South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation

Regional intergovernmental and geopolitical organisation

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
Tamil:| தெற்கு ஆசிய பிராந்திய ஒத்துழைப்பு சங்கம்
Telugu:| దక్షిణ ఆసియా ప్రాంతీయ సహకార సంఘం
Urdu:| جنوبی ایشیائی علاقائی تعاون تنظیم

Logo

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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)[1]

* 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[a]
* 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[2]

• 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[3]

• Density

| 381.6/km2 (988.3/sq mi)
GDP (PPP)| 2025 estimate

• Total

|  $21.7 trillion[4]

• Per capita

|  $11,136[5]
GDP (nominal)| 2025 estimate

• Total

|  $5.22 trillion[6]

• Per capita

|  $2,665[7]
HDI (2023)|  0.663[8]
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

Website
saarc-sec.org

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is the regional intergovernmental organization and 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's population and 5.21% (US$4.47 trillion)[9] of the global economy, as of 2021.

SAARC was founded in Dhaka on 8 December 1985.[10] Its secretariat is based in Kathmandu, Nepal. The organization promotes economic development and regional integration.[11] It launched the South Asian Free Trade Area in 2006.[12] 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 BIMSTEC.[13][14]

## Historical background

[edit]

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.[15]

A clickable Euler diagram showing the relationships between various Asian regional organizations

* v
* t
* e

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. For Bangladesh, a prime reason for proposing this regional cooperation framework was the failure of its attempt to join ASEAN. Seeking to replicate the sucesses of ASEAN and a way to legitimise his government,[16][17] 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.[18]

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.[16]

After the USSR's intervention in Afghanistan, efforts to establish the union were accelerated in 1979 amid the resulting rapid deterioration of the South Asian security situation.[16] Responding to Rahman and Birendra's convention, officials of the foreign ministries of the seven countries met for the first time in Colombo in April 1981.[16] The Bangladeshi proposal was promptly endorsed by Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, and Maldives, however India and Pakistan were sceptical initially.[16] 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.[16]

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.[16] 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.[19]

In 1983, at the international conference held in Dhaka by its Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the foreign ministers of the inner seven countries adopted the Declaration on South Asian Association for 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.[20][21]

Officially, the union was established in Dhaka with Kathmandu being the union's secretariat-general.[22] The first SAARC summit was held in Dhaka on 7–8 December 1985 and hosted by the President of Bangladesh Hussain Ershad.[23] The declaration was signed by, namely, King of Bhutan Jigme Singye Wangchuk; President of Pakistan Zia-ul-Haq; Prime Minister of India Rajiv Gandhi; King of Nepal Birendra Shah; President of Sri Lanka JR Jayewardene; and President of Maldives Maumoon Gayoom.[23]

## Members and observers

[edit]

Economic data is sourced from the International Monetary Fund, current as of November 2024 unless stated otherwise, and is given in US dollars.[24]

### Members

[edit]

Country  | Population[25][26] (2021)  | GDP (nominal) [US$ million, 2024][27] | GDP (PPP) [US$ million, 2024]  | GDP per capita
(Nominal) | GDP per capita
(PPP) | GDP growth rate
(2024) | Exports
(US$ million, 2024 or earlier) | Foreign direct investment
(US$ million, 2023) | Foreign exchange reserves (US$ million) | Defence budget (US$ million)[28] | Literacy rate (above age 15)[29] | Life expectancy | Population below poverty line | Primary school enrolment[30][31] | Secondary school enrollment[32] | Population undernourished (%)  | Human Development Index  | Democracy Index  | Global Terrorism Index

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
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|
|
|
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|
|

Afghanistan | 40,099,462 | $14,467 | $72,512 | $411 | $2,116  |  | $1,476 | $20.6 | $443 | $1,100[33] | 37.3% | 63.67 | 42% | 88% | 54% | 28.5%  | 0.462

(182)

| 0.26

(167)

| 9.233

(1)

Bangladesh | 169,356,251 | $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)

Bhutan | 777,486 | $3,110 | $12,980 | $4,068 | $16,754 | 5.2% | $791 | $11.92 | $972 | $7.3[34] | 66.6% | 70.20 | 12% | 97% | 78% | 8.7%  | 0.681

(125)

| 5.54

(81)

| 0.305

(107)

India | 1,407,563,842 | $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)

Maldives | 521,457 | $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
Nepal | 30,034,989 | $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)

Pakistan | 231,402,117 | $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)

Sri Lanka | 21,773,441 | $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)

Membership in other bodies  Country  | G20 | BRICS | BIMSTEC | IORA | APTA | BBIN | SASEC | AIIB | ACU | ACD | ADB | World Bank | Nuclear weapons

|
|
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Afghanistan |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Bangladesh |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Bhutan |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
India |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Maldives |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Nepal |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Pakistan |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Sri Lanka |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |

The member states are Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.[35]

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.[36][37] 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[38] because Afghanistan is 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.[39]

SAARC member states imposed a stipulation for Afghanistan to hold a general election; the non-partisan elections were held in late 2005.[38] Despite initial reluctance and internal debates, Afghanistan joined SAARC as its eighth member state in April 2007.[38][40]

Despite the 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.[41] 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."[42][43]

### Observer countries

[edit]

States with observer status include[44] Australia,[45] China, the European Union, Iran, Japan,[46] Mauritius,[47] Myanmar, South Korea, and the United States.[48][49]

China's 2007 application for observer status received strong support from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Nepal, and Pakistan.[50] Other South Asian members of SAARC agreed to support China's observer status, but were not as strongly in favor.[50]

On 2 August 2006, the foreign ministers of SAARC countries agreed in principle to grant observer status to three applicants;[51] the US and South Korea (both made requests in April 2006),[51] as well as the European Union (requested in July 2006).[52] On 4 March 2007, Iran requested observer status,[53] followed shortly by Mauritius.

