significase of saarc Report

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INDEXSerial No. Topic Name

1. Introduction of SAARC

2. History of SAARC

3. Objective of SAARC

4. Principle of SAARC

5. Area of corporation

6. Administrative setup

7. Different division

8. Committee on economic corporation

9. SAARC charter10. SAARC visa exemption schemes

11. SAARC award

12. Secretariat

13. Council of minister

14. Regional centres

15. Political issues

16. South Asia Free Trade Agreement

17. Current member

18. Observer

19. Future membership


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20. SAARC preferential trade agreement

21. SAARC youth Award

22. Current issue

23. SAARC summits

24. References

INTRODUCTION

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

ofSouth Asian nations, which was established on 8 December 1985 when the government

ofBangladesh, 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 developmentemphasising collective self-reliance. Its seven founding members are Sri

Lanka, Bhutan, India,Maldives,Nepal, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Afghanistanjoined 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.

HISTORY

The first concrete proposal for establishing a framework for regional cooperation in SouthAsia 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 inNew 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.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Asianhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangladeshhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhutanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maldiveshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nepalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pakistanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Lankahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Lankahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Lankahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhutanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maldiveshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nepalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pakistanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangladeshhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afghanistanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathmanduhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ziaur_Rahmanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_Relations_Conferencehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Delhihttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Baguio_Conference&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Baguio_Conference&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippineshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Colombo_Powers_Conference&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Foreign_secretaries&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Seven_countries&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colombohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Asianhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangladeshhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhutanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maldiveshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nepalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pakistanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Lankahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Lankahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Lankahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhutanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maldiveshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nepalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pakistanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangladeshhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afghanistanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathmanduhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ziaur_Rahmanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asian_Relations_Conferencehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Delhihttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Baguio_Conference&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Baguio_Conference&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippineshttp://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Colombo_Powers_Conference&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Foreign_secretaries&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Seven_countries&action=edit&redlink=1http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colombo


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Objectives Of SAARC

The objectives and the aims of the Association as defined in the Charter are:[3]

to promote the welfare of the people of South Asia and to improve their quality of

life;

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 fullpotential;

to promote and strengthen selective self-reliance among the countries of South Asia;

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

problems;

to promote active collaboration and mutual assistance in the economic, social,

cultural, technical and scientific fields;

to strengthen cooperation with other developing countries;

to strengthen cooperation among themselves in international forums on matters of

common interest; and

to cooperate with international and regional organisations with similar aims andpurposes.

to maintain peace in the region
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Principle

The principles are as follows

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

Afghanistan was added to the regional grouping on April 2007, With the addition of

Afghanistan, the total number of member states were raised to eight (8). In April 2006,

the United States of Americaand 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. Myanmarhas expressed interest in upgrading its status from an observer to a full

member of SAARC, while Russia is interested in becoming an observer.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_of_Americahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_of_Americahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Koreahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Unionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myanmarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myanmarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_of_Americahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Koreahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Unionhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iranhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myanmarhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russia


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Areas of Cooperation

First meeting of Foreign Secretaries in Colombo

Pursue cooperation in five broad areas

Agriculture

Rural development

Telecommunications

Meteorology, and

Health and population services

Administrative setup

Summits held annually, represented by head of the states

The Council of Ministers comprising Foreign Ministers, meets at least twice a year

Formulating policy, reviewing progress of regional cooperation, identifying new areas

of cooperation

The Committee on Economic Cooperation consisting of Secretaries of Commerce

oversees regional cooperation in the economic field

Different Divisions

Agriculture and Rural Development Division

Environment and Science and Technology Division

Economic, Trade and Finance Division

Social Affairs Division

Information and Publications Division


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Energy, Tourism Division

Human Resource Development, Transport and Treaty Division

Committee on Economic Cooperation (CEC)

Implementation of specific measures, policies and programmes to strengthen and

enhance intra-regional cooperation in the fields of trade and economic relations.

