SAARC

( Dr Ahmad Hassan Chatha)

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation was formed under Article 52 of the United
Nations’ Charter. It was established on 8th December, 1985.

The idea of regional cooperation in South Asia was first initiated by late President Zia- Ur- Rehman
of Bangladesh who visited Nepal, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka during 1977- 78 to explore the
possibilities of regional economic cooperation among the SAARC Countries. He proposed for the
collective self- reliance in a common quest for peace and development of all these countries. In May
1980, he issued a formal call for SAARC Regional Cooperation.

It led to the identification of five broad areas, for regional cooperation viz., Agriculture, Rural
Development, Telecommunications, Meteorology, and Health and population activities.

On 7th September, 1946 in his very first ever broadcast to the nation, Jawaharlal Nehru said, “We
are of Asia and the people of Asia are nearer and closer to us than other. India is so situated that she
is pivot of Western, Southern and South-East Asia”

The SAARC member countries include Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri
Lanka. Afghanistan is the eight member of the SAARC.

The SAARC region is a landmass of 3.3. percent of the world and has one-fifth of the population.

Majority of the people in SAARC countries depend on agriculture and have poor education, lack in
science and technology as well as suffer from over-population. Most of the countries depend on the
developed countries for aid and trade.

In 1995 a decade after the formation of SAARC, the South Asian Free Preferential Trading Agreement
(SAPTA) was launched at the end of year. This treaty was to come into operation by January 1, 2006.

Principles a. Cooperation within the framework of the Association is based on respect for the
principles of sovereign equality, territorial integrity, political independence, noninterference in the
internal affairs of other states and mutual benefit. b. Such cooperation is to complement and not to
substitute bilateral or multilateral cooperation. c. Such cooperation should be consistent with
bilateral and multilateral obligations of the member states. d. Decisions at all levels in SAARC are
taken on the basis of unanimity. e. Bilateral and contentious issues are excluded from its
deliberations.

Objectives The objectives, principles and general provisions, as mentioned in the SAARC Charter, are
as follows: i. To promote the welfare of the peoples of South Asia and to improve their quality of life;
ii. 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; iii. To
promote and strengthen collective self-reliance among the countries of South Asia; iv. To contribute
to mutual trust, understanding and appreciation of one another's problems; v. To promote active
collaboration and mutual assistance in the economic, social, cultural, technical and scientific fields;
vi. To strengthen cooperation with other developing countries; vii. To strengthen cooperation among
themselves in international forums on matters of common interests; and viii. To cooperate with
international and regional organizations with similar aims and purposes.

The First SAARC Summit The First SAARC Summit was held in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on 7th -8 th
December 1985. In the First Summit it was approved that the Standing Committee should set up a
Study Group to examine the problem of terrorism as it affects the security and stability of Member
States of SAARC. Further, it also approved that a similar exercise be carried out with regard to the
problem of drug trafficking and abuse. The member states decided to declare 1989 as the SAARC
Year Against Drug Abuse in order to focus attention on drug-related problems facing the region.

Constraints The SAARC countries have historical reasons, and many other factors for non-
cooperation. The differences in political as well as mutual suspicion and lack of trust are the greatest
enemies of cooperation among the SAARC countries, the problem and issue of Kashmir between
India and Pakistan, water and refugee disputes between India and Bangladesh, the intervention of
India in Sri Lanka’s military, trade and transit treaty between India and Nepal, the ethnic problem
between Bhutan and Nepal etc. are some of the troubled spots in the SAARC region where all the
countries have to come out open and join for cooperation whole heartedly.

There is also a compulsion and intra-competition among SAARC countries for political factors
superseding the economic factors with each other. Some examples like competition between India
and Sri Lanka for export of tea, jute market competition between India and Bangladesh, rice export
competition between India and Pakistan, cotton textile between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, in the world
market. The fear of the SAARC countries towards India is that India dominates in terms of area,
population, technological advancement and military which may lead the basic factor for continuous
and slow growth of cooperation among SAARC countries. The religious and cultural factors also
hinder to some extent the growth of SAARC. Country like Pakistan prefers economic and cultural
cooperation with Islamic nations; Nepal and Bhutan are religiously and culturally closer to India as
these countries are dominated by the Hindu and Buddhist religions. In the economic perspectives
also there are different apprehensions that India and Pakistan are more advanced and developed
than Bhutan, Nepal and Maldives as more relatively developed partners would exploit them.
Nuclearisation as Challenge for South Asia In the month of May 1998 India’s nuclear test provoked
Pakistan to go for nuclear test which lead both to be counted as Nuclear-Weapons States (NWS).
Again, the year 2001, the Indian armed forces dubbed Pakistan in Kargil war as the ‘Operation
Poorna Vijay’ (‘complete victory’) that stimulated nuclear war environment.

Cooperation. (i) agriculture; (ii) health and rural development; (iii) meteorology; (iv)
telecommunication; (v) postal services; (vi) transport; (vii) scientific and technological development;
(viii) sports; (ix) art and culture; (x) prevention of drug trafficking and abuse; (xi) women and
development and (xii) education.