### Potential future members

[edit]

Myanmar has expressed interest in upgrading its status from an observer to a full member of SAARC.[54] China has requested joining SAARC.[55] Russia has applied for observer status membership of SAARC.[56][57][58] Turkey applied for observer status membership of SAARC in 2012.[56][57][58] South Africa has participated in meetings.[59] Indonesia, Jordan, Canada, New Zealand, Ireland, Saudi Arabia, the United Kingdom and Yemen have expressed interest.[citation needed]

## Secretariat

[edit]

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 Bir Bikram Shah of Nepal.[60]

### Specialized bodies

[edit]

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.

Specialized Body  | Location  | Country  | Website

|
|
|

SAARC Arbitration Council (SARCO)  | Islamabad  | Pakistan  | www.sarco-sec.org
SAARC Development Fund (SDF)  | Thimphu  | Bhutan  | www.sdfsec.org
South Asian University (SAU)  | New Delhi  | India  | www.sau.int
South Asian Regional Standards Organization (SARSO)  | Dhaka  | Bangladesh  | www.sarso.org.bd

### Regional Centres

[edit]

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.[61]

Source:[62]

Regional Centre  | Location  | Country  | Website

|
|
|

SAARC Agriculture Centre (SAC)  | Dhaka | Bangladesh | 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 | 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 | www.saarctb.org/
SAARC Human Resources Development Centre (SHRDC)  | Islamabad | Pakistan |
SAARC Energy Centre (SEC)  | Islamabad | Pakistan | www.saarcenergy.org/
SAARC Cultural Centre (SCC)  | Colombo | Sri Lanka | www.saarcculture.org/

### Anthem

[edit]

SAARC does not have an official anthem as yet like some other regional organizations (e.g. ASEAN).[63]

## Apex and Recognized Bodies

[edit]

SAARC has six Apex Bodies,[64] they are:

* SAARC Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCI),
* South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation in Law (SAARCLAW),[65]
* 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.[66]

## SAARC Disaster Management Centre

[edit]

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

[edit]

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.[67] During the 12th and 13th SAARC summits, extreme emphasis was laid upon greater cooperation between SAARC members to fight terrorism.[68][69]

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 a terrorist attack on an army camp in Uri.[70][71] It was the first time that four countries boycotted a SAARC summit, leading to its cancellation.[72][73]

The failure of SAARC can also be attributed to conflicts among some of its members. Pakistan would “indirectly target” India at summits, and “try to get the other members to gang up against Delhi,” a retired Sri Lankan foreign secretary told The Diplomat in 2019. India, for its part, continued to emphasize its concerns over terrorism linked to Pakistan, which it regarded as a bilateral matter and therefore not appropriate for discussion in multilateral settings.[74]

SAARC has faced persistent challenges related to terrorism, including cross-border militancy and allegations of state-sponsored extremism, over several decades. In this context, terrorism has come to symbolize the organization's stagnation, exacerbating existing divisions among member states. According to global and regional terrorism analysts, terrorism in South Asia manifests in various forms—such as state-supported militancy, extremist groups with alleged state backing, separatist movements, and transnational extremist networks—contributing to broader regional instability. The 2016 Uri attack significantly impacted bilateral diplomatic relations and further hindered regional cooperation efforts within SAARC.[75]

Following political changes in Bangladesh, Dr. Muhammad Yunus, who served as the chief adviser to the interim government in Bangladesh, had publicly expressed interest in revitalizing the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) on multiple occasions. However, some policymakers in India viewed Bangladesh's initiative with skepticism. India’s External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar, reportedly indicated that Bangladesh was “batting for Pakistan” by attempting to revive SAARC. During a bilateral meeting between Bangladesh’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Towhid Hossain and External Affairs Minister Jaishankar in Muscat, Oman, on 16 February, India issued a strong statement on terrorism. According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Jaishankar urged Bangladesh “to stop batting for Pakistan and normalising terrorism” through efforts to resume SAARC’s activities. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, speaking at a press briefing, stated: “Everyone in South Asia is aware of which country and what activities are responsible for stymieing SAARC. EAM conveyed that it is important that Bangladesh should not normalise terrorism.” While Pakistan was not named directly, the remarks were widely interpreted as referring to its alleged role in undermining regional cooperation.[75][76]

Dr. Minendra Rijal, former Defence Minister of Nepal, stated that Pakistan’s support for terrorism has contributed to the stagnation of SAARC, obstructed regional economic integration, and resulted in substantial economic losses for Pakistan.[77][78]

China too has been trying to undermine the SAARC grouping and has been suggesting alternatives for the same. Analysts in New Delhi have expressed little surprise at the proposed initiative by China and Pakistan for regional cooperation in South Asia. According to a research fellow at the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, China has sought to promote alternative regional frameworks since its proposal to join SAARC was rejected in 2005. Over the past two decades, it has launched several mechanisms for regional engagement, including the China-South Asia Cooperation Forum in 2006, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) Trans-Himalayan Connectivity Network in 2018—which includes Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Nepal—and the China-South Asian Countries Poverty Alleviation and Cooperative Development Center in 2021.All South Asian countries, except India and Bhutan, are members of the BRI. As such, the latest proposal for regional cooperation is seen as part of China's continued efforts to build alternatives to SAARC.[74]

SAARC has generally been ineffective at achieving enhanced regionalism.[79]

## South Asian Free Trade Area

[edit]

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 (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.[80] The Agreement entered into force on 1 January 2006, and the Trade Liberalization Programme commenced from 1 July 2006.[81] 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.[82] In 2012 SAARC exports increased substantially to $354.6 billion from $206.7 billion in 2009.[83] 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.[84]

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%.[85][86]

## SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme

[edit]

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.[87]

## Awards

[edit]

### SAARC Award

[edit]

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.[88]

### SAARC Literary Award

[edit]

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[89][90] which is an apex SAARC body.[91] 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.[92]

Nepali poet, lyricist, and translator Suman Pokhrel is the only poet/writer to be awarded twice.[93]

### SAARC Youth Award

[edit]

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.[94]

Previous Winners:

* 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)[95]

## Secretaries-General of SAARC

[edit]

