Objectives Of Saarc Pdf
Saarc countries pdf All SAARC countries are being. Objective of SAARC. The.The Governments of the SAARC South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation. The South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation (SAARC) is an organisation of South Asian nations, which was established on 8 December 1985 when the government of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka formally adopted its charter providing for the promotion of economic and social progress, cultural.
Major Objectives Of Saarc
ADVERTISEMENTS: v. Collaborate in socio-economic, cultural and scientific fields But, it also showed commitment to noninterference in internal affairs and respect for the sovereignty, equality and territorial integrity of member states. It emphasised that decision must be taken on the basis of consensus leaving aside bilateral or contentious issues. Areas of Cooperation: SAARC countries have identified some areas of cooperation. The 11 stated areas of cooperation are agriculture and forestry, health and population, meteorology, rural development; telecommunications; transport; science and technology; postal services; sports, arts, and culture; women in development; and drug trafficking and abuse. ADVERTISEMENTS: Other concerns, such as tourism and terrorism, however, have also been targeted.
The charter stipulates that decisions are unanimous and that “bilateral and contentious issues” are to be avoided. Social Charter: The charter deals with poverty alleviation, health issues, education, human resource development and youth mobilisation, promotion of the status of women, promotion of the rights and well being of the child, population stabilization and drug addiction, rehabilitation and reintegration. The charter urges all the member-states to attach importance to social development and economic growth. It stresses that legislative, executive and administrative frameworks should be provided for the progressive realization of social and economic goals. It asks the SAARC states to maintain a social policy and strategy to ensure an overall and balanced social uplift of their people.
India’s Role. India realizes the importance the regional organizations are to play in foreseeable future. Since its formation, India has played vital role and at times as a ‘big brother’ in establishing cooperation between members. In later years SAARC sought to tackle issues such as women’s participation, drug trafficking, tackling terrorism etc. It urged resumption of North- South dialogue to normalize the distribution of world trade, titled in favour of the developed countries. It established Food Security Reserves (1988) and adopted convention on Narcotic drugs (1990). SAFTA: South Asian Free Trade Area: The members of SAARC at its 12th summit held in Islamabad (2004) signed a historic Agreement on Free Trade by agreeing to create a South Asian Free Trade Area by 2006.
It plans to establish a system of common market, currency and free flow of goods and services between the member states. Nevertheless the agreement puts faith in preferential treatment of Least Developed Countries.
The scheme encompasses two stages. Firstly the scheme will begin from 2006. Secondly the member states will subsequently reduce tariffs from 0 to 5% till 2015.
The member states are not bound to abide by the terms of the agreement and are left free to pull out of the treaty at any time, after it comes into force from January 1, 2006. The SAFTA Agreement: The agreement on South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) came into effect from January 1, 2006, ushering in an era of free trade in goods among the seven South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) member-countries. It paves the way for a full-fledged South Asia economic union in the future. As per the agreement terms, India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka have to scale down their customs duties to the level of 0-5 percent by 2013. On the other hand, the four “least developed” members in the SAARC group—Bangladesh, Maldives, Nepal and Bhutan—are expected to follow suit by 2018. India, being the larger economy among the seven members, has to provide certain concessions to the four least developed countries (LDCs). This would include a compensation mechanism for the revenue loss that they may incur owing to the cut in their import duties.
As per the agreement provisions, the trade liberalisation programme would not be applicable to the tariff lines included in the ‘sensitive’ list of items Accordingly, India, which ratified the agreement at the Cabinet meeting on December 29, 2005, has finalized two lists for the purpose. For Pakistan and Sri Lanka, it has prepared a list containing 884 items, while that for Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan and Maldives, the list contains 763 items. The four LDCs within the SAARC have to be provided technical assistance by the other three members in training of human resources, improvement of the legal system and administration, custom procedures and trade facilitation. Problems Facing the Organization: The primary idea of setting up SAARC was to promote economic, social and cultural development and to strengthen collective self reliance through joint action. The disputed bilateral issues were to be sidelined from SAARC deliberations.
The cooperation was to be based on the principles of sovereign equality of member states, territorial integrity, political independence, non-interference in the internal matters of other states and mutual benefits. However, the reality is somewhat different. Its progress on many issues have been slow and marred by confrontations among member states. Economic disparity and unbalanced development acts is a major hindrance in realizing the potential of the organization. The commercial rivalries and conflicting interests often paralyze the prospects for moving ahead. The growing stature of India is also a cause of apprehension among some members.
The organization has failed to evolve in ASFAN way. Nevertheless, the move towards SAFTA, declining hostility between India and Pakistan growing acknowledgement of fair Indian stand, seems to move the organization ahead with renewed vigour and commitment. Facts and Definition: Indo-Pak Relation in the Context of SAARC: There is no denying the fact that escalated tension and conflict between India and Pakistan have severely hampered the prospects of SAARC. The futility of Kargil war and infiltration in Kashmir has become more than evident.
