1.The President of the People's Republic of
Bangladesh, His Excellency Mr. Hussain Muhammad Ershad, the King
of Bhutan, His Majesty King Jigme Singye Wangchuck, the Prime
Minister of the Republic of India, His Excellency Mr. Chandra
Shekhar, the President of the Republic of Maldives, His Excellency
Mr. Maumoon Abdul Gayoom, the Prime Minister of Nepal, The Right
Honourable Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, the Prime Minister of the
Islamic Republic of Pakistan, His Excellency Mr. Mohammad Nawaz
Sharif and the Prime Minister of the Democratic Socialist Republic
of Sri Lanka, His Excellency Mr. Dingiri Banda Wijetunga met at
the Fifth Summit of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation
at Male' on 2123 November, 1990.
2. The Heads of State or Government reiterated that cooperation
among the countries of South Asia was necessary for improving
the quality of life of the peoples of the region. They recalled
their conviction that the objectives of peace and stability
in South Asia could be best served by fostering mutual understanding,
cooperation and good neighbourly relations. They reaffirmed
their commitment to the purposes and principles of the South
Asian Association for Regional Cooperation and renewed their
resolve to intensify cooperation under its aegis in pursuit
of their common objectives.
3. The Heads of State or Government stressed their desire to
promote peace, stability, amity and progress in the region through
strict adherence to the principles of the United Nations Charter
and the Nonaligned Movement, particularly respect for the principles
of sovereign equality, territorial integrity, national independence,
nonuse of force, noninterference in the internal affairs of
other States and peaceful settlement of disputes.
4. The Heads of State or Government expressed satisfaction
that the launching of SAARC in 1985 and the initiatives under
the Integrated Programme of Action for strengthening regional
cooperation in South Asia had generated much enthusiasm and
hope in their peoples, and that the South Asian consciousness
necessary for the success of regional cooperation was gradually
permeating the region. They reiterated their resolve to make
optimal use of the positive forces of goodwill, trust and understanding
existing among their peoples and to turn SAARC into a dynamic
instrument for achieving its objectives and creating an order
based on mutual respect, equity, cooperation and shared benefits.
5. The Heads of State or Government reviewed the status of
children in South Asia and noted that the recent World Summit
for Children had imparted a new impetus to the ongoing efforts
in this field. They believed that relevant recommendations of
the World Summit could be usefully incorporated into a Plan
of Action in the South Asian context and its implementation
should be reviewed annually. The guidelines for such Plan of
Action could be prepared by a panel of experts to be appointed
by the SecretaryGeneral and examined by the Technical Committee
on Health and Population Activities. They also welcomed the
adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its
entry into force. They expressed the hope that those Member
States, who have not already become party to the Convention,
would do so at an early date.
6. The Heads of State or Government endorsed the recommendations
made by the Second SAARC Ministerial Meeting on Women in Development
held in Islamabad in June 1990. They noted with satisfaction
the enthusiastic response in all Member States to their collective
call for the observance of 1990 as the "SAARC Year of the
Girl Child". They decided that in order to maintain focus
on the problems of the Girl Child, the years 19912000 AD should
be observed as the "SAARC Decade of the Girl Child".
7. The Heads of State or Government noted with satisfaction
the growing regional cooperation in combating the problems of
drug trafficking and drug abuse. They expressed serious concern
over the growing linkages between drug trafficking and international
arms trade and terrorist activities. They agreed that observance
of 1989 as the "SAARC Year for Combating Drug Abuse and
Drug Trafficking" had had a profound impact in drawing
attention to the menace and to the need for its elimination.
They expressed satisfaction that following the decision of the
Fourth SAARC Summit, the SAARC Convention on Narcotic Drugs
and Psychotropic Substances had been signed at Male'. They urged
the Member States to take early measures to ratify the convention
for its entry into force. They were convinced that the Convention
would help in making SAARC efforts in this area more effective.
8. They endorsed the decision of the Council of Ministers in
regard to the timeframe for completion of the Regional Study
on the Causes and Consequences of Natural Disasters and the
Protection and Preservation of the Environment. They noted with
satisfaction that the methodology for undertaking the Study
on the `Greenhouse Effect' and its impact on the region was
likely to be finalized in the near future and desired that the
Study itself be completed for consideration at the Sixth Summit.
In this context, they noted that the destruction of rainforests,
the world over, was contributing significantly to adverse climatic
changes and this aspect should also be covered in the proposed
Study. They expressed the hope that these Studies would lead
to an action plan for meaningful cooperation in the field of
Environment and Disaster Management.
