Strengthening SAARC
PRIME Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand said that South Asian Association for Regional
Cooperation (SAARC) is the manifestation and voice of the peoples of all countries in the
South Asian region for promoting and enhancing mutual cooperation, understanding and
goodwill for the common good of the region. In a message, on the occasion of 17th
anniversary of the SAARC, Prime Minister Chand called upon all to make the SAARC a genuine
and effective forum of all people of the South Asia to work together for their common
good. South Asia is the home to one-fifth population of the world. It is also the region
that has the largest number of poor people. The problems in all seven south Asia nations
are common and identical. Poverty, conflicts, terrorism, poor development infrastructures,
dwindling natural resources, heavy population pressure, poor economic growth and
deteriorating environment are some of the burning problems facing the entire region. At
the same time, there are tremendous possibilities and potentials to tackle these problems.
The only thing we need is mutual cooperation, coordination and commitment of all the
nations of the South Asia. The creation of the SAARC as a regional forum was the
realisation of this need.
Now, SAARC has completed 16th years. Despite resource
constraints and other hardship, SAARC has been able to make some significant achievements.
The first and foremost requirement for promoting bilateral, regional and multilateral
cooperation in the present complex international order is to build confidence and the
conducive atmosphere among the nations. The SAARC has been successful enough toward this
end. SAARC has made it known among all peoples of South Asia as a common voice and common
forum for the acceleration of economic growth, social progress and cultural development.
As the problems in the region are common, their solution is also similar. In the 16 year
long journey, SAARC has already passed its difficult and struggling phase and has taken a
concrete shape in the process of regional cooperation. The need now is to implement these
experiences in the real terms for the progress and prosperity of the people in the region.
Poverty is the root cause of all evils in the region. SAARC has, thus, focused its agenda
and activities to attack the growing poverty in South Asia followed by common strategy to
fight the menace of terrorism and environmental problems. Although the challenges are
daunting, SAARC, if it works in a coordinated way, can succeed in achieving these lofty
goals for the welfare and prosperity of South Asian people as a whole.
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