South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation

Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use Oxford spelling Template:Infobox geopolitical organization The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is the regional intergovernmental organization and geopolitical union of states in South Asia. Its member states are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. SAARC comprises 3% of the world's land area, 21% of the world's population and 5.21% (US$4.47 trillion)<ref name="imf.org">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> of the global economy, as of 2021.

SAARC was founded in Dhaka on 8 December 1985.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Its secretariat is based in Kathmandu, Nepal. The organization promotes economic development and regional integration.<ref name="Charter of SAARC">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It launched the South Asian Free Trade Area in 2006.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> SAARC maintains permanent diplomatic relations at the United Nations as an observer and has developed links with multilateral entities, including the European Union. However, due to the geopolitical conflict between India and Pakistan and the situation in Afghanistan, the organization has been suspended for a long time, and India currently cooperates with its eastern neighbors through BIMSTEC.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

Historical background

The idea of co-operation among South Asian Countries was discussed in three conferences: the Asian Relations Conference held in New Delhi in April 1947; the Baguio Conference in the Philippines in May 1950; and the Colombo Powers Conference held in Sri Lanka in April 1954.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Template:Supranational Asian Bodies In the ending years of the 1970s, the seven inner South Asian nations that included Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, agreed upon the creation of a trade bloc and to provide a platform for the people of South Asia to work together in a spirit of friendship, trust, and understanding. President Ziaur Rahman of Bangladesh later wrote official letters to the leaders of the countries of South Asia, presenting his vision for the future of the region and compelling arguments for co-operation.<ref name="Daily Star, Sri Lanka">Template:Cite news</ref> During his visit to India in December 1977, Rahman discussed the issue of regional cooperation with the Indian Prime Minister, Morarji Desai. In the inaugural speech to the Colombo Plan Consultative Committee which met in Kathmandu also in 1977, King Birendra of Nepal gave a call for close regional cooperation among South Asian countries in sharing river waters.<ref name="NIHCR in Islamabad">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

After the USSR's intervention in Afghanistan, efforts to establish the union were accelerated in 1979 amid the resulting rapid deterioration of the South Asian security situation.<ref name="NIHCR in Islamabad"/> Responding to Rahman and Birendra's convention, officials of the foreign ministries of the seven countries met for the first time in Colombo in April 1981.<ref name="NIHCR in Islamabad"/> The Bangladeshi proposal was promptly endorsed by Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, and Maldives, however India and Pakistan were sceptical initially.<ref name="NIHCR in Islamabad"/> The Indian concern was the proposal's reference to the security matters in South Asia and feared that Rahman's proposal for a regional organisation might provide an opportunity for new smaller neighbours to re-internationalize all bilateral issues and to join with each other to form an opposition against India. Pakistan assumed that it might be an Indian strategy to organize the other South Asian countries against Pakistan and ensure a regional market for Indian products, thereby consolidating and further strengthening India's economic dominance in the region.<ref name="NIHCR in Islamabad"/>

However, after a series of diplomatic consultations headed by Bangladesh between South Asian UN representatives at the UN headquarters in New York, from September 1979 to 1980, it was agreed that Bangladesh would prepare the draft of a working paper for discussion among the foreign secretaries of South Asian countries.<ref name="NIHCR in Islamabad"/> The foreign secretaries of the inner seven countries again delegated a Committee of the Whole in Colombo in September 1981, which identified five broad areas for regional cooperation. New areas of co-operation were added in the following years.<ref> "A Brief on SAARC." South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation. Template:Webarchive No date. See for a complete historical account of SAARC e.g. Michael, Arndt (2013). India's Foreign Policy and Regional Multilateralism (Palgrave Macmillan), pp. 57–112.</ref>

In 1983, at the international conference held in Dhaka by its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the foreign ministers of the inner seven countries adopted the Declaration on South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and formally launched the Integrated Programme of Action (IPA) initially in five agreed areas of cooperation, namely, Agriculture; Rural Development; Telecommunications; Meteorology; and Health and Population Activities.<ref name="Jang Media Group">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Officially, the union was established in Dhaka with Kathmandu being the union's secretariat-general.<ref name="About SAARC">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The first SAARC summit was held in Dhaka on 7–8 December 1985 and hosted by the President of Bangladesh Hussain Ershad.<ref name="SAARC Summit press, 1st Summit">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The declaration was signed by, namely, King of Bhutan Jigme Singye Wangchuk; President of Pakistan Zia-ul-Haq; Prime Minister of India Rajiv Gandhi; King of Nepal Birendra Shah; President of Sri Lanka JR Jayewardene; and President of Maldives Maumoon Gayoom.<ref name="SAARC Summit press, 1st Summit" />