At its best, the member states have interest in ensuring a cordial relation not only in economic realm but also political one. Because, an organization cannot hope to benefit the least, if two of its members are continuously engaged in strife and tension.
What is SAARC history and objectives 3.53/ 5 (70.56%) 89 votes The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is an economic and geopolitical organisation of eight South Asian nations. It plays the role of a guiding force for the member countries. For the last two months, SAARC has been frequently making headlines with several new developments being proposed by its member nations.
History of SAARC It was back in 1980 when the concept of regional political and economic cooperation in South Asia was first thought of and fired the public imagination. Even before that, the idea was discussed in three major conferences: Asian Relations Conference (New Delhi), Baguio Conference (Philippines) and Colombo Powers Conference (Sri Lanka), which were held between 1947 and 1954. Ex-president of Bangladesh, Ziaur Rahman was the one who made a formal proposal on May 2, 1980. The first SAARC summit was held in Dhaka on 8 December 1985, when the organisation was established. Afghanistan is the only new inclusion that happened since SAARC was established. Objective of SAARC SAARC’s edifice is built upon a foundation of a strong set of objectives.
Every decision SAARC takes and every policy it frames is guided by the overall objectives it had set for itself in the charter. Although promoting “welfare economics” and “collective self-reliance” among the South Asian nations are the commonly quoted objectives, yet there are some equally important focus areas which need a mention. “Accelerating economic growth” and cultural development in South Asia is one of the priorities, which come under the broader goal of improving quality of life.
Giving every individual the “opportunity to live in dignity and to realise their full potentials” also finds a place in the list of objectives. “Understanding and appreciation of one another’s problems” is one of the rare objectives that one finds in any regional grouping. SAARC also seeks collaboration in the field of economics, culture, technology and science. The member countries aim to strengthen “cooperation among themselves in international forums on matters of common interests.” SAARC Recognised Bodies As an organisation, SAARC mainly operates through six apex bodies which ensure regional cooperation on multiple levels:. SAARC Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCI): The entity encourages intra-regional trade by creating business linkages among the entrepreneurs. Its primary focus is on the holistic growth of service sector and small & medium enterprises.
SAARCLAW (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation in Law): The desire to establish an association within the SAARC region “to disseminate information” and “promote an understanding of the concerns and developments” prompted the birth of SAARCLAW in 1991. This association of legal communities of SAARC nations was established in Colombo. South Asian Federation of Accountants (SAFA): In 1984, this organisation came into existence with an objective of strengthening and serving the accountancy profession in the South Asian Region.
South Asia Foundation (SAF): A non-profit and non-political organisation founded by UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Madanjeet Singh in 2000, SAF encourages regional cooperation through UNESCO Madanjeet Singh Institutions of Excellence. The institutions offer courses on varied subjects ranging from Climate and Green Energy to Human Rights and Visual Arts.
South Asia Initiative to End Violence Against Children (SAIEVAC): Founded in 2005, this regional forum aims at “ending all forms of violence against children in South Asia.”. Foundation of SAARC Writers and Literature (FOSWAL): It’s the first non-government organisation working towards nurturing and strengthening cultural connectivity through interactions among SAARC nations. SAFTA In a landmark move, SAARC nations unanimously decided to form South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA).
Although the agreement was reached at the 12th SAARC summit in 2004, it came into force on 1 January 2006. The agreement not only created a free trade area of 1.8 billion people in SAARC nations (except Afghanistan), but also removed trade barriers to increase the level of economic cooperation. SAARC Secretariat The SAARC Secretariat in Kathmandu (Nepal) facilitates and monitors implementation of activities of the organisation and acts as a communication channel between SAARC and its member states. Presently, the Secretariat is headed by Nepal’s ex-foreign secretary – Arjun Bahadur Thapa.
Achievements & Criticism of SAARC According to the declaration of the 16thSAARC Summit (April 2010), SAARC’s “scope and substance of cooperation had expanded to diverse fields.” The SAARC Summits have indeed created a platform for closed-door bilateral talks exclusive to the participating nations. These meetings have somewhat led to the progress in regional cooperation. The scope of regional cooperation in SAARC has proliferated, and it has started to engage political, economic, social, cultural and other aspects in its dialogue. Even the member nations’ interactions with the Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the corporate sectors seem to be developing gradually. However, SAARC is seen as a failure by many analysts.
According to observers, it has “achieved very little” over the last three decades. Besides deteriorating regional security environment and growth of terrorism in Pakistan and Afghanistan, inter-state disputes are also a nagging concern for the grouping. Social and economic sectors have registered a dismal growth, and so is the intra-regional trade.
There’s a need for India and other member states to collectively tackle challenges such as poverty, energy crisis, and terrorism among others. India should take the centre stage and remove the perceived mistrust and a sense of insecurity among the member nations. But first, India and Pakistan should focus on improving bilateral ties.