| The
Declaration of the 14th SAARC has emphasized the urgent
need to move SAARC from declaratory to an implementation
phase. In this regard the SAARC leaders have directed
the early implementation of the SAARC Development Fund
(SDF), the recommendations of the 2nd SAARC Energy Ministers
Meeting, and the urgent conclusion of a Comprehensive
Convention on International Terrorism.
The SAARC leaders also called for
the early finalization of an Agreement in the Services
Sector under SAFTA, the finalizing of the Agreement
on Investment Promotion and Protection and the early
establishment of the South Asian University in India.
They also stressed the importance
of people to people contact as a key constituent in
regional connectivity.
The Heads of State or Government
stressed the need to collectively overcome the challenges
of poverty, disease, natural disasters and terrorism.
They confirmed that countries of South Asia must work
together to deal with these challenges in order to secure
the region's collective prosperity.
In his address at the opening session
of the SAARC Summit President Mahinda Rajapaksa stressed
the need for the matters endorsed by the SAARC leaders
over the years to be transformed into action without
any further delay. He said: "I am a strong believer
of practicality. While endorsing and fully subscribing
to the values of SAARC, we badly need to be action-oriented
rather than dependent on rhetoric. Merely saying good
things about each other and ignoring the reality will
take us nowhere. Therefore, all what we have endorsed
over the years, must without any further delay, be transformed
into action
Here is the text of the New Delhi
Declaration of the 14th SAARC Summit:
Declaration of the Fourteenth
SAARC Summit
04/04/2007
The President of the Islamic Republic
of Afghanistan, His Excellency Mr. Hamid Karzai; the
Chief Adviser of the Government of the People's Republic
of Bangladesh, His Excellency Dr. Fakhruddin Ahmed;
the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bhutan, His Excellency
Lyonpo Khandu Wangchuk; the Prime Minister of the Republic
of India, His Excellency Dr. Manmohan Singh; the President
of the Republic of Maldives, His Excellency Mr. Maumoon
Abdul Gayoom; the Prime Minister of Nepal, Rt. Hon'ble
Mr. Girija Prasad Koirala; the Prime Minister of the
Islamic Republic of Pakistan, His Excellency Mr. Shaukat
Aziz; and the President of the Democratic Socialist
Republic of Sri Lanka, His Excellency Mr. Mahinda Rajapaksa,
met at the Fourteenth Summit meeting of the South Asian
Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) held in
New Delhi, India on April 3-4, 2007.
2. The Heads of State or Government
welcomed the entry of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan
into SAARC. This was a historic moment as Afghanistan
assumed its rightful place as a valued member of the
SAARC fraternity.
3. The Heads of State or Government
reiterated their commitment to the principles and objectives
enshrined in the SAARC Charter. With the welfare of
the peoples of South Asia uppermost in their mind, they
agreed to build a Partnership for Prosperity and work
towards shared economic cooperation, regional prosperity,
a better life for the people of South Asia, and equitable
distribution of benefits and opportunities of integration
among the peoples and the nations.
4. The Heads of State or Government
recognised the importance of connectivity in fulfilling
these objectives. It was vital to first have better
connectivity within South Asia and then with the rest
of the world. They agreed to improve intra-regional
connectivity, particularly physical, economic and people-to-people
connectivity. They agreed to the vision of a South Asian
community, where there was smooth flow of goods, services,
peoples, technologies, knowledge, capital, culture and
ideas in the region. The SAARC Car Rally, in the run-up
to the Fourteenth SAARC Summit, had vividly symbolized
this connectivity.
5. The Heads of State or Government
recognised that the remarkable growth of the economies
of SAARC countries has opened new opportunities to pursue
the fight against poverty with firm resolve. They called
for deepening of pro-poor orientation of growth process,
including through enhancing investment in human capital
and infrastructure, increasing budgetary allocations
for relevant sectors and improved delivery of services.
They reiterated their commitment towards project-based
cooperation to strengthen collective efforts in the
region.
6. The Heads of State or Government
acknowledged that there is a wide range of homegrown
best practices and innovative solutions for transforming
the lives of peoples in South Asia. They decided to
earmark one rural community as SAARC Village in each
Member State to showcase these innovative models of
development in order to further replicate these across
the region.
