1. What is SAARC?
  2. Who’re SAARC Members?
  3. What is ADDU declaration?
  4. Food security Terrorism Crime Piracy
  5. Women Education Media
  6. Mock Question

What is SAARC?

  • South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)
  • SAARC was established in 1985
  • Its headquarter is in Kathmandu, Nepal.
SAARC Map Addu Declaration

finally one map in google search doesn’t include Kashmir in Pakistan

Members of SAARC
8 Members 9 Observors
  1. Afghanistan
  2. Bangladesh
  3. Bhutan
  4. India
  5. Maldives
  6. Nepal
  7. Pakistan
  8. Sri Lanka
  1. Australia
  2. China
  3. European Union
  4. Iran
  5. Japan
  6. Mauritius
  7. Myanmar
  8. South Korea
  9. United States

It seems United States is an observer in pretty much every organization, but do you recall any organization(s), where USA is not a observer?

What is ADDU declaration?

  • Addu is the second largest city of Mamldives (capital is Male), where 17th SAARC conference was held. (September 2011)
  • Theme of this Addu summit : Building Bridges.
  • The leaders of SAARC Nations, issued a 20-points declaration here, which is known as “Addu Declaration”.
  • By the way, the 18th Summit will be held in Kathmandu, Nepal in 2013.

Addu declaration
In short, Addu declaration means
“We (the SAARC leaders) will do this, this and this- total 20 things”
Out of the 20 points of ADDU declaration, Here are the important (and easy to remember) points.
SAFTA

  • South Asian Free Trade Area or SAFTA is an agreement reached at the 12th SAARC summit in Islamabad, Pakistan [2004].
  • SAFTA is to reduce customs duties of all traded goods to zero by the year 2016.
  • ADDU says we’ll  intensify efforts to fully and effectively implement SAFTA

Investment

  • SAARC Finance Ministers will work for greater flow of financial capital and intra-regional long-term investment.

Trade fair

  • To hold the Twelfth SAARC Trade Fair + SAARC Travel and Tourism Fair in Kulhudhuffushi, Maldives in 2012.

Railway

  • Try for Regional Railways Agreement
  • Should do a demonstration run of a container train (Bangladesh – India – Nepal).

Boat

  • work on the Indian Ocean Cargo and Passenger Ferry Service
  • this will revolutionise movement of people and goods within the region.

Climate

  • timely implementation of the Thimphu Statement on Climate Change.
  • Energy Cooperation and the Study on the Regional Power Exchange Concept as also the work related to SAARC Market for Electricity.
  • appropriate percentage of national income should go towards the respective countries’ renewable energy investments

Food security

  • We’ll work on SAARC Food Bank.
  • This Food Bank will supplement national efforts to provide food security to the people of the region.

Terrorism

  • We’ll root out terrorism, taking into account its linkages with illegal trafficking in narcotic drugs, psychotropic substances and small arms
  • Make coordinated and concerted efforts to combat terrorism [good joke, given that Pakistan is also in SAARC]

Crime

  • We’ll Ratify of the SAARC Convention on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters.

Piracy

  • We’ll Cooperate to combat maritime piracy in the region.

Women

  • We’ll strive for empowerment of women and gender equality in the region
  • We’ll work on the Convention on Preventing and Combating Trafficking in Women and Children for Prostitution

Education

  • We’ll give mutual recognition of academic and professional degrees. [So, IIPM degree, which is not recognized by UGC, will it be recognized in Pakistan, perhaps!?]
  • We’ll establish long-term linkages among universities, research institutions and think-tanks in the region.

Media

  • We’ll convene a Regional Conference on Media to consider deepening collaboration in the region.
  • We’ll decide which day to celebrate as SAARC Media day.

Mock Question

Which of the following statements are true?

  1. Addu is the capital of Maldives.
  2. SAARC has 7 members.
  3. All the countries sharing physical borders with India, except China, are members of SAARC.
  4. Secretariat of SAARC is in Thimpu.
  5. Only one member of SAARC is an island nation.
  6. SAARC summit of 2013 will be held in New Delhi.

Descriptive

  1. Addu Declaration (2 marker, 20 words)
  2. Write a note on Addu declaration (12 marks, 120 words)