Its specific functions include

Analyzing inter-regional and global developments

Envolving joint strategies and common approaches at international forums;

Recommending policies and measures for promoting intra-regional trade,

SAARC CHARTER

Desirous of promoting peace, stability, amity and progress in the region through strictadherence 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.

Conscious that in an increasingly interdependent world, the objectives of peace,

freedom, social justice and economic prosperity are best achieved in the SOUTH ASIAN

region by fostering mutual understanding, good neighbourly relations and meaningfulcooperation among the Member States which are bound by ties of history and culture.

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.


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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 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.

Recalling the DECLARATION signed by their Foreign Ministers in NEW DELHI on

August 2, 1983 and noting the progress achieved in regional cooperation.

Reaffirming their determination to promote such cooperation within an institutional

framework.

SAARC Visa Exemption Schemes

The SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme was launched in 1992. The leaders at the Fourth

Summit (Islamabad, 2931 December 1988), while realizing the importance of having people

to people contacts, among the peoples of SARC countries, decided that certain categories of

dignitaries should be entitled to a Special Travel document, which would exempt them from

visas within the region. As directed by the Summit, the Council of Ministers regularly kept

under review the list of entitled categories. Currently the list included 24 categories of

entitled persons, which include Dignitaries, Judges of higher courts, Parliamentarians, Senior

Officials, Businessmen, Journalists, Sportsmen etc. The Visa Stickers are issued by the

respective Member States to the entitled categories of that particular country. The validity of

the Visa Sticker is generally for one year. The implementation is reviewed regularly by the

Immigration Authorities of SAAR Member States.

SAARC Award


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The Twelfth Summit (Islamabad, January 2004) approved the institution of the SAARC

Award to honour and encourage outstanding individuals and organizations within the region.

The main objectives of the SAARC Award are:

To encourage individuals and organizations based in South Asia to undertake

programmes and activities complementing the efforts of SAARC To encourage individuals and organizations in South Asia contributing to the

improvement of the conditions of women and children

To honour outstanding contributions and achievements of individuals and

organizations within the region in the fields of peace, development, poverty alleviation,

environment protection and regional cooperation making the SAARC Award the most

prestigious Award in the region; and

To honour any other outstanding contributions and achievements, not covered above,

of individuals and organizations in the region.

The SAARC Award comprises a gold medal, a letter of citation and cash prize of US $25,000. Since institution of SAARC Award in 2004, it has been awarded only once and the

Award was posthumoulsy conferred upon Late President Ziaur Rahman of Bangladesh.

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 andthe General Services Staff, and also an appropriate number of functional units called

Divisions assigned to Directors on deputation from Member States.[11]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.[11]

The Memorandum of Understanding on the establishment of the Secretariat [11] 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.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birendra_of_Nepalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Asian_Association_for_Regional_Cooperation#cite_note-Memo-11http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Asian_Association_for_Regional_Cooperation#cite_note-Memo-11http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Asian_Association_for_Regional_Cooperation#cite_note-Memo-11http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Asian_Association_for_Regional_Cooperation#cite_note-Memo-11http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Asian_Association_for_Regional_Cooperation#cite_note-Memo-11http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Birendra_of_Nepalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Asian_Association_for_Regional_Cooperation#cite_note-Memo-11http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Asian_Association_for_Regional_Cooperation#cite_note-Memo-11http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Asian_Association_for_Regional_Cooperation#cite_note-Memo-11


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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.

The SAARC Secretariat and Member States observe 8 December as the SAARC Charter

Day1.

Council Of Ministers

Council of Ministers consisting of the Foreign Ministers of the Member States

established with the following functions:

Formulation of the policies of the ASSOCIATION

Review of the progress of cooperation under the ASSOCIATION

Decision on new areas of cooperation

Establishment of additional mechanism under the ASSOCIATION as deemed

necessary

Decision on other matters of general interest to the ASSOCIATION.

