south asian association for regional saarc

8/4/2019 South Asian Association for Regional SAARC

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South Asian Association for

Regional Cooperation


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Headquarters - Kathmandu, Nepal

Official languages - English

Membership - 8 Members 9 Observers Government Organization - Chairman

Mahinda Rajapaksa - Secretary General

Fathimath Dhiyana Saeed Establishment - December 8, 1985


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FOUNDERS

Hussain Muhammad Ershad -

PRESIDENT OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF BANGLADESH

Jigme Singye Wangchuk - KING OF BHUTAN

Rajiv Gandhi - PRIME MINISTER OF THE REPUBLIC OF

INDIA Maumoon Abdul Gayoom - PRESIDENT OF THE REBUPLIC

OF MALDIVES

Birendra Bir Bikram Shah Dev - KING OF NEPAL

Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq - PRESIDENT OF THE ISLAMICREPUBLIC OF PAKISTAN

Junius Richard Jayewardene - PRESIDENT OF DEMOCRATICSOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF SRI LANKA


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SAARC MEMBERS ON WORLD MAP


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MEMBERS

(Alphabetically)

OBSERVERS FUTURE MEMBERSHIP

AFGHANISTAN AUSTRALIA PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF

CHINA

BANGLADESH CHINA INDONESIA

BHUTAN EUROPEAN UNION SOUTH AFRICA

INDIA JAPAN RUSSIA

MALDIVES IRAN

NEPAL MAURITIUS

PAKISTAN MYANMAR

SRI LANKA SOUTH KOREA

UNITED STATES


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ABOUT SAARC

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation(SAARC) is an organization of South Asian nations,founded in December 1985 and dedicated toeconomic, technological, social, and cultural

development emphasizing collective self-reliance.

Its seven founding members are Bangladesh, Bhutan,India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.Afghanistan joined the organization in 2005.

Meetings of heads of state are usually scheduledannually; meetings of foreign secretaries, twiceannually. It is headquartered in Kathmandu, Nepal.


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Secretariat

The SAARC Secretariat is based in Kathmandu, Nepal.

It coordinates and monitors implementation of activities,prepares for and services meetings, and serves as a channelof communication between the Association and its

Member States as well as other regional organisations. The Secretariat is headed by the Secretary General, who is

appointed by the Council of Ministers from Member Statesin alphabetical order for a three year term.

H.E. Ms. Fathimath Dhiyana Saeed from Maldives is the

current Secretary General.

The Secretary General is assisted by eight Directors ondeputation from the Member States.


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OBJECTIVES

To promote the welfare of the peoples of SOUTH ASIA and to improvetheir quality of life;

To accelerate economic growth, social progress and cultural developmentin the region and to provide all individuals the opportunity to live indignity and to realise their full potentials;

To promote and strengthen collective self-reliance among the countries ofSOUTH ASIA;

To contribute to mutual trust, understanding and appreciation of oneanother's problems;

To promote active collaboration and mutual assistance in the economic,social, cultural, technical and scientific fields;

To strengthen cooperation with other developing countries; To strengthen cooperation among themselves in international forums on

matters of common interests; and

To cooperate with international and regional organisations with similaraims and purposes.


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AREAS OF COOPERATION

Agriculture and Rural

Biotechnology

Culture

Economic

Energy Environment

Funding Mechanism

Human Resource Development

Information, Communication and Media

People-to-People Contacts

Poverty Alleviation

Science and Technology

Security Aspects

Social Development

Tourism


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AGREEMENTS AND CONVENTIONS

Political issues

SAARC has intentionally laid more stress on "coreissues" mentioned above rather than more

decisive political issues like the Kashmir disputeand the Sri Lankan civil war. However, politicaldialogue is often conducted on the margins ofSAARC meetings During the 12th and 13th SAARC

summits, extreme emphasis was laid upongreater cooperation between the SAARCmembers to fight terrorism.


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South Asian Free Trade Area Over the years, the SAARC members have expressed

their unwillingness on signing a free trade agreement.Though India has several trade pacts with Maldives, Nepal,Bhutan and Sri Lanka, similar trade agreements with

Pakistan and Bangladesh have been stalled due to politicaland economic concerns on both sides.

At the 12th SAARC Summit at Islamabad, SAARC countriesdevised the South Asia Free Trade Agreement. Thisagreement went into force on January 1, 2008.

Under this agreement, SAARC members will bring theirduties down to 20 per cent by 2009.


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Dhaka 2009 Summit

The summit accorded observer status to

People's Republic of China, Japan, South Korea

and United States of America. The nations also agreed to organize

development funds.

SAARC programs and also ranging from social,to infrastructure, to economic ones.


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CONVENTIONS SAARC Convention on Combating and

Prevention of Trafficking in Women andChildren for Prostitution

Convention on Promotion of Welfare ofChildren

SAARC Convention on Narcotics Drugs

SAARC Regional Convention on Suppression ofTerrorism


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south asian association for regional saarc

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