View source for South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation

{{Short description|Regional intergovernmental and geopolitical organisation}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Use Oxford spelling|date=September 2019}}
{{Infobox geopolitical organization
| conventional_long_name = South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation
| native_name            = {{collapsible list
|titlestyle = text-align:center; font-size:85%;
|title = {{nobold|In other languages:}}
|{{Infobox|subbox=yes|bodystyle= font-size:80%;
| rowclass1 = mergedrow| label1 = [[Bengali language|Bengali]]: | data1 = {{lang|bn|দক্ষিণ এশীয় আঞ্চলিক সহযোগিতা সংস্থা}}
| rowclass2 = mergedrow| label2 = [[Dari]]: | data2 = <div style="text-align: right;">{{lang|prs|{{nq|اتحادیه همکاری‌های منطقه‌ای جنوب آسیا}}}}</div>
| rowclass3 = mergedrow| label3 = [[Dzongkha]]: | data3 = {{lang|dz| ༄ ལྷོ ཨེསིཨ་ རེ་གིཨོནལ་ ཅོཨོཔེརཏིཨོན་ ཀོ་མི་ཏི།}}
| rowclass4 = mergedrow| label4 = [[Hindi]]: | data4 = {{lang|hi|दक्षिण एशियाई क्षेत्रीय सहयोग संगठन}}
| rowclass5 = mergedrow| label5 = [[Maldivian language|Maldivian]]: | data5 = <div style="text-align: right;">{{lang|dv|<small>ދެކުނު އޭޝިޔާގެ ސަރަޙައްދީ އެއްބާރުލުމުގެ ޖަމިއްޔާ</small>}}</div>
| rowclass6 = mergedrow| label6 = [[Nepali language|Nepali]]: | data6 = {{lang|ne|दक्षिण एसियाली क्षेत्रीय सहयोग सङ्गठन}}
| rowclass7 = mergedrow| label7 = [[Pashto]]: | data7 = <div style="text-align: right;">{{lang|ps|{{nq|د سویلي اسیا لپاره د سیمه ایزې همکارۍ ټولنه}}}}</div>
| rowclass8 = mergedrow| label8 = [[Sinhala language|Sinhala]]: | data8 = {{lang|si|දකුණු ආසියාතික කලාපීය සහයෝගිතා සංවිධානය}}
| rowclass9 = mergedrow| label9 = [[Tamil language|Tamil]]: | data9 = {{lang|ta|தெற்காசிய நாடுகளின் பிராந்தியக் கூட்டமைப்பு}}
| rowclass10 = mergedrow| label10 = [[Urdu]]: | data10 = <div style="text-align: right;">{{lang|ur|{{nq|جنوبی ایشیائی علاقائی تعاون کی تنظیم}}}}</div>
}}
}}
| linking_name           = South Asia
| symbol_type            = Logo
| image_symbol           = <noinclude>SAARC Logo.svg</noinclude>
| image_flag             =
| image_map              = South Asia (orthographic projection) without national boundaries.svg
| map_caption            = SAARC members shown in dark green
| image_map2             = SAARC3.svg
| map_caption2           = <div style="padding-left:7.0em;text-align:left;">{{legend|#0B1473|Member states}} {{legend|#A2A9F5|Observer states}}</div>
| official_languages     = English
| membership_type        = Member states
| membership             = {{collapsible list
|title = 8 members: |{{flag|Afghanistan|2013}}{{Efn|The flag of the [[Islamic Republic of Afghanistan]] is still used by SAARC, and the Taliban are not recognized as the rightful government of Afghanistan by SAARC; please see the SAARC website.}} |{{flagcountry|Bangladesh}} |{{flagcountry|Bhutan}} |{{flagcountry|India}} |{{flagcountry|Maldives}} |{{flagcountry|Nepal}} |{{flagcountry|Pakistan}} |{{flagcountry|Sri Lanka}}
}}
{{collapsible list
|title = 9 observers:
|{{flagcountry|Australia}} |{{flagcountry|China}} |{{flag|European Union}} |{{flagcountry|Iran}} |{{flagcountry|Japan}} |{{flagcountry|Mauritius}} |{{flagcountry|Myanmar}} |{{flagcountry|South Korea}} | {{flagcountry|United States}}
}}
| demonym                = [[South Asian ethnic groups|South Asian]]
| admin_center_type      = Headquarters
| admin_center           = [[Kathmandu]], Nepal
| leader_title1          = {{nowrap|[[Secretary General of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation|Secretary-General]]}}
| leader_name1           = [[Golam Sarwar (diplomat)|Golam Sarwar]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Sarwar to be new Saarc secretary general |url=https://kathmandupost.com/national/2023/03/07/sarwar-to-be-new-saarc-secretary-general |date=7 March 2023 |website=[[The Kathmandu Post]] |access-date=26 March 2023 |archive-date=26 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230326214933/https://kathmandupost.com/national/2023/03/07/sarwar-to-be-new-saarc-secretary-general |url-status=live }}</ref>
| established            = {{Start date and age|8 December 1985|df=y|p=y}}
| GDP_PPP                = {{increase}} $18.279 trillion<ref>{{Cite web |title=GDP, PPP (current international $) - South Asia |url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.MKTP.PP.CD?locations=8S&most_recent_year_desc=true |website=World Bank |access-date=2025-01-01}}</ref>
| GDP_PPP_rank           =
| GDP_PPP_year           = 2023
| GDP_nominal            = {{increase}} $4.495 trillion<ref>{{Cite web |title=GDP (current US$) - South Asia |url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.MKTP.CD?end=2023&locations=8S&most_recent_year_desc=true&start=1960 |website=World Bank |access-date=2025-01-01}}</ref>
| GDP_nominal_rank       =
| GDP_nominal_year       = 2023
| currency               = {{collapsible list
|titlestyle = background:transparent;text-align:left;font-weight:normal;
|title = 8 currencies<hr/>
|[[Afghan afghani]] (؋) {{nowrap|([[ISO 4217|AFN]])}}<hr/>
|[[Bangladeshi taka]] (৳) {{nowrap|([[ISO 4217|BDT]])}}<hr/>
|[[Bhutanese ngultrum]] (Nu.) {{nowrap|([[ISO 4217|BTN]])}}<hr/>
|[[Indian rupee]] (₹) {{nowrap|([[ISO 4217|INR]])}}<hr/>
|[[Maldivian rufiyaa]] (.ރ) {{nowrap|([[ISO 4217|MVR]])}}<hr/>
|[[Nepalese rupee]] (रु) {{nowrap|([[ISO 4217|NPR]])}}<hr/>
|[[Pakistani rupee]] (₨) {{nowrap|([[ISO 4217|PKR]])}}<hr/>
|[[Sri Lankan rupee]] (රු) {{nowrap|([[ISO 4217|LKR]])}}<hr/>
}}
| time_zone              = [[Time in Afghanistan|AFT]], [[Pakistan Standard Time|PST]], [[Time in the Maldives|MVT]], [[Indian Standard Time|IST]], [[Sri Lanka Standard Time|SLST]], [[Nepal Standard Time|NPT]], [[Bangladesh Standard Time|BST]], [[Bhutan Time|BTT]]
| utc_offset             = [[UTC+4:30|+4:30]] to [[UTC+6|+6]]
| time_zone_DST          =
| DST_note               =
| utc_offset_DST         =
| calling_code           = {{collapsible list
|titlestyle = background:transparent;text-align:left;font-weight:normal;
|title = 8 codes
| Bangladesh  &nbsp;[[+880]]
| India       &nbsp;[[+91]]
| Pakistan    &nbsp;[[+92]]
| Afghanistan &nbsp;[[+93]]
| Sri Lanka   &nbsp;[[+94]]
| Maldives    &nbsp;[[+960]]
| Bhutan      &nbsp;[[+975]]
| Nepal       &nbsp;[[+977]]
}}
| cctld                  = {{collapsible list
|titlestyle = background:transparent;text-align:left;font-weight:normal;
|title = 8 ccTLDs
| [[.af]]
| [[.bd]]
| [[.bt]]
| [[.in]]
| [[.lk]]
| [[.mv]]
| [[.np]]
| [[.pk]]
}}
| official_website       = {{official URL}}
| area_rank              = 7th<!--gives link to list-->
| area_km2               = 5,222,321  <!--Do not remove per [[WP:MOSNUM]]-->
| area_sq_mi             = {{Convert|5,222,321 |km2|sqmi|disp=number}} <!--Do not remove per [[WP:MOSNUM]]-->
| percent_water          = 8%
| population_estimate    = 1,951,539,830<ref>{{Cite web |title=Population, total - South Asia |url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.TOTL?locations=8S |website=World Bank |access-date=2025-01-01 |archive-date=27 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240927051609/https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.TOTL?locations=8S |url-status=live }}</ref>
| population_estimate_rank = 1st<!--gives link to list-->
| population_estimate_year = 2023
| population_density_km2 = 405<ref name="auto">{{Cite web |title=Population density (people per sq. km of land area) - South Asia |url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/EN.POP.DNST?locations=8S |website=World Bank |access-date=2025-01-01 |archive-date=20 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240420044413/https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/EN.POP.DNST?locations=8S |url-status=live }}</ref>
| population_density_sq_mi = 1,050.4<ref name="auto"/>
| population_density_rank =
| HDI                    =
| HDI_year               =
| today                  =
}}
The '''South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation''' ('''SAARC''') is the regional [[intergovernmental organization]] and [[geopolitics|geopolitical]] union of states in [[South Asia]]. Its member states are [[Afghanistan]], [[Bangladesh]], [[Bhutan]], [[India]], [[Maldives]], [[Nepal]], [[Pakistan]], and [[Sri Lanka]]. SAARC comprises 3% of the world's land area, 21% of the [[world population|world's population]] and 5.21% (US$4.47 trillion)<ref name="imf.org">{{cite web |url=http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2015/01/weodata/weorept.aspx?pr.x=88&pr.y=15&sy=2015&ey=2015&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&c=512,556,513,514,558,564,524,534&s=NGDPD,PPPGDP&grp=0&a= |title=Report for Selected Countries and Subjects |work=imf.org |access-date=28 September 2016 |archive-date=2 July 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170702063426/http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2015/01/weodata/weorept.aspx?pr.x=88&pr.y=15&sy=2015&ey=2015&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&c=512%2C556%2C513%2C514%2C558%2C564%2C524%2C534&s=NGDPD%2CPPPGDP&grp=0&a= |url-status=live }}</ref> of the [[world economy|global economy]], as of 2021.