The Council of Ministers meets twice a year. Extraordinary session of the Council may be

held by agreement among the Member States.

Regional Centres

The SAARC Secretariat is supported by following Regional Centres established in MemberStates 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.

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


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SAARC Information Centre (SIC), Nepal

SAARC Energy Centre (SEC), Pakistan

SAARC Disaster Management Centre (SDMC), India

SAARC Forestry Centre (SFC), Bhutan

SAARC Cultural Centre (SCC), Sri Lanka

Political issue

The dispute over Kashmirs accession to India has been standing in the way of the lasting

peace and prosperity of the Indian subcontinent. While awarding the European Union with

the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize, the Norwegian Nobel Committee stated that "...today war

between Germany and France is unthinkable. These shows how, through well-aimed efforts

and by building up mutual confidence, historical enemies can become close partners."

Southern Asia can become unified just as Europe has become unified as the European Union.

Political dialogue is often conducted on the margins of SAARC meetings which have

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.

South Asian Free Trade AreaSAPTA 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, 2931 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 realisticand 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 1 July 2006. Under this

agreement, SAARC members will bring their duties down to 20 per cent by 2009. Following

the Agreement coming into force the SAFTA Ministerial Council (SMC) has been

established comprising the Commerce Ministers of the Member States.

Current members (alphabetically)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrorismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terrorism


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Afghanistan Bangladesh Bhutan IndiaMaldives

Nepal Pakistan Sri Lanka

Observer

Australia China European Union

Iran JapanMauritiusMyanmar (Burma) South Korea United States of America

Future membership

The People's Republic of China has shown its interest in joining SAARC.While Pakistan and Bangladesh support China's candidature, India is against the

prospect of Chinese membership. China's entry in to SAARC will likely balanceIndia's overbearing presence there. However, during the 2005 Dhaka summit, Indiaagreed on granting observer status to the PRC along with Japan. During the 14thsummit, Nepal along with Pakistan and Bangladesh, announced their support for themembership of China. China seeks greater involvement in SAARC, however, finds ittoo early to apply for full membership.

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

Iran, a state with borders to two SAARC members, has traditionally enjoyedstrong cultural, economic and political relationships with Afghanistan and Pakistanand has expressed its desire to become a member of the South Asian organization. On22 February 2005, the Foreign Minister of Iran, Kamal Kharrazi, indicated Iran'sinterest 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 anobserver. SAARC Secretary-General Lyonpo Chenkyab Dorji responded by saying

that Iran's request for observer status would be taken up during a meeting of ministersof foreign affairs of SAARC member countries in the 3 April summit in New Delhi.


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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 itis already a member of the ASEAN. If done so, Myanmar will become theninthmember in the group. India is currently backing Myanmar. Myanmarsmilitaryregime officially applied for full SAARC membership in May 2008.However, theapplication is still being considered and the government is currentlyrestricted toobserver status.

South Africa has participated in meetings.

SAARC preferential trading agreement

The Agreement on SAARC Preferential Trading Arrangement (SAPTA) was signedon 11

April 1993 and entered into force on 7 December 1995, with the desire of the MemberStates of SAARC (India, Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan and theMaldives) to promote and sustain mutual trade and economic cooperation within theSAARC region through the exchange of concessions.

The establishment of an Inter-Governmental Group (IGG) to formulate an agreementto establish a SAPTA by 1997 was approved in the Sixth Summit of SAARC held inColombo in December 1991.

