No Alternative To SAARC
AT a time when rumours regarding the strength and utility of
the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) are spreading, Prime Minister
Lokendra Bahadur Chand, the Chairperson of the regional organization, claimed that there
is no alternative to regional cooperation in South Asia. He made such a claim while
speaking at a programme on ' South Asia Centre Policy Studies-Task Force Study Findings'
the other day. On the occasion he also reiterated Nepal's firm commitment to SAARC. In
fact, as a founder member of the organisation Nepal has expected much from SAARC regarding
overall development of the entire region since its very inception in 1985. The
achievements of SAARC in the sector of cooperation in the last 17 years are certainly
immense. Now, we have a number of regional centres functioning under the SAARC for the
well being of the common people of the region as a whole. However, it is yet to be as
effective in solving the common problem-poverty-of the region as expected by its founder
leaders.
There are several evidences to justify that regional
cooperation plays a key role in alleviating poverty and accelerating the pace of
development in the region at a desired level. ASEAN, the regional organisation of the
South East Asian nations is a testimony to this. The South Asian nations possess vast
natural resources, especially water, but due to lack of adequate fund they are failing to
harness those natural resources for the welfare of the people. As such regional
cooperation will be fruitful for all the individual nations of the region in utilising
these resources and thereby alleviating poverty. Nepal will be ahead in benefiting from
such an exploitation of natural resources. The bitter fact, however, remains that SAARC is
yet to pick up the desired pace in this direction. The initiatives in the sector of trade
promotion are still inadequate. The time and again postponement of the SAARC summits is
not a positive sign but hope still exists. As such Premier Chand was absolutely right to
say that there is no alternative to SAARC. Hence, there is a need to make the regional
organisation more effective and efficient in facing all the challenges which banks on the
support from all the member nations.
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