Members and observers

Economic data is sourced from the International Monetary Fund, current as of November 2024 unless stated otherwise, and is given in US dollars.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Members

Country	PopulationTemplate:UN Population (Template:UN Population)	GDP (nominal) [US$ million, 2024]<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	GDP (PPP) [US$ million, 2024]	GDP per capita (Nominal)	GDP per capita (PPP)	GDP growth rate (2024)	Exports (US$ million, 2024 or earlier)	Foreign direct investment (US$ million, 2023)	Foreign exchange reserves (US$ million)	Defence budget (US$ million)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Literacy rate (above age 15)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Life expectancy	Population below poverty line	Primary school enrolment<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>	Secondary school enrollment<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	Population undernourished (%)	Human Development Index	Democracy Index	Global Terrorism Index
Template:Flag	Template:UN Population	$14,467	$72,512	$411	$2,116		$1,476	$20.6	$443	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref> || 37.3% || 63.67 || 42% || 88% || 54% || 28.5%	0.462 (182)	0.26 (167)	9.233 (1)
Template:Flag	Template:UN Population	$451,468	$1,690,000	$2,825	$9,876	5.4%	$60,138	$1,385.16	$25,500	$5,200	75.2%	73.10	24.3%	98%	79%	15.1%	0.670 (129)	5.87 (75)	0 (124)
Template:Flag	Template:UN Population	$3,110	$12,980	$4,068	$16,754	5.2%	$791	$11.92	$972	$7.3<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>	66.6%	70.20	12%	97%	78%	8.7%	0.681 (125)	5.54 (81)	0.305 (107)
Template:Flag	Template:UN Population	$3,889,130	$16,024,460	$2,698	$11,112	7.0%	$773,223	$28,070.21	$675,653	$81,400	77.7%	70.1	21.9%	97%	75%	14.2%	0.644 (134)	7.18 (41)	4.222 (11)
Template:Flag	Template:UN Population	$7,199	$13,870	$17,287	$34,322	4.7%	$5,096	$761.52	$588	$55	97%	77.34	16%	97%	N/A	3.1%	0.762 (87)	N/A	N/A
Template:Flag	Template:UN Population	$43,673	$169,120	$1,381	$5,348	3.1%	$2,722	$73.83	$18,400	$400	67.9%	70.25	13.4%	97%	67%	11.2%	0.601 (146)	4.6 (98)	4.791 (32)
Template:Flag	Template:UN Population	$374,595	$1,580,000	$1,588	$6,715	2.4%	$38,700	$1,818	$15,965	$11,000	58%	66.48	24.3%	92%	34%	18.3%	0.540 (164)	3.25 (118)	10 (10)
Template:Flag	Template:UN Population	$74,846	$319,248	$3,330	$14,255		$13,082	$711.83	$6,467	$2,000	92.2%	75.28	6.7%	99%	77%	9.8%	0.780 (79)	6.17 (70)	4.077 (42)

