The Role Of The South Asian Association For Regional Communication (SAARC): Limitations, Challenges And Proposed  Reforms

Author(s): Faijul Islam

Paper Details: Volume 3, Issue 3

Citation: IJLSSS 3(3) 06

Page No: 78 – 110

ABSTRACT

This paper examines the role of SAARC in peace, stability, & political balance through an evidence-based approach. The study analyses the existing role of SAARC for peace and good office, makes a remedy and reforms, and identifies gaps in the framework to implement the goal of SAARC. The goal of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is to foster regional cooperation among its member states to further peace, stability, and socioeconomic growth. As a result, its advancement has been hampered by several obstacles and difficulties, such as regional conflicts, political instability, and a dearth of institutional structures. With an emphasis on internal conflicts, economic growth, and inadequate educational cooperation, this study explores the major causes that have limited SAARC’s potential. In addition, the research examines issues such as geopolitical imbalance, inadequate infrastructure, and border restrictions. Based on these conclusions, the study suggests significant reforms to improve SAARC’s performance, fostering better economic cooperation, stronger institutional mechanisms, and higher political resolve to transform SAARC into a more vital regional organization that can make Asia more effective.

Keywords: SAARC,South Asian regional cooperation,Regional integration in South Asia,SAARC challenges,SAARC limitation,SAARC reforms,Intra-regional trade South Asia

CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER

1.1.INTRODUCTION

A regional cooperation alliance named SAARC was formed in 1985.  Initially this alliance consisted of seven South Asian countries named Bangladesh, India, Bhutan, Nepal, Pakistan, the Maldives, and Sri Lanka.Afghanistan was made a SAARC member in 2007 at the 14th SAARC Summit.  There is great diversity among the states in the region in terms of size, geography, population, caste, religion, and wealth.  While SAARC member states are formed based on unequal partnerships among the SAARC countries, India is the largest and most powerful country while Nepal, Bhutan and the Maldives are smaller,less powerful countries.Due to this, the lack of equality is observed in the distribution of natural and human resources in all these states.  The population of this region is about 130 cores.  About 75% of them live in India, 9.5% in Pakistan, 9% in Bangladesh and the remaining population lives in the remaining 5 SAARC states. The SAARC region is one of the poorest regions in the world. SAARC has not made significant progress in achieving its ambitious goals due to various reasons.  Many feel that the reason for this is that there is more discussion within SAARC than taking any real actionable initiatives.Until the 11th SAARC Conference, SAARC’s main activities were organizing seminars, workshops and short-term training programs undertaking cultural exchanges and sporting events.  Although the four-phase negotiations in the SAPTA talks have played some role in trade liberalization, SAARC has not yet materialized as a regional economic alliance.  The alliance could not achieve its desired goal of intra-regional trade in the region.  In a word, the success of SAARC is far behind the success of regional organizations like ASEAN and NAFTA. Due to the obstacles of various bilateral issues existing among the member states, it is not possible to achieve the multilateral success that was possible throughSAARC and the alliance is also failing to take any real steps towards development. It seems that SAARC needs more time to reach its desired goals.  SAARC’s progress depends on strengthening mutual trust and confidence by ending adversarial attitudes in bilateral relations among member states. A increasing trend towards other sub-regional organisations like BIMSTEC, political impasse, and poor economic integration characterise SAARC’s current state. The tensions between India and Pakistan are the main reason why SAARC a regional forum that still exists, is currently far from functioning. SAARC is unlikely to reclaim its position as the main engine of regional cooperation in South Asia in the absence of substantial political reconciliation between these two crucial members. It appears that these sub-regional organisations rather than SAARC itself  may play a bigger role in the future of the region given the advent of alternative platforms like BIMSTEC.

1.2. BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) was established in 1985, making economic, social, and cultural collaboration among its 8 member Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. SAARC was created with the hope of promoting peace, stability, and development in South Asia. The main goal of SAARC is to   make a region home to nearly a quarter of the worlds’ population based on some principles Regardless of potential, SAARC has faced significant backlogs and challenges that have hindered the effectiveness of SAARC. Sorry to say, one of the primary problems is the persistent political tensions between member states, especially between India and Pakistan, which have often resulted in stalled progress and ineffective summits. The organization was made on the principle of unanimity, which has further slowed decision-making and implementation of rules. Economic cooperation of the member states has also been limited with intra-regional trade low compared to other regional countries   The organization’s lack of strong enforcement mechanisms and reliance on consensus has further weakened the impact of SAARC. The SAARC authorities may take initiatives for strengthening economic integration, depoliticizing regional cooperation, and improving SAARC’s institutional capacity. They also make the organization better address regional issues to uplift poverty, climate change, and terrorism by taking initiatives. Aftermath reforming SAARC could unlock the potential for greater peace and prosperity in Southern Asia.

1.3. STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM

SAARC was founded for regional growth and cooperation but has encountered certain obstacles that have limited its efficacy. The main issue is making continuous hostilities between India and Pakistan as well as other member states’ persistent political tensions. The conflicts have prevented SAARC’s operations from being disrupted, which frequently leads to summits and meaningful advancements on issues of regional integration. The absence of economic integration among the member states is another major issue. Regretfully, SAARC is among the least integrated regional organizations in the world due to the persistently low level of intraregional commerce. These problems made SAARC more critical because of the region’s varied economic structures and developmental gaps, which make it a vital organization to implement coherent economic strategies. Besides, SAARC’s decision-making process has been a significant hurdle as it slows down the adoption of numerous initiatives. SAARCS’s weak organizational body and lack of enforcement mechanisms further exacerbate inefficacy in addressing regional issues such as poverty, terrorism, and climate change. This research examines these key factors of SAARC political tensions, lack of economic integration, and structural inefficiencies. Also seeks to explore potential reforms to make SAARC a more effective and legendary organization for regional countries.

1.4. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY

The study examines the limitations, challenges, and potential changes of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). The study focuses on evaluating the organization’s impact on regional cooperation, economic conflicts, and social and political stability.  It identifies the main obstacles hindering the development of SAARC, such as political instability, economic disparities, and bureaucratic inefficiency. It examines the way to structural and operational obstacles that SAARC must overcome.  The study identifies strategies to improve the performance of SAARC, promote cooperation among member countries, and effectively solve various regional problems. Besides, analysis of the position of SAARC in the wider geopolitical context of South Asia. This comprehensive approach provides information for stakeholders, researchers, and policymakers.

1.5.  LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY 

The study examines various aspects of SAARC. Here are some possible restrictions. Ongoing political tensions between member countries such as India and Pakistan hinder the cooperation and effectiveness of SAARC. Economic tensions between SAARC member countries and countries like India, which are much larger in terms of economic size, pose a challenge to cooperation. SAARC does not have a strong governance framework. His ability to influence and disrupt local politics will be limited. Although a regional entity, intra-SAARC trade is limited compared to other regional organizations such as ASEAN or the EU. Trade restrictions and a lack of will help with this. Trans-border terrorism, regional security problems, and military conflicts often break the framework of SAARC cooperation. Member countries can sign bilateral agreements in SAARC, which limits the organization’s ability to reform and develop the region. SAARC’s requirement for consensus-based decision-making leads to deadlocks and difficulty in moving forward with a major project. The SAARC project has often suffered from being too broad or too ineffective and has not focused on the most important reforms or areas that could enhance regional peace.

