Saarc 2

SAARC THE SAARC IS AN ECONOMICAL & POLITICAL ORGANISATION OF EIGHTH COUNTRIES IN SOUTHERN ASIA.SAARC WITH INDIA, NEPAL, SRILANKA, PAKISTAN, BHUTAN, MALDIVES, BANGLADESH AS MEMBERS WAS WSTABLISHED AT THE FIRST SAARC MEETING HELD ON 48TH DECEMBER 1985. AFGHANISTAN BECAME ITS EIGHTH MEMBER DURING THE 14TH SAARC SUMMIT HELD IN APRIL 2007. SAARC HAS ITS HEADQUARTERS IN KATHMANDU, NEPAL. IT’S HEADED BY THE CHAIRMAN MAHINDA RAJAPAKSA AND ITS SECREATRY GENERAL DR.SHEEL KANT SHARMA.

OBJECTIVES

THE OBJECTIVES OF THE ASSOCIATION AS DEFINED IN THE CHARTER ARE: • TO PROMOTE THE WELFARE OF THE PEOPLE OF SOUTH-ASIA TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF THEIR LIFE. • TO ACCELERATE ECONOMIC GROWTH, SOCIAL PROGRESS AND CULTURAL DEVELOPMENTS IN THE REGION. • TO PROVIDE ALL INDIVIUALS THE OPPORTUNITY TO LIVE IN DIGNITY AND TO RALISE THEIR FULL POTENTIAL • TPO PROMOTE AND STRENGHTEN COLLECTIVE SELF –RELIANCE AMONG THE COUNTRIES OF SOUTH-ASIA • TO CONTRIBUTE TO MUTUAL-TRUST, UNDERSTANDING AND APPRECIATION OF ONE ANOTHER’S PROBLEM. • TO PROMOTE ACTIVE COLLABORATION AND MUTUAL ASSISTANCE IN THE ECONOMIC, SOCIAL, CULTURAL, TECHNICAL AND SCIENTIFIC FIELDS. • TO STRENGHTEN COOPERATION AMONG THEMSELVES IN INTERNATIONAL AND REGIONAL ORGANISATIONS WITH SIMILAR AIMS & PURPOSES. • TO COOPERATE AN IMPORTANT ISSUE LIKE WATER RESOURCES, POLLUTION ETC.

. SECONDARY OBJECTIVES SAARC ALSO LOOKS IN CRITICAL AREAS OF POVERTY, EDUCATION, CULTURE, and SPORTS & ARTS.

 POVERTY – IN THE ISLAMABAD SUMIT OF JANUARY 2004 SAARC APPROVED THE PLAN OF ACTION ON POVERTY ALLEVIATION. THE PLAN OF ACTION IDENTIFIYED THE NEED FOR GOD GOVERNANCE, SOUND MICRO-ECONOMIC MANAGEMENT, HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, FIGHTING URBAN & RURAL POVERTY, PROMOTION OF MULTI-CULTURISM, INVESTMENT IN HUMAN CAPITAL & SOCIAL SECTORS, INTER-REGIONAL TRADE AND CAPITAL FLOWS AND REDUCTION OF DEBT BURDEN IN THE SAARC REGION.  EDUCATION – IT IS GENERALLY FELT THAT ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT CANNOT BE ENSURED WITHOUT OPTIMUM UTILISATION OF HUMAN RESOURCES FOR WHICH EDUCATION IS NECESSARY. SAAC HAS THEREFORE , EMPHASIZED THE IMPORTANCE OF PROMOTION OF EDUCATION – SAARC CONSORTIUM OF OPEN AND DISTANCE LEARNING (SACODIL) HAS BEEN CREATED WITH A VIEW TO STANDARDISATION OF CIRICULA, MUTUAL RECOGINITION OF COURSES AND PROMOTION OF TRANSFER OF CREDIT, ALSO A SAARC TEACHERS FORUM HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED – SAARC REAFFIRMED THE IMPORTANCE OF ATTAINING THE TARGET OF PROVIDING FREE EDUCATIONN TO ALL CHILDREN BETWEEN THE AGES OF 6-14yrs. THE MEMBER COUNTRIES AGREED TO SHARE THEIR RESPECTIVE

