SAARC and Regional Cooperation in South Asia

Dr. Nishchal N. Pandey

History

• Set-up in 1985 to promote welfare of the people and improve their quality of life

• 17 Summits till date, little progress on trade, investment, cooperation

• Has succeeded in generating South Asian consciousness

Areas of Work

• Agriculture• Bio-technology• Culture• Education• Scholarships• Visa-Exemption scheme• Environment• People to People contacts

Economic Cooperation • Agreed on SAPTA but

could not realize its objectives

• SAFTA is too slow and restrictive (sensitive lists)

• Vision of a customs union, common market and economic union

• Poor connectivity and poor border infrastructure

Hurdles for Regional Cooperation• Indo-Pak hostility (3 wars

since 1947)• Tit for tat game has affected

SAARC’s progress• Pakistan accuses India of

aggression in Kashmir, India accuses Pak. Of externally sponsored terror

• India also accuses Pak. Of fake currency which Pak. Has denied

• India’s relations with smaller neighbors also function like traffic lights

• LTTE, Nepali Maoists, Bangladesh Liberation, Insurgencies and terrorism, Afghanistan’s insecurity

• Individual state(s) have not left their nationalistic postures

• Need for an European model of supra-national body

Examples of Some Achievements

• Periodic Summits and Retreats have provided avenues for meetings

• Connectivity has increased• South Asian University• Apex Bodies and Recognized bodies are doing

good work• Common policy in international forums

Weak Secretariat

• Powerless and weak secretariat• 8 Directors representing their foreign

ministries• Secretary General only senior among equals,

unlike ASEAN-OAU-Arab League or EU• Charter is restrictive on bilateral issues and

internal political issues.• Mandatory on consensus approach

Observers of SAARC

• Afghanistan was inducted as 8th member at the 13th Summit held in 2005 in Dhaka.

• China and Japan were included as Observers in the same Summit

• Mauritius, Iran, U.S., EU, Australia, Myanmar, China, Japan, Korea are 9 Observers

• Observers want more role and authority• China-South Asia Fourms