 1.6. LITERATURE REVIEW 

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) established in 1985 aims to promote economic and regional integration in the South Asian region. SAARC has been less effective despite its potential due to several problems and limitations. This literature review includes studies on the limitations, challenges, and necessary reforms of SAARC. The main causes of SAARC’s shortcomings are its guidelines and geopolitical imbalance. The ongoing conflict between India and Pakistan is one of the most discussed issues as it has made it more difficult for SAARC to make decisions and implement initiatives. The imbalance caused by India’s hegemony makes it difficult for mall governments to express their views within the SAARC framework. Regional cooperation is intensified.  Further integration is hampered by the national sovereignty debate because member states are hesitant to give up their sovereignty to a regional body.  SAARC agreements are inadequately carried out, and policies are obstinately put into effect. The process of regional cooperation has been traumatized by this resistance, and the majority of the plans are still only on paper rather than being carried out.  Inadequate infrastructure serves as a significant barrier to accomplishing SAARC’s goals. The area’s potential has not been fully realized economically due to inadequate digital and physical infrastructure connectivity.  Trade and investment in the region are still restricted as a result of inadequate communication and transportation networks

1.7. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

 This study utilizes a qualitative approach to examine the constraints, obstacles, and possible improvements concerning the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC). Through a qualitative methodology, a thorough comprehension of the intricate factors influencing SAARC’s effectiveness and the viewpoints of the diverse stakeholders engaged in regional collaboration in South Asia is facilitated. This section presents the research framework, methods of data collection, selection of participants, and analytical techniques employed. The study adopts a qualitative design focused on exploring personal experiences, viewpoints, and interpretations related to SAARC. This methodology is well-suited for grasping the complex social, political, and economic elements that influence the operations of SAARC and its efficacy as a regional institution. Utilizing a qualitative approach provides researchers with the ability to gather in-depth and comprehensive data reflecting the intricacies of regional collaboration. The main data collection method will involve conducting semi-structured interviews with key figures such as policymakers, scholars, and practitioners engaged in regional cooperation efforts within South Asia. The semi-structured nature of the interviews offers flexibility in questioning, allowing for more exploration of specific topics as they emerge during discussions. Additionally, the study will entail an examination of pertinent documents, including policy papers, meeting minutes from SAARC official reports, and academic publications. Analyzing these documents will offer valuable context to the insights gathered from interviews and aid in identifying recurring themes within the discourse surrounding regional cooperation. To gather insights on SAARC, a selective sampling approach will be utilized to recruit individuals with a direct connection to or knowledge of SAARC. Participants will be chosen based on their expertise and involvement in SAARC-related initiatives to ensure a diverse range of viewpoints. The objective is to incorporate perspectives from different member nations and sectors to obtain a comprehensive overview of the challenges faced by SAARC and potential avenues for improvement. The qualitative data gathered from interviews will be scrutinized through thematic analysis, with a focus on interpreting the information in the context of existing literature on SAARC and regional collaboration. The results will be examined concerning established theories and prior studies to underscore their importance and implications

CHAPTER TWO: CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK 

2.1 ESTABLISHMENT OF SAARC

The rationale for the establishment of SAARC was to improve regional cooperation. Prior to SAARC’s establishment, the matter of regional cooperation was raised in different conferences including April 1947 “Asian Relations Conference in New Delhi, May 1950 Baguio Conference in Philippines and April 1954 Colombo Powers Conference.” Comprising mainly on four phases of evolution- “Conception (1977-80), the Meeting of Foreign Secretaries (1981-83), the Meeting of Foreign Secretaries (1983-85),of Foreign Secretaries (1983-85), and the Summits (1985-2016)” -the foremost proposal for the establishment of a framework for regional cooperation was put forward by the then President of Bangladesh, Zia ur Rahman, on May 2, 1980.The process started with the meeting between President Zia ur Rahman and newly elected Indian Prime Minister Morarji Desai on the agenda of regional cooperation. It is pertinent to discuss the efficacy of regional cooperation for Bangladesh at that time. For this, numerous developments which led to President Zia ur Rahman’s resolve for the making of a Framework for regional cooperation (especially during the period of 1975-1979) are as following: 

1. New South Asian leadership of that time was more prone to diplomatic solutions to various issues;

2. President Zia urRahman needed support to defend his coup d’état regime;

3. Second oil crisis of 1979 generated balance of payment crisis in South Asia countries;

4. Failure of North-South dialogues and increasing protectionism by the developed countries;

5. Identification of area of cooperation in a report by the Committee on Studies for Cooperation in Development in South Asia (CSCD); 

6. United States and British assurance of economic assistance on water sharing projects; and

7. Soviet invasion in Afghanistan.

In this scenario, the establishment of a regional organization such as SAARC became a platform to discuss issues of common interest. The response from regional states remained mixed. As a result of Indian concerns, the Bangladesh draft paper excluded security matters and allowed only non-political areas for cooperation. Finally, as a result of several meetings at foreign secretary and ministerial level, the first SAARC summit meeting of South Asian leaders was convened at Dhaka from December 7-8, 1985. “Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal,Pakistan and Sri Lanka were its founding members.”Australia, China, the European Union, Iran, Japan, South Korea, Mauritius, Myanmar and the United States (US) joined SAARC as observers between 2005 and 2008.But day by day SAARC became dormant in that time.The member countries not willfully deal the internal matters peacefully. 

2.2 SAARC DEADLOCK

SAARC was established for a prime object to ensure peace,tranquility & Economic balance among the member states.Development,  peace and  reconciliation have all been  facilitated by regional cooperation in different parts of the  world. In terms of regional  cooperation there is a high  level of both  regions. cooperation and  mutual trust, as shown by  good examples such as the European Union (EU).  The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) a regional organization has not been very successful in achieving its  development and welfare  goals (Upreti and Shashi, 2012).  Despite the  above-mentioned achievements SAARC sometimes  makes less structured  plans to  address problems and  issues. This goal has also been  achieved through bilateral  meetings.  The eight South Asian  countries that make up  SAARC have  yet to  unite to form an economic  block, despite  historical  ties between them in  the social,  economic and cultural  spheres. Of course,  there are many variables  to blame for this delay and  lack of  cooperation in this  field. Therefore, the  pace of development  towards achieving cooperation in  the region  since the formation of SAARC has been  slowed down by these  measures (Das, 1992).  Despite the proximity of geographical, cultural and historical features, this group has not been  able to achieve its desired goals for  several reasons. The  problem is that the policies of  local governments  have not changed to  use the ideas  created as a result of these  exchanges, or to  reduce the  suspicion that  exists in each  government. This is the  problem. One can only  hope that the  work done on these interactions  will one day  pay off. Unfortunately, we  are not  there yet.

Unfortunately, most of the aforementioned objectives remained on paper as SAARC remained incapable in the effective realization of its promises. For example, SAARC Food Security Reserve could not tackle Bangladesh’s 1991 disaster. The fact of the matter is that SAARC activities have mostly been limited by the SAARC members on issues of mutual interest such as eradication of terrorism, suppression of women and child trafficking for prostitution; however, commitments of mutual cooperation to prevent growth of these menaces usually remained trivial. Interestingly, even after SAARC recognized these loopholes in its 13th Summit that was held in 2006 wherein it “directed all SAARC institutions and mechanisms to work collectively towards a decade dedicated to implementation, “28 mutual cooperation among SAARC members again remained insignificant.As a result there are some internal factors that made SAARC more inactive day by day.We can see some internal challenges that make SAARC more dormant to make peace among themselves.

