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Hope in South Asia: The First SAARC Summit
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10556 |
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Section : |
CURRENT ISSUES
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| Issue
Date : |
2 / 1986 |
1,534 Words |
| Author
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Syed Serajul Islam
Dr. Syed Serajul Islam is a professor at the University of
Dhaka, Bangladesh. |
The recent conclusion of the first SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation) summit held in Dhaka in early December 1985 has drawn the attention of millions of people both inside and outside South Asia - Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka - representing one billion people, signed the charter of the SAARC in which they acknowledged that "they were conscious of their individual and regional strengths, their potential as a huge market, their substantial human and natural resource and of the complementaries of their economies."
The five-page Dhaka Declaration acknowledged that the countries of South Asia are faced with the common challenges of poverty, underdevelopment, low-levels of production, unemployment, etc. the leaders pledged that they will unitedly offer attention to basic problems which they all share and attend summit meetings every year. Their foreign ministers will meet twice a year. The leaders further expressed their belief in the sovereign equality of states, the peaceful settlement of disputes, noninterference in internal affairs and nonuse of threat or force against the territorial integrity and political independence of other states.
The seven heads of state reacted to the SAARC summit in different ways. President Ershad (Bangladesh) declared it "a new era of cooperation." King Wangchuk (Bhutan) said the SAARC has brought "a new dawn of peace." President Gayoom (Maldives) commented that it has fostered a "sense of confidence." King Birenda (of Nepal considered SAARC as "a way og living together." President Zia ul-Haq (Pakistan) felt that " a new chapter begins" with SAARC. Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi (India) hoped "SAARC will succeed," and President Jayewardene (Sri Lanka) expected "to look forward." Thus the dream of 1980 for South Asian Regional Cooperation (SARC), initiated by the late President Ziaur Rahman of Bangladesh - with preparatory work by the foreign ministers in New Delhi on August 2, 1983- became a reality in December 1985 with the establishment of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).
Many Questions
Although the first SAARC summit in Dhaka marked an array of hopes for the south Asian nations, its success remains a matter of serious consideration. Many pertinent questions arise: is SAARC an effective means of cooperation among the seven South Asian nations? Will SAARC be able to meet the challenge of South Asian economic development? Can SAARC work as a united forum in international affairs? Although the heads of state
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