South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation

Many lands live in South Asia.

Eight countries work as a team. They want to be good friends. They help each other grow.

This group is called SAARC. It started in 1985. The leaders met in a place called Dhaka.

They work on things like health. They also work on food and farming. This helps many people live well.

Some other lands watch the group. They are called observers. They stay close to see the work.

The main office is in Nepal. It helps the group stay organized.

SAARC is a group of eight countries in South Asia.

These nations are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. They work together to help their people. They focus on things like health, farming, and trade.

The group began in 1985. Leaders met in Dhaka, Bangladesh, to start it. Since then, they have worked on many goals. For example, they made a free trade area in 2006. This helps goods move easily between lands.

The main office is in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Some countries are observers. This means they watch the work but are not full members. These include the United States, China, and Japan.

It has not always been easy for the group. Some members had disagreements. Because of this, big meetings have not happened since 2014. Even so, the countries still have many ways to work together. They have special groups for study and help. One group is a university in India. Another is a fund in Bhutan.

These groups help the region grow.

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, or SAARC, is a group of eight countries.

These nations are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Together, these members represent about 21% of all people in the world. They also make up about 5.21% of the global economy. The group helps these neighbors work together on important goals. They want to grow their economies and help their regions connect.

SAARC works by helping countries share ideas and resources. One major way they do this is through the South Asian Free Trade Area. This system started in 2006 to help goods move more easily between member lands. They also have specialized groups to handle specific tasks. For example, there is a university in New Delhi, India. There is also a development fund located in Thimphu, Bhutan.

Many leaders worked for a long time to make this group a reality. In the late 1970s, leaders like President Ziaur Rahman of Bangladesh shared a vision for cooperation. King Birendra of Nepal also spoke about sharing river waters. In 1981, officials met in Colombo to discuss how to work together. Finally, the group was officially founded in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on December 8, 1985. The first big meeting, or summit, was hosted by President Hussain Ershad.

History shows that joining the group can sometimes lead to big debates. Afghanistan applied to join in 2005, but people argued about its place in South Asia. Eventually, Afghanistan became the eighth member in April 2007. Some members also act as observers, which means they watch the work without being full members. These observers include the United States, China, Japan, and the European Union. Other countries like Iran and South Korea also hold this status.

Even though the group is helpful, it has faced some hard times lately. Large summits have not happened since the 18th summit in Nepal in November 2014. A meeting in Pakistan was supposed to happen in 2016, but it was stopped. This happened because India and other members withdrew after an attack by a group called Jaish-e-Mohammed. Today, the group's main office, or secretariat, stays in Kathmandu, Nepal. It remains a place where the history of South Asia continues to unfold.

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation, known as SAARC, is an intergovernmental organization. It consists of eight sovereign states that share the South Asian region. These full members are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

Collectively, these eight nations account for approximately 21% of the total world population. They also represent about 5.21% of the global economy. The primary goal of SAARC is to promote economic development and regional integration. This helps neighboring countries work together more effectively.

To achieve these goals, SAARC uses several specific mechanisms. One major tool is the South Asian Free Trade Area, which began in 2006. This system aims to make trading goods between member states easier and more efficient. The organization also manages various specialized bodies to handle specific regional needs. These bodies have their own structures and mandates. For example, the SAARC Development Fund is located in Thimphu, Bhutan. The South Asian University operates in New Delhi, India.

SAARC functions through a structured hierarchy of leadership and cooperation. The organization maintains its headquarters, called the Secretariat, in Kathmandu, Nepal. This office was established on January 16, 1987, by King Birendra of Nepal. Different specialized bodies are managed by governing boards. These boards include representatives from all member states and the Secretary-General. They also include officials from the host government's Ministry of Foreign Affairs. These groups report to the Programming Committee of SAARC to ensure organized progress.

The history of SAARC began with many years of diplomatic discussions. Leaders held several conferences in 1947, 1950, and 1954 to discuss cooperation. In the late 1970s, the idea of a trade bloc gained momentum. President Ziaur Rahman of Bangladesh was a key figure in this movement. He wrote to various leaders to present his vision for regional cooperation. In 1977, King Birendra of Nepal also called for cooperation regarding the sharing of river waters.

Formal steps toward the organization accelerated in the early 1980s. In 1981, foreign ministry officials met in Colombo to discuss cooperation. Initially, India and Pakistan expressed skepticism about the proposal. India worried about security matters and regional balance. Pakistan feared the organization might favor Indian economic dominance. However, diplomatic consultations at the United Nations helped move the process forward. In 1983, foreign ministers adopted the Declaration on SAARC in Dhaka. The organization was officially founded on December 8, 1985, in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Membership has evolved over time through significant debate. Afghanistan applied for membership in 2005, which caused discussions about regional identity. Some argued whether Afghanistan was truly part of the South Asian subcontinent. Despite these debates, Afghanistan officially joined as the eighth member in April 2007. The organization also includes nine non-member observers. These observers include the United States, China, Japan, and the European Union.

These observers can watch the organization's work without being full members.

Despite its goals, SAARC has faced recent challenges that slowed its progress. The last major summit was held in Nepal in November 2014. A planned summit in Pakistan in 2016 was indefinitely postponed. This occurred after India and other members withdrew following an attack by the group Jaish-e-Mohammed. Because of these tensions, some countries now use different groups for cooperation. For instance, India works with its eastern neighbors through BIMSTEC. Meanwhile, Bangladesh continues to seek membership in ASEAN while trying to revive SAARC.