7. The Heads of State or Government
recognised that the implementation of the Social Charter
needs focused attention and directed the National Coordination
Committees (NCCs) to formulate concrete programmes and
projects to complement national implementation efforts.
They underscored that civil society organizations have
a vital role to play in driving forward the implementation
of the Social Charter and directed the NCCs to mobilize
civil society organizations to achieve this end.
8. The Heads of State or Government
appreciated the Independent South Asian Commission on
Poverty Alleviation (ISACPA) for its elaboration of
the SAARC Development Goals (SDGs), which reflect the
regional determination to make faster progress towards
attaining the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). They
agreed that the national plans for poverty alleviation
should appropriately mirror the regional consensus reached
in the form of the SDGs and the Plan of Action on Poverty
Alleviation. Deciding that resource mobilization for
achieving the SDGs would remain a high priority in the
Decade of Poverty Alleviation, the Leaders directed
translation of the highest regional level political
commitment into action for creating opportunities for
productive employment and greater access to resources
for the poor that are essential for them to enhance
their livelihood and realize their potentials. They
entrusted the Two-tier Mechanism on Poverty Alleviation
to monitor the progress and fine-tune the approaches
towards pro-poor growth process.
9. The Heads of State or Government
recognized the full benefits of an integrated multimodal
transport system in the region. They emphasized that
this would not be realized unless physical infrastructure
and matters relating to customs clearance and other
facilitation measures, including multimodal transport
operations, were addressed comprehensively. They called
for an extension of the SAARC Regional Multimodal Transport
Study (SRMTS) to include Afghanistan as well. They also
called for early implementation of the recommendations
contained in the Study in a phased manner. In this context,
the Heads of State or Government directed the Inter-Governmental
Group on Transport to identify and develop sub-regional
and regional projects based on the prioritised recommendations
of the SAARC Regional Multimodal Transport Study (SRMTS)
and to develop appropriate regional agreements. They
noted the offer of India to hold the Meeting of SAARC
Ministers of Transport in New Delhi in 2007. They also
directed that pilot projects for improving connectivity
be identified and implemented through mutual consultations
among the Member States.
10. The Heads of State or Government
emphasized that in its third decade of existence, there
was an urgent need to move SAARC from declaratory to
implementation phase. They directed that the focus of
SAARC should be on implementing collaborative projects
that are concrete and effective. The SAARC Development
Fund (SDF) is an important pillar that would bring concrete
benefits to the people of the region. They directed
that the SDF be made operational at the earliest. They
agreed that the resources for SDF would be mobilised
both from within and outside the region. They stressed
the importance of decision making and working of the
SDF being consistent with the SAARC Charter. They called
for early identification and implementation of regional
and sub-regional projects under the SDF.
11. The Heads of States or Governments
recognized the region's rapidly increasing energy demands
for meeting the developmental needs of SAARC countries.
They also acknowledged the need of expediting development
of conventional sources of energy in a sustainable manner
and for strengthening renewable energy development such
as in hydropower, bio-fuel, solar and wind. They welcomed
the organizing of the first ever South Asia Energy Dialogue
in March 2007 in Delhi. They called for early implementation
of the recommendations of the Second SAARC Energy Ministers'
Meeting to enhance regional cooperation.
12. The Heads of State or Government
reiterated their deep concern at the continued degradation
of environment and reaffirmed the need to further strengthen
cooperation towards protection and conservation of the
environment as a priority area. In this regard, while
noting the progress in the implementation of the SAARC
Plan of Action on Environment, they called for concerted
efforts to implement various initiatives under the Plan
in a timely manner.
13. The Heads of State or Government
expressed satisfaction at the launching of 2007 as the
'Year of Green South Asia'. They reiterated that collaboration
in addressing the problem of arsenic contamination of
groundwater, desertification and melting of glaciers
and assistance to affected peoples should be deepened.
They expressed deep concern over global climate change
and the consequent rise in sea level and its impact
on the lives and livelihoods in the region. They emphasised
the need for assessing and managing its risks and impacts.
