SAARC

South Asian Association for

Regional Cooperation
Presented by
1. Muhammad Robiul Hossain Chowdhury
ID No : R181210

2. Md. Sahaj Uddin

ID No : R181207

3. Md. Israfil Palash

ID No : R183256

4. Abbas Ibn Malek

ID No: R181203

5. Md. Ibrahim Hasan Chowdury

ID NO:R181204
 PRESENTED TO

Dr. Md. Masrurul

Mowla
Associate Professor &
Chairman,
Dept. of Business
Administration,IIUC
 INTRODUCTI
ON
 SAARC is an eco-political organization of 8 South Asian
nations, which was established on 8th December 1985 for
friendship and cooperation among themselves and with other
developing countries.

 Covering a population of more than 2 billion, SAARC is the

largest regional organization in the world.
 HISTORY
 Idea of regional cooperation in South Asia was discussed in atleast
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.

 Its seven founding members are Bangladesh, Sri Lanka,

Bhutan, India,, Nepal, Pakistan, & Maldives
 PRINCIPL

ES
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 &

OBJECTIVES
Welfare 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.

MEMBERS &
OBSREBS
OF
SAARC
CURRENT MEMBERS
1. Bangladesh
2. Bhutan
3. India
4. Maldives
5. Nepal
6. Pakistan
7. Sri Lanka
8. Afghanistan ( joined the organization in
2007)
 OBSERVE
1. RS
Australia
2. China
3. European Union
4. Japan
5. Iran
6. Mauritius
7. Myanmar
8. S. Korea
9. USA
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
 At 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
MINISTER
** It is to assist the council. It is represented by the foreign
ministers of the member countries. Its functions
include:

 Formulation of policies

 Review of functioning

 Deciding new areas of cooperation

 Chalk out additional mechanism

 Decide about general issues of common interests of

the
SAARC members.
 STANDING
COMMITTEE
** It is comprised by the foreign secretarian of the
member government. Its major functions are:

 To monitor and co-ordinate the programmes

 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 secretariat

 Finalizing the annual schedule

 External activities assigned by the standing

Committee

 Analyses the respects of the technical

TECHNICAL
COMMITTEE
**It 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
 SECRETERIATE
** The SAARC secretariat is located in Nepal. The
secretariat is headed by the secretary-General
appointed by the Council of Ministers. Its function
include:

 Coordination, execution and monitoring of

SAARC activities

 Servicing the SAARC meetings

 Works as communication link between the SAARC

and other international forums.
SAARC AREAS
OF
COOPERATION
 Agriculture & Biotechnology

 Trade & Finance

 Education

 Information , Communication & Media

 Science & Technology

 Energy & Environment

 Tourism & Social Development

 Culture

 People-to-People Contacts
TRADE & FINANCE
 The 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 asSAARC.
 AGGREMEN

TS
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

 DECLERATION
 Ministerial Declaration on Global Economic Crisis

 Colombo Statement on Children of South Asia

 Declaration on Cooperation in Combating Terrorism

 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

 SUMMITS
1st Summit (Dec 1985):
Venue: Dhaka
 Reaffirmation of the UN Charter and respect for
each other’s sovereignty.
 Concern over the global economic crisis.

 Declaration of belief in the objectives and the

continued relevance of the Non Aligned
Movement.
 Expression of concern over the poverty in the
SAARC region and commitment to improving
social and economic conditions
2 nd Summit (1986):
Venue: Bangalore
 Rehash of the goals and statements of the first
summit.
 Strengthening of ties between member states.
 Condemned terrorism.

3rd Summit (1987):

Venue: Kathmandu
 Decision to initiate study of natural disasters and
its after-effects.
 Expression of satisfaction over progress in
implementation of IPA.
 Call for increased people to people contact
and greater NGOs participation.
4th Summit (1988)
Venue: Islamabad
 Expression of outrage over attempted coup in
Maldives and declaration of support to her
government.
 1989 declared as the “SAARC Year Against Drug
Abuse.”
 1990 declared as the "SAARC Year of the Girl
Child".
 Launch of "SAARC-2000-A Basic Needs
Perspective".

5th Summit (1990):

Venue: Male
 Decision to build the SAARC Tuberculosis Centre and
the SAARC Documentation Centre in Bangladesh and
India respectively.
 Declaration of the period 1991-2000 as the “Decade of
the girl child”.
6th Summit (1991):
Venue: Colombo.
 Decision to establish an independent South Asian
Commission on Poverty Alleviation.
 Approval for the Inter Governmental Group to be
set up.