Secretary General of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation #  | Name  | Country  | Took office  | Left office

|
|
|
|

1  | Abul Ahsan | Bangladesh | 16 January 1985 | 15 October 1989
2  | Kant Kishore Bhargava | India | 17 October 1989 | 31 December 1991
3  | Ibrahim Hussein Zaki | Maldives | 1 January 1992 | 31 December 1993
4  | Yadav Kant Silwal | Nepal | 1 January 1994 | 31 December 1995
5  | Naeem U. Hasan | Pakistan | 1 January 1996 | 31 December 1998
6  | Nihal Rodrigo | Sri Lanka | 1 January 1999 | 10 January 2002
7  | Q. A. M. A. Rahim | Bangladesh | 11 January 2002 | 28 February 2005
8  | Chenkyab Dorji | Bhutan | 1 March 2005 | 29 February 2008
9  | Sheel Kant Sharma | India | 1 March 2008 | 28 February 2011
10  | Fathimath Dhiyana Saeed | Maldives | 1 March 2011 | 11 March 2012
11  | Ahmed Saleem | Maldives | 12 March 2012 | 28 February 2014
12  | Arjun Bahadur Thapa | Nepal | 1 March 2014 | 28 February 2017
13  | Amjad Hussain B. Sial | Pakistan | 1 March 2017 | 29 February 2020
14  | Esala Ruwan Weerakoon | Sri Lanka | 1 March 2020 | 3 March 2023
15  | Golam Sarwar | Bangladesh | 4 March 2023 | Incumbent

## SAARC summits

[edit]

Main article: List of SAARC summits

No | Date | Country | Host | Host leader

|
|
|
|

1st | 7–8 December 1985 | Bangladesh | Dhaka | Ataur Rahman Khan
2nd | 16–17 November 1986 | India | Bengaluru | Rajiv Gandhi
3rd | 2–4 November 1987 | Nepal | Kathmandu | 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 | 10–11 November 2011 | Maldives | Addu | Mohammed Nasheed
18th | 26–27 November 2014[96] | Nepal | Kathmandu | Sushil Koirala
19th | 15–16 November 2016 | Pakistan | Islamabad | Cancelled

## Current leaders of SAARC

[edit]

Leaders are either heads of state or heads of government, depending on which is constitutionally the chief executive of the nation's government.

* Afghanistan
Hibatullah Akhundzada
Supreme Leader of Afghanistan
(de facto)

* People's Republic of Bangladesh
Muhammad Yunus
Chief Adviser to the Government of Bangladesh

* Kingdom of Bhutan
Tshering Tobgay
Prime Minister of Bhutan

* Republic of India
Narendra Modi
Prime Minister of India

* Republic of Maldives
Mohamed Muizzu
President of the Maldives

* Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal
Khadga Prasad Sharma Oli
Prime Minister of Nepal

* Islamic Republic of Pakistan
Shehbaz Sharif
Prime Minister of Pakistan

* Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
Anura Kumara Dissanayake
President of Sri Lanka

### Current leaders

[edit]

Country  | Chief executive  | Incumbent

|
|

Afghanistan | Supreme Leader (de facto)  | Hibatullah Akhundzada
Bangladesh | Chief Adviser to the Government | Muhammad Yunus
Bhutan | Prime Minister | Tshering Tobgay
India | Prime Minister | Narendra Modi
Maldives | President | Mohamed Muizzu
Nepal | Prime Minister | K.P. Sharma Oli
Pakistan | Prime Minister | Shehbaz Sharif
Sri Lanka | President | Anura Kumara Dissanayake

## See also

[edit]

* Afghanistan portal
* Bangladesh portal
* India portal
* Nepal portal
* Pakistan portal
* Sri Lanka portal

* ASEAN and India's Look-East connectivity projects
* Asia Cooperation Dialogue
* SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry
* Bangladesh Bhutan India Nepal Initiative
* BIMSTEC
* Indian-Ocean Rim Association
* 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

[edit]

1. ^ 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.

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[edit]

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## External links

[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation.

* Official website

* v
* t
* e

South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)

Agreements|

South Asian Free Trade Area

Summits|

* Dhaka 1985
* Bangalore 1986
* Kathmandu 1987
* Islamabad 1988
* Malé 1990
* Colombo 1991
* Dhaka 1993
* New Delhi 1995
* Malé 1997
* Colombo 1998
* Kathmandu 2002
* Islamabad 2004
* Dhaka 2005
* New Delhi 2007
* Colombo 2008
* Thimphu 2010
* Addu 2011
* Kathmandu 2014
* Islamabad 2016 (Cancelled)

Members|

* Afghanistan
* Bangladesh
* Bhutan
* India
* Maldives
* Nepal
* Pakistan
* Sri Lanka

Observers|

* Australia
* China
* European Union
* Iran
* Japan
* Mauritius
* Myanmar
* South Korea
* United States

Guests|

* South Africa
* Russia

Specialised agencies|

* SAARC Consortium on Open and Distance Learning
* SAARC Documentation Centre
* South Asia Co-operative Environment Programme
* Foundation of SAARC Writers and Literature
* SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry
* South Asian Federation of Accountants
* SAARC COVID-19 Emergency Fund

Related Articles|

* SAARC Secretary General
* SAARC Secretariat
* SAARC satellite
* South Asian University
* South Asian Games
* SAARC Literary Award
* SAARC Road
* SAARC Fountain

Links to related articles

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SAARC leaders

* Hibatullah Akhundzada (de facto)
* Muhammad Yunus
* Tshering Tobgay
* Narendra Modi
* Mohamed Muizzu
* KP Sharma Oli
* Shehbaz Sharif
* Anura Kumara Dissanayake

* v
* t
* e

Secretaries-general of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation

* Abul Ahsan (Bangladesh)
* Kant Kishore Bhargava (India)
* Ibrahim Hussein Zaki (Maldives)
* Yadav Kant Silwal (Nepal)
* Naeem U. Hasan (Pakistan)
* Nihal Rodrigo (Sri Lanka)
* Q. A. M. A. Rahim (Bangladesh)
* Chenkyab Dorji (Bhutan)
* Sheel Kant Sharma (India)
* Fathimath Dhiyana Saeed (Maldives)
* Ahmed Saleem (Maldives)
* Arjun Bahadur Thapa (Nepal)
* Amjad Hussain B. Sial (Pakistan)
* Esala Weerakoon (Sri Lanka)