The basic principles underlying SAPTA are:

1. Overall reciprocity and mutuality of advantagesso as to benefit equitably allContracting States, taking into account their respective level of economic and


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industrial development, the pattern of their external trade, and trade and tariff policiesand systems;

2. Negotiation oftariff reform step by step, improved and extended in successive stagesthrough periodic reviews;

3. Recognition of the special needs of the Least Developed Contracting States andagreement on concrete preferential measures in their favour;

4. Inclusion of all products, manufactures and commodities in their raw, semi-processed andprocessed forms.

Saarc Yoth 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 SAARCregion. The award is based on specific themes which apply to each year. The awardrecognizes and promotes the commitment and talent of the youth who give back to the worldat large through various initiatives such as Inventions, Protection of the Environment andDisaster relief. The recipients who receive this award are ones who have dedicated their livesto their individual causes to improve situations in their own countries as well as paving a pathfor 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)

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)


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2008: From Himalayan glaciers to verdant plains to coral reefs protecting theEnvironment in South Asia - Ms. Uswatta Liyanage Deepani Jayantha (Sri Lanka).

Current Issues

Working toward creation of SAFTA

Leading subsequently, towards a Customs Union, Common Market and EconomicUnion.

Technical Committee on Transport

Agreement on Investment

Agreement on avoidance of double taxation

Standards, quality and control group

SAARC Summits


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No Date Country Host Host leader

1st 78 December 1985 Bangladesh Dhaka Ataur Rahman Khan

2nd 1617 November 1986 India Bangalore Rajiv Gandhi

3rd 24 November 1987 Nepal Kathmandu Marich Man Singh Shrestha

4th 2931 December 1988 Pakistan Islamabad Benazir Bhutto

5th 2123 November 1990 Maldives Mal Maumoon Abdul Gayoom

6th 21 December 1991 Sri Lanka Colombo Dingiri Banda Wijetunge

7th 1011 April 1993 Bangladesh Dhaka Khaleda Zia

8th 24 May 1995 India New Delhi P. V. Narasimha Rao

9th 1214 May 1997 Maldives Mal Maumoon Abdul Gayoom

10th 2931 July 1998 Sri Lanka Colombo Sirimavo Ratwatte Dias Bandaranaike

11th 46 January 2002 Nepal Kathmandu Sher Bahadur Deuba

12th 26 January 2004 Pakistan Islamabad Zafarullah Khan Jamali

13th 1213 November 2005 Bangladesh Dhaka Khaleda Zia

14th 34 April 2007 India New Delhi Manmohan Singh

15th 13 August 2008 Sri Lanka Colombo Ratnasiri Wickremanayake
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangladeshhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhakahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ataur_Rahman_Khanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangalorehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rajiv_Gandhihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nepalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathmanduhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marich_Man_Singh_Shresthahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pakistanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamabadhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benazir_Bhuttohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maldiveshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mal%C3%A9http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maumoon_Abdul_Gayoomhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Lankahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colombohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dingiri_Banda_Wijetungehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangladeshhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhakahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khaleda_Ziahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Delhihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P._V._Narasimha_Raohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maldiveshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mal%C3%A9http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maumoon_Abdul_Gayoomhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Lankahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colombohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sirimavo_Ratwatte_Dias_Bandaranaikehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nepalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathmanduhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sher_Bahadur_Deubahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pakistanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamabadhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zafarullah_Khan_Jamalihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangladeshhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhakahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khaleda_Ziahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Delhihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manmohan_Singhhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Lankahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colombohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ratnasiri_Wickremanayakehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangladeshhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhakahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ataur_Rahman_Khanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangalorehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rajiv_Gandhihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nepalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathmanduhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marich_Man_Singh_Shresthahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pakistanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamabadhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benazir_Bhuttohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maldiveshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mal%C3%A9http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maumoon_Abdul_Gayoomhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Lankahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colombohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dingiri_Banda_Wijetungehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangladeshhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhakahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khaleda_Ziahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Delhihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P._V._Narasimha_Raohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maldiveshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mal%C3%A9http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maumoon_Abdul_Gayoomhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Lankahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colombohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sirimavo_Ratwatte_Dias_Bandaranaikehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nepalhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kathmanduhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sher_Bahadur_Deubahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pakistanhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamabadhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zafarullah_Khan_Jamalihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangladeshhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhakahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khaleda_Ziahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Delhihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manmohan_Singhhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sri_Lankahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colombohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ratnasiri_Wickremanayake


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16th 2829 April 2010 Bhutan Thimphu Jigme Thinley

17th 1011 November 2011[24] Maldives Addu Mohammed Waheed Hassan Manik

18th 2013 [25] Nepal Kathmandu Baburam Bhattarai

First Summits

The first summit was held in Dhaka, Bangladesh on 78 December 1985, and was attended by the

Government representative and president of Bangladesh, Maldives,Pakistan andSri Lanka, the kings

ofBhutan and Nepal, and the prime minister ofIndia. 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.

