South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC)

Established: By charter signed December 8, 1985, in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Purpose: “[T]o promote the welfare of the peoples of South Asia and to improve their quality of life; … to promote and strengthen collective self-reliance among the countries of South Asia; … to promote active collaboration and mutual assistance in the economic, social, cultural, technical and scientific fields; … and to co-operate with international and regional organizations with similar aims and purposes.”

Headquarters: Kathmandu, Nepal.

Principal Organs: Meeting of Heads of State or Government, Council of Ministers, Standing Committee, Programming Committee, Secretariat.

Web site: www.saarc-sec.org

Secretary General: Sheel Kant Sharma (India).

Membership (8): Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka.

Observers (5): China, the European Union, Japan, South Korea, the United States.

Origin and development. Prior to the ...

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