Membership in other bodies

Country	G20	BRICS	BIMSTEC	IORA	APTA	BBIN	SASEC	AIIB	ACU	ACD	ADB	World Bank	Nuclear weapons
Template:Flag	Template:Na	Template:Na	Template:Na	Template:Na	Template:Na	Template:Na	Template:Na	Template:Na	Template:Na	Template:Ya	Template:Ya	Template:Ya	Template:Na
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Template:Flag	Template:Na	Template:Na	Template:Ya	Template:Na	Template:Na	Template:Ya	Template:Ya	Template:Na	Template:Ya	Template:Ya	Template:Ya	Template:Ya	Template:Na
Template:Flag	Template:Ya	Template:Ya	Template:Ya	Template:Ya	Template:Ya	Template:Ya	Template:Ya	Template:Ya	Template:Ya	Template:Ya	Template:Ya	Template:Ya	Template:Ya
Template:Flag	Template:Na	Template:Na	Template:Na	Template:Na	Template:Na	Template:Na	Template:Ya	Template:Ya	Template:Ya	Template:Na	Template:Ya	Template:Ya	Template:Na
Template:Flag	Template:Na	Template:Na	Template:Ya	Template:Na	Template:Na	Template:Ya	Template:Ya	Template:Ya	Template:Ya	Template:Ya	Template:Ya	Template:Ya	Template:Na
Template:Flag	Template:Na	Template:Na	Template:Na	Template:Na	Template:Na	Template:Na	Template:Na	Template:Ya	Template:Ya	Template:Ya	Template:Ya	Template:Ya	Template:Ya
Template:Flag	Template:Na	Template:Na	Template:Ya	Template:Ya	Template:Ya	Template:Na	Template:Ya	Template:Ya	Template:Ya	Template:Ya	Template:Ya	Template:Ya	Template:Na

The member states are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

SAARC was founded by seven states in 1985. In 2005, Afghanistan began negotiating their accession to SAARC and formally applied for membership in the same year.<ref name="rediff web services">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Dawn news, 2007">Template:Cite news</ref> The issue of Afghanistan joining SAARC generated a great deal of debate in each member state, including concerns about the definition of South Asian identity<ref name="Routledge">Template:Cite book</ref> because Afghanistan is considered a Central Asian country, while it is neither accepted as a Middle Eastern country, nor as a Central Asian country, or as part of the Indian subcontinent, other than being only in part of South Asia.<ref name="anderson5">Template:Cite book, Quote: "To the east, Iran, as a Gulf state, offers a generally accepted limit to the Middle East. However, Afghanistan, also a Muslim state, is then left in isolation. It is not accepted as a part of Central Asia and it is clearly not part of the Indian subcontinent".</ref>

SAARC member states imposed a stipulation for Afghanistan to hold a general election; the non-partisan elections were held in late 2005.<ref name="Routledge"/> Despite initial reluctance and internal debates, Afghanistan joined SAARC as its eighth member state in April 2007.<ref name="Routledge"/><ref>O'Rourke, Breffni. "South Asia: Afghanistan Joins World's Largest Regional Grouping Template:Webarchive." Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 3 April 2007.</ref>

Despite the takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban in 2021, Afghanistan is still a member of SAARC, despite calls for their suspension and none of the other SAARC members recognizing the Taliban government.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The issue was further exasperated as it was Afghanistan's turn to select a Secretary General for SAARC in 2023. All other members decided to skip Afghanistan and award the selection to Bangladesh, with Nepali foreign secretary, Bharat Raj Paudyal, stating that "When the term of the Bangladeshi secretary general ends, if the problems in Afghanistan are resolved, the new secretary general will be from Afghanistan, not from Bhutan."<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Observer countries

States with observer status include<ref name="obs">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Australia,<ref name="australia">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> China, the European Union, Iran, Japan,<ref name="observers">Template:Cite news</ref> Mauritius,<ref name="mauritius">Template:Cite news</ref> Myanmar, South Korea, and the United States.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

China's 2007 application for observer status received strong support from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Nepal, and Pakistan.<ref name=Kelegama>Template:Cite book</ref> Other South Asian members of SAARC agreed to support China's observer status, but were not as strongly in favor.<ref name=Kelegama />

On 2 August 2006, the foreign ministers of SAARC countries agreed in principle to grant observer status to three applicants;<ref name="Observer"> "SAARC to grant observer status to US, S Korea, EU Template:Webarchive ." Hindustan Times. 2 August 2006. </ref> the US and South Korea (both made requests in April 2006),<ref name="Observer"/> as well as the European Union (requested in July 2006).<ref> Waliur Rahman. "US and S Korea to observe SAARC." BBC News Template:Webarchive, 11 April 2008. </ref> On 4 March 2007, Iran requested observer status,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> followed shortly by Mauritius.