2.3 SAARC INTERNAL CHALLENGES & TENSIONS

Many internal issues that the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) encounters make it less effective. Among the most important ones are historical battles and border disputes have frequently caused tensions in relations amongst member countries, particularly between India and Pakistan. As a result, SAARC finds it challenging to agree on a number of regional concerns.The lack of commitment from member states has caused SAARC’s progress to be modest. The organization’s capacity to carry out ideas is constrained by the fact that national interests frequently trump regional collaboration.SAARC is made up of nations with varying degrees of economic development. Because wealthy countries like India have different goals than smaller less developed states, this economic disparity makes efforts for regional economic integration and collaboration more difficult. Because all members of SAARC must agree on decisions at all times, it is challenging to enact policies or reforms when even one is opposed.SAARC has had difficulty putting important regional agreements or projects into action. The effectiveness of many efforts is diminished since they are either abandoned or not carried out well.SAARC finds it challenging to concentrate on growth and collaboration because to cross-border terrorism, internal instability and security risks in certain member nations. These problems divert focus from societal and economic objectives. SAARC’s potential as a regional organisation for collaboration and development has been hampered by these internal issues. Therefore there are some external limitations such as Chaina Impact,USA impact,US India relationship, Nepal’s geopolitical crisis are the basic problem for make a good institution & Governance that help enshrined possible makeout.

2.4 EXTERNAL TENSIONS OF SAARC

SAARC faces several external tensions that hinder its effectiveness, influenced by geopolitical factors, relationships with global powers, and international disputes. Here are some key external tensions 

 

1. China’s Impact on SAARC: Among the SAARC countries especially India, China’s expanding political and economic influence in South Asia, particularly through programs like the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), has caused worry. Although China is not a SAARC member, tensions are frequently raised by its growing sway over nations like Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, particularly with India. India sees China’s significant investment in Pakistan through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as a strategic threat because it has strengthened links between the two countries. Tensions between India and Pakistan, the two biggest SAARC members  have escalated as a result.

US-India Relations: With the US and China at odds SAARC has also been subject to external pressure as a result of India’s expanding strategic alliance with the US. India’s alliance with the US is seen by certain SAARC countries, including Pakistan, as a possible danger to the stability of the region.As part of the U.S.-led “Quad” alliance with Japan and Australia, India is perceived by certain SAARC members as making a strategic shift from regional collaboration to addressing wider security issues in the Indo-Pacific region.

2. India-Pakistan Conflict:

Border conflicts: SAARC has been greatly impacted by the long length border conflicts between India and Pakistan particularly with regard to Kashmir. One external aspect that makes SAARC’s operations more difficult is the internationalization of the Kashmir dispute and its effects on regional security. Tensions with Pakistan grew after India revoked Article 370 altering Jammu and Kashmir’s status in 1990. Pakistan responded by reducing diplomatic connections, which put additional pressure on SAARC.

Global Power Intervention: External powers like China and the U.S. have had an interest in the India-Pakistan conflict, make them leading to interference that complicates SAARC’s regional peace-building efforts. After the Pulwama attack in 2019  India conducted airstrikes on Pakistani territory & drawing global attention. External powers including China and the U.S. had to mediate to prevent escalation.3. Nepal’s Geopolitical Balancing: China and India are currently engaged in a geopolitical conflict in Nepal. Although China has been providing more economic help through infrastructure projects, India has historically held a significant amount of influence in Nepal. The way Nepal strikes a balance between the two powers has an impact on SAARC regional cooperation. India expressed concerns about China’s growing influence in South Asia but Nepal has inked deals with China under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) for the development of infrastructure. This has hampered regional cooperation by causing diplomatic tension between Nepal and India.

The graph above illustrates the external influence of China and India on SAARC member countries through investment. It compares the investments (in billions of USD) made by China and India in key SAARC nations like Pakistan, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and others.China has significant investments in Pakistan and other countries.Its geopolitical strategy through initiatives like the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).India while  also investing in the region has comparatively lower investments in countries where China is more active.This visual representation highlights how the external competition between China and India plays a key role in shaping SAARC dynamics and regional cooperation.

4.Global Trade Dynamics: SAARC’s efforts at economic integration face challenges due to global trade wars and protectionist policies. For instance, the U.S.-China trade war has impacted South Asia’s economies by creating instability in global supply chains.SAARC members have been indirectly affected by tariffs and trade restrictions imposed by major economies like the U.S. and China, which impact regional trade flows and economic cooperation.These factor make SARRC more ineffective & countries  decided to not take part any kind of positive involvement. Regardless these problems SAARC took some initiatives for financial integration in the southern part of Asia.But for some unavoidable mistakes these initiatives being haphazard in the first instance. 

2.5 SAARCS INITIATIVES FOR FINANCIAL INTEGRATION 

SAARC (Colombo, 1998) established a separate permanent body called SAARC FINANCE in its 10th summit. This bank is made up of the governors of the central banks of the member countries and their ministers of finance. The goal is to enable economic integration. In this vision,  the establishment of a  SAARC central bank  with its regional  branches is envisaged. In fact, the economies of Southeast Asia are dominated by the financial sector. Although the banking sector is little managed by national authorities, political governments develop legislative and budgetary policies according to their political agenda. The lack of coordination in the financial sector and the poor quality of the financial market constitute the main obstacle for the slow progress of the negotiations between the authorities and the member countries for the necessary changes in their macroeconomic policies towards economic integration and financial. For example, the harmonization of legal regulations of the banking sector, the creation of a progressive payment system in the region and the promotion of economic and financial research  for the development of more policies in the macroeconomic sector in member countries. According to the Conference Resolution (Colombo, 1998), the President of SAARC FINANCE attends the meetings of the SAARC Council of Ministers and reports on all the activities of the institution. In addition, SAARC has established a promotion and promotional support agreement to promote regional FDI. But this contract has not yet been signed. According to the proposed model, the increase in interregional investment will bring prosperity to the region. Therefore, this agreement aims to create laws and regulations to create a favorable environment for investment from one contracting country to another. In this context, the agreement  has been considered  since its  introduction as a safe haven for individual investors in accordance with international investment rules. All investments made by investors of a member country in the territory of another country are subject to the SAARC  agreement. However, every country has the right to attract investment. To this end, it can adopt laws to ensure a favorable environment for investors from non-member countries and regulate them in its national assembly in accordance with its laws. (Devi, 2015)  Most Favored  Nation (MFN) and National Treatment (NT)  Policies apply to the treatment of government investors under the contract. In other words, the investor from the member country should get the same amount as the investor from the non-member country, and in terms of  return on investment  and performance, the investor will be happy  to be a member of all  national facilities. The entrepreneur is good. This agreement ensures that if a political problem, mild or serious, arises in a member country, under these circumstances, the relevant government will pay compensation to the domestic investor and the investors of the member country in accordance with the law. To  settle investment disputes, a dispute settlement body was  established under the SAFTA  model. However, India expressed reservations that the agreement should meet domestic needs (Singh, 2016). Finally, after a long time, India has accepted the  ‘promote and  promote’ model. SAARC submitted the draft agreement in 2017 to eight members for final negotiations. It seems that although SAARC has taken  several initiatives to develop financial and regulatory integration in South Asia, it is still far from reaching the  limit. South Asian economies need substantial reforms in the macroeconomic sector to be ready to enter the process of financial inclusion.Aftermath SAARC authority took a initiatives named SAFTA.The critics says SAFTA was one of the finest policy for the third world countries. 

2.6 ROLE OF SAFTA FOR EFFECTIVE TRADE COMMUNICATION:

SAFTA is one kind of free trade communication concept which is more reasonable & essential for the South Asian area. The member countries of SAARC are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Afghanistan became the eight member to sign a joint declaration at the 14th SAARC Summit held in New Delhi in April 2007. The SAARC Preferential Trade Agreement (SAPTA) was signed in April 1993 and entered into force in December 1995. The  objective of SAPTA is to promote mutual trade and economic cooperation  among member countries.  Free trade agreements between SAARC countries were signed by SAARC countries through  transfer  agreements. However, member states  recognize the need to go beyond trade regulation and move to a higher level of trade and economic cooperation in the region. Accordingly, the SAARC Council of Ministers signed a framework for the South Asian Free  Area (SAFTA) in Islamabad in January 2004. SAFTA entered into force on 1 January 2006.The rapid growth of  international trade  in the  last two  years has been achieved not  by reducing trade  barriers, but  by  changing production  models and processes. The current  state of the world is the specialization and fragmentation of  production, the  competition of companies and countries and  the result of access to efficient, reliable and  cost-effective supply chains. Transportation and other supply chain costs are  greatly reduced  due to  the economies of scale  benefiting from  increased trade. This also encouraged trade. This circular  relationship is missing in South Asia, as  the SAFTA members  are still  struggling with the market  for  goods  of interest and have  not yet  begun to  open trade in services and other  marketing updates. SAFTA’s ability to contribute to  economic growth and development  in the region  has been undermined by the  agreement’s failure  to  create real trade preferences to  reach a  low sustainable level of intra-regional trade  flows. area, it will make a  good change. Business becomes more  business.