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Global South|

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* Test data exclusivity
* Doha Declaration
* World Health Organization

Organizations
and groups

* G-5
* G-77
* G-15
* D-8
* G20 developing nations (G-20)
* G-24
* G33 developing countries (G-33)
* G-11
* G-90
* Non-Aligned Movement
* African, Caribbean and Pacific Group
* African Union
* Afro–Asian Conference
* BASIC countries
* BRICS
* Association of Southeast Asian Nations
* Colombo Plan
* Community of Latin American and Caribbean States
* IBSA Dialogue Forum
* International Solar Alliance
* Melanesian Spearhead Group
* North–South Summit
* Polynesian Leaders Group
* South Atlantic Peace and Cooperation Zone
* South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation
* Small Island Developing States
* South Centre

North–South
divide

* Brandt Report
* Global financial system
* International Monetary Fund
* World Bank
* World Trade Organization
* Fair trade
* Financial regulation
* Global digital divide

* v
* t
* e

Asia articles

History|

| Chronology|

* Indian Ocean trade
* Silk Road
* Imperialism
* Decolonisation
* Cold War

|

By topic|

* Military conflicts
* Sovereignty

Geography|

* Cities
* metropolitan areas
* tallest buildings
* urban agglomerations
* Countries and territories
* by population
* Extreme points
* Islands
* Lakes
* Mountains
* Rivers

Geopolitical|

| Transcontinental regions|

* Asia–Pacific
* Caucasus
* EMEA
* Mediterranean world
* MENASA
* Greater Middle East/Middle East and North Africa
* Middle East/Near East
* Indo-Mediterranean
* Indo-Pacific
* Indian Ocean world
* Pacific Rim
* Pacific Asia

|

Intracontinental regions|

* Anatolia/Asia Minor
* Arabia
* South Arabia
* Cyprus
* Far East/Pacific Asia
* Greater China
* China proper
* Taiwan
* Tibet
* Xinjiang
* Indochina
* Malay world
* Manchuria
* Northeast China
* Outer Manchuria
* Greater Mongolia
* Inner Mongolia
* Mongolia
* Japan
* Korea
* Russian Far East
* Inner Asia
* Greater Central Asia
* Greater Iran
* Greater Khorasan
* Global Southeast
* Greater India
* Levant/Syria
* Southern Levant
* Mesopotamia
* Siberia
* South Caucasus
* Turkestan
* Afghan Turkestan
* Chinese Turkestan
* Russian Turkestan

Continental subregions|

* Central Asia
* Soviet Central Asia
* East Asia
* Northeast Asia
* North Asia
* South Asia
* Subregions
* Southeast Asia
* Mainland Southeast Asia
* Maritime Southeast Asia
* West Asia

Cultural|

* Austronesia
* Indosphere
* Sinosphere
* Nanyang
* Northern and southern China

Physical|

| Supercontinents|

* Afro-Eurasia
* Afro-Asia
* Eurasia

|

Subcontinents|

* Arabian subcontinent
* Indian subcontinent

Plateaus|

* Anatolian plateau
* Deccan Plateau
* Iranian plateau
* Mongolian Plateau
* Tibetan Plateau

Peninsulas|

* Anatolian Peninsula
* Arabian Peninsula
* Indian Peninsula
* Indochinese Peninsula
* Malay Peninsula
* Korean Peninsula
* Leizhou Peninsula
* Liaodong Peninsula
* Shandong Peninsula

Archipelagos|

* Japanese Archipelago
* Ryukyu Islands
* Malay Archipelago
* Indonesian Archipelago
* Maluku Islands
* Sunda Islands
* Greater Sunda Islands
* Lesser Sunda Islands
* Philippine Archipelago
* Visayan Islands
* Mergui Archipelago

Biogeographic|

* Eastern Asia
* Indo-Pacific
* Malesia
* Tropical Asia

Politics|

* Heads of government
* Heads of state
* Elections
* political parties
* Democracy
* Human rights
* Law
* Military
* Pan-Asianism

Intergovernmental|

* Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD)
* Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
* Bay of Bengal Initiative (BIMSTEC)
* Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO)
* Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU)
* Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)
* Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO)
* Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (CCASG / GCC)
* Mekong–Ganga Cooperation (MGC)
* Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP)
* South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)
* Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)

Economy|

* Countries by average wage
* Countries by GDP (PPP)
* Countries by HDI
* Currencies
* Stock exchanges
* Technology
* renewable energy
* Transport
* airports
* high-speed rail

Markets|

* Property markets

Society|

* Demographics
* Education
* Etiquette
* Health
* Languages
* Life expectancy
* People
* ethnic groups

Culture|

* Art
* Cinema
* Cuisine
* Literature
* Music
* Philosophy
* Religion
* Sport

Future|

* Asian Century
* Chinese Century
* Indian Century
* Pacific Century

* Outline
* Index

* Category
* Portal
* Maps

* v
* t
* e

Eastern world and culture

Foundations|

* Cradle of civilization
* Old World
* Sinic world
* Iranic world
* Indic world
* Silk Road transmission of Buddhism
* Islamdom

History|

* Ancient history
* Silk Road
* Post-classical history (Middle Ages)
* Modern period
* Early modern period
* Industrial Revolution
* World War I
* Asian and Pacific Theatre
* Middle Eastern Theatre
* Interwar period
* World War II
* Pacific War
* Middle Eastern Theatre
* Cold War
* Post–Cold War era
* War on terror

Culture|

* Alphabet
* Hanzi
* Kanji
* Kana
* Hangul
* Hanja
* Brahmic
* Arabic
* Cyrillic
* Latin
* Architecture
* Art
* History
* Calendar
* Chinese
* Buddhist
* Hindu
* Cuisine
* Esotericism
* Folklore
* Chinese
* Japanese
* Korean
* Languages
* Literature
* Music
* Chant
* Folk
* Mythology
* Philosophy
* Religion