SAARC was founded in [[Dhaka]] on 8 December 1985.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://tribune.com.pk/story/1156839/rest-peace-saarc-tug-war-india-pakistan/ |title=Rest in peace SAARC: The tug of war between India and Pakistan |date=6 August 2016 |first=Naveed |last=Ahmad |work=[[The Express Tribune]] |access-date=7 August 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160807134934/http://tribune.com.pk/story/1156839/rest-peace-saarc-tug-war-india-pakistan/ |archive-date=7 August 2016 |url-status=live}}</ref> Its secretariat is based in [[Kathmandu]], Nepal. The organization promotes economic development and [[regional integration]].<ref name="Charter of SAARC">{{cite web |url=http://www.saarc-sec.org/SAARC-Charter/5/ |title=Charter of SAARC |website=SAARC Secretariat |access-date=10 November 2013 |archive-date=27 October 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161027045633/http://saarc-sec.org/SAARC-Charter/5/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> It launched the [[South Asian Free Trade Area]] in 2006.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://aric.adb.org/fta/south-asian-free-trade-area |title=South Asian Free Trade Area Free Trade Agreement |last=Center |first=Asia Regional Integration |website=aric.adb.org |access-date=2 March 2018 |archive-date=20 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200820234253/https://aric.adb.org/fta/south-asian-free-trade-area |url-status=live }}</ref> SAARC maintains permanent diplomatic relations at the United Nations as an observer and has developed links with multilateral entities, including the [[European Union]]. However, due to the geopolitical conflict between India and Pakistan and the situation in Afghanistan, the organization has been suspended for a long time, and India currently cooperates with its eastern neighbors through [[Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation|BIMSTEC]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Longtail-e-media |title=From SAARC to BIMSTEC: Neighborhood Perspective |url=https://www.aidiaasia.org/research-article/from-saarc-to-bimstec-neighborhood-perspective |access-date=6 May 2023 |website=aidiaasia.org |language=en-us |archive-date=6 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230506163745/https://www.aidiaasia.org/research-article/from-saarc-to-bimstec-neighborhood-perspective |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite magazine |title=BIMSTEC Gets a New Lease of Life |url=https://thediplomat.com/2022/04/bimstec-gets-a-new-lease-of-life/ |access-date=6 May 2023 |magazine=The Diplomat |language=en-US |archive-date=4 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230604173042/https://thediplomat.com/2022/04/bimstec-gets-a-new-lease-of-life/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
==Historical background==
The idea of co-operation among South Asian Countries was discussed in three conferences: the [[Asian Relations Conference]] held in New Delhi in April 1947; the Baguio Conference in the [[Philippines]] in May 1950; and the [[Colombo]] Powers Conference held in [[Sri Lanka]] in April 1954.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://jang.com.pk/important_events/saarc_2004/history.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304064044/http://jang.com.pk/important_events/saarc_2004/history.html |archive-date=4 March 2016 |url-status=dead |title=12th SAARC Summit Islamabad: History and Evolution of SAARC}}</ref>
{{Supranational Asian Bodies|align=left|size=310px}}
In the ending years of the 1970s, the seven inner South Asian nations that included Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, agreed upon the creation of a trade bloc and to provide a platform for the people of South Asia to work together in a spirit of friendship, trust, and understanding. President [[Ziaur Rahman]] of Bangladesh later wrote official letters to the leaders of the countries of South Asia, presenting his vision for the future of the region and compelling arguments for co-operation.<ref name="Daily Star, Sri Lanka">{{cite news |date=1 August 2008 |title=History and mission of SAARC |url=http://archives.dailynews.lk/2008/08/01/saarc02.asp |location=Colombo |newspaper=Daily News |access-date=10 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131110182400/http://archives.dailynews.lk/2008/08/01/saarc02.asp |archive-date=10 November 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref> During his visit to India in December 1977, Rahman discussed the issue of regional cooperation with the Indian Prime Minister, [[Morarji Desai]]. In the inaugural speech to the Colombo Plan Consultative Committee which met in Kathmandu also in 1977, [[King Birendra]] of Nepal gave a call for close regional cooperation among South Asian countries in sharing river waters.<ref name="NIHCR in Islamabad">{{cite web |last=Muhammad |first=Jamshed Iqbal |title=SAARC: Origin, Growth, Potential and Achievements |url=http://www.nihcr.edu.pk/Latest_English_Journal/SAARC_Jamshed_Iqbal.pdf |work=National Institute of Historical and Cultural Research in Islamabad |access-date=11 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131111092347/http://www.nihcr.edu.pk/Latest_English_Journal/SAARC_Jamshed_Iqbal.pdf |archive-date=11 November 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>
After the [[Soviet Union|USSR]]'s [[Soviet invasion of Afghanistan|intervention]] in [[Communist Afghanistan|Afghanistan]], efforts to establish the union were accelerated in 1979 amid the resulting rapid deterioration of the South Asian security situation.<ref name="NIHCR in Islamabad"/> Responding to Rahman and Birendra's convention, officials of the [[Foreign minister|foreign ministries]] of the [[South Asia|seven countries]] met for the first time in Colombo in April 1981.<ref name="NIHCR in Islamabad"/> The Bangladeshi proposal was promptly endorsed by Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, and Maldives, however India and Pakistan were sceptical initially.<ref name="NIHCR in Islamabad"/> The Indian concern was the proposal's reference to the security matters in South Asia and feared that Rahman's proposal for a regional organisation might provide an opportunity for new smaller neighbours to re-internationalize all bilateral issues and to join with each other to form an opposition against India. Pakistan assumed that it might be an Indian strategy to organize the other South Asian countries against Pakistan and ensure a regional market for Indian products, thereby consolidating and further strengthening India's economic dominance in the region.<ref name="NIHCR in Islamabad"/>
However, after a series of diplomatic consultations headed by Bangladesh between South Asian UN representatives at the [[UN headquarters]] in New York, from September 1979 to 1980, it was agreed that Bangladesh would prepare the draft of a working paper for discussion among the foreign secretaries of South Asian countries.<ref name="NIHCR in Islamabad"/> The foreign secretaries of the inner seven countries again delegated a [[Committee of the Whole]] in Colombo in September 1981, which identified five broad areas for regional cooperation. New areas of co-operation were added in the following years.<ref>
[http://saarc-sec.org/main.php?id=76 "A Brief on SAARC." South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081202114138/http://saarc-sec.org/main.php?id=76 |date=2 December 2008 }} No date. See for a complete historical account of SAARC e.g. Michael, Arndt (2013). India's Foreign Policy and Regional Multilateralism (Palgrave Macmillan), pp. 57–112.</ref>
In 1983, at the international conference held in [[Dhaka]] by its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the foreign ministers of the [[South Asia|inner seven countries]] adopted the Declaration on South Asian Association Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and formally launched the Integrated Programme of Action (IPA) initially in five agreed areas of cooperation, namely, Agriculture; Rural Development; Telecommunications; Meteorology; and Health and Population Activities.<ref name="Jang Media Group">{{cite web |url=http://jang.com.pk/important_events/saarc_2004/history.html |title=History and Evolution of SAARC |work=Jang Media Research Unit |access-date=11 November 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131111092417/http://jang.com.pk/important_events/saarc_2004/history.html |archive-date=11 November 2013 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) {{!}} Treaties & Regimes {{!}} NTI|url=https://www.nti.org/learn/treaties-and-regimes/south-asian-association-regional-cooperation-saarc/|access-date=13 September 2020|website=www.nti.org|archive-date=27 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200327195017/https://www.nti.org/learn/treaties-and-regimes/south-asian-association-regional-cooperation-saarc/|url-status=live}}</ref>
