An action-oriented SAARC

The 15th SAARC Summit of Heads of State and Government in South Asia starting in Colombo today marks a significant milestone for the region.

The Summit is being held at a critical juncture for the whole of South Asia, which, along with other developing countries is facing myriad challenges.

It is being held under an appropriate theme: Partnership for the Growth of Our People.

The theme is apt when considering that South Asia is one of the most populous regions in the world, with around 25 per cent of the global population. It is also among the poorest.

Thus poverty alleviation has become one of the key challenges facing South Asia and the eight leaders are expected to dwell on this issue. In this instance, the eight-nation SAARC bloc is aligned with the UN’s Millennium Development Goals.

It is therefore appropriate that this Summit will focus on food security as one of the main items on the agenda. The entire world is facing a food crisis of unprecedented proportions but the Third World has been the hardest hit.

The recent rice crisis seems to have ended at least for the moment yet prices of many commodities still remain high, affecting the poor. The proposal to set up a SAARC Food Bank is indeed timely.

Many argue that development could be a long term answer for poverty and hunger. The equitable distribution of resources is a must.

Thus the proposed SAARC Development Fund, due to be taken up at the Summit, will be a major boon for South Asian countries which will be able to help each other without necessarily looking for Western aid which often comes with various strings attached.

The Fund is starting with a modest amount by international aid standards, but it is expected to grow in the coming years.

The Colombo Summit will also be remembered for taking firm action against terrorism, which affects almost all countries in the region. India is just emerging from a spate of bomb blasts in a couple of cities.

In fact, five South Asian countries figure prominently in a worldwide ‘terror list’ released yesterday. The Colombo Summit will consider a regional framework for tackling terrorism, a welcome move.

The energy and water crises, two other issues facing the region, will also be taken up at the Summit. The unprecedented rise in world oil process has heavily impacted South Asian countries, most of which are net oil importers.

South Asia must evolve a joint mechanism to research and develop viable alternative and renewable sources of energy even as they search for oil and other fossil fuels. It is also pertinent to note that SAARC will work on improving public transport, which is one way of luring private motorists to give up their cars.

South Asia cannot ignore another phenomenon gripping the world: Climate change. South Asia may not be contributing heavily, but climate change and global warming are already having a telling effect on the region including unexpected rainfall and droughts and rising sea and temperature levels. South Asia must collectively urge industrialised nations to cut their emissions while doing their bit to save the planet.

As this year’s theme implies, South Asia must not forget the people. SAARC is still a long way off from being an EU-like borderless region which it must aspire to become. Entirely visa-free travel is still not possible within SAARC and even if that were to become a possibility, there are border arrangements that hinder such travel. In the long run, SAARC should strive to resolve these issues.

In the meantime, it must encourage cheaper intra-region travel by air and sea. For example, the commencement of flights to Sri Lanka by a Bangladeshi carrier will strengthen transport links in South Asia. The proposed rail link that will eventually link Colombo with Shanghai should also be given priority.

This Summit will give the people of South Asia an opportunity to hear their leaders’ views on these and other issues concerning the region. They are waiting anxiously to see the progress SAARC is making towards forging a common South Asian identity.

Sri Lanka, which will hold the SAARC Chair for the coming year, is ideally positioned to make a strong start in this direction. As the leaders have promised, SAARC should become an action-oriented entity that strives for prosperity and peace in South Asia with each passing year.