Presentation on South Asian Association for Regional CooperationPresented By: Abhishek Kumar Ashutosh K. Singh Dipesh Bansal Geetika Arora24/10/10

HistoryofSAARCTheconceptofSAARCwasfirstadoptedby theBangladeshipresidentZiaurRahman. Inthelate2000s,IndianPresidentproposed thecreationofatradeblocconsistingof SouthAsiancountries. Theforeignsecretariesoftheseven countriesmetforthefirsttimeinColomboin April2002.

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Continued....On2August2006theforeignministersofthe SAARCcountriesagreedinprincipletogrant observerstatustotheUS,SouthKoreaandthe EuropeanUnion. On4March2008,Iranrequestedobserver status.FollowedshortlybytheentranceofMauritius. Meetingsofheadsofstateareusuallyscheduled annually;meetingsofforeignsecretaries,twice annually.HeadquartersareinKathmandu,Nepal

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KEY FACTSESTABLISHED ON 8TH DECEMBER 1985 at Dhaka

FORMED BY 8 COUNTRIES

AFGHANISTAN BECAME ITS 8TH MEMBER IN APRIL 2007

HEADQUARTERS-NEPAL SECREATRY- DR.SHEEL KANT SHARMA

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MEMBERSCURRENT MEMBERS INDIA PAKISTAN SRILANKA NEPAL BHUTAN MALDIVES BANLADESH AFGHANISTAN24/10/10

Distinct Geographical Unit

Separatedbymountains Isolatedbyoceans Distinctclimateaffectingthewhole subcontinent Uniqueculturalsetup

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Reasons for formation of SAARC..Common features of Indian Sub ContinentCentrallocationinAsia AllcountriesgainedindependenceafterSecondWorld War AsaresultofBritishColonialism,allcountrieshave sameculturalbackgroundandhistory Theregionispoorandoverpopulated Predominanceofagriculture.Thereforedependence oftheeconomyonsouthwestmonsoon.

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OBJECTIVESIMPROVE QUALITY OF LIFE & WELFARE OF PEOPLE ECONOMIC, SOCIAL & CULTURAL DEVELOPMENT STRENGHTEN SELF RELIANCE AMONG MEMBERS CONTRIBUTE MUTUAL TRUST & UNDERSTANDING ASSIST IN ECONOMIC, SOCIAL, TECHANICAL, CULTURAL & SCIENTIFIC FIELDS STRENGHTEN COOPERATION AMONG THEMSELVES & OTHER DEVELOPING COUNTRIES 24/10/10

SECONDARY OBJECTIVESSAARC ALSO LOOKS IN CRITICAL AREAS LIKE POVERTY, EDUCATION, CULTURE, SPORTS & ARTS . POVERTYTWELFTH SUMMIT DECLARED POVERTY ERRADICATION AS THE MAIN GOAL

THE PLAN OF ACTION INCLUDED HUMAN DEVELOPMENT, FIGHTING URBAN & RURAL POVERTY , MULTI-CULTURISM, MASS EDUCATION24/10/10

EDUCATIONOPTIMUM UTILIZATION OF HUMAN RESOURCES EMPHASIZED ON PROMOTION OF EDUCATION STANDARDISATION OF CURRICULA, MUTUAL RECOGNITION OF COURSES SAARC TEACHERS FORUM HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED FREE EDUCATION TO ALL CHILDREN BETWEEN THE AGE OF 6-14YRS 24/10/10

CULTURE SPORTS & ARTS PRACTICAL MEASURES FOR PROTECTION CONSERVATION AND MAINTENANCE OF CULTURAL & PILGRIMAGE SITES ENCOURAGEMENT OF CONTEMPORARY ARTS & CULTURE LAST SAARC CULTURAL FESTIVAL WAS HELD IN DHAKA COOPERATION IN THE FIELD OF CULTURE24/10/10

SAPTA SOUTH ASIAN PREFERENTIAL TRADING AGREEMENT SIGNED ON 11TH APRIL 1993 IN DHAKA AND ENTERED INTO FORCE ON 7TH DECEMBER 1995 OBJECTIVES To promote and sustain mutual trade and economic cooperation within the SAARC region through the exchange of concessions.

