SOUTH ASIAN ASSOCIATION FOR REGIONAL COOPERATION (SAARC)

abhishreshthaa

Abhijeet S
SOUTH ASIAN ASSOCIATION FOR REGIONAL COOPERATION (SAARC)


Bangladesh

Bhutan

India

Maldives

Nepal

Pakistan

Sri Lanka




The successful performance of the EEC, NAFTA and other trade blocks in the economic development of the member countries and in improving the employment opportunities, incomes and living standards of the region gave impetus for the formation of the south Asian association for regional cooperation (SAARC)


INDIA , BANGLADESH, BHUTAN,PAKISTAN, THE MALDIVES AND SRI LANKA adopted a declaration on SAARCin august 1983. Than charter of the SAARC was formally adopted in December 1985 by the heads of the member countries.



OBJECTIVES:


The objectives of the SAARC are :


 To improve the quality of life and welfare of the people of the SAARC member countries.

 To develop the region economically, socially and culturally.


 To provide the opportunities to the people of the region to live dignity and to exploit their potentialities.


 To enhance the self-reliance of the member countries jointly.


 To provide conductive climate for creating and enhancing mutual trust, understanding and application of one another’s issues.


 To enhance the mutual assistance among member countries in the areas of economic, social, cultural, scientific and technical fields.


 To enhance the co-operation with other developing economies.


 To extend co-operation to other trade blocks.





ORGANISATON STRUCTURE

The council of the SAARCis the highest policy making body.


The council is represented by the heads of the government of the member countries.


The council meets once in two years. This council is assisted by the ‘council of ministers’.


The council of ministers is represent by the foreign ministers of member governments. It formulates policies, reviews the functioning and decides the new areas of co-operation, establishes additional mechanism, decides the issues of general interest to the SAARCmember countries.


Standing committee consists of foreign secretaries of member governments. The functions of the standing committee include:


 Monitoring and coordinating the programmes.


 Determining inter-sectoral priorities.


 Mobilizing cooperation within and the region.



Standing committee is expected to meet as and when necessary and submits the report to the council of ministers.

This committee sets up action committee fir the project implementation. The stnding committee is assisted by the programming committee.


Technical committee of SAARCinclude:


 Agriculture

 Communication

 Environment

 Health and population activities

 Rural development

 Tourism and transport.


All the secretarial work is done by the SAARC secretariat, which is located in Nepal. The activities of secretariat include:


 Co-coordinating, monitoring and implementing SAARC activities.


 Servicing the meetings of the SAARC.


 Serving as communication link between SAARC and other international forums.


The secretary-general is the chief of the secretariat. He/ she is appointed by the council of ministers on rotation basis among members for a period of three years. He is assisted by seven directors(one from each member country) and service staff.
 
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