2.7. ROLE OF SAARC ANTI-TERRORISM MECHANISM 

At the The 31th  Session of the Council of Ministers (Colombo, 27-28 February 2009) recognizing the imperative to forge deeper collaboration to address the growing menace of terrorism in the region and to convey the region’s collective concern over the challenges posed by the current global economic crisis adopted a ‘SAARC Ministerial Statement on Global Economic Crisis’ and a ‘SAARC Ministerial Declaration on Cooperation in Combating Terrorism. At the Sixteenth SAARC Summit (Thimphu, 28-29 April 2010), the Heads of State/ Government strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and expressed deep concern over the threat which terrorism continues to pose to peace, security and economic stability of the South Asian region. The leaders reiterated their firm resolves to root out terrorism and recalled the Ministerial Declaration on Cooperation in Combating Terrorism adopted by the Thirty-first Session of the Council of Ministers (Colombo, 27-28 February 2009).The Member States emphasized that the linkages between the terrorism, illegal trafficking in drugs and psychotropic substance, illegal trafficking of persons and firearms all continue to remain a matter of serious concern and reiterated their commitment to address these problems in a comprehensive manner. The Leaders emphasized the need to strengthen regional cooperation to fight terrorism and transnational organized crimes.  The  member states reaffirmed  their commitment to implement the SAARC  regional convention on  counter-terrorism and its  supplementary protocol and  the SAARC  convention on  narcotic drugs and  psychoactive substances. The leaders  emphasized the importance of  a coordinated and  coordinated response to  the fight against terrorism.  In this regard, the leaders also recognized  the value of the  UN Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism and  recalled the progress  achieved in the  final stages of  the negotiations and called for  the conclusion of  this convention. 

The  37th meeting of the Standing Committee  (Thimpo, 25-26 April 2010)  stated that all measures are being taken by the  member states to implement the SAARC Regional Convention on  Combating Terrorism and its Additional Protocol and  proceed still the  Law. It is  decided by the  member states.The involvement and patronage of Pakistani intelligence agencies behind the terrorist attacks in India and Bangladesh in the past is well known. Recently what Pakistan is doing with the Kashmir issue, there is a war situation between the two countries. Allegations against Pakistan are that the country is not cooperating with SAARC member countries in combating terrorism, violence and transnational crimes through regional cooperation. Rather, he is involved in terrorist activities in various ways. For these reasons Bangladesh, India, Bhutan and Afghanistan. It has refused to participate in the SAARC conference held in Pakistan on November 9 and 10, 2016. Nepal, Maldives and Sri Lanka are silent. So apparently the 19th SAARC summit has not been held. As a result the organization is heading towards crisis and it is because of Pakistan. Overall, it is time to rethink SAARC. Especially the role of Pakistan recognized as a terrorist state does not favor regional cooperation in any way. Rather, it is seen as a sign of hostility.The member countries made their decision on the basis of power politics. End of the day these activities divided them from peace making policy. 

2.8 EFFECT OF BILATERAL CONFLICT ON COLLECTIVE DECISION MAKING OF SAARC

Bilateral conflicts between SAARC member countries  especially between India and Pakistan significantly impact the organization’s ability to make collective decisions. SAARC operates on the principle of unanimity  meaning any conflict between member nations can paralyze its decision-making process, hindering regional cooperation. The ongoing conflict between India and Pakistan has had a direct impact on SAARC summits. In 2016 following the Uri terror attack in India which was reportedly associated with Pakistan, India opted not to attend the SAARC summit that was set to take place in Islamabad.India’s decision prompted other nations including Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Afghanistan to withdraw as well resulting in the cancellation of the summit. This event illustrates how the bilateral tensions between these two nuclear-armed nations can hinder regional collaborative efforts. The cancellation of the 2016 SAARC summit was primarily attributed to India’s stance on cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan.The Kashmir conflict has historically been a significant source of tension in India-Pakistan relations.The situation intensified internationally after India abrogated Article 370 in 2019, further straining relations. This escalation adversely affects SAARC’s capacity to concentrate on economic and developmental matters. Pakistan has advocated for the inclusion of the Kashmir issue in SAARC discussions basically a proposition that India opposes resulting in a stalemate and inefficiencies within the organization. The SAARC foreign ministers’ meeting in 2019 was largely dominated by the India-Pakistan conflict over Kashmir with both parties engaging in exchanges of criticism and minimal advancement on wider regional aspect.It’s allegations regarding Pakistan’s involvement in cross-border terrorism have fostered a contentious atmosphere & adversely affecting not only their bilateral relations but also the dynamics within SAARC. India’s persistent linkage of terrorism to regional cooperation has resulted in recurrent confrontations. In response Pakistan contends that India exploits these matters to hinder regional advancement.India has consistently voiced its apprehensions about Pakistan’s purported support for terrorism in SAARC discussions which has led to strained interactions and obstructed substantial dialogue on other critical issues such as trade and connectivity.Disputes over bilateral trade among SAARC nations particularly between India and Pakistan significantly hinder collective decision-making processes. For instance, despite the establishment of the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) agreement the two countries have not fully embraced trade liberalization,citing security and political concerns. This situation has compromised the overarching objective of economic integration within SAARC.The trade relationship between India and Pakistan has remained constrained with both nations imposing tariffs and non-tariff barriers. The inability to address these challenges has impeded SAARC’s aspirations for a fully integrated South Asian economy.The claims made by India regarding Pakistan’s support for cross-border terrorism have resulted in a strained atmosphere.It make impact both their bilateral relations and the overall environment within SAARC. India’s determination to associate terrorism with regional cooperation has led to ongoing confrontations. Conversely Pakistan accuses India of leveraging these issues to obstruct regional progress.India has frequently expressed its concerns about Pakistan’s alleged backing of terrorism in SAARC forums, resulting in tense exchanges that have hindered productive discussions on other vital matters, including trade and connectivity.Bilateral trade conflicts among SAARC members particularly between India and Pakistan also impeded  collaborative decision.For example, although the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) agreement exists India and Pakistan have not fully realized trade liberalization for  citing security and political justifications. This has weakened the broader aim of achieving economic integration within SAARC.The trade interactions between India and Pakistan have remained limited with both parties imposing tariffs and non-tariff barriers. The failure to resolve these trade issues has stalled SAARC’s goals for a fully integrated South Asian economy.The decision-making process within SAARC necessitates a consensus among all member states. Consequently, bilateral disputes, especially those involving India and Pakistan, can hinder essential decisions vital for regional collaboration, including projects related to infrastructure, disaster management, and economic integration. These ongoing conflicts have considerably obstructed SAARC’s capacity to fulfill many of its core objectives. Significant agreements regarding free trade energy cooperation and transportation have experienced extensive delays due to the lack of consensus. In light of the difficulties SAARC faces in decision-making stemming from these bilateral tensions, member nations have increasingly turned to alternative regional platforms, such as BIMSTEC, which excludes Pakistan, to circumvent stalemates. India’s intensified emphasis on BIMSTEC as a venue for regional cooperation highlights how internal conflicts within SAARC compel nations to seek different avenues for engagement. The bilateral tensions, particularly between India and Pakistan severely impede SAARC’s ability to reach collective decisions thereby undermining its aim of promoting regional cooperation. These disputes frequently result in the postponement or cancellation of crucial summits and meetings,hindrance  progress on essential matters such as trade, security and development. Consequently SAARC’s effectiveness is significantly constrained leading to a rising interest in alternative platforms like BIMSTEC.In spite of hundred troubles SAARC has some success & Powerful initiatives that make sub continent more powerful in economic,technology, reduce terrorism. Hereinafter we can’t deny the godsends of SAARC itself. 