The best way for the SAARC countries to cooperate would be when intra-regional trade increases
through providing facilities to one another. India and Bangladesh could make an example to consider
signing a bilateral agreement for free movement of commercial vehicles, and use of southern
Chittagong port as transit for ferrying goods to north eastern India to reduce the Indo-Bangladesh
trade imbalance. Indo-Sri Lanka could also increase various commodities like tea and rubber. 68
There is a great scope for development within South Asian nations, telecommunication, roads,
transport, energy and other infrastructural facilities can easily be developed through mutual
cooperation. India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, Nepal and Bhutan can easily be developed through rail
and road transport. In addition, Bhutan and Nepal have hydro electric power potentials which can
easily be exported by India. Like the river valley projects on the river water flowing between India
and Bangladesh, India and Pakistan, India and Nepal, Bhutan and India, Bhutan and Nepal can be
developed in mutual interest as well as mutual benefit. Moreover, by proper management of water
resources, floods and droughts can be minimized for the benefit of their agriculture. Development of
common telecommunication services can help in monitoring weather reports, international market
fluctuations in prices and products, exchange of scientific information and also regarding the spread
of pests and diseases in particular.
Measures

The information system

expansion of market

urgent need of establishing a good network of banks and other financial institutions

lowering of both tariff and non-tariff barriers

Fear of economic domination by India should be allayed. India shares 77 per cent of population, 72
per cent of area, 78 per cent of GDP, 88 per cent of exports and 81 per cent of imports in SAARC
region. In this regards India have to be very careful in her dealings with the others partners.

The SAARC countries major focus is on agriculture

The green revolution in India was mainly from wheat and rice. Similarly, Pakistan in cotton,
Bangladesh in rice, Maldives in fisheries, Sri Lanka in tea and coconut, Nepal and Bhutan in maize

s. The best example, Pakistan could meet Sri Lanka’s requirement of cotton yarn and in turn, get tea,
rubber and some consumer goods. It would find a large market in India for Sri Lanka’s copra and
coconut where there is shortage of vegetable oil. There is also a good scope for Pakistan to export
surplus rice, cotton and textile to Bangladesh where these products fetch a good market and in turn
Bangladesh could get good markets for jute and newsprint in Pakistan. Similarly, India could supply
fruits and vegetables to Sri Lanka and Maldives. Moreover, many more mutual discussions can
identify the needs of market commodities amongst the SAARC countries.

agricultural research and education

Denuclearisation Agenda for South Asia as the Tool of Peace

The Challenges on Environmental Security in South Asia

The environmental security can be given in two distinct features: Firstly, the environmental causes of
conflict causing potentially violent conflicts; Secondly, the impact of environmental degradation on
political, economy, health and life of the people.

