SAARC SOUTH ASIAN ASSOCIATION FOR REGIONAL COOPERATION

AFGHANISTAN

BANGLADESH

BHUTAN

INDIAMALDIVES

NEPAL

PAKISTAN

SRI LANKA

INTRODUCTIONSAARC is an eco-political organization of 8 South Asian nations, which was established on 8 December

1985 for friendship and cooperation among themselves and with other developing countries.

SAARC was founded in Dhaka in 1985. Its secretariat is based in Kathmandu. The

organization promotes development of economic and regional integration. It launched

the South Asian Free Trade Area in 2006. SAARC maintains permanent diplomatic

relations at the United Nation as an observer and has developed links with multilateral

entities, including the European Union.

FACTS AS OF 2015

•SAARC comprises 3% of the world's area, 21% of the world's population,9.12% of the global economy, as of 2015,Covering a population of more than 2 billion,

SAARC is the largest regional organization in the world.

HISTORYIdea of regional cooperation in South Asia was discussed in at least three conferences:

1-the Asians Relations Conference in New Delhi in April 1947

2-the Baguio Conference in the Philippines in May 1950,

3-the Colombo Powers Conference in April 1954

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

was made by the late president of Bangladesh, Zia-ur-Rehman, on May 2, 1980.

Established on 8 December 1985.

PRINCIPLES• Respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity, political equality and independence

of all members states.

• Non-interference in the internal matters.

• Cooperation for mutual benefit.

• All decisions to be taken unanimously.

• All bilateral issues to be kept aside and only multilateral issues to be discussed.

AIMS & OBJECTIVESWelfare of the people of south Asia.

Economic growth, social progress and cultural development .

Strengthen selective self-reliance among the countries of south Asia.

Understanding and appreciation of one another's problems.

Strengthen cooperation among themselves as well as with other developing countries and international

and regional organizations

Maintain peace in the region.

POTENTIAL FUTURE MEMBERS

Myanmar has expressed interest in upgrading it's status from

an observer to a full member of SAARC.

Russia has expressed interest in becoming an observer of

SAARC.

South Africa has participated in meetings.

Organizational Structure of SAARC

COUNCILAt the top, there is the Council represented by the

heads of the government of the member countries.

The council is the apex policy making body.

It meets once in 2 years time.

COUNCIL OF MINISTERSIt is to assist the council.

It is represented by the foreign ministers of the member countries.

Its functions include:

oFormulation of policies

oReview of functioning

oDeciding new areas of cooperation

oChalk out additional mechanism

oDecide about general issues of common interests of the SAARC members.

STANDING COMMITTEEIt is comprised by the foreign secretarian of the member

government.

Its major functions are:• To monitor and co-ordinate the programs

• To determine inter-sectored priorities

• To mobilize cooperation within and outside the region

• To deal with the modalities of financing.

PROGRAMMING COMMITTEE

It consist of the senior official of the member governments.

Its functions include:

Scrutinizing the budget of the secretariatFinalizing the annual scheduleExternal activities assigned by the standing CommitteeAnalyses the respects of the technical committee.

TECHNICAL COMMITTEEIt consist of the represented of the member nations.

Its function are:

To formulate project and programmes

To monitor and execute the projects

To submit reports.

Cover Areas like Agriculture, Communication, Environment, Rural Development, Health and Population, Science and Technology, Tourism and Transport

SECRETARIATThe SAARC secretariat is located in Nepal. The secretariat is headed by the secretary General appointed by the Council of Ministers. Its function include:

Servicing the SAARC meetings

Coordination, execution and monitoring of SAARC activities

Works as communication link between the SAARC and other international

forums.

SAARCAreas of Cooperation

Agriculture & Biotechnology

Trade & Finance

Education

Information , Communication & Media

Science & Technology

Energy & Environment

Tourism & Social Development

Culture

People-to-People Contacts

Trade & FinanceThe acceleration of economic growth is a Charter objective of SAARC.