2.9 SAARC SUCCESS & PRESENT CONTEXT 

One of SAARC’s greatest successes has been to move India and Pakistan closer to holding talks on their Kashmir dispute. Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee of India and President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan took a constructive stance towards one another at the January 2004 SAARC summit conference in Islamabad, marking the first time since the 1999 Lahore Declaration. 25, In a joint statement, they promised to start state-level negotiations on.2005 saw the ratification of the Additional Protocol on Suppression of Terrorism, which was signed by the member states during the same SAARC summit.Ultimately, the outcome of the Indo-Pakistani dispute over Kashmir and the intricate security dynamics between India and the smaller SAARC states will determine whether or not there is any real practical cooperation. Recent events imply that both nations have started to move towards settling the differences.A significant development in the field of economics was the SAARC Preferential Trading Arrangement (SAPTA) Agreement, which was signed in April 1993 and came into effect on December 7, 1995. This agreement allowed for a certain increase of intra-SAARC trade, 28 The key to SAPTA’s success was its acceptance of the SAARC members’ varying degrees of development. The SAARC governments were able to propose goods for preferential trade treatment under SAPTA, and the agreement also included special concessions.All of the SAARC countries would profit from commerce with India thanks to these efforts. Although the overall numbers for intra-SAARC commerce remain depressing, the quantity of goods has increased signiprogress. Pakistan’s commitment to sustaining SAPTA was reinforced by the shared trading interests and relative success of the organisation with the other SAARC states, even in the face of Pakistan’s concerns about India’s economic might.During the January 2004 summit meeting, the foreign ministers of the SAARC countries also signed the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) Agreement, which became effective on January 1, 2006.thirty The SAARC states are required by this agreement to lower or do away with tariffs. Within seven years, tariffs on goods from Pakistan, India, and Sri Lanka will be lowered by up to 5%.The SAARC Social Charter was signified  at the same meeting such issues as population stabilization, empowerment of women, youth mobilization, HR development, promotion of health and Tranquillity.

CHAPTER THREE

3.1 CHALLENGES  TO THE EFFECTIVENESS OF SAARC:

 SAARC’s progress has largely been hindered by lingering regional contentions. In other words, its ineffectiveness is embroiled in the regional security complex of South Asia. Though SAARC has completed almost 38 years since its inception in 1985, it could not learn to benefit from its geo-strategic location in the world politics and remained poorest, when compared with other regions. Regrettably, it has continuously been showing downward trends in previous years as well.The causes of less progress of SAARC in South Asia are many; nevertheless, Indo-Pak rivalry and India’s negative politics to isolate Pakistan in the SAARC region are noteworthy. With the purpose of distancing other SAARC countries from Pakistan, India is promoting the sub-regional grouping through the “Bay of Bengal Initiative” for Multi- Sectoral Technical and Economic Co-operation (BIMSTEC), which provides a BBIN-plus platform.countries: “Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal, Sri Lanka and two from south-east Asia, Myanmar and Thailand.With the exception of the Maldives, Afghanistan and Pakistan, the other five SAARC countries are included in BIMSTEC. BIMSTEC has pruned its priorities down to five major areas: trade and industry, transport and connectivity, counter- terrorism, energy trade and climate change. The Indian government also invited the leaders of the BIMSTEC countries to attend the 8th Summit of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) as its observer.Moreover, another regional body, “South Asia Sub-Regional Economic Cooperation (SASEC) was established in 2001. It comprises of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka.”Trade, transport and energy projects are the priorities in its Operational Plan 2016-2025 that is worth billions of dollars.In their regional initiatives, SASEC countries have endeavored to implement projects pertaining to “energy, economic corridor development, transport, trade facilitation, and information and communications technology sectors worth more than $9 billion in the. The initiative, in this regard, is expected to increase mutually beneficial trade between the seven SASEC countries.Another initiative “the Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal (BBIN).But all thw initiatives fallen vain in cause of poor leadership. Leadership is one of the big deal for the regional institution as SAARC.

3.2 LEADERSHIP CRISIS OF SAARC

SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) has had several examples of leadership crises which have hampered the organization’s effectiveness.   The root cause of SAARC’s biggest crisis is the long term political conflict between India and Pakistan.  Many SAARC summits have been canceled or delayed due to this internal conflict.  For example the 19th SAARC summit was supposed to be held in Islamabad in 2016 but India refrained from participating in the summit after the Uri attack (in Indian Jammu and Kashmir).  Later, Afghanistan, Bhutan, and Bangladesh also refused to participate leading to the cancellation of the conference.Internal conflicts and political instability among member states have undermined SAARC’s effectiveness.  For example, prolonged political instability in Afghanistan and civil war in Sri Lanka have undermined SAARC cooperation efforts. Geopolitical influence of powerful states inside and outside SAARC is also a major factor in the leadership crisis.  Even as India seeks to extend its influence disputes with Pakistan and China’s role have complicated SAARC leadership.  China sought full membership in SAARC but India did not support it further exacerbating SAARC’s leadership crisis.

3.3 ECONOMIC DISADVANTAGE AND THE STRUCTURAL WEAKNESS OF SAARC

In principle  it is  difficult to achieve the  goal of  reducing poverty. As one of the poorest regions on the planet,  the task is enormous. The total  population of eight  South  Asian countries (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka) is  more than 1.6 billion  of which  more than 40% live below the poverty  line. poverty, with  an education of  more than half. As  data from  previous years show South Asia’s GDP per capita  is even lower than  that of the world’s most  deprived sub-Saharan  Africa. In recent times, although some countries have made significant progress in  economic development, the impact is  still limited. In general, daily comfort expectations in South Asia  are still  low and living  conditions for many residents are  still poor, with access to  food, clean water,  health services and  a standard  of education which is far  below normal. For a  single country, the  civil war in Sri Lanka  has just ended and the war in Afghanistan has been  going on for a long time, while Pakistan is caught  up in extreme natural and man-made challenges. We  have to admit that  SAARC cooperation in the  fight against poverty  is an obstacle (SAARC 2015, April 8). Second,  economic and  commercial participation is  very difficult. Based on its size and monetary  development. Globally, there is  significant reciprocity between South Asian countries. However, most countries carry a significant  external debt burden  and their foreign  trade is  Development reserves  and countries must receive aid and advances  from the World  Bank and the International Monetary Fund  every year, as  do some newly created  countries. Economic  cooperation, especially in the fields of industry and  finance, faces major challenges.  Interregional trade in South Asia has  gradually  increased due to various factors. Third,  weak bilateral relations  limit cooperation. According to the SAARC Charter, SAARC does not  deal with bilateral  issues and  disputes. For historical and geopolitical reasons bilateral debates between South Asian countries are numerous  and difficult to  define. The elements of  the discussion regularly include  the necessary interests of the  countries concerned, and the two sides  will not easily  give up their  cause, which  has a  real effect on the development of territorial  cooperation. Addressing ethnic, religious, water and  border issues  takes time. Fourth, South Asia  is a problematic  region when it comes to terrorism. SAARC has failed to curb cross-border terrorism to a  large extent. The  problem of  eradicating terrorism and the  damage it  causes remains a serious challenge.