South Asia Cooperative Environment Programme (SACEP). Under UN

The Democratic Principles and Its Challenges in South Asia

The security problems in South Asia in different perspectives

1. Cross-border terrorism: 2 Civil war

Summits
SAARC members have so far signed 12 major agreements: i. SAPTA in 1993 ii. SAFTA
in2004 iii. Agreement on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Customs Matters in 2005
iv. Establishment of SAARC Arbitration Council (SARCO) in2005 v. SAARC Limited
Multilateral Agreement for Avoidance of Double Taxation and Mutual Administrative
Assistance in Tax Matters in 2005 vi. The Charter of the SAARC Development Fund (SDF)
in 2010 vii. SAARC Agreement on Trade in Services (SATIS) in 2010
viii. Agreement on the Establishment of South Asian Regional Standards Organisation
(SARSO) in 2008 ix. The Establishment of SAARC Food Bank in 2007 x. Agreement on
Implementation of Regional Standards in 2011 xi. Agreement on Multilateral
Arrangement for Recognition of Conformity Assessment(MARCA) in 2008 and xii. The
Framework Agreement for Energy Cooperation (Electricity) in 2014. ‘Thimpu Statement
on Climate Change in 2010’ and the ‘SAARC Agreement on Rapid Response to Natural
Disasters’ has been made. Besides, a SAARC Comprehensive Framework on Disaster
Management and Disaster Prevention is articulated. The SAARC Centre for Disaster
Management and Preparedness (New Delhi), SAARC Coastal Zone Management Centre
and SAARC Meteorological Research Centre (Dhaka) have also been established to
implement the framework in the context of regional cooperation within the mandate of
the regional centers.
During the last three decades, there has been little progress, in SAARC, in terms of intra-
regional trade, which accounts for barely five per cent as compared to 62 per cent for
the EU and 55 per cent for the North Atlantic Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). According
to the World Bank WITS statistics, in 2016 South Asia’s share in world exports was 2.0
per cent and 2.9 per cent in world exports. Around 450 million among the world’s
poorest people and 50 per cent of the world’s illiterates live in these eight nations.
India is also working on a policy of isolating Pakistan internationally.20 In order to
achieve this goal, India is using the platform of SAARC. The cancellation of the 19th
SAARC summit is a prime example. In September 2016, after the terrorist attacks on the
Indian army base in Uri, Kashmir, the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, decided
that India would boycott the summit, saying, “increasing cross border terrorist attacks in
the region and growing interference in the internal affairs of member states by one
country.”21 The significance of Modi’s decision lay in its aftermath: Bangladesh, Sri
Lanka, Afghanistan and Bhutan followed suit, they also boycotted the summit.
India recently launched the SAARC satellite. Pakistan wanted to be the part of the
development process but was marginalised by India, which is when Pakistan decided not
to be part of it at all.
Role of Pakistan In SAARC, Pakistan has played a proactive role to make it a model of
regional cooperation, based on the principles of sovereign equality. Pakistan hosted the
4th and 12th SAARC Summits in 1988 and 2004 respectively.26 It is believed that SAARC
can provide favourable atmosphere to build economic harmony and transform the
quality of life in South Asia. During the fourth summit, it was declared that 1989 would
be the “SAARC Year against Drug Abuse.” It further stated that 1990 would be the
“SAARC Year of the Girl Child.” The summit also agreed to 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. The 12th summit of SAARC
went down as one of the most productive meetings of the South Asian countries. It
came at a time when Indo-Pak tensions were at their peak. The signing of SAFTA brought
to fruition the long-cherished vision of many people, which argued that the economies
of South Asian countries have numerous obvious synergies that should be harnessed
through intra-regional trade without barriers. Over the years, Pakistan has taken
substantial measures to advance the ideals and objectives of SAARC. This includes
Pakistan’s efforts to organise the ministerial level meeting on “international economic
issues” at Islamabad in 1986. Pakistan also suggested women activities in SAARC.
organised vast number of activities under the Integrated Programme of Action (IPA) and
for this particular purpose, Pakistan has doubled its share from 19,100 tons in South
Asian food security resources. Pakistan assigned highest priority to the eradication of
drug abuse or drugs trafficking through effective regional cooperation. It is the second
largest contributor towards all SAARC related activities. Moreover, it also contributes
significantly towards the budget of the SAARC secretariat. It places poverty alleviation
on top of the SAARC agenda.27 Following the latest events like Uri attack and
cancelation of the 19th SAARC summit, it seems impossible to revive SAARC. However,
there are certain possible options for Pakistan to still help make SAARC a successful and
vibrant organisation. On February 28, 2017, Pakistan assumed the responsibility of the
Secretary General of SAARC. Former Ambassador of Pakistan to Tajikistan, Amjad Husain
B. Sail, has been appointed as new Secretary General of SAARC. Although India tried to
hinder his appointment accusing that Pakistan is involved in terrorist activities. The
appointment was to be ratified by the Council of Ministers during the summit, which
was supposed to be held in November 2016 in Pakistan, but the environment of the
country was not conducive to hold the summit. 28 Later on, India endorsed the
appointment. There are a number of challenges weighing in on Pakistan shoulders.
These included arranging the 19th SAARC summit in Pakistan as soon as possible so as to
put the whole SAARC process back on track. For this, there is a need to bringing both
India and Pakistan on one table and to create a conducive environment for talks.
Moreover, other regional states should also cooperate with Pakistan in order to re-
activate the SAARC framework
A Way Forward
SAARC can work as a neutral forum for leaders to talk
The informal talks between the Indian and Pakistani prime ministers at the second
SAARC summit in 1986 led to the diffusion of tension between the two countries on the
issue of India’s Brasstacks exercise.
o foster cooperation among its members, proper implementation of the reforms needs
to take place
Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bangladesh have already sent their consensus to Beijing to become
a part of this project. Therefore by adding more countries to this project, Pakistan can
create a strong regional alliance, which would help Pakistan to maintain and strengthen
its position in SAARC. As China’s demand for full membership in SAARC challenges India’s
dominance, India opposed China’s entry into SAARC at the Kathmandu summit in 2014.
SAARC must seek closer linkages with the other Asian regional organisations, namely,
the Economic Cooperation Organisation (ECO), the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations (ASEAN) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) to explore areas of
common interests and build complementarities for mutual beneficial inter-regional
cooperation, especially trade, energy, transport and communications.
Conclusion We live in a time when the world is moving towards globalisation and
emphasising more on economic development and regional connectivity. To serve this
purpose the South Asian countries should lay emphasis on the importance of access to
open markets and increasing foreign investment in their businesses. It can be expected
that economic growth and development will be central to the future of the South Asian
states. Currently, trade between the South Asian states remains relatively low when
compared to the other regional blocks. The political and economic ties between states
rest on shaky foundations. Divisions among the South Asian countries have made
regional cooperation difficult and have lead states to pursue their economic goals
bilaterally. SAARC is still a valuable forum for political dialogue in South Asia but its
economic role in the region has been overshadowed by conflict and tension among its
member states. Until these conflicts are resolved to the point where the South Asian
states are willing to reduce barriers to trade, it seems as if the vision of an economic
interdependent South Asia is more of a dream than reality.
Dr Ahmad Hassan Chatha