Philosophy|

* Chinese philosophy
* Japanese philosophy
* Korean philosophy
* Vietnamese philosophy
* Indian philosophy
* Iranian philosophy
* Buddhist ethics
* Islamic ethics
* Hindu philosophy
* Buddhist philosophy
* Jain philosophy
* Islamic philosophy
* Collectivism
* Values
* Japanese
* Philippine

Religion|

* Dharmic
* Buddhism
* Culture
* Southern/Eastern/Northern
* Theravada
* Mahayana
* Vajrayana
* Hinduism
* Culture
* Vaishnavism
* Shaivism
* Shaktism
* Smartism
* Sikhism
* Jainism
* Taoic
* Taoism
* Confucianism
* Shenism
* Shinto
* Muism
* Tengrism
* Iranian
* Zoroastrianism
* Yazidism
* Abrahamic
* Islam
* Culture
* Sunni
* Shia
* Christianity
* Culture
* Eastern
* Eastern Orthodoxy
* Oriental Orthodoxy
* Catholicism
* Latin Church
* Eastern Churches
* Judaism
* Culture
* Bábism
* Azali
* Baháʼí
* Druze

Contemporary
integration|

* APEC
* Arab Customs Union
* Arab League
* ASEAN
* Asia and the Pacific Group
* Asia Cooperation Dialogue
* Asia Council
* BIMSTEC
* CAREC
* CAU
* CSTO
* CPTPP
* Eastern Bloc
* Easternization
* EAEU
* EAEU Customs Union
* ECO
* GCC
* OTS
* RCEP
* SAARC
* SCO
* SEATO
* TCS

* v
* t
* e

Power in international relations

| Types|

* Climate
* Economic
* Energy
* Food
* Hard
* Maritime
* National
* Politics
* Realpolitik
* Sharp
* Smart
* Soft

|

Status|

* Small
* Middle
* Regional
* Emerging
* Great (Least Great)
* Super (Potential)

Geopolitics|

* African
* American (Pax)
* Asian
* Chinese
* Indian
* Pacific

History|

* List of ancient great powers
* List of medieval great powers
* List of modern great powers
* International relations (1814–1919)

Theory|

* American decline
* Balance of power
* European
* Deterrence theory
* Hegemonic stability theory
* Internationalism
* Multilateralism
* Philosophy of power
* Polarity
* Power projection
* Power transition theory
* Second Superpower
* Sphere of influence
* Superpower collapse
* Superpower disengagement

Studies|

* Composite Index of National Capability
* Comprehensive National Power

Organizations and groups by region

| Africa|

* African Union
* Union for the Mediterranean

|

Africa–Asia|

* Arab League
* Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC)
* Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)

Americas|

* Association of Caribbean States (ACS)
* Caribbean Community (CARICOM)
* Central American Integration System (SICA)
* Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC)
* Mercosur
* North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
* Organization of American States (OAS)
* Union of South American Nations (UNASUR)

Asia|

* Asia Cooperation Dialogue (ACD)
* Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
* Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
* Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC)
* Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA)
* Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO)
* South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)
* Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO)
* Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat (TCS)

Europe|

* Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation
* Council of Europe (CoE)
* European Political Community (EPC)
* European Union (EU)
* Nordic Council
* Visegrád Group (V4)

Eurasia|

* Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)
* Community for Democracy and Rights of Nations
* Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO)
* Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO)
* Eurasian Economic Union (EaEU)
* Organization of Turkic States

North America–Europe|

* Arctic Council
* North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

Africa–Asia–Europe|

* Union for the Mediterranean

Africa–South America|

* South Atlantic Peace and Cooperation Zone

Oceania–Pacific|

* Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
* Australia–New Zealand–United States Security Treaty (ANZUS)
* Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG)
* Pacific Islands Forum (PIF)
* Polynesian Leaders Group (PLG)

Non–regional|

* Brazil–Russia–India–China–South Africa (BRICS)
* Commonwealth of Nations
* Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries
* E9
* G4
* G7
* G8
* G8+5
* G20
* G24
* G77
* India–Brazil–South Africa Dialogue Forum (IBSA)
* Non-Aligned Movement (NAM)
* Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
* Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF)
* Uniting for Consensus (UfC)

Global|

* United Nations (UN)

* v
* t
* e

International trade

Terminology|

* Absolute advantage
* Balance of payments
* Balance of trade
* Capital account
* Comparative advantage
* Current account
* Export-oriented industrialization
* Fair trade
* Foreign exchange reserves
* Globalization
* Global labor arbitrage
* Import substitution industrialization
* Net capital outflow
* Outsourcing
* Tariff
* Trade justice
* Trade war
* Trading nation

Organizations
and policies

* International Monetary Fund
* UN Trade and Development
* World Bank Group
* World Trade Organization
* International Trade Centre
* International Chamber of Commerce
* Bilateral investment treaty
* Economic integration
* Incoterms
* ATA Carnet
* Free-trade zone
* Special economic zone
* Trade agreement
* Trade barrier
* Trade bloc

Political economy|

* Free trade
* Adam Smith
* The Wealth of Nations
* Corn Laws
* Mercantilism
* Protectionism
* Economic nationalism
* Autarky
* Dedollarisation

Regional organizations|

| Americas|

* Andean Community
* Caribbean Community
* Central American Integration System
* Mercosur

|

Asia-Pacific|

* Association of Southeast Asian Nations
* Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership
* South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation

Europe, Central Asia, and North Asia|

* Customs Union of the Eurasian Economic Union
* Eurasian Economic Union
* European Union Customs Union

Middle East and North Africa|

* Arab Customs Union
* Gulf Cooperation Council

Subsaharan Africa|

* East African Community
* Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa
* Southern African Customs Union
* West African Economic and Monetary Union