3.4 INSTITUTIONAL LIMITATIONS  INHIBITING THE DEVELOPMENT OF SAARC

There are  serious  limitations that undoubtedly hinder the development of South Asian  cooperation. Some of these  obstacles can be described  as follows: 

3.4.1 INTERSTATE DISPUTE IN SOUTH ASIA 

One of the  main obstacles to cooperation among  SAARC members is  mistrust,  perception of mutual security  and hostility. All  members of this organization feel in one way or another  a threat to their political, economic and territorial stability from  neighboring  countries. it means loss of property, lives,  identity and  community violence.  Their cooperation  may suffer due to  community and terrorist threats.  The stakes are always high  when you try Fear of Indian domination. Another  important  reason for the failure of SAARC  is  the fear of India’s hegemonic role in the  region. India’s desire to participate  in the  region’s decision-making process  as a leader has  raised concerns among  neighboring  countries, particularly Pakistan, Sri Lanka and  Bangladesh. the member country

3.4.2 CLASH OF CIVILIZATION 

Professor Samuel Huntington mentioned in his book Clash of Civilizations that SAARC was a failure because according to him,  the countries  that belong to  the organization like the EU belong to the same culture, but  the SAARC countries are  the ones that their cultures are different. India and Pakistan are enemies  of each other, they argue about small things and then how these countries support each other 

 Organization No country in the region feels  that it belongs to another  country. 

3.4.3 FINANCIAL SITUATION  

The weak financial position of member countries has also created an uncertain future for this organization. This weak financial position is reflected in trade imbalances between member countries. SAARC member countries are not very developed financially and economically. This situation is not favorable for  the economic integration of South Asia. Most of the member countries export similar products and India also plays a major role in this field. This situation encourages less developed countries to seek aid and engage in extra-regional trade, which is not conducive to regional economic interaction. SAARC member countries do not complement each other but actually compete. Mutual  exchanges are very  weak. The low level of interregional trade in South Asia has frustrated the objective of this organization. 

3.4.4 ASYMMETRY BETWEEN INDIA AND MEMBER STATES 

There is an economic, technological and demographic imbalance between India and  other SAARC member  countries. India, larger in size, economy and with advanced technological infrastructure, dominates the other members. India accounts for more than three-quarters of the region’s GDP and technological infrastructure, and two-thirds of the region’s global exports. Smaller South Asian countries feel uncomfortable in their trade relations with India because, under the current tariff structure, India runs a large trade surplus with its neighbours. Also, the volume of India’s informal trade with most of its neighbors is quite large. All South Asian countries look to India to share their large markets due to its size and geographic location,  with 80% of intra-regional trade in South Asia  being to or from  India. India blames Pakistan for the failure of SAFTA, but this is not true at all  because SAFT requires Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka to reduce  tariffs to 20%. Also, India is geographically connected to all other member countries as it is located in the the center of the region and the others are on the outskirts. It can be said that without India, the other member countries it cannot progress because India unites all the members. Lack of trust between member states. 

3.4.5 LACK OF TRUST:

There is also a lack of trust  among SAARC member  countries, which  does not  bode well for the future development of this regional organization. They still live in the fabric of history, and rivalries and mutual distrust have already taken their toll. The elites challenge each other mainly because of  their  nationalistic feelings, personal interests and  interstate conflicts. 

3.4.6 EXCLUSION OF CONTROVERSIAL  DOCUMENTS FROM THE SAARC CHARTER 

The SAARC Charter itself  has some self-imposed anomalies as its charter  says that  in the face of such conflicts, we cannot  expect this regional organization  to develop on a  sustainable basis.  On the one hand, it calls for  more intensive cooperation and  exchanges and, on the other hand, it avoids  negotiating bilateral disputes. The Charter also requires that all decisions be taken unanimously, which becomes very difficult. This clearly shows the instability of interstate relations regarding the equal participation of  South Asian people  in policy making. Apparently, the  Charter itself denies the true purpose of the organization. In such conditions, we cannot say that it develops on solid foundations. All South Asian countries have different political systems, which also explains the failure of SAARC. 

3.4.7 DIFFERENT POLITICAL SYSTEMS 

South Asia has never been a strong democratic region. Like democracy in India, there is  a transitional democracy in Pakistan  a monarchy in Nepal and  a presidential system in Sri Lanka. Most countries have been unstable. The conflict between the two  countries, namely Pakistan and  India, over the Kashmir issue never allowed these two countries to  expand and put aside their differences in the SAARC forum.  India  is also in conflict with other member countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal, which  is not  helping SAARC  to achieve its goals.The above problems are mainly the structural and institutional weaknesses of SAARC. Even after all these years of establishment, SAARC has not been able to get out of the economic adversity according to its eligibility criteria. Along with the geographical instability which drags SAARC back one step of development.These type of political mandate Couldn’t make peace among the member states. Reason behind the catastrophe is weak visionary leadership ;For this reason Kashmir issue is being undisputed. 

3.5. KASHMIR CONFLICT :AN UNDISPUTED  FAILURE OF SAARC

The Kashmir  conflict Since the  two states have already fought more than three wars (1948,  1965 and 1999) over the Kashmir  issue, territorial disputes  in the region continue to be the most  pressing issue in the subcontinent and  the main source of  enmity. The  partition of the subcontinent in 1947  is the  root of the current  problems in Kashmir.  After that, Pakistan and India  claimed to  speak on behalf of the people of Kashmir in any case neither country was ready to  respond to the  request for independence  made by a large number of  cacheminés. India believes that Kashmir is an indisputable  part of its territory while Pakistan  says that the  acceptance of the State Assembly of Jammu and Kashmir  of India’s entry into the  international law of the Criminal Court  it lacked a solid legal  basis and was never  recognized by  SAARC. 

In addition, the United States,  China and Great Britain are among the many powerful  countries that agree that Kashmir is disputed. Pakistani officials  say India’s annexation of  Muslim-majority JandK districts  defies the logic of  partition and that Kashmir  remains an unresolved  issue since the 1947  partition. Pakistan  believes that  instead of rejecting  the reality  of Pakistan and its hegemonic ambitions India  should give up on these issues  to reach a peaceful  solution (Chari, Cheerna,  & Cohen,  2009). “Regional security and stability are threatened by  the frozen conflicts that continue to exist  within our borders. They  endanger minorities,  fundamental freedoms and human rights; they  destroy lives and physical and social infrastructure. Terrorism,  radicalism and  collapse state  can result from  the conflict They offer opportunities for  organized crime.Undisputed Kashmir issue make a terror friendly environment for the India & Pakistan both.The third party take the opportunity to make it easy to create  a hegemonic massacre between the two States. For the lacking of positive will the Kashmir demand never be stopped. Hereinafter the people of Kashmir have been suffering most for 7 or 8 decades to get pragmatic freedom but the activities of the SARRC leaders have made no tremendous solution for the Azadi people of Kashmir. 