9. Recognizing that environment had emerged as a major global
concern, the Heads of State or Government noted with alarm the
unprecedented climatic changes predicted by the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). They urged the international
community to mobilize additional finances and to make available
appropriate technologies to enable the developing countries
to face the new challenges arising from climate changes and
sealevel rise. They agreed that Member Countries should coordinate
their positions at international fora on this issue. They also
decided to observe 1992 as the "SAARC Year of Environment".
10. The Heads of State or Government noted with satisfaction
that the national studies on Trade, Manufactures and Services
had been completed. They underlined the need for expeditious
action for completing the Regional Study within the timeframe
stipulated by the Council of Ministers. They expressed the hope
that it would open new avenues of cooperation for the prosperity
of the peoples of the region.
11. The Heads of State or Government approved the recommendations
of the Council of Ministers regarding Special SAARC Travel Document
and decided to launch the scheme.
12. The Heads of State or Government expressed concern that
Member States were compelled to divert their scarce resources
in combating terrorism. They called for expeditious enactment
of enabling measures for the implementation of the SAARC Regional
Convention on Suppression of Terrorism. They also urged Member
States to continue to cooperate in accordance with the Convention.
13. The Heads of State or Government noted that as their countries
stood on the threshold of the next millennium, the world was
undergoing profound transformations characterised by popular
upsurge for democracy, liberty and exercise of human rights,
lowering of ideological barriers and the relaxation of global
tensions and progress towards disarmament and the resolution
of a number of regional and global conflicts. There was also
a welcome trend towards the opening up of the global economy
and integration of national economies into the mainstream of
the world economy. They further noted the trend of increasing
integration of the pattern of global production, consumption
and trade, growing multipolarity of the world economic structure
and integration of the markets of the developed countries in
order to maintain their technological lead and competitive edge.
These changes presented new challenges and opened up new opportunities
to the South Asian countries, as to the rest of the developing
world. The Heads of State or Government were convinced that
their mutual cooperation can be a critical factor in enabling
them to pursue these objectives more effectively.
14. The Heads of State or Government, noting the vital importance
of biotechnology for the longterm food security of developing
countries as well as for medicinal purposes, decided that cooperation
should be extended to this field and, in particular, to the
exchange of expertise in genetic conservation and maintenance
of germplasm banks. In this connection, they welcomed India's
offer of training facilities and agreed that cooperation in
the cataloguing of genetic resources stored in different SAARC
countries would be mutually beneficial. Taking note of the proposal
made by the Group of Fifteen Developing Countries (G15) for
the establishment of a gene bank for developing countries, they
agreed to participate in this venture.
15. The Heads of State or Government welcomed the idea of setting
up of a Fund for regional projects which could make available
credit on easy terms for the identification and development
of regional projects. They agreed that representatives of the
national development banks of the Member Countries should get
together to work out the precise modalities for the source of
funds and the manner in which these could be related to joint
venture projects. They accepted India's offer to host this meeting.
16. The Heads of State or Government regarded the recent developments
in the Gulf as the most unfortunate aberration from the present
trend of detente, cooperation and peaceful settlement of disputes.
They reaffirmed their adherence to UN Security Council Resolutions
on this issue. While emphasizing the need for a peaceful solution
of the issue, they called for immediate and unconditional withdrawal
of Iraqi forces from Kuwait and the restoration of its legitimate
Government. They stated that the Gulf crisis had dealt a severe
blow to their economies. They needed massive international assistance
to compensate the loss suffered by them due to a sharp decline
in remittances, setback to their exports and severe strain on
their balance of payments position imposed by increased oil
prices. They recognized the potentiality of cooperation among
themselves for mitigating the impact of these adverse consequences.
17. The Heads of State or Government noted with satisfaction
that the initiative of the Government of the Maldives for the
Protection and Security of Small States at the UN in 1989, which
they all supported, had also received overwhelming support of
the international community. They agreed that, because of their
particular problems, small states merited special measures of
support in safeguarding their independence and territorial integrity.