Exports by product|

* Aircraft & Spacecraft
* Aircraft parts
* Aluminium
* Car parts
* Coal
* Coffee
* Computers
* Copper
* Corn
* Cotton
* Diamonds
* Electricity
* Electronics
* Engines
* Gas turbines
* Gold
* Integrated circuits
* Iron ore
* Live animals
* Natural gas
* Oil
* Petrol
* Pharmaceuticals
* Photovoltaics
* Ships
* Steel
* Telecommunications equipment
* Telephones
* Textiles
* Trucks
* Vehicles
* Wheat
* Wine

* Category
* Commons

* v
* t
* e

Regional organizations

Bodies|

* African Union
* Alliance of Sahel States
* Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization
* Arab League
* Arctic Council
* Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
* Asia Cooperation Dialogue
* Asia Council
* Asia-Europe Foundation
* Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation
* Assembly of European Regions
* Association of Caribbean States
* AUKUS
* Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation
* Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America – Peoples' Trade Treaty
* Benelux
* British–Irish Council
* Bucharest Nine
* Caribbean Community (CARICOM)
* Central American Integration System
* Central European Free Trade Agreement
* Central European Initiative
* Collective Security Treaty Organization
* Commonwealth of Independent States
* Commonwealth of Nations
* Community for Democracy and Rights of Nations
* Community of Democratic Choice
* Community of Latin American and Caribbean States
* Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership
* Conference of European Regions with Legislative Power
* Council of the Baltic Sea States
* Council of Europe
* Craiova Group
* East African Community
* Eastern Partnership
* Economic Community of West African States
* Economic Cooperation Organization
* Eurasian Economic Union
* European Political Community
* European Union
* Forum for the Progress and Integration of South America
* GUAM Organization for Democracy and Economic Development
* Gulf Cooperation Council
* Indian Ocean Rim Association
* International Conference on the Great Lakes Region
* Liptako–Gourma Authority
* Latin American Economic System
* Latin American Integration Association
* Latin American Parliament
* Lublin Triangle
* Melanesian Spearhead Group
* Mercosur
* New Hanseatic League
* Nordic-Baltic Eight
* Nordic Council
* North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
* Open Balkan
* Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States
* Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
* Organization of American States
* Organization of Ibero-American States
* Organization of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation
* Pacific Alliance
* Pacific Islands Forum
* Paneuropean Union
* Polynesian Leaders Group
* Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership
* Regional Cooperation Council
* Shanghai Cooperation Organisation
* South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation
* South Atlantic Peace and Cooperation Zone
* South-East European Cooperation Process
* Southern African Development Community
* TAKM
* Three Seas Initiative
* Trilateral Cooperation Secretariat
* Organization of Turkic States
* Union of South American Nations
* Visegrád Group
* West African Economic and Monetary Union
* West Nordic Council
* Western Balkans Quad

Topics|

* Regional integration
* Regional organizations by population
* Regionalism (international relations)

* v
* t
* e

Cold War

* United States
* Soviet Union
* NATO
* Warsaw Pact
* ANZUS
* METO
* SEATO
* NEATO
* Rio Pact
* Non-Aligned Movement

1940s|

* Morgenthau Plan
* Hukbalahap rebellion
* Jamaican political conflict
* Dekemvriana
* Guerrilla war in the Baltic states
* Operation Priboi
* Operation Jungle
* Occupation of the Baltic states
* Cursed soldiers
* Operation Unthinkable
* Gouzenko Affair
* Division of Korea
* Indonesian National Revolution
* Civil conflicts in Vietnam (1945–1949)
* Operation Beleaguer
* Operation Blacklist Forty
* Iran crisis of 1946
* Greek Civil War
* Baruch Plan
* Corfu Channel incident
* Turkish Straits crisis
* Restatement of Policy on Germany
* First Indochina War
* 1947 Polish parliamentary election
* Truman Doctrine
* Asian Relations Conference
* May 1947 crises
* Partition of India
* Indo-Pakistani war of 1947–1948
* 1947–1949 Palestine war
* 1947–1948 civil war in Mandatory Palestine
* 1948 Arab–Israeli War
* 1948 Palestinian expulsion and flight
* Marshall Plan
* Comecon
* 1948 Czechoslovak coup d'état
* Incapacitation of the Allied Control Council
* Al-Wathbah uprising
* Tito–Stalin split
* Berlin Blockade
* Annexation of Hyderabad
* Madiun Affair
* Western betrayal
* Iron Curtain
* Eastern Bloc
* Western Bloc
* Chinese Civil War
* Chinese Communist Revolution
* Malayan Emergency
* March 1949 Syrian coup d'état
* Operation Valuable

1950s|

* Bamboo curtain
* McCarthyism
* First Indochina War
* Korean War
* Arab Cold War (1952–1979)
* 1952 Egyptian revolution
* Iraqi Intifada (1952)
* Mau Mau rebellion
* East German uprising of 1953
* 1953 Iranian coup d'état
* Pact of Madrid
* Bricker Amendment
* 1954 Syrian coup d'état
* Petrov Affair
* Domino theory
* 1954 Geneva Conference
* 1954 Guatemalan coup d'état
* Capture of the Tuapse
* First Taiwan Strait Crisis
* Jebel Akhdar War
* Algerian War
* Kashmir Princess
* Bandung Conference
* Geneva Summit (1955)
* Cyprus Emergency
* "On the Cult of Personality and Its Consequences"
* 1956 Poznań protests
* Hungarian Revolution of 1956
* Polish October
* Suez Crisis
* "We will bury you"
* Operation Gladio
* Syrian Crisis of 1957
* Sputnik crisis
* Ifni War
* Iraqi 14 July Revolution
* 1958 Lebanon crisis
* Second Taiwan Strait Crisis
* 1959 Mosul uprising
* 1959 Tibetan uprising
* Kitchen Debate
* Cuban Revolution
* Consolidation of the Cuban Revolution
* Sino-Soviet split
* Night Frost Crisis

