To be able to answer the question how effective the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) has been, a quick look at its background will have to be taken. The SAARC is an economic and geopolitical union of eight member nations that are primarily located in the South Asian region. Its secretariat is headquartered in Katmandu, Nepal. The idea of regional political and economic cooperation in South Asia was first coined in 1980, and the first summit was held in Dhaka on December 8, 1985 that led to its official establishment by the governments of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. In the intervening years, its successors have grown in size by the accession of new member states. Afghanistan was the first to have been admitted in the physical enlargement of the SAARC in 2007.
All that SAARC had mandated itself to undertake for the uplift and well-being of the people of the member countries remain a distant dream. It may have achieved some successes in some of the areas but the achievements cannot be termed as significant. Much remains to be desired on all fronts. Unambiguously, SAARC could have been a very effective body had its members sincerely endeavored to work collectively and cogently towards the attainment of all its objectives.
The South Asian region stands out in today’s terror-stricken and volatile world conspicuously. The war on terror has had a horrific impact on South Asia. Terrorism has been spreading throughout the region at an incredibly fast pace. The fact of the matter is it has now gone beyond control. Pakistan has been declared a terrorist state. South Asia has been branded by the developed societies of the world as the most dangerous region in the globe. The region has undoubtedly become more insecure and unstable. Had there been unanimity of thought and action among the SAARC member countries, and had they converged on one platform to genuinely address and attain all SAARC objectives, this important regional body could have proven to be an effective body that could have stood up with courage and honor in the comity of world nations and successfully assert itself on both regional and world issues.
M FAZAL ELAHI
Islamabad