ISLAMABAD: There are clear indications that the seven-nation South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) 'talk- shop' is finally getting down to some serious business.
After almost two decades of virtual inertia, Saarc is getting its act together and also seeking partnership with key players outside the region. A significant development is the growing expression of interest in the regional organization by some leading countries and groupings that are mindful of its potential.
Undoubtedly the 12th Saarc summit meeting in Islamabad that set new signposts for Safta (South Asia Free Trade Area), a social charter, combating terrorism, poverty alleviation and energy cooperation, was a turning point. An equally important factor has been the thaw in Indo-Pakistan relations.
Recognizing that Saarc can be viable only if it is outward looking, Pakistan as its current chairman has initiated a process of establishing linkages particularly with Asean (Association for South East Asian Nations), the European Union, the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council), the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, and with Canada, the United States, Japan, China, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, ECO, and the ADB.
A significant achievement is that Saarc has been granted observer status at the United Nations following a resolution moved by Pakistan's permanent representative in New York this September.
The EU has also indicated its inclination to extend financial and technical assistance to Saarc to develop linkages in the trade area. With Asean, the work plan of annual Saarc activities is being discussed and cooperation with the ADB is also under active consideration.
The World Bank recently sponsored a major workshop in Islamabad on Pakistan's work plan on implementation of the Saarc Social Charter signed at the 12th summit. The authors of the World Bank strategy for the country's social development realized that it had numerous commonalities with the home grown social charter.
Hence, the World Bank decided to incorporate the Saarc concept in its own initiative on social development and offered to help in implementation of the charter. As a first step, the bank has committed services of its consultants to help prepare a work plan for implementation of the charter.
Another positive development has been the reactivation of the Saarc-Japan Special Fund a few months back. The fund, meant to support Saarc-related activities, was put on hold last year due to some procedural differences on its spending.
The growing interest of the international community in the organization demonstrates the importance it attaches to the region. Also, it reflects the proactive role played by Pakistan in making the organization dynamic and meaningful.
A point that Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz made repeatedly during his tour of six Saarc countries last month was that the association ought to be focused, issue-driven and result-oriented.
Canada and the US are already supporting Saarc-related activities. China is also interested in formalizing some arrangement with Saarc in the form of a MoU. Currently, Pakistan is preparing a concept paper on its vision for Saarc as it enters its third decade.
It would be circulated ahead of the next summit in Dhaka (Bangladesh) on January 9-11, 2005. It is believed that the dominant theme will be to transform the grouping into a modern, business-like enterprise with special focus on implementation of Saarc decisions and moving towards project cooperation.
Bangladesh Foreign Minister M. Morshed Khan recently pointed out that there was no effective mechanism to follow-up on the seven agreements and four action plans adopted by organization over the last two decades. Although under Saarc rules any two or more Saarc member states can initiate a project, not one joint project has been launched since its inception in 1984.
To make summits less ceremonial, there is a proposal to reduce the duration of the meetings from three days to a day and a half. Pakistan is expected to formally propose the setting up of a Saarc Poverty Alleviation Fund that would have contributions from all member states and all could draw from it.
Plans are also under way to restructure the Saarc secretariat. There is a proposal to induct a core group of specialists and economists to inject professionalism and a target-driven culture.
Other proposals include encouraging private sector commercial interaction and setting a goal of region-wide eradication of illiteracy in 10 years. Saarc watchers and diplomatic observers advocate the need for instituting a process of confidence building and preventive diplomacy within the Saarc framework.
They point to the Saarc charter that calls for promotion of peace, stability, amity and progress. To initiate the process one idea is to explore the possibility of setting up a parallel forum on the ARF (Asean Regional Forum) model.
At such a forum Saarc leaders could discuss security issues and settlement of regional disputes that threaten peace and hinder regional cooperation. Political comfort level among the Saarc states is seen as a vital prerequisite for effective regional cooperation.
Interestingly, Bhutan, the smallest of the Saarc member states, will for the first time take over as the Saarc secretary-general's post next year. Although the current Saarc secretary-general was due for retirement at the end of the month and the position is strictly non-extendable, as a special case the Saarc foreign ministers decided in July to give him an extension till February 28. The new Bhutanese secretary-general will start his three-year tenure from March 1.
There is perception that since Bhutan has no axe to grind with any member state and it is not in competition with any other country, it will provide quality leadership to the regional association.
Bhutan is yet to host a summit. According to alphabetical order that is followed it is Bhutan's turn to host the 2006 14th summit. However, Bhutan has already conveyed to the Saarc secretariat in Kathmandu its inability to play host because of the lack of infrastructure for such an event. So now the 2006 summit will be held in India.
