Daily News Editorial

Critical times for SAARC

01 October 2016

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is clearly facing a crisis with the cancellation of the next Summit. In the wake of India’s decision to stay away from the Summit which was to be held in Islamabad, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistan followed suit. Nepal, the current SAARC Chair, has confirmed the cancellation.

India cited “cross-border terrorist attacks in the region” as a reason for not attending the summit. Bangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistan too expressed concern about the same issue in official notes to Kathmandu.

“We wish that a diplomatic breakthrough could be found with a possible change of venue but no one can guarantee success of such steps as four countries have already declared their inability to attend the summit without seeking an alternate venue,” a Nepali SAARC spokesman said. These countries have stepped up diplomatic pressure on Pakistan after the September 18 attack on the military base in Uri. Several members of the International Community outside SAARC have also expressed their concern over the SAARC stalemate.

The cancellation of the summit is unprecedented, as the four member-states have cited “terrorism” and “imposed violence” while withdrawing from the summit. All eight countries had earlier accepted Pakistan’s invitation to attend the Summit.

This is a watershed moment for the SAARC, which was established in 1985 on a proposal made by Bangladesh and several other countries. The grouping initially consisted of seven countries – India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Bhutan, Maldives and Nepal. Afghanistan was added later. South Asia is home to 1.8 billion people and covers almost 11 percent of the wider Asian continent. Despite the various advancements over the past 30 years, South Asia is still one of the most impoverished regions in the world home to 50 percent of the world’s poor.

When SAARC began more than 30 years ago, the founders envisioned a South Asia which was politically united and where people moved across freely across borders. There was even a suggestion for a single currency. Although there have been previous instances where the SAARC Summit has been postponed to another time slot or even to a different country, on this occasion the circumstances are much different. The spectre of terrorism has cast a shadow over the event with most SAARC countries with the exception of Sri Lanka and the Maldives, facing terror acts frequently.

While the SAARC Charter expressly prohibits bilateral actions in its deliberations, it is somewhat ironic that such bilateral concerns form the very basis of the present cancellation. SAARC was envisaged on the lines of the European Union (EU) which is still the single most successful union of different nations despite its recent troubles over immigration and terrorism. Thirty years later, it is doubtful whether SAARC has achieved any of those goals. If citizens of one South Asian country still need visas to go to another South Asian country, little progress has been achieved in the meantime.

Today, SAARC is facing multiple challenges. The biggest challenge is terrorism. All SAARC countries, with the possible exception of Bhutan, have faced terrorism and acts of violence. Only Sri Lanka has seen an end to terrorism while most other countries are still fighting it. However, no country can be completely immune from the effects of global terrorism.

It is a global problem as much as it is a South Asian one. It is clear that SAARC cannot go forward without addressing this problem in the region. Both India and Pakistan, the two nuclear powers in the region, must resolve their differences and address mutual concerns. An unstable South Asia is clearly not in the interests of the wider world.

Poverty is another major issue confronting the entire region. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said South Asian countries should wage a different kind of war – a war against poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, infant mortality and maternal deaths. This is essential in the light of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which Sri Lanka and other South Asian countries have been committed to achieve by 2030, just 14 years away. Sri Lanka which recorded excellent progress with regard to the earlier Millennium Development Goals is well on track to achieve the SDGs as well. In fact, international affairs commentators have urged other South Asian countries to take a leaf out of Sri Lanka’s free health and education initiatives, as exemplified by its recently awarded Malaria-free status.

Economic development and trade remain elusive in South Asia. The South Asian Free Trade Area envisaged in 2004 has not been a raging success. Trade within the South Asian bloc is minimal and its trade with the outside world has seen only minimal gains. This picture should change.

South Asia must forego strife and discord – instead, there should be an accord on eliminating the factors that hold it back from becoming a leading member of the global community. We hope SAARC would soon be able to recover from this blow and give its populace greater prospects ahead.