SAARC needs to be dynamic

SAARC is now in the third decade, having been constituted through the first summit in Dhaka in 1985,and it was once again the Bangladesh capital that played host to the conference of the heads of government and state late last year marking its stepping into the third decade. The first important discussions relating to SAARC matters are now taking place in Dhaka and many eyes are fixed at the deliberations of the conference that will also give an impression about the shape of things to come leading to the next 14th summit in New Delhi in 2007.

Evidently, the SAARC is undergoing expansion and changes making it more representative at the regional scale and also at international level. Consequently, both potentials and challenges for the forum are also increasing. Afghanistan has been admitted as the eighth member of this south Asian forum even though some kind of ambiguity still persists whether the country is located in this region or in the central Asia. In any case, this is not anything that should have been a stumbling block to Kabul's entry in the forum and the last summit has cleared the issue. Afghanistan historically and in many other ways remains inextricably linked this region and its inclusion is no surprise. Two economically powerful Asian nations having close links with the South Asia have also been accepted as "observers" the last summit and this decision is likely to be beneficial for the SAARC, which requires innovative economic interactions and assistance in its gigantic quest for improving the quality of life for 1.4 billion people living in the region.

While the decision of the leaders to admit one country as member and two others as "observers" provide larger prospects for the SAARC, this has also opened up new challenges for the regional body. For, politics undeniably serves as an undercurrent of tension in the SAARC which is wholly meant to concentrate on the economic issues, and the forum's new contacts with varying political lines may in a way also affect its cohesiveness. The SAARC has been a victim of politics over the last twenty years owing to the differences of the member states and such a fear may not be seen as totally unfounded. Hopefully, any such apprehension will be proved misplaced and the forum will accrue maximum benefits from the new interactions.

The United States and South Korea have sought "observer" status for the SAARC and this clearly points to growing international acceptibility of the organisation, which is no longer nascent and has become more wellknown as the forum of the most densely populated area of the world regardless of the opinion about its effectiveness and concrete results delivered so far. In fact, the forum received a shot in its arms not long ago when the United Nations General Assembly(UNGA) granted it "observers" status. Although this came little late, nonetheless the recognition came as a boost for the forum which has now embarked on international interactions. There has been no decision on their applications since they were received by the SAARC secretariat after the last summit and the next conference of the leaders is expected to take a decision on the issue. Likewise, the European Union (EU) has expressed willingness for its association with the forum.

Decisions on all these matters will take time obviously for the reason that high political level meeting is needed to approve them. However, it may be concluded that association of all these countries or forums with the SAARC is expected to provide much required economic stimulation to the regional body while there is a need for caution against intrusion of international politics in the body because of its expansion in different forms.

THE SAARC has a number of issues at its hand including strengthening of the SAARC secretariat, functioning of the regional centres, various national and sectoral focal points discussed by the last summit and a group of experts met last month in Kathmandu with a view to implementing them. An important matter for the Standing Committee is considering the mechanism and strengthening the regional centres, two of which are now functioning in Bangladesh, and four others are being set up -- on forestry in Bhutan, cultural affairs in Sri Lanka, energy in Pakistan and disaster management in India. The decisions taken at the highest level need implementation with all seriousness and here the top officials can play an effective role. Hopefully, the committee takes follow up actions with a view to making them functional as early as possible.

The Standing Committee meeting is also important since it takes place ahead of the meeting of the SAARC commerce ministers here April 20 and subsequently of the home ministers and then of the finance ministers in July in Pakistan. All these meetings will be crucially important since a number of key matters will come for discussion. The meeting of the Standing Committee can provide a healthy basis for all the coming SAARC related discussions including its own agenda on a variety of issues.

Zaglul Ahmed Chowdhury is Foreign Editor of BSS.