SAARC Full Form

South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, or SAARC, is a regional organisation that promotes cooperation among South Asian countries. It was founded in 1985 and has eight member states: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

SAARC

The SAARC full form is  South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation.

SAARC is a regional organisation that promotes cooperation among South Asian countries. It was founded in 1985 and has eight member states: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Objectives and Goals of SAARC

The objectives of SAARC are to promote economic and social development in South Asia, resolve regional disputes, and encourage South-South cooperation.

SAARC’s goals are to promote South Asian economic integration and development; reduce poverty and improve the standard of living in South Asia; promote social progress and cultural interchange among South Asians; and enhance cooperation on matters of common interest. Some people argue that SAARC is not effective because it has not been able to resolve some key issues between its member states. However, others argue that SAARC is a model for regional cooperation and should be used as a template for other regions around the world.

Member states of SAARC

The member states of SAARC are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation. It was founded in 1985 and has its headquarters in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Structure and Process of SAARC

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is a regional intergovernmental organisation that promotes economic and social cooperation among its members. Its structure is based on the principles of sovereign equality, territorial integrity, and non-interference in the internal affairs of member states. SAARC has a rotating chairperson, and the current chair is Pakistan. The Secretariat of SAARC is located in Kathmandu, Nepal.

The process of SAARC is based on the principle of consensus. This means that any decision made by SAARC must be agreed upon by all member states. If the majority of the member states agree to a proposal, it can be passed even if some member states disagree. However, if a consensus cannot be reached, the proposal is considered to have failed.

Areas of cooperation of SAARC

SAARC members have agreed on certain areas of cooperation which include:

• Agriculture
• Culture
• Customs Cooperation
• Disaster Management
• Economic Affairs
• Environment Protection
• Finance
• Fisheries
• Health and Population
• Human Resources Development
• Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
• Narcotics Control 
• Rural Development
• Science and Technology
• Social Affairs
• Terrorism
• Tourism
• Trade
• Transport

Principal organs of SAARC

SAARC has some principle organs:

State or Government Head Meetings: This is the highest decision-making forum and meets biennially. The last meeting was held in Kathmandu, Nepal in 2014.

Council of Ministers: This is the second-highest decision-making forum and meets annually.

Secretariat: The SAARC Secretariat is based in Kathmandu and is responsible for the day-to-day administration of SAARC.

Regional Cooperation Forums: There are a number of sectoral ministerial forums which meet annually and provide a forum for discussion on specific issues.

Associate Members: There are four associate members of SAARC – the Maldives, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

Benefits of SAARC

SAARC has a number of benefits:

• It has helped to build bridges between South Asian countries and fostered closer relationships
• It has promoted trade and investment among South Asian countries
• It has helped to improve South Asian infrastructure, through projects such as the SAARC Development Fund
• It has facilitated South Asian cooperation on issues such as terrorism and climate change

Challenges facing SAARC

SAARC faces a number of challenges:

• South Asia is a region with great diversity, and this can make cooperation difficult
• South Asian countries have different levels of economic development, which can lead to tensions
• There are a number of unresolved disputes in South Asia, which can obstruct cooperation
• SAARC has been hampered by a lack of political will from South Asian leaders

Despite the challenges, SAARC has been successful in promoting regional cooperation in South Asia. It is hoped that South Asian countries can work together to overcome these challenges and further strengthen SAARC.

Conclusion

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is a model for regional cooperation. Established in 1985, SAARC has successfully promoted economic integration and development among its member states. Students should learn about SAARC to understand the benefits of regional cooperation and how it can be used to promote peace and stability in South Asia.