South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation
economical, political and military Alliance of South Asian Nations in Nepal
The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) is an intergovernmental organization comprising eight sovereign states with full membership: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. It also includes nine non-member observers: Australia, China, the European Union, Iran, Japan, Mauritius, Myanmar, South Korea, and the United States. As of 2021, SAARC members collectively account for about 21% of the world's population and 5.21% (US$4.47 trillion) of the global economy.
The organization was founded in Dhaka, Bangladesh, on 8 December 1985 and is currently headquartered in Kathmandu, Nepal. SAARC has promoted economic development and regional integration, including through the South Asian Free Trade Area since 2006. It maintains a permanent diplomatic presence at the United Nations as an observer and has developed similar links with the European Union.
As of 2026, SAARC summits have not been held since the 18th summit in Nepal in November 2014. Although the 19th summit in Pakistan was scheduled to take place in November 2016, it was indefinitely postponed following the withdrawal of India and several other member states due to the Uri attack by the Pakistani militant group Jaish-e-Mohammed; India currently cooperates with its eastern neighbours through BIMSTEC, while Bangladesh has sought to revive the organisation alongside pursuing membership status with ASEAN.
Historical background
The idea of co-operation among South Asian countries was discussed in three conferences: the Asian Relations Conference held in New Delhi in April 1947; the Baguio Conference in the Philippines in May 1950; and the Colombo Powers Conference held in Sri Lanka in April 1954.
In the ending years of the 1970s, the seven South Asian nations – Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, the Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka – agreed upon the creation of a trade bloc and to provide a platform for the people of South Asia to work together in a spirit of friendship, trust, and understanding. For Bangladesh, a prime reason for proposing this regional cooperation framework was the failure of its attempt to join ASEAN. Seeking to replicate the successes of ASEAN and a way to legitimise his government, President Ziaur Rahman of Bangladesh later wrote official letters to the leaders of the countries of South Asia, presenting his vision for the future of the region and compelling arguments for co-operation.
“South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation” enters the record as economical, political and military Alliance of South Asian Nations in Nepal. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what South, Asian and Association can confirm, complicate or overturn.
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