Officially, the union was established in [[Dhaka]] with [[Kathmandu]] being the union's secretariat-general.<ref name="About SAARC">{{cite web |url=http://www.mohe.gov.af/saarc.afg/about%20us.html |title=About SAARC |website=SAARC Secretariat |access-date=11 November 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131111090614/http://www.mohe.gov.af/saarc.afg/about%20us.html |archive-date=11 November 2013 }}</ref> The first SAARC summit was held in Dhaka on 7–8 December 1985 and hosted by the President of Bangladesh [[Hussain Muhammad Ershad|Hussain Ershad]].<ref name="SAARC Summit press, 1st Summit">{{cite web |url=http://www.saarc-sec.org/userfiles/01-Dhaka-1stSummit1985.pdf |title=1st Summit Declaration |work=SAARC Secretariat |access-date=10 November 2013 |archive-date=7 June 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160607131812/http://www.saarc-sec.org/userfiles/01-Dhaka-1stSummit1985.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> The declaration was signed by, namely, King of Bhutan [[Jigme Singye Wangchuk]]; President of Pakistan [[Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq|Zia-ul-Haq]]; Prime Minister of India [[Rajiv Gandhi]]; King of Nepal [[Birendra of Nepal|Birendra Shah]]; President of Sri Lanka [[Junius Richard Jayewardene|JR Jayewardene]]; and President of Maldives [[Maumoon Abdul Gayoom|Maumoon Gayoom]].<ref name="SAARC Summit press, 1st Summit" />
==Members and observers==
[[Economic data]] is sourced from the [[International Monetary Fund]], current as of November 2024 unless stated otherwise, and is given in [[United States dollar|US dollars]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2015/01/weodata/weorept.aspx?pr.x=54&pr.y=16&sy=2013&ey=2015&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&c=512,556,513,514,558,564,524,534&s=NGDPD,NGDPDPC,PPPGDP,PPPPC,LUR,LP,GGX&grp=0&a=|title=Report for Selected Countries and Subjects|work=World Economic Outlook Database|date=April 2015|publisher=International Monetary Fund|access-date=28 September 2016|archive-date=2 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170702045214/http://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2015/01/weodata/weorept.aspx?pr.x=54&pr.y=16&sy=2013&ey=2015&scsm=1&ssd=1&sort=country&ds=.&br=1&c=512,556,513,514,558,564,524,534&s=NGDPD,NGDPDPC,PPPGDP,PPPPC,LUR,LP,GGX&grp=0&a=|url-status=dead }}</ref>
===Members===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|+
|-
!scope=col| Country
!scope=col| Population{{UN_Population|ref}} ({{UN_Population|Year}})
!scope=col|[[List of countries by GDP (nominal)|GDP (nominal)]] [US$ million, 2024]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2019/02/weodata/index.aspx|title=World Economic Outlook Database|date=October 2019|website=International Monetary Fund|access-date=14 March 2020|archive-date=15 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191015153905/https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/weo/2019/02/weodata/index.aspx|url-status=live}}</ref>
!scope=col|[[List of countries by GDP (PPP)|GDP (PPP)]] [US$ million, 2024]
!scope=col|[[List of countries by GDP (nominal) per capita|GDP per capita<br />(Nominal)]]
!scope=col|[[List of countries by GDP (PPP) per capita|GDP per capita<br />(PPP)]]
!scope=col|[[List of countries by real GDP growth rate|GDP growth rate<br />(2024)]]
!scope=col|[[List of countries by exports|Exports<br />(US$ million, 2024 or earlier)]]
!scope=col|[[List of countries by received FDI|Foreign direct investment<br />(US$ million, 2023)]]
!scope=col|[[List of countries by foreign-exchange reserves|Foreign exchange reserves (US$ million)]]
!scope=col|Defence budget (US$ million)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.globalfirepower.com/defense-spending-budget.asp|title=Defense Budget by Country |website=Global Firepower |access-date=14 March 2020|archive-date=22 December 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201222122105/https://www.globalfirepower.com/defense-spending-budget.asp|url-status=live}}</ref>
!scope=col|[[List of countries by literacy rate|Literacy rate (above age 15)]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Data for South Asia, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Pakistan, Sri Lanka |url=https://data.worldbank.org/?locations=8S-AF-BD-BT-IN-MV-PK-LK |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=World Bank Open Data}}</ref>
!scope=col|[[List of countries by life expectancy|Life expectancy]]
!scope=col|[[List of countries by percentage of population living in poverty|Population below poverty line]]
!scope=col|Primary school enrolment<ref>{{Cite web |title=School enrollment, secondary (% gross) |url=https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SE.SEC.ENRR |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=World Bank Open Data |archive-date=1 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241201024424/https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SE.SEC.ENRR |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Development (SARTSD) |first=South Asia Region Team for Statistical |url=https://worldbank.github.io/SARMD_guidelines/note-school.html |title=Chapter 13 School enrollment in South Asia {{!}} South Asia Regional Micro Database (SARMD) User Guidelines |archive-date=20 August 2024 |access-date=15 November 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240820025412/https://worldbank.github.io/SARMD_guidelines/note-school.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
!scope=col|Secondary school enrollment<ref>{{cite web |url=http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SE.SEC.ENRR/countries |title=Gross enrollment ratio, secondary, both sexes (%) - Data |publisher=World Bank |access-date=2 June 2015 |archive-date=16 May 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150516152545/http://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SE.SEC.ENRR/countries |url-status=live }}</ref>
!scope=col|Population undernourished (%)
!scope=col|Human Development Index
!scope=col|Democracy Index
!scope=col|Global Terrorism Index
|-
! scope=row style="text-align:left;" | {{flag|Afghanistan|2013}}<!--IRA flag still used by SAARC and Taliban not recognized as the rightful government of Afghanistan by SAARC, see their website-->
| {{UN_Population|Afghanistan}} || $14,467 || $72,512 || $411 || $2,116
|
| $1,476 || $20.6 || $443 || $1,100<ref>{{Cite web |last=Times |first=Zan |date=2023-05-11 |title=Analyzing the Taliban budget for 2023-24: Prioritizing military spending over citizen welfare |url=https://zantimes.com/2023/05/11/analyzing-the-taliban-budget-for-2023-24-prioritizing-military-spending-over-citizen-welfare/ |access-date=2024-11-15 |website=Zan Times |language=en-US |archive-date=28 August 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240828055011/https://zantimes.com/2023/05/11/analyzing-the-taliban-budget-for-2023-24-prioritizing-military-spending-over-citizen-welfare/ |url-status=live }}</ref> || 37.3% || 63.67 || 42% || 88% || 54% || 28.5%
|0.462
(182)
|0.26
(167)
|9.233
(1)
|-
! scope=row style="text-align:left;" | {{flag|Bangladesh}}
| {{UN_Population|Bangladesh}} || $451,468 || $1,690,000 || $2,825 || $9,876 || 5.4% || $60,138 || $1,385.16 || $25,500 || $5,200 || 75.2% || 73.10 || 24.3% || 98% || 79% || 15.1%
|0.670
(129)
|5.87
(75)
|0
(124)
|-
! scope=row style="text-align:left;" | {{flag|Bhutan}}
| {{UN_Population|Bhutan}} || $3,110 || $12,980 || $4,068 || $16,754 || 5.2% || $791 || $11.92 || $972 || $7.3<ref>{{Cite journal |last= |first= |date=June 2024 |title=National Budget Financial Year 2024-25 |url=https://www.mof.gov.bt/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Budget-Report-2024-25-English.pdf |journal=Ministry of Finance, Government of Bhutan}}</ref>|| 66.6% || 70.20 || 12% || 97% || 78% || 8.7%
|0.681
(125)
|5.54
(81)
|0.305
(107)
|-
! scope=row style="text-align:left;" | {{flag|India}}
| {{UN_Population|India}} || $3,889,130 || $16,024,460 || $2,698 || $11,112 || 7.0% || $773,223 || $28,070.21 || $675,653 || $81,400 || 77.7% || 70.1 || 21.9% || 97% || 75% || 14.2%
|0.644
(134)
|7.18
(41)
|4.222
(11)
|-
! scope=row style="text-align:left;" | {{flag|Maldives}}
| {{UN_Population|Maldives}} || $7,199 || $13,870 || $17,287 || $34,322 || 4.7% || $5,096 || $761.52 || $588 || $55 || 97% || 77.34 || 16% || 97% || N/A || 3.1%
|0.762
(87)
|N/A
|N/A
|-
! scope=row style="text-align:left;" | {{flag|Nepal}}
| {{UN_Population|Nepal}} || $43,673 || $169,120 || $1,381 || $5,348 || 3.1% || $2,722 || $73.83 || $18,400 || $400 || 67.9% || 70.25 || 13.4% || 97% || 67% || 11.2%
|0.601
(146)
|4.6
(98)
|4.791
(32)
|-
! scope=row style="text-align:left;" | {{flag|Pakistan}}
| {{UN_Population|Pakistan}} || $374,595 || $1,580,000 || $1,588 || $6,715 || 2.4% || $38,700 || $1,818 || $15,965 || $11,000 || 58% || 66.48 || 24.3% || 92% || 34% || 18.3%
|0.540
(164)
|3.25
(118)
|10
(10)
|-
! scope=row style="text-align:left;" | {{flag|Sri Lanka}}
| {{UN_Population|Sri Lanka}} || $74,846 || $319,248 || $3,330 || $14,255
|
| $13,082 || $711.83 || $6,467 || $2,000 || 92.2% || 75.28 || 6.7% || 99% || 77% || 9.8%
|0.780
(79)
|6.17
(70)
|4.077
(42)
|}
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|+Membership in other bodies
|-
!scope=col| Country
!scope=col|G20
!scope=col|[[BRICS]]
!scope=col|[[BIMSTEC]]
!scope=col|[[Indian-Ocean Rim Association|IORA]]
!scope=col|[[Asia-Pacific Trade Agreement|APTA]]
!scope=col|[[BBIN]]
!scope=col|[[SASEC]]
!scope=col|[[AIIB]]
!scope=col|[[Asian Clearing Union|ACU]]
!scope=col|ACD
!scope=col|[[Asian Development Bank|ADB]]
!scope=col|World Bank
!scope=col|Nuclear weapons
|-
! scope=row style="text-align:left;" | {{flag|Afghanistan|2013}}<!--IRA flag still used by SAARC and Taliban not recognized as the rightful government of Afghanistan by SAARC, see their website-->
|✖
|✖
|✖
|✖
|✖
|✖
|✖
|✖
|✖
|✔
|✔
|✔
|✖
|-
! scope=row style="text-align:left;" | {{flag|Bangladesh}}
|✖
|✖
|✔
|✔
|✔
|✔
|✔
|✔
|✔
|✔
|✔
|✔
|✖
|-
! scope=row style="text-align:left;" | {{flag|Bhutan}}
|✖
|✖
|✔
|✖
|✖
|✔
|✔
|✖
|✔
|✔
|✔
|✔
|✖
|-
! scope=row style="text-align:left;" | {{flag|India}}
|✔
|✔
|✔
|✔
|✔
|✔
|✔
|✔
|✔
|✔
|✔
|✔
|✔
|-
! scope=row style="text-align:left;" | {{flag|Maldives}}
|✖
|✖
|✖
|✖
|✖
|✖
|✔
|✔
|✔
|✖
|✔
|✔
|✖
|-
! scope=row style="text-align:left;" | {{flag|Nepal}}
|✖
|✖
|✔
|✖
|✖
|✔
|✔
|✔
|✔
