South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Secretary-General discuss status of regional cooperation in South Asia.
- SAARC has been largely dysfunctional since 2016 when the 19th Summit, scheduled to be held in Pakistan, was cancelled due to concerns about cross-border terrorism.
- Since then, India has focused on bolstering cooperation with countries in South Asia through other groupings such as Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) and Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal (BBIN).
About SAARC
- Established in 1985, through SAARC Charter in Dhaka.
- Member states: India, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
- Secretariat: Kathmandu
- Decisions at all levels in SAARC are taken on the basis of unanimity.
- Bilateral and contentious issues are excluded from its deliberations.
Significance of SAARC for India
- Central pillar for India’s Neighbourhood first policy
- Forum to deal with common issues of the region.
- Critical forum for economic integration of South Asian Region
Reasons for SAARC’s failure
- Asymmetry between India and other member countries.
- Differences between India and Pakistan hamper effective functioning of the forum.
- SAARC does not have any arrangement for resolving disputes or mediating conflicts.
Achievements of SAARC
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