Introduction
- The President of Bangladesh, the King of Bhutan, the Prime
Minister of India, the President of Maldives, the King of Nepal, the
Prime Minister of Pakistan and the President of Sri Lanka assembled
at the second SAARC Summit in Bangalore on 16 and 17 November, 1986.
- The Heads of State or Government reiterated their desire of
promoting peace, stability, amity and progress in the region through
strict adherence to the principles of the United Nations Charter and
Non-alignment, particularly respect for the principles of sovereign
equality, territorial integrity, national independence, non-use of
force and non-interference in the internal affairs of other States
and peaceful settlement of disputes.
- The Heads of State or Government reaffirmed the will of their
peoples and Governments to work together in accordance with the
SAARC Charter to devise common policies and approaches for finding
common solutions to the shared problems that all of them face. They
stressed that mutual trust, goodwill and understanding must animate
their cooperative effort under SAARC. Progress and prosperity in
each country would redound to the benefit of others. This was what
constituted the SAARC spirit.
- The leaders reaffirmed that the principal goal of SAARC was to
promote the welfare of the peoples of South Asia, to improve their
quality of life, to accelerate economic growth, social programmes
and cultural development in the region and to provide all
individuals the opportunity to live in dignity and to realize their
full potential.
- The Heads of State or Government recalled that the countries of
South Asia had been linked by age-old cultural, social and
historical traditions. These had led to enriching interaction of
ideas, values, culture and philosophies. These commonalities
constituted solid foundations for regional cooperation for
addressing more effectively the economic and social problems.
- The Heads of State or Government recalled that the South Asian
Association for Regional Cooperation was the most populous regional
grouping in the world. The countries of the region had large, rich
and varied human and natural resources. They expressed their
determination to achieve the optimum utilization of these resources
by intensifying their cooperation, bearing in mind the immense
present and potential complementarities among their economies. They
recognised that this would require increasing exchange among their
countries, on the basis of mutual benefit, of ideas, experience and
technology as well as goods and services, which utilize and enhance
the productive capacity of each of their countries and build their
collective self reliance. They were convinced that the countries of
South Asia which had been the cradle of human civilization and
culture could, acting together co-operatively and cohesively, once
again play their due role in the comity of nations.
- The Heads of State or Government reiterated the great importance
of the increasing involvement of the people for ensuring the success
of regional co-operation. They emphasized the need for promoting
greater contacts among the peoples of the region through such action
as regular and frequent interchange of scholars, academics, artists,
authors, professionals and businessmen as well as facilitation of
tourism
- The Heads of State or Government noted with satisfaction that
considerable progress had been achieved in the implementation of
SAARC Integrated Programme of Action. They expressed their firm
commitment to consolidate and streamline further the implementation
of the IPA. They agreed that a progressive movement towards more
concrete and action-oriented projects and programmes was essential
to ensure more tangible benefits from SAARC to the peoples of the
region. The Heads of State or Government emphasized the importance
of expanding cooperative endeavours under SAARC. They welcomed the
establishment of the Technical Committees on Women in Development,
and on the Prevention of Drug Trafficking and Drug Abuse.
- The Heads of State or Government welcomed the signing of the
Memorandum of Understanding on the establishment of the SAARC
Secretariat by the Council of Ministers and their decision to locate
the Secretariat in Kathmandu and appoint Ambassador Abul Ahsan of
Bangladesh as the first Secretary-General of SAARC. They were
convinced that the establishment of the Secretariat would assist in
the coordination of SAARC activities and more fruitful
implementation of its programmes and projects.
- The Heads of State or Government recognised that meeting the
needs of all children was the principal means of human resources
development. Children should, therefore, be given the highest
priority in national development planning. The Heads of State or
Government underlined the importance of enhancing public
consciousness and building a national political consensus on the
rights of the children. In this context they called for an early
conclusion and adoption of the UN Convention on the Rights of the
Child. They subscribed to the goals of universal immunization by
1990, universal primary education, maternal and child nutrition,
provision of safe drinking water and adequate shelter before 2000 A.
D. They also believed that it should be possible to ensure at the
end of the century, that no child need die or be denied development,
for reasons of material poverty in the family. They directed the
Standing Committee to undertake annual reviews of the situation of
children in the SAARC countries, monitoring of programmes and
exchange of experience.
- The Heads of State or Government agreed that co-operation among
SAARC States was vital if terrorism was to be prevented and
eliminated from the region. They unequivocally condemned all acts,
methods and practices of terrorism as criminal and deplored their
impact on life and property, social economic development, political
stability, regional and international peace and co-operation. They
recognized the importance of the principles laid down in UN
Resolution 2625 which among others required that each State should
refrain from organizing, instigating, assisting or participating in
acts of civil strife or terrorist acts in another State or
acquiesing in organized activities within its territory directed
towards the commission of such acts.
- The Heads of State or Government expressed their concern at the
crisis facing the United Nations system. They reiterated their deep
commitment to the purposes and principles of the United Nations
Charter and their support for and faith in the United Nations as the
most important international forum for addressing issues of peace,
disarmament and development and an essential instrument for bringing
about justice and equity in international political and economic
relations. They resolved to concert their efforts in all
multilateral fora within the United Nations system to preserve and
strengthen the Organisation and to prevent erosion of its role,
functions and principles.