|✔
|✔
|✔
|✖
|-
! scope=row style="text-align:left;" | {{flag|Pakistan}}
|✖
|✖
|✖
|✖
|✖
|✖
|✖
|✔
|✔
|✔
|✔
|✔
|✔
|-
! scope=row style="text-align:left;" | {{flag|Sri Lanka}}
|✖
|✖
|✔
|✔
|✔
|✖
|✔
|✔
|✔
|✔
|✔
|✔
|✖
|}
The member states are [[Afghanistan]], [[Bangladesh]], [[Bhutan]], [[India]], the [[Maldives]], [[Nepal]], [[Pakistan]], and [[Sri Lanka]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.saarc-sec.org/ |title=South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation |website=SAARC Secretariat |access-date=27 June 2014 |archive-date=28 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161228044459/http://www.saarc-sec.org/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
SAARC was founded by seven states in 1985. In 2005, Afghanistan began negotiating their accession to SAARC and formally applied for membership in the same year.<ref name="rediff web services">{{cite news |date=28 August 2005 |title=Afghanistan keen to join SAARC |url=http://www.rediff.com/news/2005/aug/28afghan3.htm |newspaper=rediff web services |access-date=11 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131111112752/http://www.rediff.com/news/2005/aug/28afghan3.htm |archive-date=11 November 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Dawn news, 2007">{{cite news |date=4 April 2004 |title=Afghanistan inducted as 8th member: 14th Saarc summit begins |url=http://dawn.com/news/240651/afghanistan-inducted-as-8th-member-14th-saarc-summit-begins |newspaper=Dawn |access-date=11 November 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131111114051/http://dawn.com/news/240651/afghanistan-inducted-as-8th-member-14th-saarc-summit-begins |archive-date=11 November 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref> The issue of Afghanistan joining SAARC generated a great deal of debate in each member state, including concerns about the definition of South Asian identity<ref name="Routledge">{{cite book |last=Sáez |first=Lawrence |date=2012 |title=The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC): An emerging collaboration architecture |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=yTzKWI42uR4C&pg=PT58 |publisher=Routledge |location=Abingdon, Oxon |pages=58– |isbn=978-1-136-67108-1}}</ref> because Afghanistan is [[Indian subcontinent#Geopolitics|considered a Central Asian country]], while it is neither accepted as a Middle Eastern country, nor as a Central Asian country, or as part of the [[Indian subcontinent]], other than being only in part of South Asia.<ref name="anderson5">{{cite book |author1=Ewan W. Anderson |author2=Liam D. Anderson |title=An Atlas of Middle Eastern Affairs |date=4 December 2013 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=n-VJAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA5 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-136-64862-5 |page=5}}, Quote: "To the east, Iran, as a Gulf state, offers a generally accepted limit to the Middle East. However, Afghanistan, also a Muslim state, is then left in isolation. It is not accepted as a part of Central Asia and it is clearly not part of the Indian subcontinent".</ref>
SAARC member states imposed a stipulation for Afghanistan to hold a [[2005 Afghan parliamentary election|general election]]; the [[non-partisan]] elections were held in late 2005.<ref name="Routledge"/> Despite initial reluctance and internal debates, [[Afghanistan]] joined SAARC as its eighth member state in April 2007.<ref name="Routledge"/><ref>O'Rourke, Breffni. "[https://www.rferl.org/a/1075660.html South Asia: Afghanistan Joins World's Largest Regional Grouping] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201031082350/https://www.rferl.org/a/1075660.html |date=31 October 2020 }}." Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 3 April 2007.</ref>
Despite the [[2021 Taliban offensive|takeover of Afghanistan by the Taliban in 2021]], Afghanistan is still a member of SAARC, despite calls for their suspension and none of the other SAARC members recognizing the Taliban government.<ref>{{cite web |title=Making a case for suspending Afghanistan from SAARC to prevent the crippling of the organisation |url=https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/suspending-afghanistan-from-saarc-and-international-law/ |website=[[Observer Research Foundation]] |access-date=5 October 2023 |archive-date=26 November 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231126160230/https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/suspending-afghanistan-from-saarc-and-international-law |url-status=live }}</ref> The issue was further exasperated as it was Afghanistan's turn to select a Secretary General for SAARC in 2023. All other members decided to skip Afghanistan and award the selection to Bangladesh, with Nepali foreign secretary, [[Bharat Raj Paudyal]], stating that "When the term of the Bangladeshi secretary general ends, if the problems in Afghanistan are resolved, the new secretary general will be from Afghanistan, not from Bhutan."<ref>{{cite web |title=SAARC Secretary General Position not awarded to Afghanistan |url=https://theprint.in/world/saarc-secretary-general-position-not-awarded-to-afghanistan/1437279/ |website=[[ThePrint]] |access-date=5 October 2023 |date=12 March 2023 |archive-date=3 June 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230603070012/https://theprint.in/world/saarc-secretary-general-position-not-awarded-to-afghanistan/1437279/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Bangladesh will get to pick new Saarc secretary general |url=https://kathmandupost.com/national/2023/02/19/bangladesh-will-get-to-pick-new-saarc-secretary-general |website=[[kathmandu post]] |access-date=5 October 2023 |language=English |archive-date=22 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230322225954/https://kathmandupost.com/national/2023/02/19/bangladesh-will-get-to-pick-new-saarc-secretary-general |url-status=live }}</ref>
===Observer countries===
States with observer status include<ref name="obs">{{cite web |url=http://saarc-sec.org/Cooperation-with-Observers/13/ |title=Cooperation with Observers |website=SAARC Secretariat |access-date=8 March 2014 |archive-date=25 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161225211433/http://www.saarc-sec.org/Cooperation-with-Observers/13/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> Australia,<ref name="australia">{{cite web |url=http://www.colombopage.com/archive_08/July3042729CH.html |title=Sri Lanka, 7 - 30 - 2008: Australia and Myanmar to admit as SAARC observers - Sri Lanka official |work=ColomboPage |access-date=31 July 2008 |archive-date=2 June 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170602171703/http://www.colombopage.com/archive_08/July3042729CH.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> China, the European Union, Iran, Japan,<ref name="observers">{{cite news |url=http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fullstory.asp?filename=6a6Za3za.9amal&folder=aHaoamW&Name=Home&dtSiteDate=20060802 |title=SAARC To Grant Observer Status To US, S Korea, EU |access-date=2 August 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090209052654/http://www.thehimalayantimes.com/fullstory.asp?filename=6a6Za3za.9amal&folder=aHaoamW&Name=Home&dtSiteDate=20060802 |work=The Himalayan Times |archive-date=9 February 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Mauritius,<ref name="mauritius">{{cite news |url=http://www.island.lk/2008/07/23/news2.html |title=Australia, Myanmar seek SAARC observer status |work=The Island |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200710212555/http://www.island.lk/2008/07/23/news2.html |archive-date=10 July 2020}}</ref> Myanmar, South Korea, and the United States.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.saarc-sec.org/Cooperation-with-Observers/13/ |title=Cooperation with Observers |website=SAARC Secretariat |access-date=16 November 2012 |archive-date=25 December 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161225211433/http://www.saarc-sec.org/Cooperation-with-Observers/13/ |url-status=dead }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://saarc-sec.org/external_relations/details/relations-with-observers |title=SAARC SECRETARIAT |website=saarc-sec.org |access-date=11 April 2020 |archive-date=11 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200411062527/http://saarc-sec.org/external_relations/details/relations-with-observers |url-status=dead }}</ref>
China's 2007 application for observer status received strong support from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Nepal, and Pakistan.<ref name=Kelegama>{{Cite book |last=Kelegama |first=Saman |url= |title=The new great game : China and South and Central Asia in the era of reform |date=2016 |publisher=[[Stanford University Press]] |others=Thomas Fingar |isbn=978-0-8047-9764-1 |location=Stanford, California |pages=192 |chapter=China as a Balancer in South Asia |oclc=939553543 |author-link=Saman Kelegama}}</ref> Other South Asian members of SAARC agreed to support China's observer status, but were not as strongly in favor.<ref name=Kelegama />
On 2 August 2006, the foreign ministers of SAARC countries agreed in principle to grant observer status to three applicants;<ref name="Observer">
[http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=68654965-9d60-4718-ae85-82acf647aa45 "SAARC to grant observer status to US, S Korea, EU] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081210145826/http://www.hindustantimes.com/StoryPage/StoryPage.aspx?id=68654965-9d60-4718-ae85-82acf647aa45 |date=10 December 2008 }} ." ''Hindustan Times.'' 2 August 2006.
