Regional cooperation in reverse

SAARC struggles to revive amidst internal tensions, leadership gap

 

Kathmandu, Dec. 6

Once a vibrant and highly potential regional organisation, the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is now in a ‘state of coma’ with no significant activity except one in the last 11 years and no future planning.

Following the 18^th SAARC Summit held in Kathmandu in November 2014, a formal ministerial meeting of the member countries happened only once in 2016 in Pokhara of Nepal.

Since the 19^th SAARC Summit, scheduled to take place in Islamabad of Pakistan, in November 2016, was cancelled as several members (India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka) of the organisation boycotted it on the pretext of growing tensions between India and Pakistan, many thought that the regional mechanism was on the brink of failure.

India’s ‘Look East’ policy and efforts to strengthen the BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Scientific, Technical and Economic Cooperation) further solidified this thought.

Meanwhile, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, a virtual informal meeting of the foreign ministers of the member countries was held in September 2020 which reminded the members that the regional mechanism like SAARC was needed for cooperation in need, and ignited hope that the organisation could witness a revival, although a gradual one.

 But a month after when Nepal’s then Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and his Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan, on the occasion of the 36^th SAARC Charter Day called for the organisation of the SAARC Summit, Indian PM Narendra Modi said that the effectiveness of SAARC would increase only if ‘terror and violence’ could be ended.

Indirectly indicating to Pakistan, he said it was impossible.

And the situation has remained the same since then, even the regional body is celebrating its 40^th anniversary this Tuesday.

“Forget about the 19^th summit happening soon. The region is at the same crossroads of time and space, history and geography. Its actually moving backwards in regional cooperation,” said former ambassador Dr. Shambhu Ram Simkhada.

According to him, the dilemma about ‘neighbourhood first or last?’ and the policy of ‘beggar thy neighbour’ keep the region divided, which has sent the SAARC into ‘coma’.

Another former ambassador, Vijay Kant Karna, said that with the tensions growing within the region and among the members, there are fewer hopes that the regional organisaion could see an imminent revival.

He said that the current chair of the organisation – Nepal, as well as Bangladesh, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka are struggling to resolve their internal crisis, there are less hopes that the region would soon make any pragmatic efforts in making the SAARC operational.

As the current chair, Nepal had tried to convene ministerial meetings and discussed the agenda with the regional leaders on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York in 2023 and 2024. But these efforts couldn’t make any progress.

As a result, the region, which has the largest population size and one of the highest poverty rates after Sub-Saharan Africa, is running without any working regional mechanism.

The SAARC Secretariat, based in Kathmandu, is fulfilling the rituals like attending regional and global forums and organising knowledge-sharing events, such as a series of webinars on energy in November and December this year.

The Secretariat has ceased to publish its newsletter on the web since 2020, while no significant event has been shown of late.

However, the SAARC has an impressive network of regional bodies covering business, law, charity, literature and culture and children. The SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) and South Asia Foundation are some of the most active organisations in this regard.

Likewise, there are one-and-a-half dozens SAARC recognised bodies that are headquartered in various cities of the member countries.

Dr. Simkhada said that agreements like the South Asia Free Trade Area (SAFTA), conventions like the Suppression of Terrorism, funds like the SAARC Development Fund, and institutions like the Food Bank, Seed Bank and disaster cooperation deepened the regional cooperation.

These institutions could still spur greater regional consciousness, identity and cooperation, he said. But he said that there have been no sincere efforts from the leaders in the member countries to deepen and integrate the regional cooperation.

According to Karna, the region lacks visionary leaders who could promote multilateralism and promote amicable regional relationships, if not the bilateral ones.

“Members of the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) also have bilateral problems, but they haven’t made the regional mechanism hostage to such crises,” he said.

The SAARC like never before is seeking sincere efforts from the members countries. “With sustained endeavours, we will surely be able to realise the region’s fullest potential through effective regional cooperation and integration,” Secretary General of SAARC, Golam Sarwar had said at the 40^th SAARC Charter Day reception held in Kathmandu on 12 December 2024. .

According to him, SAARC is the common identity, inspiration and future of all South Asians.

Published in The Rising Nepal daily on 7 December 2025.