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PRINCIPLES UNDERLYING SAPTA1.overallreciprocityandmutualityofadvantagessoasto benefitequitablyallContractingStates,takingintoaccount theirrespectivelevelofeconomicandindustrial development,thepatternoftheirexternaltrade,andtrade andtariffpoliciesandsystems. 2.negotiationoftariffreformstepbystep,improvedand extendedinsuccessivestagesthroughperiodicreviews. 3.recognitionofthespecialneedsoftheLeastDeveloped ContractingStatesandagreementonconcretepreferential measuresintheirfavour. 4.inclusionofallproducts,manufacturesandcommodities intheirraw,semiprocessedandprocessedforms.24/10/10

SAFTA SOUTH ASIAN FREE TRADE AREA SIGNED IN ISLAMABAD IN JANUARY 2004 CAME INTO FORCE ON 1st JANUARY 2006 TARIFF LIBERALISATION PROGRAMME (TLP) WAS INTRODUCED TLP COVERS ALL TARIFF LINES EXCEPT THE SENSETIVE LIST24/10/10 STRENGHTENS ECONOMIC COOPERATION

AREAS OF COOPERATION

Agriculture and Rural Development. Health and Population Activities Women, Youth and Children Environment and Forestry Science and Technology and Meteorology Human Resources Development Transport.

Recently, high level Working Groups have also been established to strengthen cooperation in the areas of Information and Communications Technology, Biotechnology, Intellectual Property Rights, Tourism, and Energy.

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The SAARC Secretariat The SAARC Secretariat was established in Kathmandu on 16 January 1987and was inaugurated by Late King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah of Nepal.

Its role is to coordinate and monitor the implementation of SAARC activities, service the meetings of the Association and serve as the channel of communication between SAARC and other international organisations.

The Secretariat comprises the Secretary General, seven Directors and the General Services Staff.

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The SAARC Secretariat

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VARIOUS CENTRES OF SAARC 1.SAARC Agricultural Information Centre (SAIC),Dhaka 2.SAARC Meteorological Research Centre (SMRC), Dhaka 3.SAARC Tuberculosis Centre (STC), Kathmandu 4.SAARC Documentation Centre (SDC), New Delhi 5.SAARC Human Resources Development Centre (SHRDC), Islamabad 6.SAARC Coastal Zone Management Centre, Maldives 7.SAARC Information Centre, Nepal 8.SAARC Energy Centre, Pakistan 9.SAARC Disaster Management Centre, India24/10/10

Political issues

SAARChasintentionallylaidmorestresson"core issues"mentionedaboveratherthanmoredecisive politicalissuesliketheKashmirdisputeandtheSri Lankancivilwar. SAARChasalsorefraineditselffrominterferinginthe internalmattersofitsmemberstates. Duringthe12thand13thSAARCsummits,extreme emphasiswaslaidupongreatercooperationbetween theSAARCmemberstofightterrorism.

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Free trade agreementIn1993,SAARCcountriessignedanagreementto graduallylowertariffswithintheregion,inDhaka. Elevenyearslater,atthe12thSAARCSummitat Islamabad,SAARCcountriesdevisedtheSouthAsia FreeTradeAgreementwhichcreatedaframeworkfor theestablishmentofafreetradeareacovering1.4 billionpeople. ThisagreementwentintoforceonJanuary1,2008. Underthisagreement,SAARCmemberswillbringtheir dutiesdownto20percentby2009.

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SAARC CONVENTIONSSAARCConventiononCombatingandPreventionofTraffickinginWomenandChildrenforProstitution ConventiononPromotionofWelfareofChildren ConventiononMutualAssistanceonCriminalMatters,July 2008 SAARCConventiononNarcoticsDrugs SAARCRegionalConventiononSuppressionofTerrorism AdditionalProtocolonTerrorism,Jan200424/10/10

16th SAARC Summit

TheSixteenthMeetingoftheHeadsofState orGovernmentoftheMemberStatesofthe SouthAsianAssociationforRegional Cooperation(SAARC)washeldinThimphu, Bhutan,from2829April2010,aroundthe themeofclimatechange.24/10/10

SAARC Action Plan on Climate ChangePlanttenmilliontreesover20102015aspartofa regionalafforestationandreforestationcampaign. Developnationalplansandregionalprojectson protectingandsafeguardingthearcheologicaland historicalinfrastructureofSouthAsiafromclimate changeadverseeffects. Stresstheimperativeofbiodiversityconservationand monitoringofmountainecologyintheregion ConventiononCooperationontheEnvironmentatan earlydatetoenableitsentryintoforce.

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