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CENTRAL UNIVERSITY OF PUNJAB

SEmINAR REPORT

Topic: The South Asian Association of Regional

Cooperation (SAARC)
Department of South and Central Asian Studies

SUBMITTED BY
KIRAN KADAM

COURSE CODE: POL.541

19MAPLSC07

2019-20
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INTRODUCTION

When we look at culture, the SAARC (South Asian Regional cooperation)

countries have more in common than in difference.

History has both – founded these countries on a common foundation & has
separated them in more recent times.

Term South Asia itself has been (largely) of a military coinage. The USA
military usage of the term during World WarII accorded it a specific “externally
identified “meaning. The prior notion of (Indian) subcontinent, if we skip Indian
has a sense of internal unity of nations within a subcontinent.

The common history of the region, the common experience of colonial

exploitation and common efforts to build a NAM subsequently are mutually
harmonious fundamentals of their coming together.

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is the most
important regional economic and political institution binding the countries of
South Asia. For a variety of overlapping historical antecedent, the precise
delimitation of south Asia as a region is not always cleat, but generally
incorporates the contiguous geographic boundaries extending from modern-day
Afghanistan through Myanmar (Burma), including the countries base in the
Indian subcontinent. SAARC was formally founded in 1985 when the heads of
state of seven countries in South Asia (namely Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the
Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) held an inaugural summit in Dhaka,
Bangladesh. Since its inception, SAARC has served as an important forum for
intuitional links among South Asian counties.

South Asia of today is the child of revolution, of destructive energy, in

contradistinction to the South Asia of yesterday, the child of the Suez Canal and
the outcome of constructive effort.

As the belt of countries along the southern fringe of Asia from Pakistan to the
Philippines, where colonialism has been a common characteristic, although
Siam was included. (Condoleezza Rice).
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GENESIS OF SAARC

During the phase of postcolonial realignment, one of the most tangible

proposals for multilateral regional cooperation in Asia was the enactment of the
Colombo Plan for Cooperative and Social Development. Due to the inclusion of
many south Asian countries in its inception, the Colombo plan provided a
model for the possibilities offered by multilateral engagement. The Colombo
Plan, however, was subsumed under the aegis of a larger institutional project,
namely the Commonwealth. As the nations of South Asia began to assert a more
their former colonial masters, commonwealth-inspired institutions began to lose
their appeal.

A third phase in the formation of a south Asia regional cooperation organization

took place in the late 1970s. At the time, the emphases were on the creation of a
regional organization with a distinctive South Asian character and without
direct links to overarching institutions like the commonwealth. Between 1977
and 1980, Bangladesh’s president Ziaur Rahman undertook a number of
exploratory trips to and, Bangladesh, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka for the
purpose of discussing the parameters of a south Asian regional cooperation
institution.

During the December 1977visit to India, President Zia substantively discussed

the idea with India’s Prime Minister Morarji Desai and foreign minister Atlas
Bihari Vajpayee. The Indian government had been quite receptive to president
Zia’s call for greater regional integration, chiefly because prove minister Besai
had been elected to head a loose coalition government in India. In order to
cement the legitimacy of this coalition government in the region, the Indian
government had launched a diplomatic offensive to improve India’s relation
with the neighbours. At the conclusion of the visit, a joint communiqué stressed
the prospect for wider cooperation between the two countries. In the midst of a
proposal to declare the Indian Ocean a zone of peace, President Zia instead
urged for the entire region of South Asia to be declared a zone of peace.
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FOUNDING OF SAARC

Following the 1983 foreign ministers’ meeting in New Delhi, leaders form
south Asia committed them to forming a regional institution. In consequence the
first SAARC summit was held on 7th December 1985.

The heads of state from the various South Asian countries represented at
the first SAARC summit embodied a full spectrum of institutional governance
frameworks and political systems.

During the first SAARC summit, India’s Prime Minister, Rajiv Gandhi,
represented and optimistic vision of parliamentary liberal democracy for the
region.

Heads of state and government of SAARC member countries

Council of Ministers

Standing Committee
Technical Committees

Action committees
SAARC Secretariat

Figure 1:-Flowchart of general SAARC structure.

Source: SAARC Secretariat.

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SAARC charter

The first SAARC summit included the heads of state from seven south Asian
countries (i.e., Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and
Sri Lanka). The meeting was structured to enhance an ambiance of mutual
cooperation on the basis of a deviation from the legacy of a shared colonial
heritage.

The SAARC Charter is divided into 10 articles and includes a preamble. In the
preamble, the signatories to the charter pledged to promote “peace, stability,
amity and progress in the region through strict adherence to the principles of the
UNITED NATIONS CHARTER and NON-ALIGNMENT” [emphasis in the
original]. The preamble to the SAARC Charter also embraced general 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.