CHAPTER FOUR

RECOMMENDATIONS

People in South Asian regions that were impacted by the use of force to combat terrorism and impose law and order were not able to experience socioeconomic progress. That’s why it’s essential to deploy both the troops on the ground and political and economic tactics. So, construction of CPEC and BCIM corridors will strengthen inter-regional connectivity among South Asian countries as well as their intra-regional association.Because South Asian states are so close to one another if conflict resolution, combating terrorism and seamless trade are the goals of South Asian leaders, then cross-border cooperation is a must.Through SAARC, Nepal and Bhutan have the potential to be key players in regional integration. Both countries have an abundance of hydropower but in order to grow, regional economic cooperation is required. Both goals can be accomplished by working together on economic initiatives.The functioning of SAARC could become more stable with China’s full membership. It can undoubtedly lessen India’s influence in politics and the economy. In addition, China has previously made investments in Nepal, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and the Maldives through the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and other similar projects.Most crucially, without regional cooperation, peace in Afghanistan is not feasible. Pakistan would play a key part in it. However, SAARC members might contribute to maintaining peace initiatives like the Heart of Asia project and operational using energy and commercial corridors benefiting both Afghanistan and South Asia as a whole.The failure of member countries to synchronize their domestic agendas with SAARC agendas is the primary cause of the organizations sluggish growth.For improved SAARC communication, normalisation of political ties amongst SAARC members particularly between India and Pakistan should be promoted.India  generally argues that “SAARC is  slipping into  irrelevance”. Critics of SAARC  point to the causes of  SAARC’s failures  mentioned above as an argument to look for options beyond SAARC and find substitutes for regional cooperation. Interestingly, these arguments or  criticisms are also correct. This does not mean that SAARC should be  abandoned  but  that more efforts  should be made to rethink regional priorities and  enable SAARC to  keep its promises   and not the other way  around. Therefore, the main question  that needs to be asked here is: why is it  important for South Asian states to  be connected through a regional  organization like SAARC? The  answer  is simple: regional cooperation. It is only through connectivity  that South Asian states  can increase their economic growth rate in the face of  a growing population.  Just maintaining the rate of economic growth  is not enough to meet the standards of human security.  Countries must now  continuously increase their socio-economic development  by increasing  the rate of economic growth  due to the increase in the threats of  non-traditional security  in the  region. such as climate change. Similarly, to  tap into South Asia’s growing manufacturing sector, states in the  region need to connect  with  each other through gas pipeline  projects, as they are  seen to  play a vital role in  the energy  imports of Central and  Western Asia.  In addition, Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) and Iran-Pakistan (IP) are also  important for energy supply.  Although these  extra-regional initiatives are promising,  it is unlikely to hope for a breakthrough in  the near  future since India has already  withdrawn from the IP and the future of  the TAPI  pipeline is  linked to lasting peace and stability in Afghanistan.  Second,  the connectivity  of South Asian states is also a prerequisite to attract  more investments from the outside world. If the region is economically integrated  projects like  “Make in  India”, “China-Pakistan Economic Corridor  (CPEC)”, Bay of Bengal Initiative and a  network of corridors connecting Chabahar with Central Asia and similar networks  will be  launched in Myanmar with Chinese and Indian investment  will not only  multiply internal investment but also  their profits through the reduction of the trust deficit and  associated barriers. Similarly, the  process of  the Corso Asia bringing peace and stability  to Afghanistan will also attract investment  and  facilitate the  implementation of  economic projects, transit trade and  existing energy.After observing the loopholes we recommended some strategy by following these the dormant SAARC can get life for South Asian Development. 

4.1 IN THE POLITICAL FIELD 

a) Role of India, Pakistan 

India & Palistan should  not play  its big brother  role but  a full partner for  stability and cooperation in South Asia. SAARC is not an  insignificant forum but one that has  grown in importance in the face of changing  global and regional  patterns. So India & Pakistan  should be aware of this scenario. Most of the  conflicts in South Asia are  Indocentric. Therefore, India & Pak  must adopt a low profile to  gain the  trust of its smaller neighbors. 

b) Formation of  conflict reconciliation groups 

CCGs can be formed  to resolve bilateral disputes when all parties to a particular dispute agree to seek  assistance from SAARC  to investigate the  matter or  to conduct a  fact-finding study. The composition of the CCG  may include a representative  from each  of the parties seeking  assistance from the  group, as well as one or more representatives from other member states to ensure impartiality.  These groups can  conduct studies  on problems  related to  the exploitation of women and children and other  problems on which  the countries  of the region agree  to  act. 

c) Discussions on  international issues 

The SAARC Charter  should provide for discussions on  international issues among the leaders of the member  countries, especially those  related to common issues of international peace and security, trade, environment and technology  transfers, etc. Currently, the existing structure does not allow for such  discussions, with  summit statements being made and written by bureaucrats  long before the summit meeting. Such  an approach allows these leaders to  discuss international  issues affecting the region as a whole. Take the example of the  Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CCTBT) negotiations in Geneva. India and Pakistan,  despite their  caution on nuclear  issues, had similar concerns about the proposed CTBT.  Instead of working together, the two countries  deliberately clashed in Geneva, diluting  the collective strength that could have  helped. 

d)  Settlement of  bilateral disputes 

SAARC,  as an emerging organization and having the potential to  connect the  dynamic economies of South Asia,  should include in its provisions  the  peaceful settlement of bilateral disputes  and the provision  to take all decisions simultaneously without affecting bilateral disputes instead of  being eradicated.xxi  this is not  very easy to  start, it  must be  done because without this  step the  general development of this organization  has no meaning. The principles of respect for territorial sovereignty, political independence and  non-intervention should not be  ignored.

 e) The role of political governments: The role of  the governments of  the eight member countries is very  important to strengthen SAARC. Lack of trust and sincere efforts  have hindered any development in this organization.  If all  measures are taken with  a constructive  thought and  vision for regional  integration, then  there is no  doubt that SAARC can go much  further than the European Union (EU). Several wars in the region and a constant  flow of  accusations from most countries  of illegal cross-border violations have  led to the arrest of hundreds of  nationals. A SAARC  fact-finding team  may be  established and may, in  collaboration with the International Red Cross,  visit  prisons and other detention centers to investigate  allegations.

4.2. ECONOMIC INITIATIVES 

a)Monitoring  policy changes In the face of  rapid trade liberalization,  it is  necessary to monitor policy changes such as the introduction of  tariffs or price controls at the regional level for  better coordination and a more effective response to the challenges of  trade. 

b)  Creation of South Asian  identity Create an identity of  the South Asian region in terms of quality,  brands, standards, investment  regimes and other areas where a common approach would be  beneficial for all  member states. 

(c) Cooperation at  smaller subregional levels: Cooperation at smaller sub-regional levels such as  the West, to create the conditions for sub-regional  growth. 

d) Interaction  between citizens. There is a need  to facilitate trade between the citizens of South Asia by  improving road, rail and air  transport. For example,  there is no easy air  connection between  major cities  in South Asia.  You have to go to Bangkok to reach Colombo from Dhaka. Similarly, Pakistanis  have to  travel to Dubai or Bangkok to reach Kathmandu. All  these practical obstacles  reduce the chances of  interaction  between South  Asian people. Increasing joint venture initiatives in the service and  education sectors is  a need of  our time. Today, Bangladeshi and  Nepalese students and patients flock to Indian educational and medical institutions.  This certainly helps  bridge the cultural gap. However,  this at the same time contributes to  the trade imbalance in the  services sector.  In addition, joint venture initiatives in these sectors can  provide another form of  interpersonal cooperation.

4.3 INSTITUTIONAL INITIATIVE 

a) Structural  changes in the Secretariat 

Structural changes are needed to make the  Secretariat more responsive to existing conditions  and for  a faster implementation of policies. Among these structural changes, the size of the Secretariat  is expected to increase to deal with the wide range of issues being  addressed by SAARC under the IPA.  To finance the increased activities of the SAARC Secretariat, all  member countries  have to pay, in addition to  existing  contributions, for example a percentage of their  defense budget as  an additional  levy. 

b)  Organize more  meetings 

Another important structural change should be for the Secretariat to  include in its calendar at least  three summit meetings of  foreign ministers and heads of  government each year, which would increase the level of interaction in  various fields  between member  countries . There should also be more frequent meetings  with ministers.

