DHAKA, Nov 13: The 13th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) summit concluded on Sunday with the adoption of the Dhaka Declaration that called for stronger efforts for alleviating poverty and combating terrorism. It urged enhanced political cooperation among the members for peace and stability in South Asia.

Leaders of Saarc identified terrorism as one of the two-day most critical threats to international peace and security and expressed determination to forge unity in their efforts in combating terrorism in the region.

The Dhaka Declaration that came at the end of the summit strongly condemned terrorist violence in all its forms and manifestations, and Saarc leaders agreed that terrorism was a challenge to all states and a threat to all of humanity and could not be justified on any ground.

“Terrorism violates the fundamental values of the Saarc and the United Nations and constitutes one of the most critical threats to international peace and security,” the declaration reads.

Countries in the region have faced an upsurge in terror attacks and radical violence over the past decade, the most recent of which was the series of explosions in the Indian capital New Delhi on October 29.

The leaders pledged for early and effective implementation of the Additional Protocol to the Saarc Convention on Suppression of Terrorism, signed at the Islamabad summit in 2004, to stop financing terrorism. The original convention was signed by member countries at the 3rd summit held in Kathmandu in 1987.

Expressing satisfaction at the ratification of the protocol, South Asian leaders called for putting in place effective mechanisms for its implementation. They also underlined that there should be no double standards in the fight against terrorism.

The leaders agreed that member countries would strengthen their cooperation in such important areas as exchange of information, coordination and cooperation among their relevant agencies.

The heads of state and government of the seven-nation forum decided that Saarc interior or home ministers would meet annually preceded by a meeting of the interior of home secretaries.

They asked that concrete measures be taken to enforce the provisions of the Regional Convention on Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances through an appropriate regional mechanism.

Due to their specific vulnerabilities, small states require special measures for support from all concerned for safeguarding their sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, they also noted.

The Saarc leaders stressed that protection of small states should be firmly rooted in scrupulous adherence to the UN Charter, rule of law and strict adherence to universally-accepted principles and norms related to sovereign rights and territorial integrity of all states, irrespective of their size.

The summit recognised poverty as the greatest challenge in the region and declared the next decade, from 2006 to 2015, a “decade for poverty alleviation” while it put special emphasis on curbing terrorism as it hampers security, economic stability and social development.

High-magnitude economic cooperation and infrastructure development were among the other measures top South Asian leaders suggested for arresting widespread poverty in the region of more than 1.5 billion people.