SOUTH ASIA ASSOCIATION FOR REGIONAL COOPERATION (SAARC)

SOUTH ASIA ASSOCIATION FOR REGIONAL COOPERATION

 

Outline:

 

1)   An overview

 

2)   SAARC Apex Bodies

 

3)   SAARC Recognized Bodies

 

4)   SAARC Specialized Bodies

 

5)   Objectives of SAARC

 

6)   SAFTA (SAARC Free Trade Agreement)

 

7)   SAPTA (SAARC Preferential Trading Arrangement)

 

8)   SAARC Arbitration Bodies

 

9)   SAARC Development Fund

10)SAARC Regional Standard Organization

11)Regional Centers

12)Achievements of SAARC

13)Why SAARC is a Failed Organization?

14)Causes of Failure

15)Recommendation:

16)Conclusion

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AN OVERVIEW

 

Created at       

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) was established

with the signing of the SAARC Charter in Dhaka on 8 December 1985

 

Dedicated for  

Economic, technology, social and cultural development by emphasizing on

collective self-reliance

Headquarter            

Khatmandu, Nepal

 

Official Language:  

English

 

Secretary General:

Amjad Hussain B. Sial since 2017 from Pakistan

 

Member states 

SAARC comprises of eight Member States: (i)Afghanistan, (iI)Bangladesh,

(iii)Bhutan, (iv)India, (v)Maldives, (vi)Nepal, (vii)Pakistan and ()viiiSri Lanka.

 

Observer state:

(i) Australia; (ii) China; (iii) the European Union; (iv) Iran; (v) Japan; (vi) the

Republic of Korea; (vii) Mauritius; (viii) Myanmar; and (ix) the United States of

America.

 

Founding states       

All above except Afghanistan

 

Areas of Cooperation:

 

Agriculture, Education, Culture, Sports, Health, Population, Child Welfare, Environment, Technology, Rural Development, Tourism, Transport, Science, Meteorology, Communication

 

Idea:       

 

The idea of co-operation among South Asian Countries was discussed in three conferences:

(1) the Asian Relations Conference held in New Delhi on April 1947;

(2) the Baguio Conference in the Philippines on May 1950;

(3) and the Colombo Powers Conference held in Sri Lanka in April 1954.

Later and finally generated by President Zia-ur-Rehman of Bangladesh (1977)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SAARC Apex Bodies

1	SAARC Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCI)
2	South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation in Law (SAARCLAW)
3	South Asian Federation of Accountants (SAFA)
4	South Asia Foundation (SAF)
5	Foundation of SAARC Writers and Literature (FOSWAL)
6	South Asia Initiative to End Violence Against Children (SAIEVAC)

 

SAARC Recognized Bodies

The interested organizations and professional bodies seeking recognition as SAARC Recognized Bodies should be based in the SAARC Member Countries and work in the areas of promoting social, economic and cultural development in the region.

 

1	Association of Management and Development Institutions in South Asia (AMDISA)
2	South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation of Architects (SAARCH)
3	Federation of State Insurance Organizations of SAARC Countries (FSIO)
4	SAARC Diploma Engineers Forum (SDEF)
5	Radiological Society of SAARC Countries (RSSC)
6	SAARC Teachers Federation (STF)
7	SAARC Surgical Care Society (SSCS)
8	South Asia Free Media Association (SAFMA)
9	SAARC Women’s Association (SWA)
10	Hindukush Himalayan Grassroots Women’s Natural Resources managementHIMAWANTI)
11	Federation of Association of Pediatric Surgeons of SAARC Countries (FAPSS)
12	South Asian Federation of Exchanges (SAFE)
13	SAARC Federation of Oncologists (SFO)
14	South Asia Association of National Scout Organization (SAANSO)
15	South Asian Network of Economic Research Institute (SANEI)
16	SAARC Academy of Ophthalmology (SAO)
17	South Asian Women Development Forum (SAWDF)
18	Self Employed Women Association (SEWA)

 

SAARC Specialized Bodies:

 

(i)           SAARC Arbitration Council (SARCO),

(ii)         South Asian University (SAU),

(iii)       SAARC Development Fund (SDF)

(iv)        Secretariat and SAARC Regional Standards Organization (SARSO)

 

 

SAARC Objectives:

 

The objectives of the Association as outlined in the SAARC Charter are:

i.        to promote the welfare of the peoples of South Asia and to improve their quality of life;

ii.        to accelerate economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region and to provide all individuals the opportunity to live in dignity and to realize their full potentials;

iii.        to promote and strengthen collective self-reliance among the countries of South Asia;

iv.        to contribute to mutual trust, understanding and appreciation of one another's problems;

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

vi.        to strengthen cooperation with other developing countries;

vii.        to strengthen cooperation among themselves in international forums on matters of common interests; and

viii.        to cooperate with international and regional organizations with similar aims and purposes

 

SAARC Preferential Trading Arrangement (SAPTA)

It was agreed that SAPTA is a stepping stone to higher levels of trade liberalization

and economic co-operation among the SAARC member countries. The objective of the SAPTA is to promote and sustain mutual trade and the economic co-operation among the member states through exchange of trade concessions.