- The Heads of State or Government reiterated their deep commitment
to the principles and objectives of the Non-aligned Movement and
underlined the historic role the Movement had been playing in
strengthening international peace, promoting development,
establishing equitable and just economic relations and strengthening
international co-operation in all fields. The success of the Harare
Summit of the Non-aligned countries was yet another demonstration of
the strength and unity of the Movement and the increasing respect
that it had come to command in the international community. They
affirmed full support for the decisions adopted at the Summit and
called for their early implementation.
- The leaders of the South Asian countries were convinced that an
environment of peace, security and respect for international law was
essential for their growth and stability. Unfortunately, this
environment had become increasingly adverse for the pursuit of their
cherished goals. The international political scene was marred by
strife and tension due to Great Power policies and practices of
domination and intervention as well as the increased resort to the
treat or use of force, aggression, occupation, pressure, economic
coercion and interference in flagrant violation of the principles
and purposes of the Charter of the United Nations. The arms race,
particularly the nuclear arms race, had escalated to a point where
it jeopardizes the most fundamental of all human rights - the right
to live.
- The Heads of State or Government noted with deep disappointment
that the promise held out by the Reykjavik Summit could not be
realized. They, however, noted with satisfaction that the proposals
made at the Summit were still on the table. They expressed the
earnest hope that the negotiations would be resumed without delay so
that a decisive step could be taken towards realizing the ultimate
goal of eliminating nuclear weapons altogether. The Heads of State
or government called for the early conclusion of a Comprehensive
Test Ban Treaty.
- The Heads of State or Government were deeply concerned that the
world economy continued to be in the throes of crisis, with
particularly harsh and severe consequences for the economies and
development prospects and aspirations of the developing countries.
They endorsed the Declaration of the SAARC Ministerial Meeting on
International Economic Issues held in Islamabad and its analysis of
the exceptionally adverse external economic environment which
retards the development of the South Asian and other developing
countries. These negative factors include depressed commodity
prices, rising protectionism, global recession, lower export
earnings, net outflow of financial resources from developing
countries and an aggravated debt crisis.
- The Heads of State or Government noted that the rates of growth
in the developed countries had turned out to be much lower than what
was earlier projected and that the projection for future growth in
these countries was not at all encouraging. They expressed their
concern at the implications of these trends for the development
prospects of the developing countries. They welcomed the recent
recognition by the developed countries that the chronic problems of
massive payment imbalances, high interest rates, unstable exchange
rates and high unemployment are structural in nature. In view of
global interdependence, the co-ordination of macro-economic
policies, contemplated at the Tokyo Summit of the seven major
industrialized countries, cannot be effective in achieving sustained
global economic growth unless it encompasses the developing
countries.
- The leaders urged that the recent retreat from multilateralism
should be urgently reversed through a revival of the North-South
dialogue which is responsive to the changed circumstances in the
world economy. This must include a process of reform of monetary and
financial system, through an International Conference on Money and
Finance for Development, and urgent measures for preserving and
strengthening the multilateral trading system. In the search for
revival of global growth, priority must be accorded to exploiting
the vast potential for expanded production, consumption and trade
which exists in the developing countries. In all these endeavours,
high priority should be accorded to supporting the development of
the least developed countries, in particular, through the full and
effective implementation of the Substantial New Programme of Action
for the Least Developed Countries for the 1980s.
- The Heads of State or Government noted with satisfaction that at
the SAARC Ministerial Meeting on International Economic Issues a
number of priority objectives of the SAARC countries have been
identified. These include: enlarged concessional assistance, the
doubling in three years of the financial flows for the development
of developing countries, amelioration of official debts, trade
liberalization, especially in textiles and agriculture, commodity
price stabilization, transfer of technology and special treatment
for least developed SAARC countries. The Heads of State or
Government agreed that the SAARC members should closely and
regularly consult and co-operate in relevant international economic
conferences and institutions in order to promote the above mentioned
objectives. They recognised that an important opportunity in this
context would be provided by UNCTAD VII.
- The Heads of State or Government were of the view that the
forthcoming New Round of Multilateral Trade Negotiations posed a
challenge for their countries as well as an opportunity to
accelerate their development through the expansion of their exports.
They underlined the importance of the effective implementation with
immediate effect and continuance until the formal completion of the
negotiations, of the commitment to observe a standstill on
protectionist measures and to roll these back under multilateral
surveillance. They also expected that the principles of transparency
and differential and more favourable treatment for the developing
countries would be applied systematically and in concrete terms in
the negotiations. They decided to concert their positions in these
negotiations with a view to deriving maximum benefits from them in
accordance with their national objectives and priorities.
- The Heads of State or Government expressed their conviction that
the Bangalore Summit had helped in consolidating the gains of
regional co-operation activities so far undertaken by SAARC while,
at the same time, exploring new avenues and possibilities for such
co-operation. The Bangalore Summit had made a significant
contribution to strengthening and streamlining the institutional
basis for such co-operation.
- The Heads of State or Government reiterated their determination
and will to expand and strengthen their co-operation under SAARC.
They underlined their belief that SAARC reflected a resurgence of
the South Asian consciousness which had inspired the peoples of this
region over several millenia. The leaders expressed their deep
conviction that South Asian regional co-operation would not only
have a salutary effect on bilateral relations between the countries
of the region, but also impart strength and stability to these
relations.
- The Heads of State or Government of Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives,
Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka were deeply appreciative of the
exemplary manner in which the Prime Minister of India discharged his
responsibilities as Chairman of the Meeting. They expressed their
profound gratitude for the warm and gracious hospitality extended to
them by the Government and people of India and for the excellent
arrangements made for the Meeting.
|
