South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation facts for kids

Quick facts for kids South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation In other languages: Assamese: দক্ষিণ এছিয়াৰ আঞ্চলিক সহযোগিতাৰ সংঘ Baluchi: دکھنی ایشیائی علاقائی تعاون دا اتحاد Bengali: দক্ষিণ এশিয়ার আঞ্চলিক সহযোগিতা সংস্থা Dari: جنوب آسیا منطقه‌ای همکاری اتحاد Dzongkha: ལྷོ་ཨེ་ཤེས་ཡའི་གནས་ཡུལ་མཉམ་འགྱུར་གyi་མཐུན་སྡེ Gujarati: દક્ષિણ એશિયાઈ પ્રાદેશિક સહકાર સંઘ Hindi: दक्षिण एशियाई क्षेत्रीय सहयोग संगठन Kannada: ದಕ್ಷಿಣ ಏಷ್ಯಾದ ಪ್ರಾದೇಶಿಕ ಸಹಕಾರ ಸಂಘ Kashmiri: جنوبی ایشیاہک علاقائی تعاون سنگتھ Malayalam: തെക്കേ ഏഷ്യൻ പ്രാദേശിക സഹകരണ സംഘടന Maldivian: ދެކުނު އޭޝިޔާގެ ސަރަޙައްދީ އެކުވެރިކަން ޖަމިއްޔާ Marathi: दक्षिण आशियाई प्रादेशिक सहकार संघटना Nepali: दक्षिण एसियाली क्षेत्रीय सहयोग सङ्गठन Odia: ଦକ୍ଷିଣ ଏସୀୟ ଆଞ୍ଚଳିକ ସହଯୋଗ ସଂସ୍ଥା Pashto: سویلي آسیا د سیمه‌ییزې همکارۍ اتحاد Rajasthani: दक्षिण एशियाई क्षेत्रीय सहयोग संगठन Sanskrit: दक्षिणाशियायाः प्रादेशिकसहकारसङ्घः Sindhi: ڏکڻ ايشيائي علائقائي تعاون جو سنگھ Sinhala: දකුණු ආසියානු කලාපීය සහයෝගිතා සංවිධානය Telugu: దక్షిణ ఆసియా ప్రాంతీయ సహకార సంఘం Urdu: جنوبی ایشیائی علاقائی تعاون تنظیم
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Show globe Member and observer states Location of the  South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation  (dark green) in Asia  (dark grey)
Headquarters	Kathmandu, Nepal 28°10′N 84°15′E / 28.167°N 84.250°E / 28.167; 84.250
Largest city	Mumbai, India 19°04′34″N 72°52′39″E / 19.07611°N 72.87750°E / 19.07611; 72.87750
Working language	English
Official languages of contracting states	24 languages
Religion (2025)	60.8% Hinduism 30.5% Islam 2.9% Buddhism 1.9% Christianity 1.3% Sikhism 0.3% Jainism 0.2% no religion 0.05% Zoroastrianism 0.05% Baháʼí Faith 0.01% Judaism 0.8% other
Demonym(s)	South Asian
Type	Regional organisation
Member states	8 members:  Afghanistan  Bangladesh  Bhutan  India  Maldives    Nepal  Pakistan  Sri Lanka 9 observers:  Australia  China  European Union  Iran  Japan  Mauritius  Myanmar  South Korea  United States
Leaders
• Secretary-General	Golam Sarwar
• Chairmanship of SAARC	Bangladesh
Legislature	None
Establishment	8 December 1985 (39 years ago) (8 December 1985)
Area
• Total	5,222,321 km2 (2,016,349 sq mi)
• Water (%)	8
Population
• 2025 estimate	1,992,790,035
• Density	381.6/km2 (988.3/sq mi)
GDP (PPP)	2025 estimate
• Total	$21.7 trillion
• Per capita	$11,136
GDP (nominal)	2025 estimate
• Total	$5.22 trillion
• Per capita	$2,665
HDI (2023)	0.663 medium
Currency	8 currencies Afghan afghani (؋) (AFN) Bangladeshi taka (৳) (BDT) Bhutanese ngultrum (Nu.) (BTN) Indian rupee (₹) (INR) Maldivian rufiyaa (.ރ) (MVR) Nepalese rupee (रु) (NPR) Pakistani rupee (₨) (PKR) Sri Lankan rupee (රු) (LKR)
Time zone	UTC+4:30 to +6:00 (AFT, PST, MVT, IST, SLST, NPT, BST, BTT)
Calling code	8 codes Bangladesh  +880 India  +91 Pakistan  +92 Afghanistan  +93 Sri Lanka  +94 Maldives  +960 Bhutan  +975 Nepal  +977
Internet TLD	8 ccTLDs .af .bd .bt .in .lk .mv .np .pk

