverty, illiteracy, underdevelopment,
terrorism, human trafficking, and racial and ethnic conflicts. Similarly, food and energy crises
have also come out as burning issues of the region. In spite of such challenges and problems,
South Asia is abundant in human as well as natural resources. When these resources are
managed and utilized effectively, the region is sure to make considerable socio-economic
progress within a short span of time.
The South Asian people have many reasons to be optimistic if we look at the SAARC Charter
that has included all the existing realities in the sub-continent, with the countries of different
sizes, various levels of socio-economic development, historical legacies between and among
the nations of the region. But, when the progress made by SAARC is assessed minutely, we do
not find a very encouraging picture in terms of quality of life the people in South Asia.
However, SAARC is gradually fostering cooperation among the member states in a wide range
of areas. Because of its contributions to promoting peace, good neighbourly relations and
bringing about socio-economic transformation in the region, SAARC has become a valuable
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forum among its member states. As a saying goes: ‘Rome was not built in a day’, the regional
forum also requires some more time to achieve its goals and objectives.
i
http://saarc-sec.org/about-saarc
ii
https://globaledge.msu.edu/
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