Presentation on

South Asian Association for

Regional Cooperation

Presented By:

Abhishek Kumar
Ashutosh K.
Singh
Dipesh Bansal
Geetika Arora

24/10/10  
 History of SAARC

●The concept of SAARC was first adopted by 
the Bangladeshi president Ziaur Rahman. 
●In the late 2000s, Indian President proposed 

the creation of a trade bloc consisting of 
South Asian countries. 
● The foreign secretaries of the seven 

countries met for the first time in Colombo in 
April 2002. 

24/10/10  
 Continued....

●On 2 August 2006 the foreign ministers of the 
SAARC countries agreed in principle to grant 
observer status to the US, South Korea and the 
European Union.
●On 4 March 2008, Iran requested observer 

status.Followed shortly by the entrance of Mauritius.
●Meetings of heads of state are usually scheduled 

annually; meetings of foreign secretaries, twice 
annually. Headquarters are in Kathmandu, Nepal

24/10/10  
 KEY FACTS

ESTABLISHED ON 8TH DECEMBER 1985 at

•

Dhaka

•
FORMED BY 8 COUNTRIES

AFGHANISTAN BECAME ITS 8TH MEMBER

•

IN APRIL 2007

•
HEADQUARTERS-NEPAL

•
SECREATRY- DR.SHEEL KANT SHARMA
24/10/10  
 MEMBERS

CURRENT MEMBERS

•INDIA
•PAKISTAN
•SRILANKA
•NEPAL
•BHUTAN
•MALDIVES
•BANLADESH
•AFGHANISTAN

24/10/10  
Distinct Geographical Unit

Separated by mountains
●

●Isolated by oceans

●Distinct climate affecting the whole 

subcontinent
●Unique cultural setup

24/10/10  
Reasons for formation of SAARC..Common
features of Indian Sub Continent

● Central location in Asia
●All countries gained independence after Second World 

War
●As a result of British Colonialism, all countries have 

same cultural background and  history
●The region is poor and over populated

●Predominance of agriculture . Therefore dependence 

of the economy on southwest monsoon.

24/10/10  
 OBJECTIVES

•IMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE & WELFARE OF PEOPLE

•ECONOMIC, SOCIAL & CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT

•STRENGHTEN SELF RELIANCE AMONG MEMBERS

•CONTRIBUTE MUTUAL TRUST & UNDERSTANDING

•ASSIST IN ECONOMIC, SOCIAL, TECHANICAL,

CULTURAL & SCIENTIFIC FIELDS

•STRENGHTEN COOPERATION AMONG THEMSELVES &

OTHER DEVELOPING  COUNTRIES
24/10/10
 SECONDARY OBJECTIVES

SAARC ALSO LOOKS IN CRITICAL AREAS LIKE

POVERTY, EDUCATION, CULTURE, SPORTS & ARTS
.

POVERTY

ØTWELFTH SUMMIT DECLARED POVERTY ERRADICATION AS

THE MAIN GOAL

ØTHE PLAN OF ACTION INCLUDED HUMAN DEVELOPMENT,

FIGHTING URBAN & RURAL POVERTY , MULTI-CULTURISM,
MASS EDUCATION
24/10/10  
 EDUCATION

•OPTIMUM UTILIZATION OF HUMAN RESOURCES

•EMPHASIZED ON PROMOTION OF EDUCATION

•STANDARDISATION OF CURRICULA, MUTUAL

RECOGNITION OF COURSES

•SAARC TEACHERS FORUM HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED

•FREE EDUCATION TO ALL CHILDREN BETWEEN THE

AGE OF 6-14YRS
24/10/10  
 CULTURE SPORTS & ARTS

• PRACTICAL MEASURES FOR PROTECTION

CONSERVATION AND MAINTENANCE OF
CULTURAL & PILGRIMAGE SITES

• ENCOURAGEMENT OF CONTEMPORARY ARTS & CULTURE

• LAST SAARC CULTURAL FESTIVAL WAS HELD IN

DHAKA

• COOPERATION IN THE FIELD OF CULTURE

24/10/10  
 SAPTA

• SOUTH ASIAN PREFERENTIAL TRADING AGREEMENT

• SIGNED ON 11TH APRIL 1993 IN DHAKA AND ENTERED

INTO FORCE ON 7TH DECEMBER 1995

OBJECTIVES
•To promote and sustain mutual trade and economic
cooperation within the SAARC region through the exchange of
concessions.

