11th SAARC Summit
For Realising Vast Potential

By Shirish B. Pradhan

DESPITE the state of emergency in the country to fight terrorism Nepal is all set to host the 11th Summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) from January 4 to 6 in Kathmandu. The Summit was postponed in 1999 on India’s request after the military take over in Islamabad. The SAARC Summit which is being held after nearly four years of interval has its own importance in the present regional context. Developments like emergence of India and Pakistan as the nuclear powers and the US led anti-terrorism campaign launched in Afghanistan are some of the important factors that might affect the destiny of SAARC.

This time SAARC is going to adopt two important conventions: one relating to the women and children trafficking for flesh trade and the other about protection of children. SAARC has this time given special focus to the upliftment of the weaker sex and the problem relating to the world’s oldest profession, prostitution. The condition of women and children in the region is very vulnerable.The majority of women in the SAARC countries are illeterate, lack basic health care facilities and neglected. The growing number of child mortality, problems of child workers and involvement of children in the sex trade are demanding special attention from our respective governments. The 11th Summit it is hoped will certainly address the issues relating to women and children, which will surely help uplift their living condition.

Besides these two issues, the problems of poverty alleviation, combating terrorism and the economic cooperation among the SAARC countries will also come up during the forthcoming Summit. South Asia is one of the least developed and most backward regions in the world. The region is also facing the problem of international terrorism. Most of the SAARC countries are in one way or the other suffering from the problem of terrorism. " Collective efforts are essential to meet threats posed to our region and indeed the entire world by terrorism in all its evil manifestations" observed SAARC President Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunga in her message on the occasion of the 16th anniversary of establishment of SAARC.

If all the countries of the region make concerted and coordinated efforts we can surely overcome this problem. SAARC countries are moving from South Asian Preferential Trade Agreement (SAPTA) to South Asian Free Trade Agreement (SAFTA) but due to some bilateral problems that exist between some of the member countries these main issues are overshadowed. If we can focus our attention on the important regional issues keeping aside all the bilateral differences we can surely move ahead.

SAARC has also helped maintain South Asian identity, brought people of the region together even at times when political relations may not have been as good as they should be, observed SAARC Secretary General Mr. Nihal Rodrigo while addressing a recent function organised in Kathmandu to mark the 16th anniversary of SAARC. SAARC has contributed to promoting common identity and regional awareness while highlighting the potentials of regional cooperation, remarked Prime Minister of the host country Mr. Sher Bahadur Deuba. We need to translate into reality the vast potentials of South Asia with active and focused cooperation in the days ahead, he emphasised.

Besides solving regional problems SAARC also provides forum to discuss some bilateral issues in an informal manner. This time Indian Prime Minister Mr. Atal Behari Vajpayee and Pakistani President Mr. Pervez Musharraf might use the forum to discuss their outstanding bilateral issues. The forthcoming meeting between Mr. Vajpayee and Mr. Musharraf which is taking place during Kathmandu Summit in the back drop of the US led anti-terrorist fight in Afghanistan has drawn international attention. Besides, Nepal can also utilise the forum to discuss the issue of Bhutanese refugees with the Bhutan government during the SAARC Summit.

Combating terrorism will draw special attention of all the South Asian nations in the Summit, which is taking place at a time when Nepal and the United States both are involved in the hunt for terrorists. SAARC has already adopted convetion for combating regional terrorism long time ago. But the issue was not seriously dealt with in the past. Now the SAARC sountries have realised the gravity of the problem, which will definitely motivate them to take up the issue seriously this time.

The concept of regionalism is becoming increasingly popular in the world these days. The success stories of ASEAN countries and the European Union have certainly encouraged us to work together for the common benefit of all the SAARC countries. Our prosperity lies in realising the importance of working together keeping aside all our differences to bring about an economic revolution for the region as a whole. Tourism, water resources, regional trade, technology transfer are some of the important fields in which the SAARC countries can work together and enjoy the common benefits.

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