Second summit

The second summit was held in Nov 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.

Nepal on 24 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.[2] 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.[2]

fourth conflict The fourth summit was held inIslamabad, Pakistan on 2931 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.[3] The summit discussed the coup attempton 3

November 1988, declared 1989 to be the "SAARC Year Against Drug Abuse", declared 1990 to be

the "SAARC Year of the Girl Child", 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.
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Fifth summit

The fifth summit was held in Mal, Maldives on 2123 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.[4]The leaders signed the SAARC Convention on Narcotic Drugs and

Psychotropic Substances, launched the Special SAARC Travel Document (providing visa-exemptionsfor 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", 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 summitThe sixth summit was held in Colombo, Sri Lanka on 21 December 1991 and was attended by theprime ministers of Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan, the presidents of the Maldives and SriLanka, and the king of Bhutan.

Seventh summitThe seventh summit was held in Dhaka, on 1011 April 1993, and was attended by the presidents ofthe Maldives and Sri Lanka, the prime ministers of Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan, and theking of Bhutan.

Eighth summitThe eighth summit was held in New Delhi, on 24 May 1995, and was attended by the presidents ofthe Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, the prime ministers of Bangladesh, India and Nepal, and theking of Bhutan.

Ninth summitThe ninth summit was held in Mal, on 1214 May 1997, and was attended by the presidents of theMaldives and Sri Lanka, the prime ministers of Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan, and the king ofBhutan.

Tenth summitThe tenth summit was held in Colombo, on 2931 July 1998, and was attended by the presidents ofthe Maldives and Sri Lanka and the prime ministers of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal andPakistan.

Eleventh summitThe eleventh summit was held in Kathmandu, on 46 January 2002, and was attended by thepresidents of the Maldives, Pakistan and Sri Lanka and the prime ministers of Bangladesh, Bhutan,India and Nepal.

Twelfth summitThe twelfth summit was held in Islamabad, on 46 January 2004, and was attended by the presidents

of the Maldives and Sri Lanka and the prime ministers of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal andPakistan.
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Thirteenth summitThe thirteenth summit was held in Dhaka, on 1213 November 2005, and was attended by the primeministers of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Pakistan, the presidents of the Maldives and Sri Lanka,and the king of Nepal.

Fourteenth summitThe fourteenth summit of SAARC was held in New Delhi, on 3rd-4 April 2007, and was attended bythe 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 inColombo, Sri Lanka on 13 August 2008. The issuesdiscussed were regional cooperation, partnership for growth for the peoples of South Asia,connectivity, energy, the environment, water resources, poverty alleviation, the SAARC DevelopmentFund, 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

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-centred 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 2829 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 theproblem of climate change.[14]

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.

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

The seven-page Thimphu Silver Jubilee Declaration-Towards a Green and Happy South

Asia emphasised the importance of reducing dependence on high-carbon technologies for
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economic growth and hoped promotion of climate resilience will promote both development and

poverty eradication in a sustainable manner.

Seventeenth Summit

The Seventeenth Summit was held from 10-11 of November 2011 in Addu City, Maldives. The

Meeting, which was held at the Equatorial Convention Centre, Addu City was opened by the outgoing

Chair of SAARC, Prime Minister of the Royal Government of Bhutan, H.E.Lyonchhen Jigmi Yoezer

Thinley.