24/10/10  
PRINCIPLES UNDERLYING SAPTA
   1. overall reciprocity and mutuality of advantages so as to 
benefit equitably all Contracting States, taking into account 
their respective level of economic and industrial 
development, the pattern of their external trade, and trade 
and tariff policies and systems.
   2. negotiation of tariff reform step by step, improved and 
extended in successive stages through periodic reviews.
   3. recognition of the special needs of the Least Developed 
Contracting States and agreement on concrete preferential 
measures in their favour.
   4. inclusion of all products, manufactures and commodities 
in their raw, semi­processed and processed forms.

24/10/10  
 SAFTA

• SOUTH ASIAN FREE TRADE AREA

• SIGNED IN ISLAMABAD IN JANUARY 2004

• CAME INTO FORCE ON 1st JANUARY 2006

• TARIFF LIBERALISATION PROGRAMME (TLP)

• WAS INTRODUCED

• TLP COVERS ALL TARIFF LINES EXCEPT THE

SENSETIVE LIST

• STRENGHTENS
24/10/10 ECONOMIC
  COOPERATION
 AREAS OF COOPERATION
● Agriculture and Rural Development.

● Health and Population Activities

● Women, Youth and Children
● Environment and Forestry
● Science and Technology and Meteorology
● Human Resources Development
● Transport.

●Recently, high level Working Groups have also been

established to strengthen cooperation in the areas of
Information and Communications Technology, Biotechnology,
Intellectual Property Rights, Tourism, and Energy.

24/10/10  
 The SAARC Secretariat

●The SAARC Secretariat was established in

Kathmandu on 16 January 1987and was inaugurated
by Late King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah of Nepal.

● Its role is to coordinate and monitor the

implementation of SAARC activities, service the
meetings of the Association and serve as the channel
of communication between SAARC and other
international organisations.

●The Secretariat comprises the Secretary General,

seven Directors and the General Services Staff.

24/10/10  
 The SAARC
Secretariat

24/10/10  
VARIOUS CENTRES OF SAARC

1.SAARC Agricultural Information Centre (SAIC),

Dhaka
2.SAARC Meteorological Research Centre (SMRC),
Dhaka
3.SAARC Tuberculosis Centre (STC), Kathmandu
4.SAARC Documentation Centre (SDC), New Delhi
5.SAARC Human Resources Development Centre
(SHRDC), Islamabad
6.SAARC Coastal Zone Management Centre, Maldives
7.SAARC Information Centre, Nepal
8.SAARC Energy Centre, Pakistan
9.SAARC Disaster Management Centre, India

24/10/10  
Political issues

● SAARC has intentionally laid more stress on "core 
issues" mentioned above rather than more decisive 
political issues like the Kashmir dispute and the Sri 
Lankan civil war. 
●SAARC has also refrained itself from interfering in the 

internal matters of its member states.
● During the 12th and 13th SAARC summits, extreme 

emphasis was laid upon greater cooperation between 
the SAARC members to fight terrorism.

24/10/10  
Free trade agreement

●In 1993, SAARC countries signed an agreement to 
gradually lower tariffs within the region, in Dhaka.
● Eleven years later, at the 12th SAARC Summit at 

Islamabad, SAARC countries devised the South Asia 
Free Trade Agreement which created a framework for 
the establishment of a free trade area  covering 1.4 
billion people.
● This agreement went into force on January 1, 2008.

●Under this agreement, SAARC members will bring their 

duties down to 20 per cent by 2009.

24/10/10  
SAARC CONVENTIONS
 SAARC Convention on Combating and Prevention of 
Trafficking in Women and Children for Prostitution

Convention on Promotion of Welfare of Children

Convention on Mutual Assistance on Criminal Matters, July 
2008

SAARC Conventionon Narcotics Drugs

SAARC Regional Convention on Suppression of Terrorism

Additional Protocol on Terrorism, Jan 2004
24/10/10  
16th SAARC Summit

The Sixteenth Meeting of the Heads of State 
or Government of the Member States of the 
South Asian Association for Regional 
Cooperation (SAARC) was held in Thimphu, 
Bhutan, from 28­29 April 2010, around the 
theme of climate change.

24/10/10  
SAARC Action Plan on Climate Change

● Plant ten million trees over 2010­2015 as part of a 
regional afforestation and reforestation campaign.
●Develop national plans and regional projects on 

protecting and safeguarding the archeological and 
historical infrastructure of South Asia from climate 
change adverse effects.
● Stress the imperative of biodiversity conservation and 

monitoring of mountain ecology in the region
● Convention on Cooperation on the Environment at an 

early date to enable its entry into force.

24/10/10  
 Th a n k
! ! ! ! ! ! !
u ! ! !
Yo

24/10/10