The basic principles of SAPTA are;

1.    Overall reciprocity and mutuality of advantages

2.    Step by step negotiations and periodic reviews so as to improve and extend the preferential trade arrangement, in stages

3.    Inclusion of all products, manufactures and commodities in their raw semi- processes and processed forms

4.    Special and favorable treatment to Least Developed Contacting States

Main Components of SAPTA are;

·      Tariff

·      Para Tariff

·      Non-Tariff

South Asia Free Trade Agreement: (SAFTA)

The Agreement was signed in 2004 at the 12th SAARC summit in Islamabad, Pakistan. and came into effect on 1 January 2006, with the desire of the Member States of SAARC (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka,) to promote and sustain mutual trade and economic cooperation within the SAARC region through the exchange of concessions.

It created a free trade area of 1.6 billion people of its member nations to reduce customs duties of all traded goods to zero by the year 2016. This agreement came into force on January 1, 2006 and is operational following the ratification of the agreement by the seven governments.

The establishment of an Inter-Governmental Group (IGG) to formulate an agreement to establish a SAPTA by 1997 was approved in the Sixth Summit of SAARC held in Colombo in December 1991.

The basic principles underlying SAFTA are as under;

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 favor;

4.     Inclusion of all products, manufactures and commodities in their raw, semi-processed and processed forms.

Following are the instruments involved in SAFTA:

·         Trade Liberalization Programs

·         Rule of Origin

·         Institutional Arrangements

·         Consultations and Dispute Settlement Procedures

·         Safeguard Measures

·         Any other instrument that may be agreed upon

SAARC Development Fund (SDF)

 

SDF Secretariat was formally commissioned in April 2010 in Thimphu during the Sixteenth SAARC Summit with the primary objective of funding project-based collaboration.

SAARC Development Fund (SDF) as a comprehensive funding mechanism with the provision of Three Windows (Social, Economic and Infrastructure).

 

Food Bank

 

SAARC Arbitration Council

 

The agreement on SARCO was signed during the Thirteenth Summit and came into effect on 2 July 2007. SARCO was established with a view to resolve cost-effective settlement of disputes via arbitration within the region.

 

SAARC Regional Standard Organization

 

It was established to achieve and enhance coordination and cooperation among SAARC Member states in the fields of standardization and conformity assessment and is aimed to develop harmonized Standards for the region to facilitate intra-regional trade and to have access in the global market.

Regional Centers

(1)   SAARC Agriculture Centre (SAC), Dhaka (established in 1989)

(2)   SAARC Energy Centre (SEC), Islamabad (established in 2006) 

(3)   SAARC Cultural Centre (SCC), Colombo, Sri Lanka (established in 2009)   

(4)   SAARC Tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS Centre (STAC), Kathmandu (established in 1992) 

(5)   SAARC Disaster Management Centre (SDMC), India (re-established in November 2016)

             i.         SAARC Disaster Management Centre (SDMC – New Delhi, India);

           ii.         SAARC Meteorological Research Centre (SMRC – Dhaka, Bangladesh);

          iii.         SAARC Forestry Centre (SFC – Thimphu, Bhutan);

          iv.         SAARC Coastal Zone Management Centre (SCZMC – Male, Maldives)

 

Why SAARC is a Failed Organization?

During 16^th Summit of SAARC and later on it was decided that SAARC countries must resolve common problems

·      struggle for economic development,

·      improve their inter-connectivity,

·      promote people to people contacts and

·      evolve a joint strategy to tackle the issues of climate change, water and food shortages.

The SAARC objectives were to promote the welfare and improve the quality of life of the people of South Asia by accelerating economic growth in the region and building up mutual trust among the member states. But unfortunately all the members of this organization are not concerning the basic fundamental goals of SAARC.

The importance of SAARC as a regional organization despite its rather unsatisfactory record is recognized by all leaders of member states. The feeling that peace and prosperity are indivisible and that the South Asia region has a common destiny and a shared struggle for a better and brighter future which help them to proper for the future generations (1/5th of humanity). And this organization has become “a talk shop” only as mentioned by Prime Minister of Bhutan.

Achievements of SAARC

Despite failings, a number of significant achievements such as

  The Regional Convention on Suppression of Terrorism

·      SAARC Agriculture Information Centre at Dhaka

·      SAARC Audio Visual Exchange Programme (SAVE) and

·      Social Charter to set targets for eradication of poverty, population stabilization and human resource development fall to its credit.

·      The South Asia Preferential Trading Agreement (SAPTA) was signed in the 7th summit at Dhaka in April 93, but it has not yet been operationalized. The proposal to establish South Asian Food Reserve and South Asian Development Fund has also met the same fate.

·      Similarly declarations on enhancing political cooperation and promotion of mutual trust and understanding reiterated in each summit have registered limited success.

SAARC despite these limitations and poor performance, however, remains a useful tool for smaller countries to promote understanding and cooperation at bilateral level.