Potential future members

Myanmar has expressed interest in upgrading its status from an observer to a full member of SAARC.<ref name="orfonline.org">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> China has requested joining SAARC.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Russia has applied for observer status membership of SAARC.<ref name="The Economic Times">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="cris.unu.edu"> SAARC The Changing Dimensions: UNU-CRIS Working Papers United Nations University Template:Webarchive , Comparative Regional Integration Studies </ref><ref name="news.oneindia.in"> Russia keen to join SAARC as observer Template:Webarchive, Oneindia News </ref> Turkey applied for observer status membership of SAARC in 2012.<ref name="The Economic Times"/><ref name="cris.unu.edu"/><ref name="news.oneindia.in"/> South Africa has participated in meetings.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Indonesia, Jordan, Canada, New Zealand, Ireland, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom and Yemen have expressed interest.Template:Citation needed

Secretariat

File:SAARC Secretariat at Kathmandu.JPG

Secretariat of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation in Kathmandu, Nepal

The SAARC Secretariat was established in Kathmandu on 16 January 1987 and was inaugurated by the late King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah of Nepal.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Specialized bodies

SAARC member states have created the following specialized bodies of SAARC in the member states which have special mandates and structures different from the regional centers. These bodies are managed by their respective governing boards composed of representatives from all the member states, the representative of H.E. secretary-general of SAARC and the ministry of foreign/external affairs of the host government. The heads of these bodies act as member secretary to the governing board which reports to the programming committee of SAARC.

Specialized Body	Location	Country	Website
SAARC Arbitration Council (SARCO)	Islamabad	Pakistan	www.sarco-sec.org
SAARC Development Fund (SDF)	Thimphu	Bhutan	www.sdfsec.org
South Asian University (SAU)	New Delhi	India	www.sau.int
South Asian Regional Standards Organization (SARSO)	Dhaka	Bangladesh	www.sarso.org.bd

Regional Centres

The SAARC Secretariat is supported by following Regional Centres established in the Member States to promote regional co-operation. These Centres are managed by Governing Boards comprising representatives from all the Member States, SAARC Secretary-General and the Ministry of Foreign/External Affairs of the Host Government. The Director of the Centre acts as Member Secretary to the Governing Board which reports to the Programming Committee. After 31 December 2015, there 6 regional centers were stopped by unanimous decision. These are SMRC, SFC, SDC, SCZMC, SIC, SHRDC.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Source:<ref>http://saarc-sec.org/saarc-regional-centres Template:Webarchive</ref>

Regional Centre	Location	Country	Website
SAARC Agriculture Centre (SAC)	Dhaka	Bangladesh	www.sac.org.bd/
SAARC Meteorological Research Centre (SMRC)	Dhaka	Bangladesh
SAARC Forestry Centre (SFC)	Thimphu	Bhutan
SAARC Documentation Centre (SDC)	New Delhi	India
SAARC Disaster Management Centre (SDMC)	Gandhinagar	India	saarc-sdmc.org/
SAARC Coastal Zone Management Centre (SCZMC)	Malé	Maldives
SAARC Information Centre (SIC)	Kathmandu	Nepal
SAARC Tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS Centre (STAC)	Bhaktapur	Nepal	www.saarctb.org/
SAARC Human Resources Development Centre (SHRDC)	Islamabad	Pakistan
SAARC Energy Centre (SEC)	Islamabad	Pakistan	www.saarcenergy.org/
SAARC Cultural Centre (SCC)	Colombo	Sri Lanka	www.saarcculture.org/

Anthem

SAARC does not have an official anthem as yet like some other regional organizations (e.g. ASEAN).<ref name="hindustantimes.com"> Will SAARC have an anthem-like ASEAN? Template:Webarchive Hindustan Times, 3 November 2014 </ref>

Apex and Recognized Bodies

SAARC has six Apex Bodies,<ref name="saarc-sec.org">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> they are:

• SAARC Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCI),
• South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation in Law (SAARCLAW),<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

• South Asian Federation of Accountants (SAFA),
• South Asia Foundation (SAF),
• South Asia Initiative to End Violence Against Children (SAIEVAC),
• Foundation of SAARC Writers and Literature (FOSWAL)

SAARC also has about 18 recognized bodies.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

SAARC Disaster Management Centre

The SAARC Disaster Management Centre (SDMC) is a regional organization established to enhance disaster risk management and response within the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) member states. Its primary objective is to provide policy advice, technical support, capacity building, and training for comprehensive disaster risk management in the region.