H.E. Mohamed Nasheed was elected as the Chairperson of the 17th SAARC Summit. In his inaugural

address President Nasheed highlighted three areas of cooperation in which progress should be made;

trade, transport and economic integration; security issues such piracy and climate change; and good

governance. President also called on the Member States to establish a commission to address issues

of gender inequalities in South Asia.

The Head of States of all the SAARC Member States addressed the Meeting. The inaugural meeting

was attended by Foreign/External Ministers of SAARC Member States, the Secretary General of

SAARC, the Heads of Observer Delegation, Cabinet Ministers of the Maldives, Ministers in the visiting

delegations and other state dignitaries.

In her address Secretary General stated that the Summit being held under the theme of Building

Bridges provides further impetus and momentum to build the many bridges that needs to be built:

from bridging the gaps created by uneven economic development and income distribution, the gaps in

recognizing and respecting the equality of men and women, the closing of space between intent and

implementation.

In this Meeting, the Foreign Ministers of the respective Member States signed four agreements;

SAARC Agreement on Rapid Response to Natural Disasters SAARC Agreement on Multilateral

Arrangement on Recognition of Conformity Assessment SAARC Agreement on Implementation of

Regional Standards SAARC Seed Bank Agreement In addition, the Addu Declaration of the

Seventeenth SAARC Summit was also adopted.

Reference


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1. "A Brief on SAARC." South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation.

2. http://www.saarc-sec.org/SAARC-Charter/5/

3. Charter of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, Article 1.

4. "South Asia: Afghanistan Joins World's Largest Regional Grouping." Radio

Free Europe/Radio Liberty], 3 April 2007.

5. Waliur Rahman. "US and S Korea to observe SAARC." BBC News, 11 April

2008.

6. "SAARC to grant observer status to US, S Korea, EU."Hindustan Times. 2

August 2006.

7. "Iran requests for observer status in SAARC."People's Daily, 5 March 2009.

8. SAARC and Myanmar: Observer Research Foundation
http://saarc-sec.org/main.php?id=76http://www.saarc-sec.org/SAARC-Charter/5/http://saarc-sec.org/main.php?id=10&t=3.2http://saarc-sec.org/main.php?id=10&t=3.2http://saarc-sec.org/main.php?id=10&t=3.2http://saarc-sec.org/main.php?id=10&t=3.2http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4900498.stmhttp://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=68654965-9d60-4718-ae85-82acf647aa45http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=68654965-9d60-4718-ae85-82acf647aa45http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=68654965-9d60-4718-ae85-82acf647aa45http://209.85.215.104/search?q=cache:2yvTZFfSXXEJ:english.peopledaily.com.cn/200703/05/eng20070305_354236.html+%22Iran+requests+for+observer+status+in+SAARC+%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=ushttp://209.85.215.104/search?q=cache:2yvTZFfSXXEJ:english.peopledaily.com.cn/200703/05/eng20070305_354236.html+%22Iran+requests+for+observer+status+in+SAARC+%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=ushttp://209.85.215.104/search?q=cache:2yvTZFfSXXEJ:english.peopledaily.com.cn/200703/05/eng20070305_354236.html+%22Iran+requests+for+observer+status+in+SAARC+%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=ushttp://www.orfonline.org/cms/sites/orfonline/modules/analysis/AnalysisDetail.html?cmaid=14854&mmacmaid=14855http://saarc-sec.org/main.php?id=76http://www.saarc-sec.org/SAARC-Charter/5/http://saarc-sec.org/main.php?id=10&t=3.2http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4900498.stmhttp://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=68654965-9d60-4718-ae85-82acf647aa45http://209.85.215.104/search?q=cache:2yvTZFfSXXEJ:english.peopledaily.com.cn/200703/05/eng20070305_354236.html+%22Iran+requests+for+observer+status+in+SAARC+%22&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=ushttp://www.orfonline.org/cms/sites/orfonline/modules/analysis/AnalysisDetail.html?cmaid=14854&mmacmaid=14855

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