Course Title: Media in SAARC Countries .

Course Code: MCM-447

Instructor Name: Mr. Mir Ahmad Feroz. University of Gujrat.

(SAARC)South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is an organization of South Asian nations, which was established on 8 December 1985 when the government of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka formally adopted its charter providing for the promotion of economic and social progress, cultural development within the South Asia region and also for friendship and co-operation with other developing countries. It is dedicated to economic, technological, social, and cultural development emphasizing collective self-reliance. Its seven founding members are Sri Lanka, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. Afghanistan joined the organization in 2007. Meetings of heads of state are usually scheduled annually; meetings of foreign secretaries, twice annually. It is headquartered in Kathmandu, Nepal.

History
The first concrete proposal for establishing a framework for regional co-operation in South Asia was made by the late president of Bangladesh, Ziaur Rahman, on 2 May 1980. Prior to this, the idea of regional co-operation in South Asia was discussed in at least three conferences: the Asian Relations Conference in New Delhi in April 1947, the Baguio Conference in the Philippines in May 1950, and the Colombo Powers Conference in April 1954. In the late 1970s, SAARC nations agreed upon the creation of a trade bloc consisting of South Asian countries. The idea of regional co-operation in South Asia was again mooted in May 1980. The foreign ministers of the seven countries met for the first time in Colombo in April 1981. The Committee of the Whole, which met in Colombo in August 1985, identified five broad areas for regional co-operation. New areas of co-operation were added in the following years. It was having 7 members Afghanistan joined in as the 8th member in year 2007.

Charter
Desirous of promoting peace, stability, amity and progress in the region through strict adherence to the principles of the UNITED NATIONS CHARTER and NON-ALIGNMENT, particularly respect for the principles of sovereign equality, territorial integrity, national independence, nonuse of force and non-interference in the internal affairs of other States and peaceful settlement of all disputes. Conscious that in an increasingly interdependent world, the objectives of peace, freedom, social justice and economic prosperity are best achieved in the SOUTH ASIAN region by fostering mutual understanding, good neighbourly relations and meaningful co-operation among the Member States which are bound by ties of history and culture.

Aware of the common problems, interests and aspirations of the peoples of SOUTH ASIA and the need for joint action and enhanced co-operation within their respective political and economic systems and cultural traditions. Convinced that regional co-operation among the countries of SOUTH ASIA is mutually beneficial, desirable and necessary for promoting the welfare and improving the quality of life of the peoples of the region. Convinced further that economic, social and technical co-operation among the countries of SOUTH ASIA would contribute significantly to national and collective self-reliance. Recognising that increased co-operation, contacts and exchanges among the countries of the region will contribute to the promotion of friendship and understanding among their peoples. Recalling the DECLARATION signed by their Foreign Ministers in NEW DELHI on 2 August 1983 and noting the progress achieved in regional co-operation. Reaffirming their determination to promote such co-operation within an institutional framework

Objectives (9)
The objectives and the aims of the Association as defined in the Charter are:

To promote the welfare of the people of South Asia and to improve their quality of life; To accelerate economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region and to provide all individuals the opportunity to live in dignity and to realize their full potential ; To promote and strengthen selective self-reliance among the countries of South Asia; To contribute to mutual trust, understanding and appreciation of one another's problems; To promote active collaboration and mutual assistance in the economic, social, cultural, technical and scientific fields; To strengthen co-operation with other developing countries; To strengthen co-operation among themselves in international forums on matters of common interest; and To co-operate with international and regional organizations with similar aims and purposes. To maintain peace in the region

Principles
The principles are as follows Respect for sovereignty, territorial integrity, political equality and independence of all members states Non-interference in the internal matters is one of its objectives Cooperation for mutual benefit All decisions to be taken unanimously and need a quorum of all eight members All bilateral issues to be kept aside and only multilateral (involving many countries) issues to be discussed without being prejudiced by bilateral issues Afghanistan was added to the regional grouping on April 2007, with the addition of Afghanistan, the total numbers of member states were raised to eight. In April 2006, the United States of America and South Korea made formal requests to be granted observer status. The European Union has also indicated interest in being given observer status, and made a formal request for

the same to the SAARC Council of Ministers meeting in July 2006. On 2 August 2006 the foreign ministers of the SAARC countries agreed in principle to grant observer status to the US, South Korea and the European Union. On 4 March 2008, Iran requested observer status. Followed shortly by the entrance of Mauritius. Myanmar has expressed interest in upgrading its status from an observer to a full member of SAARC, while Russia is interested in becoming an observer.