1960s|

* Congo Crisis
* Laotian Civil War
* Simba rebellion
* 1960 U-2 incident
* John F. Kennedy
* Bay of Pigs Invasion
* 1960 Turkish coup d'état
* Albanian–Soviet split
* Iraqi–Kurdish conflict
* First Iraqi–Kurdish War
* Berlin Crisis of 1961
* Berlin Wall
* Vietnam War
* Annexation of Goa
* Papua conflict
* Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation
* Sand War
* Portuguese Colonial War
* Angolan War of Independence
* Guinea-Bissau War of Independence
* Mozambican War of Independence
* Cuban Missile Crisis
* El Porteñazo
* Sino-Indian War
* Communist insurgency in Sarawak
* Ramadan Revolution
* Eritrean War of Independence
* North Yemen civil war
* 1963 Syrian coup d'état
* Assassination of John F. Kennedy
* Lyndon B. Johnson
* Aden Emergency
* Cyprus crisis of 1963–1964
* Shifta War
* Mexican Dirty War
* Tlatelolco massacre
* Guatemalan Civil War
* Colombian conflict
* 1964 Brazilian coup d'état
* Dominican Civil War
* Rhodesian Bush War
* Indonesian mass killings of 1965–1966
* Transition to the New Order (Indonesia)
* ASEAN Declaration
* 1966 Syrian coup d'état
* Cultural Revolution
* Cambodian Civil War
* Argentine Revolution
* South African Border War
* Korean DMZ Conflict
* 12-3 incident
* Greek junta
* 1967 Hong Kong riots
* Years of Lead (Italy)
* Six-Day War
* War of Attrition
* Dhofar War
* Al-Wadiah War
* Nigerian Civil War
* Protests of 1968
* May 68
* Prague Spring
* USS Pueblo incident
* 1968 Polish political crisis
* Communist insurgency in Malaysia
* Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia
* 17 July Revolution
* 1968 Peruvian coup d'état
* Revolutionary Government
* 1969 Sudanese coup d'état
* 1969 Libyan revolution
* Goulash Communism
* Sino-Soviet border conflict
* New People's Army rebellion
* Note Crisis

1970s|

* Détente
* Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty
* Black September
* Alcora Exercise
* Corrective Movement (Syria)
* Western Sahara conflict
* Communist insurgency in Thailand
* 1970 Polish protests
* Koza riot
* Realpolitik
* Ping-pong diplomacy
* 1971 JVP insurrection
* Corrective revolution (Egypt)
* 1971 Turkish military memorandum
* 1971 Sudanese coup d'état
* 1971 Bolivian coup d'état
* Four Power Agreement on Berlin
* Bangladesh Liberation War
* 1972 visit by Richard Nixon to China
* North Yemen-South Yemen Border conflict of 1972
* First Yemenite War
* Munich massacre
* 1972–1975 Bangladesh insurgency
* Eritrean Civil Wars
* Paris Peace Accords
* 1973 Uruguayan coup d'état
* 1973 Afghan coup d'état
* 1973 Chilean coup d'état
* Yom Kippur War
* 1973 oil crisis
* Carnation Revolution
* Ethiopian Civil War
* Vietnam War
* Spanish transition to democracy
* Metapolitefsi
* Strategic Arms Limitation Talks
* Second Iraqi–Kurdish War
* Turkish invasion of Cyprus
* 15 August 1975 Bangladeshi coup d'état
* Siege of Dhaka (1975)
* Sipahi-Janata revolution
* Angolan Civil War
* Indonesian invasion of East Timor
* Cambodian genocide
* June 1976 protests
* Mozambican Civil War
* Oromo conflict
* Ogaden War
* 1978 Somali coup attempt
* Western Sahara War
* Lebanese Civil War
* Sino-Albanian split
* Third Indochina War
* Cambodian–Vietnamese War
* Cambodian conflict
* Operation Condor
* Dirty War (Argentina)
* 1976 Argentine coup d'état
* Egyptian–Libyan War
* German Autumn
* Korean Air Lines Flight 902
* Nicaraguan Revolution
* Uganda–Tanzania War
* NDF Rebellion
* Chadian–Libyan War
* Second Yemenite War
* Grand Mosque seizure
* Iranian revolution
* Saur Revolution
* Sino-Vietnamese War
* New Jewel Movement
* 1979 Herat uprising
* Seven Days to the River Rhine
* Struggle against political abuse of psychiatry in the Soviet Union

1980s|

* Salvadoran Civil War
* Soviet–Afghan War
* Eritrean Civil Wars
* 1980 and 1984 Summer Olympics boycotts
* Gera Demands
* Peruvian Revolution
* Gdańsk Agreement
* Solidarity
* 1980 Turkish coup d'état
* Ugandan Bush War
* Gulf of Sidra incident
* Martial law in Poland
* Casamance conflict
* Falklands War
* 1982 Ethiopian–Somali Border War
* Ndogboyosoi War
* United States invasion of Grenada
* Able Archer 83
* Star Wars
* 1985 Geneva Summit
* Iran–Iraq War
* Somali Rebellion
* Reykjavík Summit
* 1986 Black Sea incident
* South Yemen civil war
* Toyota War
* 1987 Lieyu massacre
* Operation Denver
* 1987–1989 JVP insurrection
* Lord's Resistance Army insurgency
* 1988 Black Sea bumping incident
* 8888 Uprising
* Solidarity (Soviet reaction)
* Contras
* Central American crisis
* Operation RYAN
* Korean Air Lines Flight 007
* People Power Revolution
* Glasnost
* Perestroika
* Bougainville conflict
* First Nagorno-Karabakh War
* Afghan Civil War
* United States invasion of Panama
* 1988 Polish strikes
* Polish Round Table Agreement
* 1989 Tiananmen Square protests and massacre
* Revolutions of 1989
* Fall of the Berlin Wall
* Fall of the inner German border
* Velvet Revolution
* Romanian Revolution
* Peaceful Revolution

1990s|

* Mongolian Revolution of 1990
* Min Ping Yu No. 5540 incident
* Gulf War
* Min Ping Yu No. 5202
* German reunification
* Yemeni unification
* Fall of communism in Albania
* Breakup of Yugoslavia
* Dissolution of the Soviet Union
* 1991 August Coup
* Dissolution of Czechoslovakia