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is a group of countries in South Asia that work together. It's like a club for these nations to cooperate on different things. The countries that are members are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

SAARC covers about 3% of the world's land and is home to 21% of the world's people. It was started in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on December 8, 1985. Its main office, called the secretariat, is in Kathmandu, Nepal. The group aims to help these countries grow their economies and work together more closely. For example, they created the South Asian Free Trade Area in 2006 to make trade easier. SAARC also works with other big groups like the United Nations and the European Union.

How SAARC Started

The idea for countries in South Asia to work together began a long time ago. Discussions happened at conferences in New Delhi in 1947, the Philippines in 1950, and Colombo, Sri Lanka, in 1954.

In the late 1970s, seven countries in South Asia agreed to form a group. These were Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. They wanted to create a platform for friendship and understanding. Bangladesh's President Ziaur Rahman was a key person in suggesting this idea. He wrote letters to other leaders, explaining why working together was important.

In 1977, President Rahman talked about regional cooperation with India's Prime Minister. Also, King Birendra of Nepal suggested that South Asian countries should work together on sharing river waters.

Efforts to create the group sped up in 1979. This was because of the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, which made the region feel less safe. Officials from the foreign ministries of the seven countries met in Colombo in April 1981. Bangladesh's idea was supported by Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, and Maldives. India and Pakistan were unsure at first. India worried that smaller neighbors might team up against it. Pakistan thought it might be a way for India to become even more powerful economically.

However, after many talks, it was decided that Bangladesh would prepare a plan. In 1981, a group identified five main areas for cooperation: agriculture, rural development, telecommunications, meteorology, and health. More areas were added later.

In 1983, the foreign ministers of the seven countries officially launched the "Declaration on South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation" (SAARC) in Dhaka. They started working on these areas right away.

The first SAARC meeting, called a summit, happened in Dhaka on December 7-8, 1985. Leaders from all seven founding countries signed the declaration. These leaders included King Jigme Singye Wangchuk of Bhutan, President Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq of Pakistan, Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi of India, King Birendra of Nepal, President Junius Richard Jayewardene of Sri Lanka, and President Maumoon Abdul Gayoom of Maldives.

Member and Observer Countries

SAARC has eight member states and nine observer countries.

Member Countries

The member states are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

SAARC started with seven countries in 1985. In 2005, Afghanistan wanted to join. There was a lot of discussion about this. Some wondered if Afghanistan truly fit the definition of a "South Asian" country.

Afghanistan officially joined SAARC as its eighth member in April 2007. Even though there were political changes in Afghanistan in 2021, it is still a SAARC member. The other members decided that Bangladesh would choose the next Secretary-General for SAARC in 2023, instead of Afghanistan.

Observer Countries

Countries with "observer status" can attend some meetings but are not full members. These include Australia, China, the European Union, Iran, Japan, Mauritius, Myanmar, South Korea, and the United States.

China applied for observer status in 2007 and was strongly supported by Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Nepal, and Pakistan. In 2006, the US, South Korea, and the European Union were also granted observer status. Iran and Mauritius joined as observers shortly after.

Countries That Might Join Later

Some other countries have shown interest in joining SAARC or becoming observers. Myanmar wants to become a full member. China and Russia have also asked to join. Turkey applied for observer status in 2012. Other countries like South Africa, Indonesia, Jordan, Canada, New Zealand, Ireland, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom, and Yemen have also expressed interest.

SAARC Headquarters and Offices

Secretariat of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation in Kathmandu, Nepal

The main office for SAARC, called the Secretariat, was set up in Kathmandu, Nepal, on January 16, 1987. The King of Nepal, Birendra Bir Bikram Shah, officially opened it.

Specialized Bodies

SAARC has special offices in different member countries. These offices focus on specific tasks. They are managed by boards with representatives from all member states.

