SAARC leaders vow to fight terror

US $300 million development fund mooted

INDIA: South Asian leaders vowed to boost efforts to thwart terrorism and establish a US$300 million (euro225 million) development fund for infrastructure and other projects, according to a joint declaration released Wednesday.

Iran’s application to be associated with the regional group as an observer was also accepted, the declaration said following the summit of leaders from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, the Maldives, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Afghanistan.

The leaders of the South Asian countries, most of which are facing violent insurgencies, said they would step up efforts to fight all forms of terrorism, including its financing and associated drug trafficking and illicit arms trade, said a statement following the end of the two-day summit.

The leaders condemned “the targeted killing of civilians and terrorist violence in the region and agreed to implement all international conventions relating to combating terrorism.”

One-fifth of the world’s people - and many of its most impoverished - live in the eight countries of the South Asian Association of Regional Cooperation, or SAARC, a group often considered little more than a talking shop since its founding in 1985.

It was set up to promote economic cooperation and has since sought to tackle issues from food security to terrorism. But progress in most areas has been slow, mainly because of the rivalry between India and Pakistan.

“The leaders expressed their commitment to take every possible measure to prevent and suppress, in particular, financing of terrorist acts, including through front organizations, and to counter illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs, trafficking in persons and illicit arms,” the declaration said.

In a strong statement against terrorism, the leaders called for the “urgent conclusion” of a comprehensive convention on international terrorism.

They agreed to “work on the modalities” of implementing the provisions of existing SAARC conventions to combat terrorism, narcotics smuggling and other transnational crimes.

“They expressed their commitment to take every possible measure to prevent and suppress, in particular, financing of terrorist acts by criminalising the provision, acquisition and collection of funds for such acts, including through front organizations and also to counter illicit trafficking of narcotic drugs, trafficking in persons and illicit arms,” the declaration read.

It did not detail how the US$300 million fund for infrastructure and other projects would be spent, but much of the region’s infrastructure, including its transportation and communications, are in desperate need of improvements.

Member-nations also decided to establish a South Asian University with centers of excellence and create a regional Food Bank to help member-countries hit by natural calamities.

“We have agreed to make tangible progress in the next six months on four issues which affect our people’s daily lives: water, including flood control, energy, food and the environment,” India’s Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said at the closing ceremony.

“We will work with international agencies to develop and implement viable cross-border regional projects in these four sectors,” he said.

The SAARC leaders also agreed to prioritize environmental conservation and protection, and cooperate to mitigate the effects of global climate change on their region.

New Delhi, Thursday, AP, The Hindu