DO YOU KNOW?

SAARC
What is South Asian Association
for Regional Cooperation
(SAARC) ?
The SAARC is an organisation
of South Asian nations. In the
late 1970s, President Zia-ur
Rahman, proposed the creation
of trade bloc consisting of South
Asian countries. The Bangladeshi
proposal was accepted by India,
Pakistan and Sri Lanka during
a meeting held in Colombo in
1981. In August 1983, the leaders
adopted the Declaration on South
Asian Regional Cooperation
during a summit which was held
in New Delhi.
The heads of Seven South
Asian Countries of SAARC
i.e. Bangladesh, Bhutan, India,
Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and
Sri Lanka signed the charter
to establish the South Asian
Association for Regional
Cooperation (SAARC) on 8th
December, 1985. Afghanistan
joined SAARC as a Member at the
Fourteenth Delhi SAARC Summit
in April 2007.
What are the main objectives of
SAARC ?
l
To promote the welfare of the
peoples of SOUTH ASIA and
to improve their quality of
life
l
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 potentials
l
To promote and strengthen

32

collective self-reliance among

the countries of SOUTH
ASIA
l
To contribute to mutual trust,
understanding and appreciation
of one anothers problems
l
To promote active collaboration
and mutual assistance in the
economic, social, cultural,
technical and scientific fields
l
To strengthen cooperation with
other developing countries
l
To strengthen cooperation
among themselves in
international forums on matters
of common interests; and
l
To cooperate with international
and regional organisations with
similar aims and purposes.
What are the Principles of
SAARC?
l
Cooperation within
the framework of the
ASSOCIATION shall be
based on respect for the
principles of sovereign
equality, territorial integrity,
political independence, noninterference in the internal
affairs of other States and
mutual benefit.
l
Such cooperation shall not be
a substitute for bilateral and
multilateral cooperation but
shall complement them.
l

Such cooperation shall not be

inconsistent with bilateral and
multilateral obligations.

What is SAFTA (South Asian

Free Trade Area)?
SAPTA was envisaged primarily
as the first step towards the

transition to a South Asian Free

Trade Area (SAFTA) leading
subsequently towards a Customs
Union, Common Market and
Economic Union. In 1995, the
Sixteenth session of the Council
of Ministers (New Delhi, 18-19
December 1995) agreed on the
need to strive for the realization
of SAFTA and to this end an
Inter-Governmental Expert
Group (IGEG) was set up in 1996
to identify the necessary steps
for progressing to a free trade
area. The Tenth SAARC Summit
(Colombo, 29-31 July 1998)
decided to set up a Committee
of Experts (COE) to draft a
comprehensive treaty framework
for creating a free trade area
within the region, taking into
consideration the asymmetries
in development within the region
and bearing in mind the need
to fix realistic and achievable
targets.
The SAFTA Agreement was
signed on 6 January 2004 during
Twelfth SAARC Summit held
in Islamabad, Pakistan. The
Agreement entered into force
on 1 January 2006, and the
Trade Liberalization Programme
commenced from 1st July 2006.
Following the Agreement
coming into force the SAFTA
Ministerial Council (SMC) has
been established comprising
the Commerce Ministers of the
Member States. To assist the
SMC, a SAFTA Committee of
Experts (SCOE) has been formed.
SCOE is expected to submit its
report to SMC every six months.
The SAFTA Agreement states

YOJANA December 2011

that the the SMC shall meet at

least once every year or more
oftenas and when considered
necessary by the Contracting
States. Each Contracting State
shall chair the SMC for a period
of one year on rotational basis in
alphabetical order.
Where is the Secretariat situated
and how it functions?
The SAARC Secretariat is
based in Kathmandu, Nepal.
It 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
organisations.
The Secretariat is headed by
the Secretary General, who is
appointed by the Council of
Ministers from Member States in
alphabatical order for a three year
term. The SAARC Secretariat
and Member States observe 8
December as the SAARC Charter
Day.
What are the Working groups
of SAARC?
Wo r k i n g G r o u p s ( W G )
formulate and over see programmes

and activities within the framework

of SAARC to strengthen and
promote regional cooperation in
their respective areas. The WGs
coordinate, monitor and evaluate
programmes in this regard. In
recommending target-bound
programmes and activities, they
would also propose mechanisms
and sources of finance to implement
them. Further, they would also carry
out the directives emanating from
SAARC higher bodies. Following
WGs meet regularly to provide
inputs on their respective areas of
co-operation:
l

l
l

Wo r k i n g G r o u p
Biotechnology

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.
The regional centres are;
l
l

l
l

on

Working Group on Energy

Working Group on Information
and Communication
Technology (ICT)
Working Group on Tourism

What are the Regional Centres

of SAARC?
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

l
l
l

l
l

SAARC Agricultural Centre

(SAC), Dhaka
SAARC Meteorological
Research Centre (SMRC),
Dhaka
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), Nepal
SAARC Energy Centre
(SEC), Pakistan
SAARC Disaster
Management Centre
(SDMC), India
SAARC Forestry Centre
(SFC), Bhutan
SAARC Cultural Centre
q
(SCC), Sri Lanka

SAARC Summit in Maldives

The curtain came down on the Seventeenth-SAARC summit in Addu (Maldives) recently with the
South Asian grouping's leaders pushing for trade liberalisation and a host of initiatives that include setting
up a Rapid Action Force to combat natural disasters. Closing the summit, Maldives President Mohammad
Nasheed, the host and chair, announced a set of decisions that included commitments to reducing trade
barriers, strengthening investment and enhancing connectivity.
It was decided by consensus to direct the SAFTA (South Asian Free Trade Agreement) ministerial council
to reduce the sensitive list and non-tariff barriers, Nasheed also thanked India for its initiative in deciding to
reduce the sensitive lists for the least developed countries under SAFTA from 480 tariff lines (categories in
a country's tariff schedule) to 25.
The SAARC leaders also directed the finance ministers of their countries to explore avenues for more
investment in the region. They also decided to conclude a railway agreement and a motor vehicles agreement
before the next meeting of the SAARC council of ministers, expected some time in 2012. Nasheed also
announced Nepal will host the 18th SAARC summit in 2012.
YOJANA December 2011

33