Corporation in core areas of trade and finance b/w the SAARC members in 1991.

The following important processes of SAARC are promoting cooperation in the field of Trade, Economy and Finance

Customs Cooperation

South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) (Custom Duties down to 20%)

SAARC Preferential Trading Arrangement (SAPTA)

POLITICAL ISSUES

• The dispute over Kashmir’s accession to India

has been standing in the way of the lasting

peace and prosperity of the Indian

subcontinent as well as SAARC.

Agreements, Declarations & Conventions of SAARC

AGGREMENTS Agreement for establishment of SAARC Arbitration Council

Final Agreement on Avoidance of Double Taxation

Final Agreement on Customs Matters

CHARTER OF SDF 31 July 2008

Agreement on establishing the SAARC food bank

Agreement on south Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA)

Agreement on the Establishment of South Asian Regional Standards Organization (SARSO)

Agreement on Avoidance of Double Taxation

DECLARATIONS• Ministerial Declaration on Global Economic Crisis

• Colombo Statement on Children of South Asia

• Declaration on Cooperation in Combating Terroris

• Islamabad Declaration on Health, 2005

• Colombo Declaration on a Common Environment Program

• Common Position on Climate Change, Nov. 1998

• Rawalpindi Resolution on Children of South Asia, Aug. 1996

• New Delhi Declaration of Environment Ministers, Apr, 1997

• Declaration of Commerce Ministers May 1998

CONVENTIONS• SAARC Convention on Combating and Prevention of Trafficking in Women and Children for

Prostitution

The purpose of this Convention is to effectively deal with the various aspects of

prevention and suppression of trafficking in women and children and to prevent the use of

women and children prostitution networks.

• Convention on Promotion of Welfare of Children

The purpose of this Convention is to promote cooperation amongst Member States so

that they take effective steps for the welfare of children.

Convention on Mutual Assistance on Criminal Matters and Suppression of

Terrorism

The States Parties shall provide widest possible measures of mutual legal

assistance in criminal matters, namely investigations, prosecution and

resulting proceedings.

SAARC Convention Narcotics Drugs

Important steps have been taken to enforce the provisions of the Regional Convention

on Narcotic Drugs.

Successes and Failures

ECONOMIC ACHIEVEMENTSSAPTA(SAARC preferential trading arrangement)was signed on 7 December, 1995

SAFTA(South Asian Free Trade Area) was signed in Islamabad in January 2004

SAARC chamber of commerce and industry (SCCI)

SAARC constitutes South Asian Development Fund(SADF)

Signed an agreement of mutual assistance.

Avoidance of double taxation were signed.

INTEGRATED PROGRAMME OF ACTION (IPA)• Agriculture• Rural development• Science and technology• Health• Transport• Sports• Arts• Culture and • Population activities

LITERACY AND EDUCATION

• Till 2013 going to establish a common university for education in Delhi

• POVERTY ALLEVIATION

• Regional food security essence

• Promoted global objective of shelter for all.

TERRORISM AND DRUG TRAFFICKING

Convention on terrorism was signed in November,1987

SAARC convention on narcotic drugs signed on November, 1990

SAARC terrorist offences monitoring desk(STOMD)

SAARC drug offences monitoring desk(SDOMD)

PEOPLE TO PEOPLE CONTACT

• SAVE (SARRC Audio Visual Exchange) was implemented.

• Library of SAARC

• Talks between countries leads to the diffusion of tension

FALIURES OF SAARC

• India tries to dominate the function and activities of SAARC

• Large variety of different political system

• Large variety regional and cultural differences

• They lack financial resources and advance technologies

• Involvement of external actors

• Internal problems constituting social economic and

developmental and growth issues.

• Bilateral disputes and differences

• Food Security Reserve failed to meet the need of Bangladesh

• Suffers from an acute resource crunch

THANK YOU

Brijesh Panchal 20151009Pratipalsinh Jadeja 20151032Rishabh Surana 20151038Sumit Vithlani 20151043