The SAARC full form is the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation. SAARC is an intergovernmental organisation comprising eight member nations. The orgnisation also includes nine non-member observers. The SAARC was founded on 8 December 1985, in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Currently, the SAARC headquarters is in Kathmandu, Nepal. The SAARC constitutes 21% of the global population and 5.21% (US$4.47 trillion) of the global GDP.
As of 2026, SAARC summits have not been held since the 18th summit in Nepal in November 2014. The 19th SAARC Summit, scheduled for November 2016 in Islamabad, Pakistan, was indefinitely postponed after India, followed by Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Afghanistan, withdrew following the Uri terror attack, which India blamed on the Pakistan-based militant group Jaish-e-Mohammed.
Who were the founding members of SAARC?
The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) was established on December 8, 1985, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, by seven founding members: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
Afghanistan was not a founding member. Afghanistan joined as the eighth member in 2007. India is still a member of SAARC, though the group has been largely inactive since 2016 due to tensions with Pakistan.
Who are the nine observer countries of the SAARC?
The nine observer countries in the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), which participate in Summits but lack voting rights, are: Australia, China, the European Union (EU), Iran, Japan, Mauritius, Myanmar, South Korea, and the United States.
Which is the official language of SAARC?
The official language of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is English. As a regional organization comprising eight member states with diverse national languages, SAARC utilizes English for its official documentation.
Where is the SAARC Secretariat situated?
The SAARC Secretariat is headquartered in Kathmandu, Nepal. It was established on 16 January 1987. The SAARC Secretariat is headed by the Secretary-General (appointed from member states in alphabetical order for a three-year term).
Who is the current general secretariat of SAARC?
As of 2026, H.E. Mr. Md. Golam Sarwar, a diplomat from Bangladesh is the Secretary General of the SAARC. He assumed office in 2023.
What are the objectives of the SAARC?
The objectives of the Association as outlined in the SAARC Charter are:
to promote the welfare of the peoples of South Asia and to improve their quality of life;
to accelerate economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region and to provide all individuals the opportunity to live in dignity and to realize their full potentials;
to promote and strengthen collective self-reliance among the countries of South Asia;
to contribute to mutual trust, understanding and appreciation of one another's problems;
to promote active collaboration and mutual assistance in the economic, social, cultural, technical and scientific fields;
to strengthen cooperation with other developing countries;
to strengthen cooperation among themselves in international forums on matters of common interests;
to cooperate with international and regional organizations with similar aims and purposes.