They called for adaptation of initiatives and programmes;
cooperation in early forecasting, warning and monitoring;
and sharing of knowledge on consequences of climate
change for pursuing a climate resilient development
in South Asia. They agreed to commission a team of regional
experts to identify collective actions in this regard.
14. The Heads of State or Government
stressed the need for closer regional cooperation in
the field of information and communication technology.
They noted with appreciation the establishment of a
collaborative health care project involving a regional
telemedicine-network. They directed that steps
be taken to extend it to other ICT enabled fields such
as education. They agreed to take steps to facilitate
rationalization of telecom tariff on a reciprocal basis.
They also agreed that national and regional telecom
infrastructure should be upgraded to boost people-to-people
connectivity in the region.
15. The Heads of State or Government
noted with satisfaction timely ratification of SAFTA
Agreement by all member countries. They stressed the
need for ensuring effective market access through smooth
implementation of trade liberalization programme and
directed the SAFTA bodies to review the progress on
a regular basis. They emphasized that SAFTA should be
implemented in letter and spirit. Successful implementation
of SAFTA will catalyse other areas of regional economic
cooperation. They stressed that to
realize its full potential, SAFTA should integrate trade
in services. They called for a finalisation of an Agreement
in the services sector at the earliest. They also directed
that the Agreement on Investment Promotion and Protection
be finalized.
16. The Heads of State or Government
underlined the importance of implementing trade facilitation
measures, especially standardization of basic customs
nomenclature, documentation and clearing procedures.
They directed that a comprehensive agreement on harmonizing
customs procedures be finalised. They also noted that
harmonization of technical and phyto-sanitary standards
and their implementation in a trade-friendly manner
is important in boosting intra-regional trade. They
appreciated the establishment of the SAARC Standards
Coordination Board that would function as a precursor
to the SAARC Regional Standards Body.
17. The Heads of State or Government
complimented the SAARC Finance Ministers for finalising
the framework of cooperation on financial issues in
the region. They expressed satisfaction at the work
of the Inter-Governmental Expert Group on Financial
Issues.
18. The Heads of State or Government
emphasized the need to develop, at an early date, a
roadmap for a South Asian Customs Union and a South
Asian Economic Union in a planned and phased manner.
19. The Heads of State or Government
noted the cultural and social ties among the SAARC countries,
based on common history and geography, and reiterated
that the future of peoples of South Asia is interlinked.
They stressed the importance of people-to-people contact
as a key constituent in regional connectivity. They
acknowledged the importance of intra-regional tourism
and increased exchanges, particularly among the youth,
civil society, and parliamentarians. They launched the
SAARC Agenda for Culture and directed that annual SAARC
Festivals for cultural exchange be institutionalized.
They agreed to take measures to charge nationals of
SAARC Member States fees for entry into archeological
and heritage sites as applicable to their own nationals.
They also directed that an enlarged SAARC Scholarship
Scheme in ICT and related areas be instituted. They
welcomed the offer of Bangladesh to host the First SAARC
Youth Camp in 2007.
20. The Heads of State or Government
decided to establish the South Asian University in India.
They welcomed the signing of the Intergovernmental Agreement
establishing the University. They further directed that
the Intergovernmental Steering Committee be set up at
the earliest to complete
its tasks relating to the Charter, bye laws, rules and
regulations, curriculum development, business plans
and other issues. They also decided to strengthen cooperation
and dialogue on educational matters through development
of exchanges between academics, experts, policymakers,
students and teachers. They called for inter-institutional
cooperation, partnerships, and other regional initiatives
in the field of education.
21. The Heads of State or Government
acknowledged that women's full participation in all
spheres of society, including participation in the decision-making
process are fundamental for the achievement of equality
and development. They noted that many sections of women
and children continue to be in disadvantaged positions
and lack equal opportunities for economic and social
development. They emphasized that women's empowerment
should be a major objective of regional cooperation.
Regional projects should focus on addressing issues
relating to women and children.
22. The Heads of State or Government
stressed the need to collectively overcome the challenges
of poverty, disease, natural disasters and terrorism.
