Towards a more effective and dynamic SAARC

The speech by Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama at the 29th Session of the SAARC Council of Ministers meeting held in New Delhi last week.

“Sri Lanka remains resolute in its commitment to SAARC to realise the Charter objectives, which envisaged the achievement of qualitative improvement in the living standard of our peoples.

I am happy to note that during the last eight months significant progress has been recorded in implementing decisions made to intensify and accelerate the regional consolidation process.

Deep poverty yet remains the most intimidating challenge in the region. Various mechanisms have been introduced to provide a far-reaching framework to alleviate poverty.

The SAARC Regional Poverty Profile (RPP), SAARC Development Goals (SDGs), recommendations of Independent South Asian Commission on Poverty Alleviation (ISACPA), observance of the “SAARC Decade of Poverty Alleviation 2006 - 2015” and SAARC Social Charter are some of our efforts towards this goal, while the major obstacle in the process is the funding arrangement to implement the regional poverty projects.

Unless a proper funding mechanism is established, the implementation of the regional projects will be affected. Therefore I urge that the establishment of the temporary unit of the Fund at the SAARC Secretariat be expedited and the remaining issues on this matter be finalized as soon as possible.

After years of strenuous negotiations SAARC has successfully reached a historical Agreement - SAFTA.

This is a most important step forward, which bodes well for making SAARC an irreversible process.

The progress made in the study on potential for Trade in Services will complement all other arrangements made in SAARC in the area of economic cooperation. In order to make the SAFTA process more effective and dynamic we need to establish and enforce all trade facilitation measures and mechanisms.

In this regard, we feel that there should be a much focused facilitation mechanism to coordinate and promote our economic agenda, especially in the area of implementation of the agreements and arrangements.

If agreed, Sri Lanka will be pleased to host an Economic Affairs Unit of SAARC as an extended arm of the SAARC Secretariat to coordinate all matters related to economic cooperation of SAARC.

This facility will also undertake studies and conduct seminars and workshops to create deeper awareness and understanding of our initiatives among the economic stakeholders in all member countries.

* The countries of SAARC will no doubt stand to gain enormously if we sincerely implement the SAFTA Agreement and the connected arrangements.

The ultimate fruition of our efforts on social and economic cooperation requires peace and security in our respective countries.

My delegation emphasized at the 14th SAARC Summit the need for a renewed political commitment to implement all instruments on combating terrorism and to move beyond declaratory statements, for evolving comprehensive practical measures to strengthen security for our countries.

This was endorsed by our leaders at the New Delhi Summit.

Sri Lanka is a victim of terrorism. Last week over 40 people have been killed in bomb explosions. Sri Lanka has been in the forefront in the promotion of SAARC Regional legal instruments in the field of suppression of terrorism.

We took the initiative to convene the meeting of the Legal Advisors of SAARC Member States way back in 1987 which resulted in the adoption of the SAARC Regional Convention on the Suppression of Terrorism at the Third SAARC Summit in Katmandu.

The SAARC Convention was followed by the Protocol to the Convention which was adopted at the Islamabad Summit in 2004 which deals with combating of terrorist financing.

We have now in place a comprehensive package of legislation to give effect to the provisions of the Convention and the Protocol, in the form of the SAARC Regional Convention on Suppression of Terrorism Act No. 70 of 1988, the Convention on Suppression of Terrorist Financing Act No. 25 of 2005, the Prevention of Money Laundering Act No. 05 of 2006 and the Financial Transactions Reporting Act No 06 of 2006, to ensure that all SAARC instruments are given practical effect within Sri Lanka.

These laws also give effect to our obligations under International Conventions and Security Council Resolutions in this field. It is essential that each one of us have in place a comprehensive legislative package to give full effect to the obligations we have voluntarily undertaken under these instruments.

Drug trafficking, money laundering, the illicit arms trade and human smuggling are an interrelated phenomena that sustain the financing of terrorist activity.

The Government recently presented a package of legislation in Parliament, to give full effect to the SAARC Convention on Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances and the UN Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances.

The Bill was duly passed by the House on the 10th of October this year. This comprehensive legislative framework provides a solid legal basis for enhancing our cooperation, internationally and regionally, in combating these twin evils which threaten the very fabric of our societies.

We need to strengthen our domestic legal infrastructure to give effect to the obligations undertaken under the various international and regional conventions on suppression of terrorism. Special attention needs to be given to the practical measures of cooperation envisaged under these instruments.

Exchange of information and intelligence among the relevant agencies of member states needs particular emphasis in the context of combating terrorism related fundraising.

In this regard the SAARC Drug Offences and Terrorist Offences Monitoring Desks need to be revitalized for the ensuring greater flow of information.

These mechanisms could only be revitalized through the political will of the member states.

As recommended in the 14th SAARC Summit Declaration, Sri Lanka hosted the Legal Advisors Meeting in Colombo to examine the idea of a draft Convention on Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters.

The outcome of this meeting was submitted to the Meeting of SAARC Home/Interior Ministers in October 2007. Sri Lanka will be happy to host the 2nd Meeting of SAARC Legal Advisors in April 2008 in Colombo, as mandated by the SAARC Interior Ministers.

The early completion of the process of finalising the text of the draft Convention is important as it would greatly assist regional efforts in the prevention, investigation and prosecution of serious international crime, including terrorism.

Besides, as a region, strongly committed to the rule of law and the principles of good governance the successful finalization of the Convention to facilitate legal cooperation will result in immense benefits accruing to the region as a whole.

We encourage the Member States to send their views on the draft Convention as recommended by the SAARC Interior/Home Ministers, within the agreed timeframe.

This would facilitate the hosting of a productive meeting of SAARC Legal Advisors and bring to fruition the important work that has gone into this effort.

We are pleased that SAARC has adopted a common position paper on the South Asian region’s concerns on climate change to the Bali Conference on Climate Change.

This is a serious threat and an opportunity to move forward economically while taking appropriate mitigation measures, keeping in mind the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities

Sri Lanka attaches great importance to the SAARC process and we will extend our fullest support to carry forward the agreed Agenda to realize the goals we have all shared for regional cooperation.”