GS Paper 2
Topics covered: Regional and multilateral institutions
Context: Uncertainty over the present administration in Afghanistan brought about by the Taliban takeover of power has given rise to the membership of the country in the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)
More on the news
- SAARC is scheduled to meet in the month of October this year
- Some experts believe that the fate of Afghanistan’s membership and even the future of SAARC to some extent depend on the Taliban creating an inclusive government.
- Though high-level meetings of SAARC have been hampered in recent times owing to the inability of Pakistan to act against the terrorist outfits in its country, it has not stopped active coordination amongst members in other areas. Ex: Pandemic response in the region
- The concern of granting a seat to Afghanistan under Taliban at UN or even SAARC stems from the violent activities and human rights violations that Taliban regime is known for. The regime since taking power in Afghanistan has been accused of extra-judicial killings of its detractors in the country
- Afghanistan was admitted into the SAARC as the eighth member in 2007 when the country was led by President Hamid Karzai
- Similar questions exist where Afghanistan is a member in other regional outfits. Ex: Kathmandu-based intergovernmental organisation ICIMOD that studies the Hindukush-Himalayan mountain system where Afghanistan has been a member along with Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, China, Myanmar, Nepal and Pakistan.
More on SAARC
South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) was established with the signing of the SAARC Charter in Dhaka on 8 December 1985.
- Afghanistanbecame the newest member of SAARC at the 13th annual summit in 2005.
- The Headquarters and Secretariatof 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 regionand 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.
Insta-curious link
Know more about ICIMOD- Click here
Prelims link
- What is SAARC?
- Who are its members and observer states?
- Important treaties and agreements related to SAARC
- What is BIMSTEC?
Mains link
- Reasons why growth of SAARC relations has diminished
- How can SAARC be revived?
- Finding a balance between SAARC and BIMSTEC
