Maximum amount of SAARC expenditure is borne by ---------
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1985. SAARC mainly aims to promote welfare of South Asians; improve their quality of life; accelerate economic growth, social progress and cultural development; provide all individuals opportunity to live in dignity and realize their full potentials; and promote and strengthen collective self-reliance. Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka are its members. Australia, People’s Republic of China, European Union, Islamic Republic of Iran, Japan, Republic of Korea, Mauritius, Myanmar, and USA are observers in SAARC. Nepal is the founding member and the current Chair of SAARC. Nepal has been contributing to regional cooperation under SAARC in line with the goals and objectives of its Charter.
Summit is the highest body in SAARC held in every two years on rotational basis and is attended by the Heads of State/Government of the Member States. 18 SAARC Summits have been held so far. Nepal successfully hosted the 18th SAARC Summit in Kathmandu on 26-27 November 2014. During the Summit, SAARC leaders renewed their commitment to deepening regional integration for peace and prosperity by promoting mutual trust, amity, understanding, cooperation and partnership. They also reiterated the need for reinvigorating regional cooperation and revitalizing the Association as an effective vehicle to fulfill the development aspirations of its people.
The 36-point Kathmandu Declaration entitled ‘Deeper Integration for Peace and Prosperity’ was adopted at the conclusion of the Summit. At Nepal’s initiative, cooperation in the field of migration, cooperatives and social protection featured for the first time in SAARC agenda and reflected in the Declaration. Signing of SAARC Framework Agreement for Energy Cooperation (Electricity) was an important achievement of the Summit.
Nepal had also successfully organized the 3rd and 11th Summits in Kathmandu in 1987 and 2002 respectively. During the 3rd Summit, SAARC Regional Convention on Suppression of Terrorism was signed which entered into force on 22 August 1988. The Summit commissioned Regional Study on “Consequences of Natural Disasters and Protection and Preservation of Environment”. Two important conventions, namely SAARC Convention on Preventing and Combating Trafficking in Women and Children for Prostitution and SAARC Convention on Regional Arrangement for Promotion of Child Welfare in South Asia were signed during the 11th Summit.
Council of Ministers comprises the Ministers of Foreign/External Affairs of the Member States. It formulates policies; reviews progress of cooperation; decides on new areas of cooperation; establishes additional mechanism when necessary and also takes decision on other matters of general interest to the Association. Up to now, there have been 37 sessions of the Council held.
37th Session of the Council of Ministers, also known as ‘Inter-Summit Session’, was held in Pokhara, Nepal on 17 March 2016 to review implementation of the decisions taken at the 18th SAARC Summit and the 36th Session of the Council (Kathmandu, 25 November 2014). The Council decided to streamline SAARC institutions and mechanisms and make them more effective, efficient and result-oriented. The Council endorsed the amendment to SAARC Development Fund (SDF) Charter by reducing the requirement of the provisions from three-member criteria to one-member criteria with direct/indirect benefit to more than one member for launching projects under the Economic window of the SDF. The Council recommended locating SAARC Disaster Management Centre in New Delhi, India and merger of Environment Center with existing SAARC Energy Centre located in Islamabad, Pakistan.
The Council has also been meeting informally in New York on the sideline of the United Nations General Assembly since 1997. Nepal as the current Chair hosted informal sessions of the Council in New York in September 2016 and 2017 where the Ministers held discussion and shared progress achieved in different areas of regional cooperation as well as reviewed implementation of decisions taken o