 To promote the welfare of the peoples of SOUTH ASIA and to improve

their quality of life [emphasis in the organ];
 To accelerate economic growth, social progress and cultural development
in the region land to provide all individual the opportunity to live in
dignity and to realise their full potential;
 To contribute to natural trust, understanding and appreciation of one
another’s problem;
 To promote active collaboration and mutual assistance in the economic,
social, cultural, technical and scientific fields;
 To strengthen cooperation with other developing countries;
 To cooperate with international and regional organisations with similar
aims and purposes.
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SAARC

Secretariat

Secretary General Professional

General Services
Services Staff
Staff

Working Divisions

Media and Economy, Trade Human Resource

Agriculture and
Integration of and Finance Development,
Rural Development Afghanistan Security and Culture

Environment and Social Affairs Energy, Tourism Information and

Biotechnology and Science Poverty Alleviation

Figure 2:- Flowchart of SAARC Secretariat.

Source: SAARC Secretariat.

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The enlargement of SAARC

SAARC, like other regional and multilateral institutions, has struggled to

enlarge its membership. In this chapter I will attempt to strike a middle ground
between the formal and informal component of the enlargement of SAARC,
largely by drawing attention to those international actors that have been eager to
engage with SAARC.

REGIONALISM AND MULTILATERALISM

A multilateral organization, using Johan Ruggies’s definition, is “defined by

such generalized decision-making rules as voting or consensus procedures.

This would suggest that SAARC also has the capacity of being conceived as a
multilateral organization, with a focus that could extend beyond the constraints
of a region.

When we examine SAARC on the basis of its functions, we are tempted to

compare it to every emerging institution that faces critical challenges in its
development. We know that other regional institutions, such as the Shanghai
cooperation Organization (SCO), have altered their initial institutional aims and
objectives as a consequence of their enlargement. Likewise, international
institutions, like the EU or the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO),
have been redefined and transformed through enlargement.

Country specificity: Afghanistan joins SAARC

One of the most important challenges faced by SAARC has been the proposed
enlargement of the association beyond its seven founding members. Since its
inception in 1985, only one country has successfully expanded the membership
of the association. In November 2005, the government of Afghanistan formally
requested to join SAARC.

SAARC Countries  Afghanistan,

 Maldives,
 India,
 Sri Lanka,
 Pakistan,
 Bhutan,
 Bangladesh,
 Nepal.
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SAARC Observers

The issue of SAARC’s enlargement is closely liked to the participation of

countries and multilateral organizations as SAARC observers. During the
summit declaration issued at the 13th SAARC summit, Afghanistan’s petition to
become a member was formally accepted by the heads of state and government
of SAARC member countries. Likewise, the 13th SAARC summit declaration
also approved the incorporation of countries, and both regional and international
organizations, as SAARC observers in the summit declaration it was noted that
first two countries to be conditionally granted SAARC observer status would be
the People’s Republic of china and Japan.

SAARC observers (date of joining)

 China (2005)
 Japan (2005)
 European Union (2006)
 South Korea (2006)
 United States of America (2006)
 Mauritius (2007)
 Iran (2008)
 Australia (2008)
 Myanmar (Burma) (2008)
Source: www.saarc-sec. org/cooperation-with-Observers/13

The level of interest and motivation for participating in SAARC as an observer

varies, but there is a general acceptance that South Asia is an important
economic and political Hub. For instance, Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs
notes that it views SAARC “as an association significant for its ability to
provide a platform for the Stability and development of the south Asia region.:
In Japan’s case, the primary motivation for engaging with SAARC lies in its
support for democracy and peace-building, the promotion of regional
connectivity, and person to person exchange. In official statements, Australia
has also reiterated the benefit of engaging with SAARC in order to enhance
closer ties with individual SAARC nations on the issues of trade education,
science and technology cooperation, and counter-terrorism.

Some commentators on SAARC suggest that the involvement of a growing

number of SAARC observers represents both challenges and opportunities for
the sustainability of the association.
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SAARC’s relations with intergovernmental organizations

SAARC enjoys engagement with a number of intergovernmental organizations.
Between 1993 and 2010, SAARC signed 23 Memorandum’s of Understanding
(MoUs) with various Intergovernmental organizations. The first MoU of this
type was singlewith two UN agencies, the United nations conference on Trade
and Development (UNCTAD) and the united nations children’s fund
(UNICEF). Subsequently, SAARC has signed additional MoUs with a host of
other UN agencies, including the united nations economic and Social
Commission (UNESCAP, 1994), the united nations /development program
(UNDP, 1995), the united nations office on Drugs and crime (UNODC,1995),
the united Nations fund for women (UNIFEM, 2001), The Joint United Nations
program on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS, 2004), the united nations Environment
program (UNEP, 2007), THE United Nations International Strategy for Disaster
reduction (UN/ISDR, 2008),and the united Nations Educational, Scientific, and
cultural organization ( UNESCO,2008).

