Shrugging off the notion that Saarc is an ineffective regional forum, its Secretary General Arjun Bahadur Thapa on Sunday said much has been done though it needs to ‘do a lot’ more in the future with collective wisdoms and efforts.
“I can’t agree that it hasn’t done anything,” a smiling Thapa told reporters admitting that it could not fulfill the expectations for ‘so many reasons’.
He came up with the remarks at a press conference at Ruposhi Bangla hotel after the concluding session of a two-day second meeting of the Saarc Cabinet Secretaries.
Cabinet Secretary M Mosharraf Hossain Bhuiyan briefed the journalists about the outcome of the meeting.
Describing Saarc’s achievements, the Secretary General said the Saarc leaders have been able to meet on a regular basis and managed to prevent conflict in the region.
“If our leaders periodically meet and talk about the development of this region, about the common interest and common problems of the region, then we can perform better,” he added.
Thapa emphasised the collective efforts of all the member states to achieve Saarc’s overall goals.
He mentioned that a number of things have been done in so many areas related to trade matters, poverty reduction, establishing connectivity and energy security apart from introduction of Saarc visa scheme.
“We can’t compare our region with Asean or the European Union because we’ve a very brief history,” Thapa said.
In the European Union, the Saarc Secretary General said, the member states have surrendered their sovereignty to the EU. “In our region, our leaders felt that everything should be done based on a consensus. I think, it was a very wise decision.”
He said the main goal of this organisation is not to give a rise to conflicts and tensions in this region. “It could be the best way to address any issue if we address a particular issue on a consensual basis.”
Asked what steps are being taken to alleviate poverty in the region, Thapa said, “Every member state is doing its level best to alleviate poverty.”
He mentioned that they are doing something collectively in terms of connectivity and trade and others that naturally will lead to the alleviation of poverty.
About Saarc observers, he said there are nine observers and many are interested to get the observer status. “Out of nine observers, only four are active. Australia, Japan Korea and China…these are the observers who have contributed a lot.”
The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) is an economic and geopolitical cooperation among eight member nations — Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka — in South Asian continent.
Source: UNBconnect