SAARC SDMC

Key Functions:

• Policy Advice and Technical Support: SDMC offers guidance on disaster management policies and assists in developing systems to improve disaster resilience.
• Capacity Building and Training: The center conducts training programs and workshops to strengthen the disaster management capabilities of member states.
• Information Exchange: Facilitates the sharing of information and expertise among member countries to enhance collaborative disaster risk management efforts.

Initiatives:

• South Asian Disaster Knowledge Network: A platform for sharing disaster-related information and best practices across the region.
• South Asia Digital Vulnerability Atlas (SADVA): An initiative aimed at mapping and analyzing disaster vulnerabilities in South Asia.

Political issues

Lasting peace and prosperity in South Asia has been elusive because of the various ongoing conflicts in the region. Political dialogue is often conducted on the margins of SAARC meetings which have refrained from interfering in the internal matters of its member states.<ref>See for this aspect Michael, Arndt (2013). Sovereignty vs. Security: SAARC and its Role in the Regional Security Architecture in South Asia. Harvard Asia Quarterly Summer 2013, Vol. VX, No.2: 37-45</ref> During the 12th and 13th SAARC summits, extreme emphasis was laid upon greater cooperation between SAARC members to fight terrorism.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The 19th SAARC summit scheduled to be held in Pakistan was called off as India, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistan decided to boycott it due to a terrorist attack on an army camp in Uri.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> It was the first time that four countries boycotted a SAARC summit, leading to its cancellation.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

SAARC has generally been ineffective at achieving enhanced regionalism.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

South Asian Free Trade Area

File:SAARC.PNG

Countries under the South Asian Free Trade Area

The SAFTA was envisaged primarily as the first step towards the transition to a South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) leading subsequently towards a Customs Union, Common Market and the Economic Union. In 1995, Sixteenth session of the Council of Ministers (New Delhi, 18–19 December 1995) agreed on the need to strive for the realization of SAFTA and to this end, an Inter-Governmental Expert Group (IGEG) was set up in 1996 to identify the necessary steps for progressing to a free trade area. The Tenth SAARC Summit (Colombo, 29–31 July 1998) decided to set up a Committee of Experts (COE) to draft a comprehensive treaty framework for creating a free trade area within the region, taking into consideration the asymmetries in development within the region and bearing in mind the need to fix realistic and achievable targets.

The SAFTA Agreement was signed on 6 January 2004 during Twelfth SAARC Summit held in Islamabad, Pakistan.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The Agreement entered into force on 1 January 2006, and the Trade Liberalization Programme commenced from 1 July 2006.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Under this agreement, SAARC members will bring their duties down to 20 percent by 2009. Following the Agreement coming into force the SAFTA Ministerial Council (SMC) has been established comprising the Commerce Ministers of the Member States.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2012 SAARC exports increased substantially to $354.6 billion from $206.7 billion in 2009.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Imports too increased from $330 billion to $602 billion over the same period. But the intra-SAARC trade amounts to just a little over 1% of SAARC's GDP. In contrast to SAARC, in ASEAN (which is actually smaller than SAARC in terms of the size of the economy) the intra-bloc trade stands at 10% of its GDP.

The SAFTA was envisaged to gradually move towards the South Asian Economic Union, but the current intra-regional trade and investment relation are not encouraging and it may be difficult to achieve this target. SAARC intra-regional trade stands at just five percent on the share of intra-regional trade in overall trade in South Asia. Similarly, foreign direct investment is also dismal. The intra-regional FDI flow stands at around four percent of the total foreign investment.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

The Asian Development Bank has estimated that inter-regional trade in SAARC region possessed the potential of shooting up agricultural exports by $14 billion per year from existing level of $8 billion to $22 billion. The study by Asian Development Bank states that against the potential average SAARC intra-regional trade of $22 billion per year, the actual trade in South Asia has been only around $8 billion. The uncaptured potential for intra-regional trade is therefore $14 billion per year, i.e., 68%.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme

The SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme was launched in 1992. The leaders at the Fourth Summit (Islamabad, 29–31 December 1988), realizing the importance of people-to-people contact among SAARC countries, decided that certain categories of dignitaries should be entitled to a Special Travel document. The document would exempt them from visas within the region. As directed by the Summit, the Council of Ministers regularly kept under review the list of entitled categories.