7th Summit (1993):

Venue: Dhaka
 Commitment to end poverty in South Asia by 2002 through
a set of strategies known as the “Agenda of Actions.”
 Appreciation for the first ever South Asian festival of
SAARC Countries held in 1992. The festival promoted
culture.

8th Summit (1995):

Venue: Delhi
 1994 marked as the SAARC Year of Youth.
 1996 marked as the SAARC Year of Literacy.
9th Summit (1997):
Venue: Male
 1997 designated the "SAARC Year of Participatory Governance" .
 Agreement to study the social compulsions that lead to child
labour.

10th Summit (1998):

Venue: Colombo
 Decision to setup a committee of experts to aide in the formulation
of SAFTA.
 Directive for the formulation of SAARC’s social charter issued.

11th Summit (2002):

Venue: Kathmandu

12th
Summit (2004):
Venue: Islamabad
13th Summit (2005):
Venue: Dhaka
 2006-2015 declared as the “Decade of Poverty Alleviation”.
 Agreements signed related to customs assistance, arbitration and tax
assistance.

14th Summit (2007):

Venue: Dehli
 SAARC Agenda for Culture launched.
 South Asian university to be established in India.

15th Summit (2008):

Venue: Colombo.

16th Summit(2010):
Venue: Thimpu
 Agreement to form the South Asia Forum.

17th Summit (2011):

Venue: Addu Citty
 Declarations and endorsements.
18th summit (2014):
Venue: Nepal . The theme of the summit was Deeper Integration for Peace and
Prosperity, focused on enhancing connectivity between the member states for
easier transit-transport across the region.

19th summit (2016):

Venue: Pakistan (cancelled)

20th summit (2019):

Venue: Colombo . The 20th SAARC summit is the 20th meeting of the heads of
state or heads of government of the eight SAARC countries after their previous
meeting in Pakistan was boycotted by all SAARC members. The Summit will take
place in 2020.
SUCCESSES
&
FAILURES
ECONOMICACHIVME
NT
 SAPTA(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 &
 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 & 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)
 Regional Centre Location Country
SAARC Agricultural
Dhaka Bangladesh
Centre (SAC)
SAARC Meteorological
Dhaka Bangladesh
Research Centre (SMRC)
SAARC Forestry Centre
Thimphu Bhutan
(SFC)
SAARC Development
Thimphu Bhutan
Fund (SDF)
SAARC Documentation
New Delhi India
Centre (SDC)
SAARC Disaster
Management Centre Gandhinagar India
(SDMC)
SAARC Coastal Zone
Management Centre Malé Maldives
(SCZMC)
SAARC Information
Kathmandu Nepal
Centre (SIC)
SAARC Tuberculosis and
Kathmandu Nepal
HIV/AIDS Centre (STAC)
SAARC Human Resources
Development Centre Islamabad Pakistan
 Current leaders
Country President Prime Minister

Abdullah Abdullah
Afghanistan Ashraf Ghani
(CEO)

Bangladesh Abdul Hamid Sheikh Hasina

King Jigme Khesar
Bhutan Lotay Tshering
Namgyel Wangchuck

India Ram Nath Kovind Narendra Modi

Maldives Ibrahim Mohamed Solih

Nepal Bidhya Devi Bhandari Khadga Prasad Oli

Pakistan Arif Alvi Imran Khan

Sri Lanka Maithripala Sirisena Ranil Wickremesinghe

 Secretaries-General of SAARC
# Name Country Took office Left office
16 January 15 October
1 Abul Ahsan  Bangladesh
1985 1989
17 October 31 December
2 Kant Kishore B  India
hargava 1989 1991
Ibrahim Hussei 1 January 31 December
3 n  Maldives
1992 1993
Zaki
Yadav Kant 1 January 31 December
4    Nepal
Silwal 1994 1995
1 January 31 December
5 Naeem U. Has  Pakistan
an 1996 1998
1 January 10 January
6 Nihal Rodrigo  Sri Lanka
1999 2002
11 January 28 February
7 Q. A. M. A. Rah  Bangladesh
im 2002 2005
29 February
8 Chenkyab Dorj  Bhutan 1 March 2005
i 2008
 FAILURES 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

The 18th SUMMIT at Katmandu in 2014
9th meeting of technical Committee on Agriculture
and Rural Development, 25 June 219, Thimphu,
 CONLUSION
 The SAARC balance sheet of success is very
limited to adoption of several conventions.
 There have also been breakthroughs in the form
of agreements forming SAPTA and SAFTA , but their
success at operational is still expected.
 Special Economic Zones and Export Promotion
Zones should be created in all member countries to
make trading easier and smooth the relations
between the South Asian nations.