 

Causes of Failure

There are multiple causes behind this failure of SAARC

1.    Trust deficient among its members. SAARC comprises 3% of the world's area, 21% of the world's population and 3.8% (US$2.9 trillion) of the global economy, as of 2015. But all this whole potential is not cherished by its member states due to trust deficient among its member states since colonial era and independence. The difference in culture, aims, ambitions and history are not allowed to SAARC member states to be unified at one platform for resolving their common problem. 

2.    Political stagnation and lack of will of member countries leaders to promote its mutual benefit agenda. Similarly political differences had deep negative impact on the political will to realize the economic cooperation and integration.

3.       Economic backwardness. All the member states of SAARC are developing and focusing on west for their development and have similarity in economic trade competition and products and west have different interests with different SAARC countries. Though the establishment of SAARC Development Fund, Food Bank, the Arbitration Council, and the Regional Standards Organizations are the right moves. But SAARC should also seek free and preferential trading arrangements with other regional bodies notably EU and the ASEAN.

4.    Religious, ideological, ethnic and historical differences are also contributing in the failure of SAARC to fully implement its objective. As more than fifty cultures and 200 plus languages are present in this region and each have differences and antagonistic attitude against each other. The formation of Pakistan and then breaking of Bangladesh from Pakistan, war in Afghanistan and Indian desire to took advantage against Pakistan, Kashmir issue between these nations coupled with Hydro politics don’t allow SAARC countries to stand at one platform.

5.    Involvement of Global Super Powers with differences in their ambitions don’t allow south asian contries to think about their collective wellbeing. Involvement of USSR in Afghanistan and proxy war of Pakistan the USA War Against terrorism make this area more volatile due to Hindu Extremism versus freedom fighters in Kashmir and other regions in India. Similarly changing in alliance of Pakistan and India towards China and USA respectively further aggravated the bitter relationship between two big powers of south Asia, i.e. Pakistan and India.

6.    Remnant of British imperialism which led behind seeds of rivalry, issues, tensions, and conflict among its member states.

7.    Hegemonic attitude of India to become leader of the region and keep all its members under its decision but Pakistan is still against India hegemonic and it isolationist policy against Pakistan.

8.       Social ethnocentrism. The people of South Asia desire to have a peaceful, prosperous and secure future. The security can be obtained through sincere and sustained efforts to narrow the political differences. SAARC is the appropriate tool not only to build trust but also to solve disputes and create conducive climate for realization of SAARC charter.

Recommendation for making SAARC a successful organization:

 

How SAARC become a successful organization like ASEAN, EU or any other successful organization? Here are some recommendation

First: SAARC member states must develop their regional cooperation instead of competition and there must be framework for economic, social diplomatic relationships among its member countries so that there will be no hurdle or conflict among its member states.

Common Issues of SAARC member Nations:  All the issues of South Asian nations are common like, child labor, economic backwardness, women empowerment, gender biasness and discrimination, social injustice, poverty, hunger and malnutrition, global warming, extremism, terrorism, inter and intrastate instability, political immaturity, water scarcity, energy shortages, shortage of food, and many other social, political, psychological, and economic issues. So the members of South Asian nations must focus of collective wellbeing instead of individual rivalry among states.

 

Second: The interest of one state, its sovereignty, and respect must be considered equal importance to every member state. Noninterference in matters of each state must be acknowledged and discussed at high level of meeting.

Third: India and Pakistan are two major powers and rivals of this organization and each have very important role in failure or success of this organization. Both these nations must end their historical disputes for regional peace and prosperity. Pakistan has done very excellent job in promoting peace and stability in the region especially in curbing terrorism, and extremism from region.

But Hindutwa of BJP and its biased and extreme elements of Fascism never lead the peace to prosper. So India must accept Pakistan, and respect sovereignty of each state instead of become a Hegemonic power.

Fourth: Indian interference in Afghanistan and Bangladesh and now in Pakistan’s Baluchistan are clear example of Indian non-peaceful attitude toward region. The verdict of ICJ against India’s Gulbashan Yadev is clear example of its interference in its neighboring states. The policies of Chankya of Hindu mythology does not allow peace to prosper in the region. Pakistan helped Afghanistan in multiple aspects and it must thankful to Pakistan in bringing peace accord between Russia and Afghanistan and now between Pakistan and USA.

Fifth: Don’t allow the third non state actors or any other third party to dismantle the peace and prosperity in South Asia and south Asian nations resolve their disputes by themselves instead of engaging any other party which have its own interests in either Pakistan or India or any other state.

Sixth: Change the organizational structure of SAARC in which this organization must implement its decisions and there must be implementation or punishment or reward in this regard and authority of that body which implement its decision.

 

Conclusion

 

In the nutshell SAARC is one of the best organization in the world if it discourage its weaknesses and encourages its potential. There is not always half glass empty only but half glass is full too. So SAARC nations must focus on full glass as they have been victimized by the pessimistic approach since last century. If they have difference there are many similarities too like culture, language, history, traditions, and social relationships. In order to promote peace optimistic thought is encouraged which is possible only when there is trust development while doing practical examples among member states.

 

Note. All material above are compiled from various source of newspapers, magazines, saarc official website and my own personal reading from various books and observation.