Cross-border Infrastructure
South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)
Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka formally adopted the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) Charter on 8 December 1985. SAARC provides a platform for the people of South Asia to work together to accelerate the process of economic and social development. Afghanistan was invited to become a member of SAARC during the 13th SAARC Summit in November 2005.
In preparatory meetings prior to the first summit, members identified nine areas of cooperation under an Integrated Programme of Action (IPA) – agriculture; health and population activities; meteorology; postal services; rural development; science and technology; sports, arts and culture; telecommunications; and transport. At the 12th SAARC Summit in 2004, the Council of Ministers approved the restructuring of core areas. Under a new Regional Integrated Programme of Action (RIPA), the Technical Committees (TCs) were reorganized into seven: agriculture and rural development; environment and forestry; health and population activities; human resource development; science and technology and meteorology; transport; and women, youth and children. Also, five new Working Groups were created to focus on biotechnology, energy, information and communications technology (ICT), and tourism.
Agreements
- 18th SAARC Summit Kathmandu Declaration: Deeper Integration for Peace and ProsperitySouth Asian Association for Regional Cooperation - SAARC27 Nov 2014
- 17th SAARC Summit Addu Declaration: Building BridgesSouth Asian Association for Regional Cooperation - SAARC11 Nov 2011
- 16th SAARC Summit Thimphu Silver Jubilee Declaration: Towards a Green and Happy South AsiaSouth Asian Association for Regional Cooperation - SAARC29 Apr 2010
- 15th SAARC Summit Colombo Declaration: Partnership for Growth for Our PeopleSouth Asian Association for Regional Cooperation - SAARC3 Aug 2008
- Japan's Support to SAARC: Priority Areas and PoliciesMinistry of Finance - Japan2 Aug 2008
News
- Pakistan-Nepal direct flights a must to boost trade: Nepalese envoyDaily Times22 Apr 2025
- Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri Lanka sign tripartite agreement to strengthen capital market cooperationBusiness Standard30 Mar 2025
- Bhutan and India deepen energy ties with new power agreementsAsia News Network13 Mar 2025
- Pakistan, Bangladesh to enhance cooperation in diverse sectorsARY News8 Mar 2025
Opinions and Editorials
- Quadrilateral cooperation in South AsiaThe Nation - Pakistan1 Jan 2022
- Expanding Sri Lanka-Bangladesh connectivityDaily FT20 Apr 2021
- Bangladesh-India economic ties: Addressing the next generation of challengesThe Daily Star - Bangladesh9 Apr 2021
- South Asian leaders in Bangladesh: A new diplomatic outreachDaily News6 Apr 2021
Studies and Research
- Can Regional Trade Integration Facilitate Renewable Energy Transition to Ensure Energy Sustainability in South Asia?M. MurshedScienceDirect3 Feb 2021
- Cross-Border Electricity Cooperation in South AsiaA. Singh, T. Jamasb, R. Nepal, and M. TomanWorld Bank1 Jun 2015
- Connecting South Asia to Southeast Asia: Cross-Border Infrastructure InvestmentsJ.-F. GautrinAsian Development Bank Institute27 May 2014
- Regional cooperation and integration through cross-border infrastructure development in South Asia: impact on povertySrinivasan, P.V.Asian Development Bank1 Nov 2012
Meetings
- 18th SAARC SummitSouth Asian Association for Regional Cooperation - SAARC26 Nov 2014
- 17th SAARC SummitSouth Asian Association for Regional Cooperation - SAARC10 Nov 2011
- Third Meeting of SAARC Tourism MinistersSouth Asian Association for Regional Cooperation - SAARC13 Jan 2011
- 16th SAARC SummitSouth Asian Association for Regional Cooperation - SAARC28 Apr 2010
