South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation

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

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 ISLAMIC REPUBLIC OF PAKISTAN Junius Richard Jayewardene - PRESIDENT OF DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF SRI LANKA

SAARC MEMBERS ON WORLD MAP

MEMBERS (Alphabetically) AFGHANISTAN BANGLADESH

OBSERVERS AUSTRALIA CHINA

FUTURE MEMBERSHIP PEOPLES REPUBLIC OF CHINA INDONESIA

BHUTAN
INDIA MALDIVES NEPAL PAKISTAN

EUROPEAN UNION
JAPAN IRAN MAURITIUS MYANMAR

SOUTH AFRICA
RUSSIA

SRI LANKA

SOUTH KOREA
UNITED STATES

ABOUT SAARC
The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is an organization of South Asian nations, founded in December 1985 and dedicated to economic, 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 scheduled annually; meetings of foreign secretaries, twice annually. It is headquartered in Kathmandu, Nepal.

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 channel of 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 States in 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 on deputation from the Member States.

OBJECTIVES

To promote the welfare of the peoples of SOUTH ASIA and to improve their quality of life; 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 realise their full potentials; To promote and strengthen collective self-reliance among the countries of SOUTH ASIA; To contribute to mutual trust, understanding and appreciation of one another'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 similar aims and purposes.

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

AGREEMENTS AND CONVENTIONS

Political issues SAARC has intentionally laid more stress on "core issues" mentioned above rather than more decisive political issues like the Kashmir dispute and the Sri Lankan civil war. However, political dialogue is often conducted on the margins of SAARC meetings During the 12th and 13th SAARC summits, extreme emphasis was laid upon greater cooperation between the SAARC members to fight terrorism.

 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 political and economic concerns on both sides. At the 12th SAARC Summit at Islamabad, SAARC countries devised the South Asia Free Trade Agreement. This agreement went into force on January 1, 2008. Under this agreement, SAARC members will bring their duties down to 20 per cent by 2009.

 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.

 CONVENTIONS SAARC Convention on Combating and Prevention of Trafficking in Women and Children for Prostitution Convention on Promotion of Welfare of Children SAARC Convention on Narcotics Drugs SAARC Regional Convention on Suppression of Terrorism