Secretariat
The SAARC Secretariat was established in Kathmandu on 16 January 1987 and was inaugurated by Late King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah of Nepal. It is headed by the Secretary General appointed by the Council of Ministers from Member Countries in an alphabetical order for a three-year term. He is assisted by the Professional and the General Service Staff, and also an appropriate number of functional units called Divisions assigned to Directors on deputation from Member States.The Secretariat coordinates and monitors implementation of activities, prepares for and services meetings, and serves as a channel of communication between the Association and its Member States as well as other regional organisations. The Memorandum of Understanding on the establishment of the Secretariat which was signed by Foreign Ministers of member countries on 17 November 1986 at Bangalore, India contains various clauses concerning the role, structure and administration of the SAARC Secretariat as well as the powers of the Secretary-General. In several recent meetings the heads of state or government of member states of SAARC have taken some important decisions and bold initiatives to strengthen the organization and to widen and deepen regional co-operation. The SAARC Secretariat and Member States observe 8 December as the SAARC Charter Day1

Regional Centers
The SAARC Secretariat is supported by following Regional Centers established in Member States to promote regional co-operation. These Centers are managed by Governing Boards comprising representatives from all the Member States, SAARC Secretary-General and the Ministry of Foreign/External Affairs of the Host Government. The Director of the Centre acts as Member Secretary to the Governing Board which reports to the Programming Committee.

SAARC Agricultural Centre (SAC), Dhaka SAARC Meteorological Research Centre (SMRC), Dhaka SAARC Tuberculosis Centre (STC), Kathmandu SAARC Documentation Centre (SDC), New Delhi SAARC Human Resources Development Centre (SHRDC), Islamabad SAARC Coastal Zone Management Centre (SCZMC), Maldives SAARC Information Centre (SIC), Nepal SAARC Energy Centre (SEC), Pakistan SAARC Disaster Management Centre (SDMC), India SAARC Development Fund (SDF), Bhutan SAARC Forestry Centre (SFC), Bhutan

SAARC Cultural Centre (SCC), Sri Lanka

Apex and Recognized Bodies

SAARC has six Apex Bodies, namely, SAARC Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCI), SAARCLAW (South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation in Law), South Asian Federation of Accountants (SAFA), South Asia Foundation (SAF), South Asia Initiative to End Violence Against Children (SAIEVAC), Foundation of SAARC Writers and Literature (FOSWAL) Hemant Batra is the current incumbent Secretary General of SAARCLAW. SAARC also has about 17 recognized bodies.

Political issues
The dispute over Kashmirs accession to India has been standing in the way of the lasting peace and prosperity of the Indian subcontinent. While awarding the European Union with the 2012 Nobel Peace Prize, the Norwegian Nobel Committee stated that "...today war between Germany and France is unthinkable. This shows how, through well-aimed efforts and by building up mutual confidence, historical enemies can become close partners." Southern Asia can become unified just as Europe has become unified as the European Union. Political dialogue is often conducted on the margins of SAARC meetings which have refrained from interfering in the internal matters of its member states. During the 12th and 13th SAARC summits, extreme emphasis was laid upon greater co-operation between the SAARC members to fight terrorism.

South Asian Free Trade Area

SAFTA was envisaged primarily as the first step towards the transition to a South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) leading subsequently towards a Customs Union, Common Market and Economic Union. In 1995, the Sixteenth session of the Council of Ministers (New Delhi, 1819 December 1995) agreed on the need to strive for the realization of SAFTA and to this end an Inter-Governmental Expert Group (IGEG) was set up in 1996 to identify the necessary steps for progressing to a free trade area. The Tenth SAARC Summit (Colombo, 2931 July 1998) decided to set up a Committee of Experts (COE) to draft a comprehensive treaty framework for creating a free trade area within the region, taking into consideration the asymmetries in development within the region and bearing in mind the need to fix realistic and achievable targets. The SAFTA Agreement was signed on 6 January 2004 during Twelfth SAARC Summit held in Islamabad, Pakistan. The Agreement entered into force on 1 January 2006, and the Trade Liberalization Programme commenced from 1 July 2006. Under this agreement, SAARC members will bring their duties down to 20 per cent by 2009. Following the Agreement coming into force the SAFTA Ministerial Council (SMC) has been established comprising the Commerce Ministers of the Member States.

SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme

The SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme was launched in 1992. The leaders at the Fourth Summit (Islamabad, 2931 December 1988), while realizing the importance of having people to people contacts, among the peoples of SAARC countries, decided that certain categories of dignitaries should be entitled to a Special Travel document, which would exempt them from visas within the

region. As directed by the Summit, the Council of Ministers regularly kept under review the list of entitled categories. Currently the list included 24 categories of entitled persons, which include Dignitaries, Judges of higher courts, Parliamentarians, Senior Officials, Businessmen, Journalists, Sportsmen etc. The Visa Stickers are issued by the respective Member States to the entitled categories of that particular country. The validity of the Visa Sticker is generally for one year. The implementation is reviewed regularly by the Immigration Authorities of SAAR Member States.

SAARC Award
The Twelfth Summit (Islamabad, January 2004) approved the institution of the SAARC Award to honor and encourage outstanding individuals and organizations within the region. The main objectives of the SAARC Award are:

To encourage individuals and organizations based in South Asia to undertake programmes and activities complementing the efforts of SAARC To encourage individuals and organizations in South Asia contributing to the improvement of the conditions of women and children To honor outstanding contributions and achievements of individuals and organizations within the region in the fields of peace, development, poverty alleviation, environment protection and regional co-operation making the SAARC Award the most prestigious Award in the region; and To honor any other outstanding contributions and achievements, not covered above, of individuals and organizations in the region.

The SAARC Award comprises a gold medal, a letter of citation and cash prize of US $ 25,000. Since institution of SAARC Award in 2004, it has been awarded only once and the Award was posthumously conferred upon Late President Ziaur Rahman of Bangladesh. SAARC Youth Award The SAARC Youth Award is awarded to outstanding individuals from the SAARC region. The award is notable due to the recognition it gives to the Award winner in the SAARC region. The award is based on specific themes which apply to each year. The award recognizes and promotes the commitment and talent of the youth who give back to the world at large through various initiatives such as Inventions, Protection of the Environment and Disaster relief. The recipients who receive this award are ones who have dedicated their lives to their individual causes to improve situations in their own countries as well as paving a path for the SAARC region to follow. The Committee for the SAARC Youth Award selects the best candidate based on his/her merits and their decision is final. Previous Winners:

1997: Outstanding Social Service in Community Welfare Mr. Md. Sukur Salek (Bangladesh) 1998: New Inventions and Shanu Dr. Najmul Hasnain Shah (Pakistan) 2001: Creative Photography: South Asian Diversity Mr. Mushfiqul Alam (Bangladesh) 2002: Outstanding contribution to protect the Environment Dr. Masil Khan (Pakistan)

2003: Invention in the Field of Traditional Medicine Mr. Hassan Sher (Pakistan) 2004: Outstanding contribution to raising awareness for TB and/or HIV/AIDS Mr. Ajij Prasad Poudyal (Nepal) 2006: Promotion of Tourism in South Asia Mr. Syed Zafar Abbas Naqvi (Pakistan) 2008: Protecting the Environment in South Asia Ms. Uswatta Liyanage Deepani Jayantha (Sri Lanka) 2009: Outstanding contribution to humanitarian works in the aftermath of Natural Disasters Dr. Ravikant Singh (India) 2010: Outstanding contribution for the Protection of Environment and mitigation of Climate Change Ms. Anoka Primrose Abeyrathne (Sri Lanka)

SAARC Summits

No 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th 7th 8th 9th

Date 78 December 1985 1617 November 1986 24 November 1987 2931 December 1988 2123 November 1990 21 December 1991 1011 April 1993 24 May 1995 1214 May 1997

Country Bangladesh India Nepal Pakistan Maldives Sri Lanka Bangladesh India Maldives Sri Lanka Nepal Pakistan Bangladesh

Host Dhaka Bangalore Kathmandu Islamabad Mal Colombo Dhaka New Delhi Mal Colombo Kathmandu Islamabad Dhaka

Host leader Ataur Rahman Khan Rajiv Gandhi Marich Man Singh Shrestha Benazir Bhutto Maumoon Abdul Gayoom Ranasinghe Premadasa Khaleda Zia P. V. Narasimha Rao Maumoon Abdul Gayoom Chandrika Kumaratunga Sher Bahadur Deuba Zafarullah Khan Jamali Khaleda Zia

10th 2931 July 1998 11th 46 January 2002 12th 26 January 2004 13th 1213 November 2005

14th 34 April 2007

India

New Delhi

Manmohan Singh

15th 13 August 2008

Sri Lanka

Colombo

Mahinda Rajapaksa

16th 2829 April 2010 17th 1011 November 2011 18th 2013

Bhutan Maldives Nepal

Thimphu Addu Kathmandu

Jigme Thinley Mohammed Nasheed Khil Raj Regmi

References
1. Retrieved From WikiPedia.org 2. Retrieved from http://www.saarc-sec.org/ 3. SlideShare.com