</ref> the US and South Korea (both made requests in April 2006),<ref name="Observer"/> as well as the European Union (requested in July 2006).<ref>
[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4900498.stm Waliur Rahman. "US and S Korea to observe SAARC." BBC News] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060412181955/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4900498.stm |date=12 April 2006 }}, 11 April 2008.
</ref> On 4 March 2007, Iran requested observer status,<ref>{{cite news |date=4 March 2007 |title=Iran requests for observer status in SAARC |url=http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2007-03/04/content_818998.htm |newspaper=China Daily |access-date=29 October 2015 |archive-date=24 September 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200924213057/http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2007-03/04/content_818998.htm |url-status=live }}</ref> followed shortly by Mauritius.
===Potential future members===
Myanmar has expressed interest in upgrading its status from an observer to a full member of SAARC.<ref name="orfonline.org">{{cite web |url=http://www.orfonline.org/cms/sites/orfonline/modules/analysis/AnalysisDetail.html?cmaid=14854&mmacmaid=14855 |title=SAARC and Myanmar: Observer Research Foundation |access-date=6 December 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131212141859/http://www.orfonline.org/cms/sites/orfonline/modules/analysis/AnalysisDetail.html?cmaid=14854&mmacmaid=14855 |archive-date=12 December 2013 |url-status=dead}}</ref> China has requested joining SAARC.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Kumar |first=S. Y. Surendra |date=December 2015 |title=China's SAARC membership: The debate |url=https://icsum.org.my/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/IJCSV6N3-FULL-ISSUE-1.pdf |journal=International Journal of China Studies |volume=6 |issue=3 |pages=299–311 |access-date=20 October 2020 |archive-date=18 July 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200718161618/https://icsum.org.my/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/IJCSV6N3-FULL-ISSUE-1.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> Russia has applied for observer status membership of SAARC.<ref name="The Economic Times">{{cite news |date=16 February 2014 |title=Russia, Turkey seek observer status in SAARC |url=http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/russia-turkey-seek-observer-status-in-saarc/articleshow/30517011.cms |work=The Economic Times |agency=Indo-Asian News Service |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170623012720/http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/russia-turkey-seek-observer-status-in-saarc/articleshow/30517011.cms |archive-date=23 June 2017}}</ref><ref name="cris.unu.edu">
[http://www.cris.unu.edu/fileadmin/workingpapers/W-2008-8_01.pdf SAARC The Changing Dimensions: UNU-CRIS Working Papers United Nations University] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131020123535/http://www.cris.unu.edu/fileadmin/workingpapers/W-2008-8_01.pdf |date=20 October 2013 }} , Comparative Regional Integration Studies
</ref><ref name="news.oneindia.in">
[http://news.oneindia.in/2006/11/22/russia-keen-to-join-saarc-as-observer-1164200695.html Russia keen to join SAARC as observer] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130424213547/http://news.oneindia.in/2006/11/22/russia-keen-to-join-saarc-as-observer-1164200695.html |date=24 April 2013 }}, Oneindia News
</ref> [[Turkey]] applied for observer status membership of SAARC in 2012.<ref name="The Economic Times"/><ref name="cris.unu.edu"/><ref name="news.oneindia.in"/> South Africa has participated in meetings.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/uncategorized/saarc-nations-call-for-transparency-in-social-sector_10024810.html |title=SAARC nations call for transparency in social sector |work=thaindian.com |access-date=7 March 2008 |archive-date=4 April 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080404230053/http://www.thaindian.com/newsportal/uncategorized/saarc-nations-call-for-transparency-in-social-sector_10024810.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[Indonesia]], [[Jordan]], Canada, New Zealand, Ireland, [[Saudi Arabia]], the United Kingdom and [[Yemen]] have expressed interest.{{citation needed|date=September 2021}}
==Secretariat==
[[File:SAARC Secretariat at Kathmandu.JPG|thumb|Secretariat of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation in [[Kathmandu]], Nepal]]
The SAARC Secretariat was established in Kathmandu on 16 January 1987 and was inaugurated by the late King [[Birendra of Nepal|Birendra Bir Bikram Shah]] of Nepal.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://archives.dailynews.lk/2008/07/26/fea01.asp |title=SAARC: Towards greater integration in South Asia |work=Daily News |access-date=5 June 2017 |archive-date=7 August 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807010226/http://archives.dailynews.lk/2008/07/26/fea01.asp |url-status=live }}</ref>
===Specialized bodies===
SAARC member states have created the following specialized bodies of SAARC in the member states which have special mandates and structures different from the regional centers. These bodies are managed by their respective governing boards composed of representatives from all the member states, the representative of H.E. secretary-general of SAARC and the ministry of foreign/external affairs of the host government. The heads of these bodies act as member secretary to the governing board which reports to the programming committee of SAARC.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+
!scope=col|Specialized Body
!scope=col|Location
!scope=col|Country
!scope=col|Website
|-
!scope=row|SAARC Arbitration Council (SARCO)
|Islamabad
|Pakistan
|[http://sarco-sec.org/ www.sarco-sec.org]
|-
!scope=row|[[SAARC Development Fund]] (SDF)
|Thimphu
|Bhutan
|[http://www.sdfsec.org/ www.sdfsec.org]
|-
!scope=row|[[South Asian University]] (SAU)
|New Delhi
|India
|[http://www.sau.int/ www.sau.int]
|-
!scope=row|South Asian Regional Standards Organization (SARSO)
|Dhaka
|Bangladesh
|[http://www.sarso.org.bd/ www.sarso.org.bd]
|}
===Regional Centres===
The SAARC Secretariat is supported by following Regional Centres established in the Member States to promote regional co-operation. These Centres are managed by Governing Boards comprising representatives from all the Member States, SAARC Secretary-General and the Ministry of Foreign/External Affairs of the Host Government. The Director of the Centre acts as Member Secretary to the Governing Board which reports to the Programming Committee. After 31 December 2015, there 6 regional centers were stopped by unanimous decision. These are SMRC, SFC, SDC, SCZMC, SIC, SHRDC.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://saarc-sec.org/saarc-regional-centres |title=Saarc Secretariat |access-date=8 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170809040239/http://saarc-sec.org/saarc-regional-centres |archive-date=9 August 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"http://saarc-sec.org/saarc-regional-centres {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170809040239/http://saarc-sec.org/saarc-regional-centres |date=9 August 2017 }}
|- "
! Regional Centre !! Location !! Country !! Website
|-
|[[SAARC Agriculture Centre]] (SAC)|| [[Dhaka]] || Bangladesh || {{Official website|http://www.sac.org.bd/}}
|-
|[[SAARC Meteorological Research Centre]] (SMRC) || Dhaka || Bangladesh ||
|-
|SAARC Forestry Centre (SFC)|| [[Thimphu]] || Bhutan ||
|-
|SAARC Documentation Centre (SDC) || [[New Delhi]] || India ||
|-
|SAARC Disaster Management Centre (SDMC)|| [[Gandhinagar]] || India || {{Official website|http://saarc-sdmc.org//}}
|-
|SAARC Coastal Zone Management Centre (SCZMC) || [[Malé]] || Maldives ||
|-
|SAARC Information Centre (SIC) || [[Kathmandu]] || Nepal ||
|-
|SAARC Tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS Centre (STAC)|| Bhaktapur || Nepal || {{Official website|http://www.saarctb.org/}}
|-
|SAARC Human Resources Development Centre (SHRDC) || [[Islamabad]] || Pakistan ||
|-
|SAARC Energy Centre (SEC)|| Islamabad || Pakistan || {{Official website|http://www.saarcenergy.org/}}
|-
|SAARC Cultural Centre (SCC)|| [[Colombo]] || Sri Lanka || {{Official website|http://www.saarcculture.org/}}
|}
===Anthem===
SAARC does not have an official anthem as yet like some other regional organizations (e.g. ASEAN).<ref name="hindustantimes.com">
[http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/will-saarc-have-an-anthem-like-asean/article1-1281988.aspx#sthash.PjRuwc4J.dpuf Will SAARC have an anthem-like ASEAN?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141104203101/http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/will-saarc-have-an-anthem-like-asean/article1-1281988.aspx#sthash.PjRuwc4J.dpuf |date=4 November 2014 }} Hindustan Times, 3 November 2014
</ref>
==Apex and Recognized Bodies==
SAARC has six Apex Bodies,<ref name="saarc-sec.org">{{cite web|url=http://www.saarc-sec.org/Apex-and-Recognised-Bodies/14/|title=South Asian Association For Regional Cooperation&nbsp;— Apex and Recognised Bodies|work=saarc-sec.org|access-date=28 May 2013|archive-date=30 May 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130530142634/http://saarc-sec.org/Apex-and-Recognised-Bodies/14/|url-status=dead}}</ref> they are:
* [[SAARC Chamber of Commerce & Industry]] (SCCI),
* [[South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation Secretariat|South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation]] in Law (SAARCLAW),<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.saarclaw.org/index.php|title=SAARCLAW&nbsp;— South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation in Law|work=saarclaw.org|access-date=9 June 2013|archive-date=6 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806201822/http://www.saarclaw.org/index.php|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[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)
SAARC also has about 18 recognized bodies.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://saarc-sec.org/saarc-recognized-bodies |title=SAARC Recognized Bodies |website=SAARC Secretariat |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170403192809/http://saarc-sec.org/saarc-recognized-bodies |archive-date=3 April 2017}}</ref>
==SAARC Disaster Management Centre==
The SAARC Disaster Management Centre (SDMC) is a regional organization established to enhance disaster risk management and response within the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) member states. Its primary objective is to provide policy advice, technical support, capacity building, and training for comprehensive disaster risk management in the region.
