The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) comprises of seven countries of this region namely, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. On 8th December, 1996, SAARC completes ten years of its existence.
The primary objectives of SAARC are to promote the welfare of the people of South Asia, to accelerate economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region. In pursuit of its primary objectives, SAARC launched the Integrated Programme of Action through the mechanism of eleven Technical Committees dealing with various fields that are central to the SAARC process of Cooperation- Agriculture, Communications, Education, Culture and Sports, Environment and Meteorology, Health, Population Activities and Child Welfare, Prevention of Drug Trafficking and Drug Abuse, Rural Development, Science and Technology, Tourism, Transport, and Women in Development.
SAARC has taken major initiatives for poverty eradication in South Asia, preferably by the year 2002 through an agenda of action which include strategies for social mobilisation, policies of decentralised agricultural development and small-scale labour intensive industrialisation, and human development. Initiatives have also been taken in specific areas of common concern, notably dealing with children, women in development, disabled persons, youth and environment. The decade 1991-2000 A.D. has been designated as the “SAARC Decade of the Girl Child”, and the current year, 1996, has further been designated as the “SAARC Year of Literacy.”
Four Regional Conventions/Agreements notably on food security, narcotics drugs control, and preferential trading arrangements have been agreed upon between the countries of South Asia under the SAARC umbrella. Initiations have been taken towards removing of tariff and non-tariff barriers to trade amongst countries of South Asia. SAARC has agreed that member States should strive for the realisation of the South Asian Free Trade Area (SAFTA) preferably by the year 2000 but before 2005 A.D. The SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry, which is recognised as a Regional Apex Body of SAARC also plays a major role in the promotion of economic and trade exchanges between South Asian Countries.
In the last decade, SAARC has, thus, grown from its modest beginnings into a vibrant regional organisation dedicated to its primary objective—to serve the people.
The Department of Post is privileged to release a commemorative postal stamp to mark this occasion.
Source : Information Folder issued by Indian Posts & Telegraph Department, Government of India