EXPERIENCES AND TECHNICAL EXPERTISE TO ACHIEVE THIS GOAL.  CULTURE SPORTS AND ARTS. A MEETING OF THE SECERATRIES OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS WAS HELD IN COLOMBO IN NOVEMBER, 2001. IT RECOMMENDED PRACTICAL MEASURES FOR PROTECTION, CONSERVATION AND MAINTENANCE OF CULTURAL AND PILGRIMAGE SITES, DEVELOPMENT OF ARCHAEOLOGY AND MUSICOLOGY, ENCOURAGEMENT OF CONTEMPROARY ARTS AND CULTURE. – SAARC CULTURAL FESTIVALS ARE HELD REGULARLY, LAST SUCH MEETING WAS HELD IN NEW DELHI. – DURING THE THIRTEENTH SUMMIT (DHAKA, 12-13 NOVEMBER 2005) THE LEADERS RECOGNIZED THE CRUCIAL ROLE OF CULTURE IN BRINGING THE PEOPLE OF SOUTH ASIA CLOSER. THEY ALSO STRESSED THAT COOPERATION IN THE AREA OF CULTURE WAS VITAL FOR REINFORCING AND PROJECTING THE DISTINCT IDENTITY OF SOUTH ASIA. –

SAPTA THE SAARC PREFERENTIAL TRADING ARRANGEMENT (SAPTA) PROVIDED A FRAMEWORK FOR EXCHANGE OF TARIFF CONCESSIONS AND ALSO FOR LIBERALIZATION IN PARA-TARIFF AND NON-TARIFF MEASURES WITH A VIEW TO PROMOTING TRADE AND ECONOMIC COOPERATION

AMONG THE SAARC MEMBER COUNTRIES. SINCE THE SIGNING OF SAPTA BY THE MEMBER COUNTRIES OF SAARC (AFGHANISTAN WHICH WAS NOT A MEMBER) ON 11TH APRIL 1993 AT DHAKA, FOUR ROUND OF NEGOTIATIONS WERE HELD AND TARIFF CONCESSIONS EXCHANGED ON A LARGE NUMBER OF ITEMS.INDIA, PAKISTAN AND SRILANKA ARE CATEGORIZED AS NONLEAST CONTRACTING STATES (NLDCS) AND BANGLADESH, BHUTAN, MALDIVES AND NEPAL ARE CATEGORIZED AS LEAST DEVELOPED CONTRACTING COUNTRIES (LDCS).

SAFTA THE AGREEMENT ON SOUTH ASIAN FREE TRADE AREA (SAFTA) WAS SIGNED DURING THE TWELFTH SAARC SUMMIT HELD AT ISLAMABAD IN JANUARY 2004 WHICH HAS COME INTO FORCE FROM 1STJANUARY 2006. SAFTA, INTER ALIA, PRESCRIBES A PHASED TARIFF LIBERALISATION PROGRAMME (TLP) ACCORDING TO WHICH ALL THE MEMBER STATES WOULD REDUCE THEIR TARIFFS, AT THE MFN APPLIED RATE EXISTING AS ON 1STJANUARY 2006, TO ZERO TO FIVE PERCENT WITHIN TEN YEARS OF THE AGREEMENT COMING INTO FORCE. THIS TLP WOULD COVER ALL TARIFF LINES EXCEPT THOSE ITEMS KEPT IN THE SENSITIVE LIST BY EACH COUNTRY. WITH THE SAFTA AGREEMENT COMING INTO FORCE, THERE WOULD BE NO MORE NEGOTIATIONS UNDER SAPTA. MOTIVATED BY THE COMMITMENT TO STRENGTHEN INTRA-SAARC ECONOMIC COOPERATION TO MAXIMISE THE RALIZATION OF THE REGION’S POTENTIAL FOR TRADE AND DEVELOPMENT FOR THE BENEFIT OF THEIR PEOPLE, IN A SPIRIT OF MUTUAL ACCOMMODATION, WITH FULL RESPECT FOR THE PRINCIPLES OF SOVEREIGN

EQUALITY, INDEPENDENCE AND TERRITORIAL INTEGRITY OF ALL STATES;

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