SAARC SDMC
'''Key Functions:'''
* '''Policy Advice and Technical Support:''' SDMC offers guidance on disaster management policies and assists in developing systems to improve disaster resilience.
* '''Capacity Building and Training:''' The center conducts training programs and workshops to strengthen the disaster management capabilities of member states.
* '''Information Exchange:''' Facilitates the sharing of information and expertise among member countries to enhance collaborative disaster risk management efforts.
'''Initiatives:'''
* '''South Asian Disaster Knowledge Network:''' A platform for sharing disaster-related information and best practices across the region.
* '''South Asia Digital Vulnerability Atlas (SADVA):''' An initiative aimed at mapping and analyzing disaster vulnerabilities in South Asia.
==Political issues==
Lasting peace and prosperity in South Asia has been elusive because of the various ongoing conflicts in the region. Political dialogue is often conducted on the margins of SAARC meetings which have refrained from interfering in the internal matters of its member states.<ref>See for this aspect Michael, Arndt (2013). Sovereignty vs. Security: SAARC and its Role in the Regional Security Architecture in South Asia. Harvard Asia Quarterly Summer 2013, Vol. VX, No.2: 37-45</ref> During the 12th and 13th SAARC summits, extreme emphasis was laid upon greater cooperation between SAARC members to fight terrorism.<ref>{{cite book |last=Jhawar |first=Shiv |date=2004 |title=Building a Noble World |page=44 |publisher=Noble World Foundation |isbn=978-0-9749197-0-6}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://nobelprize.org/|title=The Nobel Peace Prize for 2012|access-date=12 October 2012|archive-date=5 April 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060405023917/http://nobelprize.org/|url-status=live}}</ref>
The 19th SAARC summit scheduled to be held in Pakistan was called off as India, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Afghanistan decided to boycott it due to [[2016 Uri attack|a terrorist attack on an army camp in Uri]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.geo.tv/latest/116144-SAARC-conference-in-Pakistan-postponed-confirm-official-sources |title=SAARC conference in Pakistan postponed |access-date=21 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170210001802/https://www.geo.tv/latest/116144-SAARC-conference-in-Pakistan-postponed-confirm-official-sources |archive-date=10 February 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/dhaka-kabul-thimphu-too-blame-islamabad-saarc-summit-to-be-called-off-3054953/ |title=SAARC summit to be called off as Dhaka, Kabul and Thimphu too slam Islamabad |work=The Indian Express |date=29 September 2016 |access-date=21 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161226165027/http://indianexpress.com/article/india/india-news-india/dhaka-kabul-thimphu-too-blame-islamabad-saarc-summit-to-be-called-off-3054953/ |archive-date=26 December 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref> It was the first time that four countries boycotted a SAARC summit, leading to its cancellation.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/saarc-summit-collapses-after-india-and-3-other-members-pull-out/story-kIMWfSqirGLzB6MEfuS3CN.html |title=Saarc summit collapses after India and three other members pull out |work=Hindustan Times |date=28 September 2016 |access-date=21 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161028090857/http://www.hindustantimes.com/world-news/saarc-summit-collapses-after-india-and-3-other-members-pull-out/story-kIMWfSqirGLzB6MEfuS3CN.html |archive-date=28 October 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.dawn.com/news/1286684 |title=Saarc summit in Pakistan postponed after member states pull out |work=Dawn |date=28 September 2016 |access-date=21 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170201081742/http://www.dawn.com/news/1286684 |archive-date=1 February 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref>
SAARC has generally been ineffective at achieving enhanced regionalism.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Kelegama |first=Saman |url= |title=The new great game : China and South and Central Asia in the era of reform |date=2016 |publisher=[[Stanford University Press]] |others=Thomas Fingar |isbn=978-0-8047-9764-1 |location=Stanford, California |pages=191 |chapter=China as a Balancer in South Asia |oclc=939553543 |author-link=Saman Kelegama}}</ref>
==South Asian Free Trade Area==
[[File:SAARC.PNG|thumb|right|upright=1.35|Countries under the South Asian Free Trade Area]]{{See also|South Asian Free Trade Area}}
The SAFTA was envisaged primarily as the first step towards the transition to a [[South Asian Free Trade Area|South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA)]] leading subsequently towards a Customs Union, Common Market and the Economic Union. In 1995, Sixteenth session of the Council of Ministers (New Delhi, 18–19 December 1995) agreed on the need to strive for the realization of SAFTA and to this end, an Inter-Governmental Expert Group (IGEG) was set up in 1996 to identify the necessary steps for progressing to a free trade area. The Tenth SAARC Summit ([[Colombo]], 29–31 July 1998) decided to set up a Committee of Experts (COE) to draft a comprehensive treaty framework for creating a free trade area within the region, taking into consideration the asymmetries in development within the region and bearing in mind the need to fix realistic and achievable targets.
The SAFTA Agreement was signed on 6 January 2004 during Twelfth SAARC Summit held in [[Islamabad]], Pakistan.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.gtap.agecon.purdue.edu/resources/download/2977.pdf |title=Challenges and opportunities for Pakistan under SAFTA |first1=Asif |last1=Maqbool |first2=Muhammad Waqas Alam |last2=Chattha |first3=Masood |last3=Azeem |access-date=27 January 2022 |archive-date=9 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220109165035/https://www.gtap.agecon.purdue.edu/resources/download/2977.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> The Agreement entered into force on 1 January 2006, and the Trade Liberalization Programme commenced from 1 July 2006.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://commerce.gov.in/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/safta.pdf |title=Agreement on South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) |website=Department of Commerce |access-date=9 January 2022 |archive-date=8 April 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230408062712/https://commerce.gov.in/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/safta.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> Under this agreement, SAARC members will bring their duties down to 20 percent by 2009. Following the Agreement coming into force the SAFTA Ministerial Council (SMC) has been established comprising the Commerce Ministers of the Member States.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.saarc-sec.org/areaofcooperation/detail.php?activity_id=5 |title=South Asian Association For Regional Cooperation&nbsp;— Area of Cooperation |work=saarc-sec.org |access-date=18 November 2012 |archive-date=8 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200408103413/http://www.saarc-sec.org/areaofcooperation/detail.php?activity_id=5 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 2012 SAARC exports increased substantially to $354.6 billion from $206.7 billion in 2009.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.eximbankindia.in/Assets/Dynamic/PDF/Publication-Resources/ResearchPapers/43file.pdf |title=Potential for Enhancing Intra-SAARC Trade: A Brief Analysis |website=Export-Import Bank of India |access-date=9 January 2022 |archive-date=9 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220109165036/https://www.eximbankindia.in/Assets/Dynamic/PDF/Publication-Resources/ResearchPapers/43file.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref> Imports too increased from $330 billion to $602 billion over the same period. But the intra-SAARC trade amounts to just a little over 1% of SAARC's GDP. In contrast to SAARC, in [[ASEAN]] (which is actually smaller than SAARC in terms of the size of the economy) the intra-bloc trade stands at 10% of its GDP.
