Topics Covered: Important International institutions, agencies and fora, their structure, mandate.
South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC):
Context:
Foreign Ministers’ meeting of SAARC Nations was held recently.
India’s call:
During the meet, India called on all SAARC members to “collectively resolve to defeat the scourge of terrorism, including the forces that nurture, support and encourage an environment of terror and conflict, which impede the objective of SAARC to realise its full potential for collective collaboration and prosperity across South Asia”.
Now, let us understand about SAARC:
What is SAARC? When was it established?
South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) was established with the signing of the SAARC Charter in Dhaka on 8 December 1985.
- Afghanistan became the newest member of SAARC at the 13th annual summit in 2005.
- The Headquarters and Secretariat of the Association are at Kathmandu, Nepal.
Importance of SAARC:
- SAARC comprises 3% of the world’s area, 21% of the world’s population and 3.8% (US$2.9 trillion) of the global economy.
- It is the world’s most densely populated region and one of the most fertile areas.
- SAARC countries have common tradition, dress, food and culture and political aspects thereby synergizing their actions.
- All the SAARC countries have common problems and issues like poverty, illiteracy, malnutrition, natural disasters, internal conflicts, industrial and technological backwardness, low GDP and poor socio-economic condition.
Why SAARC is relevant for India now?
India has to re-think about SAARC, which has been in the doldrums since 2014. This is especially necessary to counter China’s growing aggression and economic dominance in the region.
India started investing in other regional instruments, such as BIMSTEC, as an alternative to SAARC.
- However, BIMSTEC cannot replace SAARC for reasons such as lack of a common identity and history among all BIMSTEC members.
- Moreover, BIMSTEC’s focus is on the Bay of Bengal region, thus making it an inappropriate forum to engage all South Asian nations.
InstaLinks:
Prelims Link:
- SAARC vs BIMSTEC.
- BBIN
- Motor Vehicle Agreement.
- What is CPEC?
- Belt and Road initiative.
Mains Link:
Discuss how SAARC revival helps India deal with China.
Sources: the Hindu.
