SAARC

SOUTH ASIAN ASSOCIATION FOR

REGIONAL COOPERATION
 Reasons to Born
 Successful performance of EEC,NAFTA and other
trade blocks.
 Improving the employment opportunity.
 Improving the Income and Living Standard.
 Technological innovation and development.
 Expansion of market, in turn producing aggregative
demand for products and services.
 To enrich the economic activity among the nation.
 Birth of SAARC
 Members made declaration on SAARC in August
1983.

 Formal adaptation of charter of the SAARC was on

December 1985 by the heads of the members of
country.
India
Bangladesh
Bhutan
Pakistan
Maldives
Nepal
Sri Lanka
 Objectives of SAARC
 To improve the quality of life and welfare of
people of the SAARC member countries
 To develop the region economically, socially
and culturally
 To provide the opportunity to the people of the
region to live in dignity and to exploit their
potentialities
 Objectives (contd)
 To enhance the self-reliance of the member
countries jointly
 To provide conductive climate for creating and
enhancing mutual trust, understanding and
application of one another’s issues
 To enhance the cooperation with other
developing economies
 Objectives (contd)
 To enhance the mutual assistance among the
member countries in the areas of economic, social,
cultural, scientific and technical fields

 To have unity among the member countries

regarding the issues of common interest in the
international forums

 To extend cooperation to other trade blocks

 Summit Year Venue
1st SAARC Summit 7 - 8 December 1985 Dhaka

2nd SAARC Summit 16 - 17 November 1986 Bangalore

3rd SAARC Summit 2 - 4 November 1987 Kathmandu

4th SAARC Summit 29 - 31 December 1988 Islamabad

5th SAARC Summit 21 - 23 November 1990 Male'

6th SAARC Summit 21 December 1991 Colombo

7th SAARC Summit 10 - 11 April 1993 Dhaka

8th SAARC Summit 2 - 4 May 1995 New Delhi

9th SAARC Summit 12 - 14 May 1997 Male'

10th SAARC Summit 29 - 31 July 1998 Colombo

11th SAARC Summit 4 - 6 January 2002 Kathmandu

12th SAARC Summit 2 - 6 January 2004 Islamabad

YEAR Name of the year

1989 SAARC Year of Combating Drug Abuse and Drug Trafficking

1990 SAARC Year of Girl Child

1991 SAARC Year of Shelter

1992 SAARC Year of Environment

1993 SAARC Year of Disabled Persons

1994 SAARC Year of the Youth

1995 SAARC Year of Poverty Eradication

1996 SAARC Year of Literacy

1997 SAARC Year of Participatory Governance

1999 SAARC Year of Biodiversity

2002-2003 SAARC Year of Contribution of Youth to Environment

2004 SAARC Awareness Year for TB and HIV/AIDS

2005 South Asia Tourism Year

Year Decades
1991-2000 SAARC Decade of the Girl Child

2001-2010 SAARC Decade of the Rights of the Child

Organization Structure of SAARC

The council

Council of ministers

Standing Committee

Programming Committee

Technical Committee

Secretariat
 The Council
Representatives
: Functions:
 Represented by the  The
Highest Policy
heads of foreign making body
Minister of the
member of
Government
Meeting:
 The Council meets
once in two years.
 Council of ministers
Representatives:
 Represented by the foreign ministers of
member Governments
Meeting:
 The Council meets twice a year or more times
if necessary
Functions of Council of
ministers
It reviews
the functioning
Of whole body system

It formulates policies

Decides the new

areas of coordination
among the nations
Establishment of any
additional mechanism if any
Decides the issues of general
interests to the SAARC member countries
 Standing Committee
Representatives:
 It consists
of Foreign secretaries of members
governments
Meeting:
 It is uncertain
 Meeting will be held whenever there is a
necessary
 Functions of Standing
Committee
Mobilizing Co-operation
within and outside region

Determining
Functions Monitoring and
of Standing coordinating
inter-sectoral
Committee programmes
priorities

Formulating the modalities of

financing
 Programming Committee
Representatives:
 It includes the senior officials of the member
Governments
Functions of Carrying out the
Programming Activities assigned
by the Standing
committee Committee

Analyzing the reports Scrutinising

and submitting them to the budget Finalizing the annual
the Standing Committee of the schedule
along with its components Secretariat of the secretariat
 Technical committee
Representatives:
 It comprises the representatives of all
countries. Functions of
Technical
Committee

Formulating Submitting reports to

Projects & Monitoring & the Standing
programmes Implementing Committee via
in their Projects the Programme
respective areas Committee
 Technical Committees of
SAARC
Agriculture
2000
Communications
Rural 2004
Development
2000
Technical Environment
Committees 2000
of SAARC
Science &
Technology Health &
1983 Population
Tourism & activities
Transport 1984
2005
 Regional Centres
Regional centre Venue Year

SAIC Dhaka 1988

STC Kathmandu 1992

SDC New Delhi 1994

SMRC Dhaka 1995

SHRDC Islamabad 1998

SCZMC Male’ Jun-Jul 2004

 SAARC Secretariat
 It does the Secretarial work of SAARC
 It is located in Nepal
 The Secretary-General is the chief of the secretariat
 The Secretary-General is appointed by the Council
of Ministers on rotation basis among the members
for a period of three years
 Secretary-General is assisted by Seven Directors one
from each country and General Staff
 Activities of Secretariat

Servicing the
meetings
of SAARC

Co-ordinating,
monitaring & Serving as a
implementing communication
SAARC activities link between
SAARC & other
international
forums
 SAPTA
SAARC PREFERNTIAL TRADING
ARRANGEMENT
 It signed by the council of ministers on Apr 11, 1993

Objectives
 To gradually liberalize the trade among member countries of SAARC
 To eliminate trade barriers among the SAARC countries and reduce or
eliminate tariffs
 To promote and sustain mutual trade and economic co operation among the
member countries Product Areas
(scope)

All raw materials Semi finished products Finished goods

Administration of
SAPTA
 The benefits to the member
countries would be accorded on
equitable basis of reciprocity
and mutuality
 The agreement would be
improved step by step through
mutual negotiations
 The agreement has taken the
special needs of the less
developed countries into
countries
Special treatment to
least developed
countries by…
 Providing technical assistance to,
establishing of industrial and
agricultural projects in order to
boost their exports
 Enhancing their exports by
eliminating non tariff and
paratariffs , providing duty free
access etc.
 Establishing training facilities in
the areas of export trade providing
export credit insurance and
marketing information
 Entering into long term contracts.