The SAFTA was envisaged to gradually move towards the South Asian Economic Union, but the current intra-regional trade and investment relation are not encouraging and it may be difficult to achieve this target. SAARC intra-regional trade stands at just five percent on the share of intra-regional trade in overall trade in South Asia. Similarly, [[foreign direct investment]] is also dismal. The intra-regional FDI flow stands at around four percent of the total foreign investment.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://thehimalayantimes.com/business/safta-meet-likely-next-month/ |title=SAFTA meet likely next month |work=The Himalayan Times |date=25 March 2016 |access-date=22 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202035248/http://thehimalayantimes.com/business/safta-meet-likely-next-month/ |archive-date=2 February 2017 |url-status=live }}</ref>
The [[Asian Development Bank]] has estimated that inter-regional trade in SAARC region possessed the potential of shooting up agricultural exports by $14 billion per year from existing level of $8 billion to $22 billion. The study by [[Asian Development Bank]] states that against the potential average SAARC intra-regional trade of $22 billion per year, the actual trade in South Asia has been only around $8 billion. The uncaptured potential for intra-regional trade is therefore $14 billion per year, i.e., 68%.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/142861-ADB-urges-Safta-to-exploit-rich-trade-potential-of-member-countries |title=ADB urges Safta to exploit rich trade potential of member countries |work=The News International |access-date=22 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202004901/https://www.thenews.com.pk/print/142861-ADB-urges-Safta-to-exploit-rich-trade-potential-of-member-countries |archive-date=2 February 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/Coming-closer-together-for-trade/article14628676.ece |title=Coming closer together for trade |newspaper=The Hindu |date=8 September 2016 |last1=Ranjan |first1=Prabhash |access-date=22 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161203104015/http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/Coming-closer-together-for-trade/article14628676.ece |archive-date=3 December 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref>
==SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme==
The SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme was launched in 1992. The leaders at the Fourth Summit (Islamabad, 29–31 December 1988), realizing the importance of people-to-people contact among SAARC countries, decided that certain categories of dignitaries should be entitled to a Special Travel document. The document would exempt them from visas within the region. As directed by the Summit, the Council of Ministers regularly kept under review the list of entitled categories.
Currently, the list included 24 categories of entitled persons, which include dignitaries, judges of higher courts, parliamentarians, senior officials, entrepreneurs, journalists, and athletes.
The Visa Stickers are issued by the respective Member States to the entitled categories of that particular country. The validity of the Visa Sticker is generally for one year. The implementation is reviewed regularly by the Immigration Authorities of SAARC Member States.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.saarc-sec.org/SAARC-Visa-Exemption-Scheme/100/|title=South Asian Association For Regional Cooperation&nbsp;— SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme|work=saarc-sec.org|access-date=18 November 2012|archive-date=6 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200806231500/http://www.saarc-sec.org/SAARC-Visa-Exemption-Scheme/100/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
==Awards==
===SAARC Award===
The Twelfth (12th) Summit approved the SAARC Award to support individuals and organizations within the region. The main aims of the SAARC Award are:
* To encourage individuals and organizations based in South Asia to undertake programmes and activities that complement the efforts of SAARC.
* To encourage individuals and organizations in South Asia contributing to bettering the conditions of women and children.
* To honour outstanding contributions and achievements of individuals and organizations within the region in the fields of peace, development, poverty alleviation, environmental protection, and regional cooperation.
* To honour any other contributions and achievement not covered above of individuals and organizations in the region.
The SAARC Award consists of a gold medal, a letter of citation, and cash prize of $25,000. Since the institution of the SAARC Award in 2004, it has been awarded only once and the Award was posthumously conferred upon the late President [[Ziaur Rahman]] of Bangladesh.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.saarc-sec.org/SAARC-Award/70/|title=South Asian Association For Regional Cooperation&nbsp;— SAARC Award|work=saarc-sec.org|access-date=18 November 2012|archive-date=7 August 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200807065120/http://www.saarc-sec.org/SAARC-Award/70/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
===SAARC Literary Award===
[[File:Recipants of SAARC Literary Award 2013.jpg|thumb|right|Recipients of SAARC Literary Award 2013]]
The [[SAARC Literary Award]] is an annual award conferred by the [[Foundation of SAARC Writers and Literature]] ([[FOSWAL]]) since 2001<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.foundationsaarcwriters.com/literature/saarc-literary-awards |title=SAARC Literary Awards |access-date=2 November 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131103223413/http://www.foundationsaarcwriters.com/literature/saarc-literary-awards |archive-date=3 November 2013 |website=Foundation Of SAARC Writers And Literature}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/lifestyle/books/five-writers-honoured-at-saarc-literature-festival/article1-1024426.aspx |title=Five writers honoured at SAARC Literature Festival |work=Hindustan Times |access-date=2 November 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131110215810/http://www.hindustantimes.com/lifestyle/books/five-writers-honoured-at-saarc-literature-festival/article1-1024426.aspx |archive-date=10 November 2013}} Five Writers honoured at SAARC Litearure Festival, Hindustan Times 11 March 2013</ref> which is an apex SAARC body.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.saarc-sec.org/Apex-and-Recognised-Bodies/14/ |title=Apex and Recognised Bodies |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130530142634/http://saarc-sec.org/Apex-and-Recognised-Bodies/14/ |archive-date=30 May 2013 |website=SAARC}}</ref> Some of the prominent recipients of this award include [[Shamshur Rahman]], [[Mahasweta Devi]], [[Jayanta Mahapatra]], [[Abhi Subedi]], [[Mark Tully]], [[Sitakant Mahapatra]], [[Uday Prakash]], [[Suman Pokhrel]], and [[Abhay K]].<ref>
[http://news.oneindia.in/2007/03/30/mahashweta-devi-to-get-saarc-literary-award-1175266266.html Mahasweta Devi to get SAARC Literary Award] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131104051442/http://news.oneindia.in/2007/03/30/mahashweta-devi-to-get-saarc-literary-award-1175266266.html |date=4 November 2013 }} Oneindia.in 30 March 2007
</ref>
Nepali poet, lyricist, and translator Suman Pokhrel is the only poet/writer to be awarded twice.<ref>Hindustan Times, New Delhi, Saturday, 14 February 2015</ref>
===SAARC Youth Award===
The SAARC Youth Award is awarded to outstanding individuals from the SAARC region. The award is notable because of the recognition it gives to the Award winner in the SAARC region. The award is based on specific themes which apply to each year. The award recognizes and promotes the commitment and talent of the youth who give back to the world at large through various initiatives such as Inventions, Protection of the Environment and Disaster relief. The recipients who receive this award are ones who have dedicated their lives to their individual causes to improve situations in their own countries as well as paving a path for the SAARC region to follow.
The Committee for the SAARC Youth Award selects the best candidate based on his/her merits and their decision is final.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://saarc-sec.org/SAARC-Youth-Award/71/ |title=SAARC Youth Award |access-date=21 January 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202222019/http://www.saarc-sec.org/SAARC-Youth-Award/71/ |archive-date=2 February 2017 |url-status=dead}}</ref>
Previous Winners:
* 1992: World Population Issue and Welfare - Painting; - Devang Soparkar (India)
* 1997: Outstanding Social Service in Community Welfare&nbsp;– Sukur Salek (Bangladesh)
* 1998: New Inventions and Shanu&nbsp;— Najmul Hasnain Shah (Pakistan)
* 2001: Creative Photography: South Asian Diversity&nbsp;– Mushfiqul Alam (Bangladesh)
