About SAARC
The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation is an intergovernmental organization for the development of economic and regional integration.
- SAARC was established with the signing of the SAARC Charter in Dhaka on 8th December 1985.
- Member states: SAARC comprises of eight Member States: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
- The Secretariat of the Association was set up in Kathmandu.
- Objectives: The objectives of the Association as outlined in the SAARC Charter are:
- to promote the welfare of the peoples of South Asia and to improve their quality of life.
- to accelerate economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region.
- to provide all individuals the opportunity to live in dignity and to realize their full potentials
- to promote and strengthen collective self-reliance among the countries of South Asia
- to contribute to mutual trust, understanding and appreciation of one another’s problems
- to promote active collaboration and mutual assistance in the economic, social, cultural, technical and scientific fields
- to strengthen cooperation among themselves and with other developing countries
- to cooperate with international and regional organizations with similar aims and purposes.
- Decisions at all levels are taken on the basis of unanimity
- Bilateral and contentious issues are excluded from the deliberations of the Association.
SAARC bodies
SAARC has established various specialized bodies like
- South Asian University (SAU)
- South Asian Regional Standards Organization (SARSO)
- SAARC Development Fund (SDF)
- SAARC Arbitration Council (SARCO)
SAARC satellite for South Asia
ISRO successfully launched the South Asia Satellite (GSAT-9) in 2017. South Asia Satellite is a communication satellite built by ISRO to provide a variety of communication services over the South Asian region. For this, it is equipped with Ku-band transponders
