On 8th December 2024, the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) marked its 40th Charter Day. This day is commemorated annually to honor the establishment of SAARC.
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Origins – 40th Charter Day SAARC:
Regional cooperation in South Asia was first discussed at the Asian Relations Conference (1947), the Baguio Conference (1950), and the Colombo Powers Conference (1954).
The SAARC concept took shape in 1980 when Bangladesh’s President Ziaur Rahman proposed regional cooperation to promote peace and stability.
SAARC was officially established on 8th December 1985, in Dhaka, Bangladesh, with 7 founding members: Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
Afghanistan joined as the 8th member in 2007.
Significance of SAARC:
- SAARC comprises 3% of the world’s land area, 21% of the world’s population and 5.21% (USD 4.47 trillion) of the global economy, as of 2021.
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