• SAARC Arbitration Council (SARCO) in Islamabad, Pakistan.
• SAARC Development Fund (SDF) in Thimphu, Bhutan.
• South Asian University (SAU) in New Delhi, India.
• South Asian Regional Standards Organization (SARSO) in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Regional Centres

The SAARC Secretariat also gets help from Regional Centres located in member countries. These centers help with cooperation in specific areas. Some centers were closed in 2015.

• SAARC Agriculture Centre (SAC) in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
• SAARC Disaster Management Centre (SDMC) in Gandhinagar, India.
• SAARC Tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS Centre (STAC) in Bhaktapur, Nepal.
• SAARC Energy Centre (SEC) in Islamabad, Pakistan.
• SAARC Cultural Centre (SCC) in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

SAARC does not have an official song or anthem yet.

Important SAARC Groups

SAARC has six main groups, called Apex Bodies:

• SAARC Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCI)
• South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation in Law (SAARCLAW)
• South Asian Federation of Accountants (SAFA)
• South Asia Foundation (SAF)
• South Asia Initiative to End Violence Against Children (SAIEVAC)
• Foundation of SAARC Writers and Literature (FOSWAL)

There are also about 18 other recognized groups that work with SAARC.

SAARC Disaster Management Centre

The SAARC Disaster Management Centre (SDMC) helps countries in South Asia prepare for and respond to disasters. Its main goals are to give advice, offer technical help, and provide training.

What it does:

• Advice and Support: SDMC helps countries create plans for managing disasters.
• Training: It holds training programs to make countries better at handling disasters.
• Sharing Information: It helps countries share information and ideas about disaster management.

Projects:

• South Asian Disaster Knowledge Network: A place to share information about disasters.
• South Asia Digital Vulnerability Atlas (SADVA): A project to map areas in South Asia that are at risk from disasters.

Challenges and Cooperation

It has been hard to achieve lasting peace and success in South Asia because of various conflicts. Discussions about political issues often happen on the side of SAARC meetings. SAARC tries not to get involved in the internal problems of its member countries. At some meetings, leaders strongly emphasized working together to fight terrorism.

The 19th SAARC summit, which was supposed to be in Pakistan, was canceled. This happened because India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Afghanistan decided not to attend after a terrorist attack in Uri in 2016. This was the first time four countries boycotted a SAARC summit, leading to its cancellation.

Some people believe SAARC has not been very effective because of disagreements between members. For example, Pakistan has sometimes brought up issues against India at meetings. India, on the other hand, has focused on its concerns about terrorism, which it sees as a problem between two countries, not for the whole group to discuss.

Terrorism has been a big challenge for SAARC, causing problems between member states. The 2016 Uri attack especially affected relations and made it harder for countries to work together.

Recently, Dr. Muhammad Yunus, a leader in Bangladesh, has shown interest in making SAARC active again. However, some leaders in India were cautious about this. India's External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar, suggested that Bangladesh should not "normalize terrorism" by trying to restart SAARC activities. This was seen as a message about Pakistan's alleged role in hindering regional cooperation.

Dr. Minendra Rijal, a former Defence Minister of Nepal, also said that Pakistan's support for terrorism has stopped SAARC from growing and caused economic losses.

China has also tried to create other ways for countries in South Asia to work together, especially since its request to join SAARC was not accepted in 2005. China has started projects like the China-South Asia Cooperation Forum and the Belt and Road Initiative. Most South Asian countries, except India and Bhutan, are part of China's Belt and Road Initiative. These efforts are seen as China trying to build alternatives to SAARC.

Overall, SAARC has faced difficulties in bringing the region closer together.

South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA)

Countries under the South Asian Free Trade Area

The idea of a South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) was to be the first step towards a bigger economic union. This would mean easier trade, then a common market, and finally a full economic union. In 1995, SAARC ministers agreed to work towards SAFTA. A group was set up in 1996 to figure out the steps needed.

The SAFTA Agreement was signed on January 6, 2004, in Islamabad, Pakistan. It officially started on January 1, 2006. Under this agreement, SAARC members aimed to lower their trade taxes to 20% by 2009. After the agreement began, a special council was formed with the trade ministers from each country.

