International Organization
Intergovernmental Organisations
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, Technical Committees, Secretariat.
Website: www.saarc-sec.org.
Secretary General: Esala Weerakoon (Sri Lanka).
Membership (8): Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka.
Observers (9): Australia, China, European Union, Iran, Japan, Mauritius, Myanmar, South Korea, United States.
Official Language: English.
Origin and development. Prior to the formation of SAARC, ...
- African Union (AU)
- Arab League
- Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
- Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean)
- Caribbean Community and Common Market (Caricom)
- Common Market For Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA)
- Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)
- Council of Europe
- Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS)
- European Atomic Energy Community (EURATOM)
- European Free Trade Association (EFTA)
- European Union (EU)
- Group of Eight
- Group of Twenty
- International Criminal Court (ICC)
- International Energy Agency (IEA)
- International Organization For Migration (IOM)
- Non-Aligned Movement
- North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)
- Organization For Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD)
- Organization For Security And Cooperation In Europe (OSCE)
- Organization of American States (OAS)
- Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS)
- Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC)
- Organization of The Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC)
- Pacific Islands Forum (PIF)
- Regional Development Banks
- Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)
- South Asian Association For Regional Cooperation (SAARC)
- Southern African Development Community (SADC)
- Southern Cone Common Market (Mercosur/Mercosul)
- The Commonwealth
- United Nations (UN)
- United Nations: Related Organizations
- United Nations: Specialized Agencies
- World Trade Organization (WTO)