* 2002: Outstanding contribution to protect the Environment&nbsp;– Masil Khan (Pakistan)
* 2003: Invention in the Field of Traditional Medicine&nbsp;– Hassan Sher (Pakistan)
* 2004: Outstanding contribution to raising awareness of TB and/or HIV/AIDS&nbsp;– Ajij Prasad Poudyal (Nepal)
* 2006: Promotion of Tourism in South Asia&nbsp;– Syed Zafar Abbas Naqvi (Pakistan)
* 2008: Protecting the Environment in South Asia&nbsp;– Deepani Jayantha (Sri Lanka)
* 2009: Outstanding contribution to humanitarian works in the aftermath of Natural Disasters&nbsp;– Ravikant Singh (India)
* 2010: Outstanding contribution for the Protection of Environment and mitigation of Climate Change&nbsp;– [[Anoka Primrose Abeyrathne]] (Sri Lanka)
* 2011: Youth leadership in the fight against social ills - Mr. Mohamed Faseen Rafiu (The Maldives)<ref>{{Cite web |title=SAARC Youth Awards |url=https://www.saarc-sec.org/index.php/resources/announcement/saarc-youth-awards |access-date=26 February 2022 |website=saarc-sec.org |date=3 September 2020 |language=en-gb |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211019063411/https://www.saarc-sec.org/index.php/resources/announcement/saarc-youth-awards |archive-date=19 October 2021}}</ref>
==Secretaries-General of SAARC==
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+[[Secretary General of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation]]
|-
!scope=col| #
!scope=col| Name
!scope=col| Country
!scope=col| Took office
!scope=col| Left office
|-
| 1
!scope=row | [[Abul Ahsan]]
| [[Bangladesh]] || 16 January 1985 || 15 October 1989
|-
| 2
!scope=row | [[Kant Kishore Bhargava]]
| [[India]] || 17 October 1989 || 31 December 1991
|-
| 3
!scope=row | [[Ibrahim Hussein Zaki]]
| [[Maldives]] || 1 January 1992 || 31 December 1993
|-
| 4
!scope=row | [[Yadav Kant Silwal]]
| [[Nepal]] || 1 January 1994 || 31 December 1995
|-
| 5
!scope=row | [[Naeem U. Hasan]]
| [[Pakistan]] || 1 January 1996 || 31 December 1998
|-
| 6
!scope=row | [[Nihal Rodrigo]]
| [[Sri Lanka]] || 1 January 1999 || 10 January 2002
|-
| 7
!scope=row | [[Q. A. M. A. Rahim]]
| Bangladesh || 11 January 2002 || 28 February 2005
|-
| 8
!scope=row | [[Chenkyab Dorji]]
| [[Bhutan]] || 1 March 2005 || 29 February 2008
|-
| 9
!scope=row | [[Sheel Kant Sharma]]
| India || 1 March 2008 || 28 February 2011
|-
| 10
!scope=row | [[Fathimath Dhiyana Saeed]]
| Maldives || 1 March 2011 || 11 March 2012
|-
| 11
!scope=row | [[Ahmed Saleem]]
| Maldives || 12 March 2012 || 28 February 2014
|-
| 12
!scope=row | [[Arjun Bahadur Thapa]]
| Nepal || 1 March 2014 || 28 February 2017
|-
| 13
!scope=row | [[Amjad Hussain B. Sial]]
| Pakistan || 1 March 2017 || 29 February 2020
|-
| 14
!scope=row | [[Esala Ruwan Weerakoon]]
| Sri Lanka || 1 March 2020 || 3 March 2023
|-
| 15
!scope=row | [[Golam Sarwar (diplomat)|Golam Sarwar]]
| Bangladesh || 4 March 2023 || ''Incumbent''
|}
==SAARC summits==
{{Main|List of SAARC summits}}
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! No !! Date !! Country !! Host !! Host leader
|-
|1st|| 7–8 December 1985 || [[Bangladesh]] || [[Dhaka]] || [[Ataur Rahman Khan]]
|-
|2nd|| 16–17 November 1986 || [[India]] || [[Bangalore|Bengaluru]] || [[Rajiv Gandhi]]
|-
|3rd|| 2–4 November 1987 || [[Nepal]] || [[Kathmandu]] || [[Birendra of Nepal|King Birendra Bir Bikram Shah]]
|-
|4th|| 29–31 December 1988 || [[Pakistan]] || [[Islamabad]] || [[Benazir Bhutto]]
|-
|5th|| 21–23 November 1990 || [[Maldives]] || [[Malé]] || [[Maumoon Abdul Gayoom]]
|-
|6th|| 21 December 1991 || [[Sri Lanka]] || [[Colombo]] || [[Ranasinghe Premadasa]]
|-
|7th|| 10–11 April 1993 || Bangladesh || Dhaka || [[Khaleda Zia]]
|-
|8th|| 2–4 May 1995 || India || [[New Delhi]] || [[P V Narasimha Rao]]
|-
|9th|| 12–14 May 1997 || Maldives || Malé || Maumoon Abdul Gayoom
|-
|10th|| 29–31 July 1998 || Sri Lanka || Colombo || [[Chandrika Kumaratunga]]
|-
|11th|| 4–6 January 2002 || Nepal || Kathmandu || [[Sher Bahadur Deuba]]
|-
|12th|| 2–6 January 2004 || Pakistan || Islamabad || [[Zafarullah Khan Jamali]]
|-
|13th|| 12–13 November 2005 || Bangladesh || Dhaka || Khaleda Zia
|-
|14th|| 3–4 April 2007 || India || New Delhi || [[Manmohan Singh]]
|-
|15th|| 1–3 August 2008 || Sri Lanka || Colombo || [[Mahinda Rajapaksa]]
|-
|16th|| 28–29 April 2010 || [[Bhutan]] || [[Thimphu]] || [[Jigme Thinley]]
|-
|[[17th SAARC summit|17th]]|| 10–11 November 2011 || Maldives || [[Addu City|Addu]] || [[Mohammed Nasheed]]
|-
|[[18th SAARC summit|18th]]|| 26–27 November 2014<ref name="18summit">{{cite news |url=http://www.saarc-sec.org/press-releases/18th-SAARC-Summit-Declaration/121/ |title=Press Releases, 18th SAARC Summit Declaration, 27 November 2014 |agency=SAARC |access-date=2 December 2015 |archive-date=8 December 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151208082130/http://www.saarc-sec.org/press-releases/18th-SAARC-Summit-Declaration/121/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> || Nepal || Kathmandu || [[Sushil Koirala]]
|-
|[[19th SAARC summit|19th]]|| 15–16 November 2016 || Pakistan || Islamabad || Cancelled
|}
==Current leaders of SAARC==
Leaders are either [[head of state|heads of state]] or [[head of government|heads of government]], depending on which is constitutionally the [[Chief executive (gubernatorial)|chief executive]] of the nation's government.
{{gallery|align=center|whitebg=no|width=150|height=200|noborder=yes|File:Hibatullah Akhundzada OCS wordmark.png|{{flag|Afghanistan|2013}}<!--IRA flag still used by SAARC, see their website--><br>'''[[Hibatullah Akhundzada]]'''<br>[[Supreme Leader of Afghanistan]]<br>{{resize|(''[[Recognition of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan|de facto]]'')}}<!--Not recognized as the rightful leader of Afghanistan by SAARC-->
|File:Muhammad Yunus at the UNGA79 - 2024 (cropped).jpg|{{flag|Bangladesh|name=People's Republic of Bangladesh}}<br>'''[[Muhammad Yunus]]'''<br>[[Chief Adviser (Bangladesh)|Chief Adviser to the Government of Bangladesh]]<!--[[Prime Minister of Bangladesh]]-->
|File:Tshering Tobgay.jpg|{{flag|Bhutan|name=Kingdom of Bhutan}}<br>'''[[Tshering Tobgay]]'''<br>[[List of prime ministers of Bhutan|Prime Minister of Bhutan]]
|File:Official Photograph of Prime Minister Narendra Modi Potrait.png|{{flag|Republic of India}}<br>'''[[Narendra Modi]]'''<br>[[Prime Minister of India]]
|File:Dr Mohamed Muizzu portrait.jpg|{{flag|Maldives|name=Republic of Maldives}}<br>'''[[Mohamed Muizzu]]'''<br>[[President of the Maldives]]
|File:Prime Minister of Nepal, Mr. K.P. Sharma Oli, at Hyderabad House, in New Delhi on April 07, 2018 (1).jpg|{{flag|Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal}}<br>'''[[K. P. Sharma Oli|K.P. Sharma Oli]]'''<br>[[Prime Minister of Nepal]]
|File:Shehbaz Sharif 2023 (cropped).jpg|{{flag|Islamic Republic of Pakistan}}<br>'''[[Shehbaz Sharif]]'''<br>[[Prime Minister of Pakistan]]
|File:President of Sri Lanka Mr. Anura Kumara Dissanayake in india.jpg|{{flag|Sri Lanka|name=Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka}}<br>'''[[Anura Kumara Dissanayake]]'''<br>[[President of Sri Lanka]]<!-- File:Emblem of Sri Lanka.svg -->
}}
===Current leaders===
{|class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
!Country
!Chief executive
!Incumbent
|-
| [[Afghanistan]]
| [[Supreme Leader of Afghanistan|Supreme Leader]] (''[[Recognition of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan|de facto]]'')
| [[Hibatullah Akhundzada]]
|-
| [[Bangladesh]]
| [[Chief Adviser (Bangladesh)|Chief Adviser to the Government]]<!--[[Prime Minister of Bangladesh]]-->
| [[Muhammad Yunus]]
|-
| [[Bhutan]]
| [[List of prime ministers of Bhutan|Prime Minister]]
| [[Tshering Tobgay]]
|-
| [[India]]
| [[Prime Minister of India|Prime Minister]]
| [[Narendra Modi]]
|-
| [[Maldives]]
| [[President of the Maldives|President]]
| [[Mohamed Muizzu]]
|-
| [[Nepal]]
| [[Prime Minister of Nepal|Prime Minister]]
| [[K. P. Sharma Oli|K.P. Sharma Oli]]
|-
| [[Pakistan]]
| [[Prime Minister of Pakistan|Prime Minister]]
| [[Shehbaz Sharif]]
|-
| [[Sri Lanka]]
| [[President of Sri Lanka|President]]
| [[Anura Kumara Dissanayake]]
|}
==See also==
{{Portal|Afghanistan|Bangladesh|India|Nepal|Pakistan|Sri Lanka}}
* [[ASEAN]] and [[India–Myanmar barrier#Look-East connectivity|India's Look-East connectivity projects]]
* [[Asia Cooperation Dialogue]]
* [[SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry]]
* [[BBIN|Bangladesh Bhutan India Nepal Initiative]]
* [[BIMSTEC]]
* [[Indian-Ocean Rim Association]]
* [[International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons|ICAN]]
* [[List of SAARC summits]]
* [[Mekong–Ganga Cooperation]]
* [[SAARC satellite]]
* [[South Asian University]]
* [[South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation]]
* [[Shanghai Cooperation Organisation]]
* [[Economic Cooperation Organization]]
==Notes==
{{notelist}}
==References==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}
==External links==
{{Commons category}}
* {{Official website}}
{{SAARC countries}}
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