SAARC

INTRODUCTION


SAARC is an economic and
political organization.

SAARC was established on
December 8, 1985.

In terms of population - almost
1.5 billion people.



It aims to accelerate the
process of economic and
social development in
Member States.

SAARC provides a platform
for the peoples of South
Asia to work together in the
spirit understanding.

In April 2007, at the
Association's 14th summit,
Afghanistan became its
eighth member.

Evolution

In the late 1970s, Bangladeshi
President Ziaur Rahman proposed
the creation of a trade bloc consisting
of South Asian countries.
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 the seven
countries 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
(Katmandu/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).
First SAARC Summit held on 7-8
December in 1985 in Dhaka where the
Heads of State or Government of
seven countries adopted the Charter
formally establishing the South Asian
Association for Regional Cooperation
(SAARC).

Objectives

To promote the welfare of the people
To accelerate economic growth, social progress and
cultural development
To promote and strengthen collective self-reliance
To contribute to mutual trust, understand and
appreciation of one another's problem;
To promote active collaboration and mutual
assistance
To strengthen cooperation with other developing
countries;
To strengthen cooperation among themselves
To cooperate with international and regional
organisations with similar aims and purposes.
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
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 SAARC Secretariat and Member States
observe 8 December as the SAARC Charter Day.


Secretaries General



Abul Ahsan January 16, 1987 to 15 October 1989

Kant K Bhargava October17,1989 to December 31,1991

Ibrahim Hussain Zaki January 1, 1992 toDecember31,1993

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 present

IPA
(Integrated Programme of Action)

The Declaration on South Asian Regional Cooperation was
adopted by the Foreign Ministers in 1983 in New Delhi. During
the meeting, the Ministers also launched the Integrated
Programme of Action (IPA) in nine agreed areas namely:-

Agriculture
Rural Development
Telecommunications
Meteorology
Health and Population Activities
Transport
Postal Services
Science and Technology
Sports, Arts and Culture

List of SAARC summits


1st Saarc Summit (Dhaka, December 8, 1985)
2nd Saarc Summit (Bangalore, November 17, 1986)
3rd Saarc Summit (Katmandu, November 4, 1987)
4th Saarc Summit (Islamabad, December 31, 1988)
5th Saarc Summit (Male', November 23, 1990)
6th Saarc Summit (Colombo, December 21, 1991)
7th Saarc Summit (Dhaka, April 11, 1993)
8th Saarc Summit (New Delhi, May 4, 1995)
9th Saarc Summit (Male', May 14, 1997)
10th Saarc Summit (Colombo, July 31, 1998)
11th Saarc Summit (Katmandu, January 6, 2002)
12th Saarc Summit (Islamabad, January 6, 2004)
13th Saarc Summit (Dhaka, November 13,2005)
14th Saarc Summit (New Delhi, April 3-4,2007)
15th Saarc Summit (Colombo, July 27 August 4,2008)


SAPTA
(SAARC Preferential Trading Agreement)

The Agreement on (SAPTA) was signed on 11 April
1993 and entered into force on 7 December 1995
To promote and sustain mutual trade and economic
cooperation within the SAARC region through the
exchange of concessions.
The establishment of an Inter-Governmental Group
(IGG) to formulate an agreement to establish a
SAPTA by 1997 was approved in the Sixth Summit
of SAARC held in Colombo in December 1991.

Principles underlying SAPTA

Overall reciprocity and mutuality of advantages
Negotiation of tariff reform
Recognition of the special needs of the Least
Developed Contracting States and agreement
on concrete preferential measures in their favour
Inclusion of all products, manufactures and
commodities in their raw, semi-processed and
processed forms.
So far, four rounds of trade negotiations have been
concluded under SAPTA covering over 5000
commodities
SAFTA
(South Asian Free Trade Agreement)
The Agreement on the South Asian Free
Trade Area is an agreement reached at the
12th SAARC summit at Islamabad, capital of
Pakistan on 6 January 2004.
Free trade area covering 1.4 billion people in
India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka,
Bangladesh, Bhutan and the Maldives
The new agreement i.e. SAFTA, came into
being on 1 January 2006 and will be
operational following the ratification of the
agreement by the seven governments
India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka - to bring
their duties down to 20 percent in the
first phase of the two year period ending
in 2007.
In the final five year ending 2012, the 20
percent duty will be reduced to zero in a
series of annual cuts.
Nepal, Bhutan, and Maldives -three
years to reduce tariffs to zero.

Dhaka 2005 summit
The summit accorded observer status to People's Republic
of China, Japan, South Korea and United States of America.
The nations also agreed to organize development funds
under a single financial institution with a permanent
secretariat, that would cover all SAARC programs ranging
from social, to infrastructure, to economic ones.
Observer Status

In April 2006, the United States of America and South
Korea made formal requests to be granted observer
status.

The European Union 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 August 2, 2006 the foreign ministers of the SAARC
countries agreed in principle to grant observer status to
the US, South Korea and the European Union
SAARC 2008 summit

The 15th SAARC summit was held at Colombo
during 1
st
and 3
rd
of August, 2008.

The SAARC declaration covers areas of
regional cooperation, partnership for growth,
connectivity, energy, environment, water
resources, poverty alleviation, SAARC
development fund, transport, information and
communications technology development,
SAFTA and trade facilitation, terrorism, and
other social and cultural issues.
On energy, the Heads of State and
Government recognize the need to: develop
and conserve conventional sources of energy;
build up renewable energy resources; and
introduce energy reforms, energy efficiency
and the trade and sharing of technology.



For the first time in its history, the declaration
specifically mentions terrorism.
SAARC foreign ministers signed agreements
on charter of the US $ 307 million SAARC
Development Fund, the South Asian
Regional Standards Organization,
Convention on Mutual Legal Assistance on
Criminal Matters (including terrorism), and
taking Afghanistan into SAFTA.



Political issues and ineffectiveness
SAARC has intentionally laid more stress on "core
issues" rather than more decisive political issues
like the Kashmir dispute and the Sri Lankan civil
war.
SAARC is unable to play a crucial role in integrating
South Asia
Over the years, SAARC's role in South Asia has
been greatly diminished and is now used as a mere
platform for annual talks and meetings between its
members.

European Union (EU) and SAARC
In 1999, EU and SAARC agree to cooperate on
improving market access for SAARC products into EU.
The EU has observer in SAARC since 2006.
EU is convinced that SAARC could play a useful role
in regional co-operation and dialogue.
FUTURE MEMBERSHIP
The People's Republic of China
The Islamic Republic of Iran
The Russian Federation
Union of Myanmar
The Republic of South Africa
DESIGNATED SAARC YEARS

1989 SAARC Year of Combating Drug Abuse and Drug Trafficking
1990 SAARC Year of Girl Child
1991 SAARC Year of Shelter
1992 SAARC Year of Environment
1993 SAARC Year of Disabled Persons
1994 SAARC Year of the Youth
1995 SAARC Year of Poverty Eradication
1996 SAARC Year of Literacy
1997 SAARC Year of Participatory Governance
1999 SAARC Year of Biodiversity
2002-2003 SAARC Year of Contribution of Youth to Environment
2004 SAARC Awareness Year for TB and HIV/AIDS
2006 South Asia Tourism Year

SAARC DECADES

1991-2000 SAARC Decade of the Girl Child
2001-2010 SAARC Decade of the Rights of
of the child