SAARC
SAARC stands for South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation. It is a Regional intergovernmental organization and geopolitical union of states in South Asia. It was founded in Dhaka on 8 December 1985.
- Secretariat – Kathmandu, Nepal and inaugurated by the late King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah of Nepal.
- Launched – South Asian Free Trade Area in 2006.
- Founded by 7 countries – Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
History of SAARC
- Idea of co-operation among South Asian Countries was discussed in three conferences –
- Asian Relations Conference held in New Delhi in April 1947;
- Baguio Conference in the Philippines in May 1950;
- Colombo Powers Conference held in Sri Lanka in April 1954.
Members of SAARC
Below are the members of SAARC –
- Afghanistan
- Bangladesh
- Bhutan
- India
- Maldives
- Nepal
- Pakistan
- Sri Lanka
It was founded by seven states in 1985. In 2005, Afghanistan began negotiating their accession to SAARC and formally applied for membership in the same year.
Observer States
States with observer status include –
- Australia,
- China,
- European Union,
- Iran,
- Japan,
- Mauritius,
- Myanmar,
- South Korea,
- United States.
Interested States
States having interest to join SAARC –
- China
- Turkey
- Russia
- South Africa
- Indonesia,
- Jordan,
- Canada,
- New Zealand,
- Ireland,
- Saudi Arabia,
- United Kingdom and
- Yemen.
Special Bodies of SAARC
- SAARC member states have created the following specialized bodies of SAARC in the member states which have special mandates and structures different from the regional centers. These bodies are managed by their respective governing boards composed of representatives from all the member states, the representative of H.E. secretary-general of SAARC and the ministry of foreign/external affairs of the host government.
| Specialized Body | Location | Country |
|---|---|---|
| SAARC Arbitration Council (SARCO) | Islamabad | Pakistan |
| SAARC Development Fund (SDF) | Thimphu | Bhutan |
| South Asian University (SAU) | New Delhi | India |
| South Asian Regional Standards Organization (SARSO) | Dhaka | Bangladesh |
- SAARC Secretariat is supported by following Regional Centres established in the Member States to promote regional co-operation. 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.
| Regional Centre | Location | Country |
|---|---|---|
| SAARC Agriculture Centre (SAC) | Dhaka | Bangladesh |
| SAARC Meteorological Research Centre (SMRC) | Dhaka | Bangladesh |
| SAARC Forestry Centre (SFC) | Thimphu | Bhutan |
| SAARC Documentation Centre (SDC) | New Delhi | India |
| SAARC Disaster Management Centre (SDMC) | Gandhinagar | India |
| SAARC Coastal Zone Management Centre (SCZMC) | Malé | Maldives |
| SAARC Information Centre (SIC) | Kathmandu | Nepal |
| SAARC Tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS Centre (STAC) | Kathmandu | Nepal |
| SAARC Human Resources Development Centre (SHRDC) | Islamabad | Pakistan |
| SAARC Energy Centre (SEC) | Islamabad | Pakistan |
| SAARC Cultural Centre (SCC) | Colombo | Sri Lanka |
It has 6 Apex Bodies –
- SAARC Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCI),
- South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation in Law (SAARCLAW),
- South Asian Federation of Accountants (SAFA),
- South Asia Foundation (SAF),
- South Asia Initiative to End Violence Against Children (SAIEVAC),
- Foundation of SAARC Writers and Literature (FOSWAL)
SAARC also has about 18 recognized bodies.
Secretary Generals of SAARC
| Name | Country | Took office |
|---|---|---|
| Abul Ahsan | Bangladesh | 16 January 1985 to 15 October 1989 |
| Kant Kishore Bhargava | India | 17 October 1989 to 31 December 1991 |
| Ibrahim Hussein Zaki | Maldives | 1 January 1992 to 31 December 1993 |
| Yadav Kant Silwal | Nepal | 1 January 1994 to 31 December 1995 |
| Naeem U. Hasan | Pakistan | 1 January 1996 to 31 December 1998 |
| Nihal Rodrkigo | Sri Lanka | 1 January 1999 to 10 January 2002 |
| Q. A. M. A. Rahim | Bangladesh | 11 January 2002 to 28 February 2005 |
| Chenkyab Dorji | Bhutan | 1 March 2005 to 29 February 2008 |
| Sheel Kant Sharma | India | 1 March 2008 to 28 February 2011 |
| Fathimath Dhiyana Saeed | Maldives | 1 March 2011 to 11 March 2012 |
| Ahmed Saleem | Maldives | 12 March 2012 to 28 February 2014 |
| Arjun Bahadur Thapa | Nepal | 1 March 2014 to 28 February 2017 |
| Amjad Hussain B. Sial | Pakistan | 1 March 2017 to 29 February 2020 |
| Esala Ruwan Weerakoon | Sri Lanka | 1 March 2020 to 3 March 2023 |
| Golam Sarwar | Bangladesh | 4 March 2023 to Incumbent |
SAARC Summits
- India hosted SAARC summits –
- First time in November 1986 in Bengaluru under Rajiv Gandhi.
- Second time in May 1995 in New Delhi under P V Narasimha Rao.
- Third time in April 2007 in New Delhi under Manmohan Singh.
- Last was planned to be hosted in Pakistan in Islamabad in November 2016 but was cancelled. Before that, summit was held in November 2014 in Nepal in Kathmandu under Sushil Koirala.
SAARC Awards
- SAARC Youth Award in 1992.
- SAARC Literary Award in 2001.
- SAARC Award in 2004.