Currently, the list included 24 categories of entitled persons, which include dignitaries, judges of higher courts, parliamentarians, senior officials, entrepreneurs, journalists, and athletes.

The Visa Stickers are issued by the respective Member States to the entitled categories of that particular country. The validity of the Visa Sticker is generally for one year. The implementation is reviewed regularly by the Immigration Authorities of SAARC Member States.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Awards

SAARC Award

The Twelfth (12th) Summit approved the SAARC Award to support individuals and organizations within the region. The main aims of the SAARC Award are:

• To encourage individuals and organizations based in South Asia to undertake programmes and activities that complement the efforts of SAARC.
• To encourage individuals and organizations in South Asia contributing to bettering the conditions of women and children.
• To honour outstanding contributions and achievements of individuals and organizations within the region in the fields of peace, development, poverty alleviation, environmental protection, and regional cooperation.
• To honour any other contributions and achievement not covered above of individuals and organizations in the region.

The SAARC Award consists of a gold medal, a letter of citation, and cash prize of $25,000. Since the institution of the SAARC Award in 2004, it has been awarded only once and the Award was posthumously conferred upon the late President Ziaur Rahman of Bangladesh.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

SAARC Literary Award

File:Recipants of SAARC Literary Award 2013.jpg

Recipients of SAARC Literary Award 2013

The SAARC Literary Award is an annual award conferred by the Foundation of SAARC Writers and Literature (FOSWAL) since 2001<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>Template:Cite news Five Writers honoured at SAARC Litearure Festival, Hindustan Times 11 March 2013</ref> which is an apex SAARC body.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Some of the prominent recipients of this award include Shamshur Rahman, Mahasweta Devi, Jayanta Mahapatra, Abhi Subedi, Mark Tully, Sitakant Mahapatra, Uday Prakash, Suman Pokhrel, and Abhay K.<ref> Mahasweta Devi to get SAARC Literary Award Template:Webarchive Oneindia.in 30 March 2007 </ref>

Nepali poet, lyricist, and translator Suman Pokhrel is the only poet/writer to be awarded twice.<ref>Hindustan Times, New Delhi, Saturday, 14 February 2015</ref>

SAARC Youth Award

The SAARC Youth Award is awarded to outstanding individuals from the SAARC region. The award is notable because of the recognition it gives to the Award winner in the SAARC region. The award is based on specific themes which apply to each year. The award recognizes and promotes the commitment and talent of the youth who give back to the world at large through various initiatives such as Inventions, Protection of the Environment and Disaster relief. The recipients who receive this award are ones who have dedicated their lives to their individual causes to improve situations in their own countries as well as paving a path for the SAARC region to follow. The Committee for the SAARC Youth Award selects the best candidate based on his/her merits and their decision is final.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Previous Winners:

• 1992: World Population Issue and Welfare - Painting; - Devang Soparkar (India)
• 1997: Outstanding Social Service in Community Welfare – Sukur Salek (Bangladesh)
• 1998: New Inventions and Shanu — Najmul Hasnain Shah (Pakistan)
• 2001: Creative Photography: South Asian Diversity – Mushfiqul Alam (Bangladesh)
• 2002: Outstanding contribution to protect the Environment – Masil Khan (Pakistan)
• 2003: Invention in the Field of Traditional Medicine – Hassan Sher (Pakistan)
• 2004: Outstanding contribution to raising awareness of TB and/or HIV/AIDS – Ajij Prasad Poudyal (Nepal)
• 2006: Promotion of Tourism in South Asia – Syed Zafar Abbas Naqvi (Pakistan)
• 2008: Protecting the Environment in South Asia – Deepani Jayantha (Sri Lanka)
• 2009: Outstanding contribution to humanitarian works in the aftermath of Natural Disasters – Ravikant Singh (India)
• 2010: Outstanding contribution for the Protection of Environment and mitigation of Climate Change – Anoka Primrose Abeyrathne (Sri Lanka)
• 2011: Youth leadership in the fight against social ills - Mr. Mohamed Faseen Rafiu (The Maldives)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Secretaries-General of SAARC