Trade within SAARC has grown, but it's still a small part of the region's total trade. For example, in 2012, SAARC exports increased a lot. However, trade between SAARC countries is only about 1% of their total economic output. In comparison, the ASEAN group, which is smaller, has 10% of its trade happening within its own member countries.

The goal was for SAFTA to lead to a South Asian Economic Union. But current trade and investment between the countries are not very strong. Trade within the SAARC region is only about five percent of all trade in South Asia. Also, foreign investment between these countries is very low, around four percent of the total.

The Asian Development Bank believes that trade between SAARC countries could increase a lot. They estimated that agricultural exports could go from $8 billion to $22 billion per year. This means there's a lot of untapped potential for more trade within the region.

SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme

The SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme started in 1992. The leaders decided that certain important people should be able to travel between SAARC countries without needing a visa. This helps people from different countries meet and connect.

Currently, 24 types of people can get this special travel document. These include important officials, judges, lawmakers, senior government workers, business owners, journalists, and athletes.

Each member country gives these special visa stickers to its own citizens who qualify. The visa usually lasts for one year. Immigration officials from SAARC countries regularly check how the scheme is working.

SAARC Awards

SAARC Award

The SAARC Award was created in 2004 to support people and groups in the region. Its main goals are:

• To encourage activities that help SAARC's goals.
• To honor those who improve the lives of women and children.
• To recognize great work in peace, development, fighting poverty, protecting the environment, and regional cooperation.
• To honor other important achievements.

The SAARC Award includes a gold medal, a special letter, and a cash prize of $25,000. It has only been given once, to the late President Ziaur Rahman of Bangladesh, after he passed away.

SAARC Literary Award

Recipients of SAARC Literary Award 2013

The SAARC Literary Award is given every year by the Foundation of SAARC Writers and Literature (FOSWAL) since 2001. This is a top SAARC group. Famous winners include Shamshur Rahman, Mahasweta Devi, Jayanta Mahapatra, Abhi Subedi, Mark Tully, Sitakant Mahapatra, Uday Prakash, Suman Pokhrel, and Abhay K.

Suman Pokhrel, a poet, lyricist, and translator from Nepal, is the only person to have won this award twice.

SAARC Youth Award

The SAARC Youth Award celebrates amazing young people from the SAARC region. This award is important because it gives recognition to young winners across South Asia. The award focuses on different themes each year. It recognizes young people who are dedicated to helping the world through things like inventions, protecting the environment, or helping after disasters. Winners are those who have worked hard to improve things in their own countries and set an example for the whole SAARC region.

A special committee chooses the best candidate for the SAARC Youth Award.

Here are some past winners and their themes:

• 1992: World Population Issue and Welfare - Painting; - Devang Soparkar (India)
• 1997: Outstanding Social Service in Community Welfare – Sukur Salek (Bangladesh)
• 1998: New Inventions and Shanu — Najmul Hasnain Shah (Pakistan)
• 2001: Creative Photography: South Asian Diversity – Mushfiqul Alam (Bangladesh)
• 2002: Outstanding contribution to protect the Environment – Masil Khan (Pakistan)
• 2003: Invention in the Field of Traditional Medicine – Hassan Sher (Pakistan)
• 2004: Outstanding contribution to raising awareness of TB and/or HIV/AIDS – Ajij Prasad Poudyal (Nepal)
• 2006: Promotion of Tourism in South Asia – Syed Zafar Abbas Naqvi (Pakistan)
• 2008: Protecting the Environment in South Asia – Deepani Jayantha (Sri Lanka)
• 2009: Outstanding contribution to humanitarian works in the aftermath of Natural Disasters – Ravikant Singh (India)
• 2010: Outstanding contribution for the Protection of Environment and mitigation of Climate Change – Anoka Primrose Abeyrathne (Sri Lanka)
• 2011: Youth leadership in the fight against social ills - Mr. Mohamed Faseen Rafiu (The Maldives)

SAARC Leaders and Meetings

Secretaries-General of SAARC

The Secretary-General is the main leader of the SAARC Secretariat. They help manage the organization's daily work.

SAARC Summits

SAARC summits are important meetings where the leaders of the member countries come together to discuss plans and make decisions.

Current Leaders of SAARC Countries

These are the current leaders of the SAARC member states. They are either the head of their country or the head of their government.