It has signed MoUs with the international Telecommunications Union (ITU,

1997), the world Health organization (WHO,2000), the World Bank (WB,
2004) and the Food and Agriculture organization (FAO, 2004). Nevertheless, it
is difficult to point to any specific initiative that has emerged on the basis of SA
SRC MoUs with intergovernmental institution.

Give one its focus on development issue SAARC has also engaged with
national and personaldevelopmental and environmental agencies.

To that effect, SAARC has singed MoUs with Asia Pacific Telecomm unity
(APT, 1994), the Canadian internationalDevelopment Agency (CIDA,1997),
THE Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB, 2003) South Asia
cooperative Environment Program (SACEPR, 2004,) the Asian development
Bank (ADB,2004), the Japan Special Fund (JSF, 2006), the Asian Disaster
Preparedness Centre (ADPRC, 2006), and the centre on Integrated Rural
develo0opment for Asia and the pacific (CIRDAP, 2007). SAARC also
developed collaborative arrangement with a number of organizations without
signing MoU.

Source: www.saarc-sec.org/Cooperation-with -Observers/13.

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Cultural & Regional Relation South Asian Countries

Figure: Tourism connects both ways.Tourism benefits both: Culture

&Economy.

The SAARC countries have seen enough of heckling for political issue created
by contested history. The time is ripe; that they should find their common
thread. The region of south Asia has common geography. But all along one
thing has become a clear and that is India’s centrality to the region even in
cultural landscape. Care must be taken that culture; is not belonging of only one
nation and it belongs to humanity as a whole and any institutionalisation of
cultural diplomacy should properly take care of his fact. For instance; SAAARC
University in each of the member’s countries should be there instead of only
one at Delhi. The institutionalisation of cultural diplomacy should take into
account areas like Tourism. The SAARC countries have seen enough of
hackling for political issue created by contested history. The time is ripe; that
they should find their common threat.
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SAARC Summits
The Meetings of the Heads of State or Government of Member States is
the highest decision making authority under SAARC. Summits are usually
held biennially hosted by a Member State in alphabetical order. The
Member State hosting the Summit assumes the Chair of the Association.
The key outcome of a SAARC Summit is a Declaration.The Summit
Declaration contains decisions and directives of the Leaders to strengthen
and consolidate regional cooperation in different areas being pursued
under the auspices of SAARC.
The Declaration is adopted by the Leaders at the concluding session of a
Summit.
The Summit also considers and approves reports of the Council of
Ministers and Ministerial Meetings. During the Summit, policy statements
on regional cooperation under SAARC are made by the Leaders. The
Summit is also addressed by Heads of Observer delegations and by the
Secretary General.

Table 1: List of Summits.

S.No Location Date of Summit
1 Dhaka 7-8 December, 1985
2 Bangalore 16-17 November, 1986
3 Kathmandu 2-4 November, 1987
4 Islamabad 2-31 December, 1988
5 Male' 21-23 November, 1990
6 Colombo 21 December, 1991
7 Dhaka 10-11 April, 1993
8 New Delhi 2-4 May, 1995
9 Male' 12-14 May, 1997
10 Colombo 29-31 July, 1998
11 Kathmandu 4-6 January, 2002
12 Islamabad 2-6 January, 2004
13 Dhaka 12-13 November, 2005
14 New Delhi 3-4 April, 2007
15 Colombo 1-3 August, 2008
16 Thimphu 28-29 April, 2010
17 Addu 10-11 November, 2011
18 Kathmandu 26-27 November 2014
Source: https://saarc-sec.org/saarc-summits.
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Conclusion

In this chapter we have evaluated the events leading to the creation of SAARC.
We showed that the formation of regional institutional arrangements in South
Asia followed three stages, from the immediate period of independence from
Britain through an era of postcolonial realignment, conducting with the
institutionalization of a South Asian specific regional character. One of the most
important considerations in the analysis of an emerging regional architecture in
South Asia was the proposed institutional design. In the case of SAARC, the
key driver for the establishment of a South Asian Regional institution was the
leadership by a few political actors, principally Bangladesh’s president Ziaur
Rahman. President Zia was instrumental in generating official support for a
loose set of regional collaboration objectives which eventuated in the creation
of SAARC.

References

[1]. https://saarc-sec.org/saarc-summits.

[2]. http://www.saarcstat.org/.

[3]. http://worldpopulationreview.com/.

[4]. www.saarc-sec.org/Cooperation-with -Observers/13.

[5].Saez, L. (2012). The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation

(SAARC). Hoboken: Taylor & Francis.

[6]. Kumar, R., &Goyal, O. (2016). Thirty years of SAARC.

[7]. Trivedi, S. (2005). Regional economic cooperation and integration. New

Delhi: New Century Publications.