Secretary General of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation

#	Name	Country	Took office	Left office
1	Abul Ahsan	Bangladesh	16 January 1985	15 October 1989
2	Kant Kishore Bhargava	India	17 October 1989	31 December 1991
3	Ibrahim Hussein Zaki	Maldives	1 January 1992	31 December 1993
4	Yadav Kant Silwal	Nepal	1 January 1994	31 December 1995
5	Naeem U. Hasan	Pakistan	1 January 1996	31 December 1998
6	Nihal Rodrigo	Sri Lanka	1 January 1999	10 January 2002
7	Q. A. M. A. Rahim	Bangladesh	11 January 2002	28 February 2005
8	Chenkyab Dorji	Bhutan	1 March 2005	29 February 2008
9	Sheel Kant Sharma	India	1 March 2008	28 February 2011
10	Fathimath Dhiyana Saeed	Maldives	1 March 2011	11 March 2012
11	Ahmed Saleem	Maldives	12 March 2012	28 February 2014
12	Arjun Bahadur Thapa	Nepal	1 March 2014	28 February 2017
13	Amjad Hussain B. Sial	Pakistan	1 March 2017	29 February 2020
14	Esala Ruwan Weerakoon	Sri Lanka	1 March 2020	3 March 2023
15	Golam Sarwar	Bangladesh	4 March 2023	Incumbent

SAARC summits

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No	Date	Country	Host	Host leader
1st	7–8 December 1985	Bangladesh	Dhaka	Ataur Rahman Khan
2nd	16–17 November 1986	India	Bengaluru	Rajiv Gandhi
3rd	2–4 November 1987	Nepal	Kathmandu	King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah
4th	29–31 December 1988	Pakistan	Islamabad	Benazir Bhutto
5th	21–23 November 1990	Maldives	Malé	Maumoon Abdul Gayoom
6th	21 December 1991	Sri Lanka	Colombo	Ranasinghe Premadasa
7th	10–11 April 1993	Bangladesh	Dhaka	Khaleda Zia
8th	2–4 May 1995	India	New Delhi	P V Narasimha Rao
9th	12–14 May 1997	Maldives	Malé	Maumoon Abdul Gayoom
10th	29–31 July 1998	Sri Lanka	Colombo	Chandrika Kumaratunga
11th	4–6 January 2002	Nepal	Kathmandu	Sher Bahadur Deuba
12th	2–6 January 2004	Pakistan	Islamabad	Zafarullah Khan Jamali
13th	12–13 November 2005	Bangladesh	Dhaka	Khaleda Zia
14th	3–4 April 2007	India	New Delhi	Manmohan Singh
15th	1–3 August 2008	Sri Lanka	Colombo	Mahinda Rajapaksa
16th	28–29 April 2010	Bhutan	Thimphu	Jigme Thinley
17th	10–11 November 2011	Maldives	Addu	Mohammed Nasheed
18th	26–27 November 2014<ref name="18summit">Template:Cite news</ref>	Nepal	Kathmandu	Sushil Koirala
19th	15–16 November 2016	Pakistan	Islamabad	Cancelled

Current leaders of SAARC

Leaders are either heads of state or heads of government, depending on which is constitutionally the chief executive of the nation's government.

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Current leaders

Country	Chief executive	Incumbent
Afghanistan	Supreme Leader (de facto)	Hibatullah Akhundzada
Bangladesh	Chief Adviser to the Government	Muhammad Yunus
Bhutan	Prime Minister	Tshering Tobgay
India	Prime Minister	Narendra Modi
Maldives	President	Mohamed Muizzu
Nepal	Prime Minister	K.P. Sharma Oli
Pakistan	Prime Minister	Shehbaz Sharif
Sri Lanka	President	Anura Kumara Dissanayake

See also

• ASEAN and India's Look-East connectivity projects
• Asia Cooperation Dialogue
• SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry
• Bangladesh Bhutan India Nepal Initiative
• BIMSTEC
• Indian-Ocean Rim Association
• ICAN
• List of SAARC summits
• Mekong–Ganga Cooperation
• SAARC satellite
• South Asian University
• South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation
• Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
• Economic Cooperation Organization

External links

• Template:Official website