Frozen conflicts|

* Abkhazia
* China-Taiwan
* Korea
* Kosovo
* South Ossetia
* Transnistria
* Sino-Indian border dispute
* North Borneo dispute

Foreign policy|

* Truman Doctrine
* Containment
* Eisenhower Doctrine
* Domino theory
* Hallstein Doctrine
* Kennedy Doctrine
* Peaceful coexistence
* Ostpolitik
* Johnson Doctrine
* Brezhnev Doctrine
* Nixon Doctrine
* Ulbricht Doctrine
* Carter Doctrine
* Reagan Doctrine
* Paasikivi–Kekkonen doctrine
* Rollback
* Kinmen Agreement

Ideologies|

| Capitalism|

* Liberalism
* Chicago school
* Conservatism
* American conservatism
* Keynesianism
* Libertarianism
* Monetarism
* Neoclassical economics
* Reaganomics
* Supply-side economics
* Democratic capitalism

|

Socialism|

* Communism
* Marxism–Leninism
* Castroism
* Eurocommunism
* Guevarism
* Hoxhaism
* Juche
* Ho Chi Minh Thought
* Maoism
* Trotskyism
* Stalinism
* Titoism

Other|

* Imperialism
* Anti-imperialism
* Nationalism
* Ultranationalism
* Chauvinism
* Ethnic nationalism
* Racism
* Zionism
* Anti-Zionism
* Fascism
* Neo-Nazism
* Islamism
* Totalitarianism
* Authoritarianism
* Autocracy
* Liberal democracy
* Illiberal democracy
* Guided democracy
* Social democracy
* Third-worldism
* White supremacy
* White nationalism
* White separatism
* Apartheid
* Finlandization

Organizations|

* NATO
* SEATO
* METO
* EEC
* Warsaw Pact
* Comecon
* Non-Aligned Movement
* NN States
* ASEAN
* SAARC
* Safari Club

Propaganda|

| Pro-communist|

* Active measures
* Izvestia
* Neues Deutschland
* Pravda
* Radio Moscow
* Rudé právo
* Trybuna Ludu
* TASS
* Soviet Life

|

Pro-Western|

* Amerika
* Crusade for Freedom
* Paix et Liberté
* Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

* Red Scare
* Voice of America

Technological
competition|

* Arms race
* Nuclear arms race
* Space Race

Historians|

* Gar Alperovitz
* Thomas A. Bailey
* Michael Beschloss
* Archie Brown
* Warren H. Carroll
* Adrian Cioroianu
* John Costello
* Michael Cox
* Nicholas J. Cull
* Norman Davies
* Willem Drees
* Robert D. English
* Herbert Feis
* Robert Hugh Ferrell
* André Fontaine
* Anneli Ute Gabanyi
* John Lewis Gaddis
* Lloyd Gardner
* Timothy Garton Ash
* Gabriel Gorodetsky
* Fred Halliday
* Jussi Hanhimäki
* John Earl Haynes
* Patrick J. Hearden
* Tvrtko Jakovina
* Tony Judt
* Harvey Klehr
* Gabriel Kolko
* Walter LaFeber
* Walter Laqueur
* Melvyn P. Leffler
* Geir Lundestad
* Vojtech Mastny
* Jack F. Matlock Jr.
* Thomas J. McCormick
* Timothy Naftali
* Marius Oprea
* David S. Painter
* William B. Pickett
* Ronald E. Powaski
* Yakov M. Rabkin
* M. E. Sarotte
* Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr.
* Ellen Schrecker
* Giles Scott-Smith
* Shen Zhihua
* Timothy Snyder
* Athan Theoharis
* Andrew Thorpe
* Vladimir Tismăneanu
* Patrick Vaughan
* Alex von Tunzelmann
* Odd Arne Westad
* William Appleman Williams
* Jonathan Reed Winkler
* Rudolph Winnacker
* Ken Young

Espionage and
intelligence|

* List of Eastern Bloc agents in the United States
* Soviet espionage in the United States
* Russian espionage in the United States
* American espionage in the Soviet Union and Russian Federation
* CIA and the Cultural Cold War
* CIA
* MI5
* MI6
* United States involvement in regime change
* Soviet involvement in regime change
* MVD
* KGB
* Stasi

See also|

* Allied intervention in the Russian Civil War
* Soviet Union–United States relations
* Soviet Union–United States summits
* Russia–NATO relations
* War on terror
* Brinkmanship
* Pax Atomica
* Second Cold War
* Russian Revolution

* Category
* List of conflicts
* Timeline

* v
* t
* e

SAARC Literary Award recipients

2001|

* Shamsur Rahman
* Ganesh Narayandas Devy

2006|

* Maitreyi Pushpa
* Zahida Hina
* Laxman Gaikwad
* Tissa Abeysekara

2007|

* Mahasveta Devi

2009|

* Jayanta Mahapatra
* Uday Prakash

2010|

* Hamid Mir
* Abhi Subedi
* Mark Tully
* Tin Tin Win

2011|

* Ibrahim Waheed
* Syed Akhtar Hussain Akhtar

2012|

* Fakrul Alam
* Ayasha Zee Khan

2013|

* Suman Pokhrel
* Abhay K
* Abdul Khaliq Rashid
* Daya Dissanayake
* Farheen Chaudhary

2014|

* Tarannum Riyaz

2015|

* Sitakant Mahapatra
* Selina Hossain
* Suman Pokhrel
* Nisar Ahmad Chaudhary
* Aryan Aroon

2018|

Najibullah Manalai

2019|

Anisuzzaman

2023|

Chador Wangmo

Authority control databases

International|

* ISNI
* VIAF

National|

* Germany
* United States
* France
* BnF data
* Australia
* Czech Republic
* Norway
* Croatia
* Poland
* Israel
* Catalonia

Academics|

* CiNii

People|

* Trove

Other|

* IdRef
* Yale LUX

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