They confirmed that countries of South Asia must work
together to deal with these challenges in order to secure
the region's collective prosperity.
23. The Heads of State or Government
acknowledged that countries of South Asia face challenges
of food insecurity and malnutrition. In order to manage
emergencies caused by natural and manmade calamities
and food shortages, they welcomed the signing of the
Intergovernmental Agreement establishing the SAARC Food
Bank with the participation of all the SAARC countries.
The Food Bank will supplement national efforts to provide
food security to the people of the region.
24. The Heads of State or Government
noted the challenges confronted by the countries of
South Asia in ensuring food and nutritional security
as well as in maintaining vibrant rural economy for
agricultural development. They underscored the need
for enhancing productivity and real wage in rural sectors,
and for creating adequate non-farm employment to sustain
the progress made in reducing poverty. Noting the constant
decline in land availability and biodiversity, depleting
soil and natural resources, lowering ground water levels,
shrinking farm holdings as well as low and stagnating
productivity, they recognized the imperative of reducing
the wide gap between yields at the research and the
farm level. They stressed, in particular, that South
Asian agriculture must benefit from collaborative efforts
within and among SAARC countries in developing an effective
agriculture research, extension and farmers' linkages,
and exchange of farm technology.
25. The Heads of State or Government
underlined that terrorism is a threat to peace and security
in the region. They condemned the targeted killing of
civilians and terrorist violence, in all its forms and
manifestations, wherever and against whomsoever committed.
The Heads of States or Government
affirmed that terrorism violates the principles of the
Charters of the United Nations and SAARC and is a clear
and present threat to international peace and security.
They reaffirmed their commitment to implement all
international conventions relating to combating terrorism,
to which SAARC Member States were respectively parties,
as well as the SAARC Regional
Convention on Suppression of Terrorism and the Additional
Protocol to the SAARC Regional Convention dealing with
the prevention and suppression of financing of terrorism.
While urging continued efforts to combat terrorism,
the Heads of State or Government also called for urgent
conclusion of a Comprehensive Convention on International
Terrorism.
26. The Heads of State or Government
agreed to work on the modalities to implement the provisions
of the existing SAARC Conventions to combat terrorism,
narcotics and psychotropic substances, trafficking in
women and children and other trans-national crimes.
They expressed their commitment to take every possible
measure to prevent and suppress, in particular,
financing of terrorist acts by criminalizing the provision,
acquisition and collection of funds for such acts, including
through front organizations and also to counter illicit
trafficking of narcotic drugs, trafficking in
persons and illicit arms. They reiterated the need for
law enforcement authorities of Member States to enhance
cooperation in the prevention, suppression and prosecution
of offences under these Instruments. They noted the
initiative of India to prepare a draft of SAARC Convention
on Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters and welcomed
the offer of Sri Lanka to hold a meeting of Legal Advisers
to examine the idea of a draft convention, before the
Second Meeting of SAARC Interior/Home Ministers scheduled
to be held in
October 2007 in India. They also directed them to ensure
regular follow-up and implementation of the decisions
taken.
27. The Heads of State or Government
recognised that corruption was an issue of serious concern
and agreed to exchange information on national experience
in combating corruption to effectively address this
problem.
28. The Heads of State or Government
reaffirmed their commitment to a rule-based multilateral
trading system. They recalled that the Doha Round was
premised on the centrality of development. They directed
the Commerce
Ministers to work closely to co-ordinate their positions
to ensure that the centrality of the development dimension
in all areas of negotiations for creating new opportunities
and economic growth for developing countries was fully
realized. They called upon all members of WTO to show
commitment for a successful conclusion of the Doha Round.
29. The Heads of State or Government
welcomed the People's Republic of China, Japan, European
Union, Republic of Korea and the United States of America,
to be associated as Observers to SAARC. The region would
benefit from these external linkages and help its economic
integration with the international community. The Heads
of State or Government also welcomed the
Islamic Republic of Iran to be associated as Observer
to SAARC.
30. The Heads of State or Government
welcomed with appreciation the offer of the Maldives
to host the 15th Summit Meeting of the Heads of States
or Governments of the South Asian Association for the
Regional Cooperation (SAARC). |