 C. SAARC Secretariat : The Secretariat should  have complete freedom  to prepare position papers on multilateral issues of interest  to the region itself. These  documents may initially be limited to  matters for which  the countries concerned  authorize the Secretariat  to  carry out research  activities. 

d) SAARC Parliament  To achieve the objective of a well-integrated economic community,  the SAARC Parliament  may be  established. The formation of  the SAARC Assembly can be  considered as an achievable goal. This assembly, initially, could only have  consultative and  non-legislative functions. 

 e) Coordination with NGOs 

The  SAARC Secretariat  should  engage with non-governmental organizations (NGOs)  to coordinate and  scale up economic and infrastructural assistance. There  would undoubtedly be  a large number of NGOs  willing to do this.

CHAPTER FIVE: REMARKS ON FINDINGS

CONCLUDING REMARKS

SAARC established in 1985 with the objectives of economic cooperation, poverty  reduction and promotion of regional cooperation has not made much progress in  more than four decades. The administration  has made a good start  to sign agreements  like SAFTA to promote intra-regional trade and progress towards its goals. Over the years this organization has changed  its structure to  suit countries outside the region. Globalization and other international trends are important  for the acceptance of countries and organizations outside the region as observers. These countries and legal organizations have given SAARC the  ability to communicate globally. Basically, SAARC was  created during the creation of a region with close cultural and historical  ties. Currently, SAARC faces many other challenges, although the region has clear  objectives  in poverty reduction, economic development and  promotion of cooperation in other areas. However, this region is one of the least integrated and poorest regions. Although some countries in the region have made progress, the region has not been unified. In the economic  field, most of the  SAARC countries  are doing little and the total trade of SAARC  accounts for only  5% of the total trade of the region. After successful regional integration and  fruitful trade agreements  like SAFTA, relations between SAARC member countries, especially India and Pakistan,  have been strained. The rivalry between India and Pakistan dates back to the  era of independence  and the  conflict over the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. Two SAARC members have nuclear capabilities. They have  faced each other four times since  his reign. There  are tensions between other  neighboring SAARC  countries such as Pakistan and Bangladesh. Conflicts and  issues may lead to  cancellation or cancellation of the SAARC summit and  eventually hinder the progress of SAARC. Also, India faced many problems in SAARC because of its size, economy and military power. Smaller countries in the region see India as a  threat and many accuse India of  taking an aggressive  stance. Despite its leadership,  the Indian majority must  hold its  ground if China is to  gain the favor  of smaller countries. Recently, Pakistan has also been affected by China’s influence  in several important SAARC projects. The 2016 SAARC summit,  which was scheduled to be held in Islamabad, Pakistan,  has been postponed for a long time due to the Uri camp attack. Meanwhile, India has expressed interest in another  regional  organization BIMSTEC. Although this organization has  existed since 1997, it has  become  popular recently. This is due to many events and changes in sub continent   politics such as the shift from  Look East  to  Look East policy in the new NDA government formed under  PM Modi. The development of India’s  eastern region, the  poor performance of SAARC and  the rise in cross border competition and terrorism; all these factors have made India,Pakistan & Bangladesh  a better candidate for BIMSTEC this time.  The EU organization for crisis management and planning  (CMPD).Though it has numerous shortcomings, SAARC has not been idle. But we have to make sure that power struggles in the area don’t impede its advancement. There is still more to be done in this area. However, deficiencies can be transformed into opportunities by implementing reasonable and durable solutions. Developing trust amongst the nations of South Asia, particularly between India and Pakistan would be the primary task. Pakistan is upbeat about SAARC’s future and always eager to support regional integration for the area’s economic development and poverty alleviation.

Here is a sample bibliography for the research title “The Role of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC): Limitations, Challenges, and Reforms”. The references include books, journal articles, official documents, and reports relevant to SAARC’s role, performance, challenges, and prospects for reform.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Ahmed, Imtiaz. SAARC: Promise and Performance. New Delhi: Har-Anand Publications, 2000.
2. Dash, Kishore C. Regionalism in South Asia: Negotiating Cooperation, Institutional Structures. London: Routledge, 2008.
3. Rizvi, Gowher. “South Asia: A Region in Distress.” Foreign Affairs, 76(1), 1997, pp. 122-136.
4. Hussain, A. (2002). “SAARC: Its Achievements and Limitations.” South Asian Survey, 9(1), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1177/097152310200900101
5. Hettne, Björn and Söderbaum, Fredrik. Regionalism and Global Order: Europe and Asia in Comparative Perspective. London: Routledge, 200
6. SAARC Secretariat. SAARC Charter and Summits. Kathmandu: SAARC Secretariat, 2020. [Available online at: www.saarc-sec.org]
7. Sahoo, Saroj Kumar. “SAARC: Challenges and the Need for Reforms.” Indian Journal of Asian Affairs, 27(1/2), 2014, pp. 57–72.
8. Bhatta, Chandra Dev. “Regional Cooperation and Integration in South Asia: Challenges and Prospects.” South Asia Economic Journal, 14(2), 2013, pp. 207–221.
9. Bhargava, Rajeev. “The Relevance of SAARC in the 21st Century.” Strategic Analysis, 24(12), 2001, pp. 2107–2115.
10. Chand, Manish. Reimagining SAARC: Building Bridges in South Asia. New Delhi: India Writes Network, 2015.
11. Kelegama, Saman. “South Asia’s Development Challenges: SAARC at Crossroads.” Economic and Political Weekly, Vol. 42, No. 36, 2007, pp. 3642–3649.
12. Raju, K. D. (2010). “Revitalizing SAARC: Role of Economic and Legal Reforms.” International Studies, 47(1), 55–74.
13. United Nations ESCAP. South Asia Subregional Report on Regional Cooperation. Bangkok: UN ESCAP, 2020.
14. Ahmed, N. (2015). “Why SAARC is Not Working? The Political Economy of Regionalism in South Asia.” Asian Affairs, 46(3), pp. 453–470.
15. Baruah, Amit. “SAARC Summit: Another Missed Opportunity?” The Hindu, November 27, 2014.

RESEARCH BOOKS

1. Dash, K. C. (2008). Regionalism in South Asia: Negotiating Cooperation, Institutional Structures. Routledge.
2. Ahmed, Imtiaz. (2000). SAARC: Promise and Performance. Har-Anand Publications.
3. Kelegama, Saman. (2004). Inequality, Inclusive Growth, and Political Stability in South Asia. SAGE Publications.
4. Thakur, Ramesh, and Inoguchi, Takashi (Eds.). (1991). The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation: Problems and Prospects. United Nations University Press.

JOURNAL ARTICLES

1. Hussain, A. (2002). SAARC: Its Achievements and Limitations. South Asian Survey, 9(1), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1177/097152310200900101
2. Sahoo, S. K. (2014). SAARC: Challenges and the Need for Reforms. Indian Journal of Asian Affairs, 27(1/2), 57–72.
3. Raju, K. D. (2010). Revitalizing SAARC: Role of Economic and Legal Reforms. International Studies, 47(1), 55–74. https://doi.org/10.1177/002088171004700104
4. Ahmed, N. (2015). Why SAARC is Not Working? The Political Economy of Regionalism in South Asia. Asian Affairs, 46(3), 453–470. https://doi.org/10.1080/03068374.2015.1072200
5. Chand, Manish. (2012). Reimagining SAARC: Building Bridges in South Asia. India Quarterly, 68(4), 347–360. https://doi.org/10.1177/0974928412466400

WEBSITES AND REPORTS

1. SAARC Secretariat – Official documents, charters, summit declarations:
    https://www.saarc-sec.org
2. United Nations ESCAP – Regional cooperation reports for South Asia: https://www.unescap.org
3. Observer Research Foundation (ORF) – Research papers and policy briefs on SAARC:
    https://www.orfonline.org
4. The Diplomat – Articles and opinion pieces on SAARC and South Asian politics:
    https://thediplomat.com
5. World Bank – South Asia Regional Integration:
    https://www.worldbank.org/en/region/sar