A Brief on SAARC
The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) was
established when its Charter was formally adopted on 8 December 1985 by
the Heads of State or Government of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives,
Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
The Association provides a platform for the peoples of South Asia to
work together in a spirit of friendship, trust and understanding. It
aims to promote the welfare of the peoples of South Asia and to improve
their quality of life through accelerated economic growth, social
progress and cultural development in the region.
Cooperation in the SAARC is based on respect for the principles of
sovereign equality, territorial integrity, political independence,
noninterference in internal affairs of the Member States and mutual
benefit. Regional cooperation is seen as a complement to the bilateral
and multilateral relations of SAARC Member States.
Decisions are taken on the basis of unanimity. Bilateral and
contentious issues are excluded from the deliberations of SAARC.
|