18. The Heads of State or Government expressed the hope that
the talks between the two Super Powers on arms control would
culminate in the conclusion of an agreement for substantial
reduction in their nuclear arsenals leading to the total elimination
of nuclear weapons. While welcoming the measures being considered
for arms reduction at the global level, they were convinced
that the objective could be best achieved through the promotion
of mutual trust and confidence among the Member States. They
underlined the inherent relationship between disarmament and
development and called upon all countries, especially those
possessing the largest nuclear and conventional arsenals, to
rechannel additional financial resources, human energy and creativity
into development. They expressed their support for the banning
of chemical weapons and early conclusion of a Comprehensive
Test Ban Treaty. In this context, they welcomed the convening
of the UN Conference in January 1991 to consider amendments
to the Partial Test Ban Treaty to convert it into a Comprehensive
Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.
19. The Heads of State or Government expressed concern that
the international economic environment for the developing countries
had been characterised by negative resource flows, high trade
barriers, serious external debt problems and high interest rates.
The need of SAARC countries for increased concessional resources
and technology as well as access to markets for their exports
could not, therefore, be under estimated. They called for collective
efforts based on mutuality of interest and felt that regular
NorthSouth consultations were essential for ensuring equitable
management of global interdependence.
20. The Heads of State or Government recalled the usefulness
of the First Ministerial Meeting on International Economic Issues
held in Islamabad in 1986. They agreed that the second such
Ministerial Meeting be held in India in 1991 to review the outcome
of the Uruguay Round and to coordinate positions at international
conferences including the U.N. Conference on Environment and
Development, 1992.
21. Notwithstanding the continuing efforts on the international
economic plane, the Heads of State or Government emphasised
the pressing need for the Ministerial Meeting to address itself
vigorously to the objective of selfreliance. They directed the
Ministers to prepare a strategy for mobilising regional resources
which would encourage and strengthen individual and collective
self reliance in the region.
22. The Heads of State or Government expressed their support
for the Paris Declaration (1990) and the Programme of Action
adopted by the Second United Nations Conference on the Least
Developed Countries. They called upon the international community
to contribute to the successful implementation of the Programme
of Action which is of special importance for the socioeconomic
development of the region.
23. The Heads of State or Government recognized the imperative
need for providing a better habitat to the peoples of South
Asia through optimum utilization of indigenous technology, knowhow
and material, and decided that 1991 be observed as the "SAARC
Year of Shelter".
24. The Heads of State or Government noted that millions of
disabled persons lived in the SAARC region and immediate action
was required to reduce their sufferings and to improve their
quality of life. They decided to observe 1993 as the "SAARC
Year of Disabled Persons".
25. The Heads of State or Government were particularly happy
that the Fifth SAARC Summit coincided with the Twenty Fifth
Anniversary of the Independence of the Maldives which provided
them with the opportunity to express their solidarity with the
people and the Government of the Maldives. They expressed their
conviction that the Male' Summit had helped in consolidating
the gains of regional cooperation and in strengthening the institutional
base of SAARC.
26. The Heads of State or Government gratefully accepted the
offer of the Government of Sri Lanka to host the Sixth SAARC
Summit in 1991.
27. The Heads of State or Government of Bangladesh, Bhutan,
India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka expressed their deep appreciation
for the exemplary manner in which the President of the Maldives
had 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 the people
of the Maldives and for the excellent arrangements made for
the Meeting.
The President of Bangladesh, the King of Bhutan, the Prime
Minister of India, the President of the Maldives, the Prime
Minister of Nepal, the Prime Minister of Pakistan and the Prime
Minister of Sri Lanka met at the Fifth Summit of the South Asian
Association for Regional Cooperation at Male' from 21-23 November
1990. The Meeting was held in an atmosphere of warmth, cordiality
and mutual understanding.
2. The Heads of State or Government reaffirmed their commitment
to the principles and objectives of SAARC and reiterated their
resolve to intensify cooperation under its aegis. They issued
the Male' Declaration.
3. They welcomed the signing of the SAARC Convention on Narcotic
Drugs and Psychotropic Substances by the Ministers at Male'
and undertook to take early measures to ratify the Convention.
4. The Heads of State or Government decided to launch the Special
SAARC Travel Document which would exempt its holders from visas
for travel within the region. They decided that Supreme Court
Judges, Members of the National Parliaments, Heads of national
academic institutions, their spouses and dependent children
would be entitled to this Document.
5. The Heads of State or Government endorsed the decision of
the Council of Ministers to launch the Scheme for the Promotion
of Organised Tourism during the first half of 1991. They also
welcomed the proposal for institutionalised cooperation among
the tourist industries of the Member States with a view to attracting
more tourists from outside the region.
6. They noted with satisfaction that all Member States had
completed their national studies on Trade, Manufactures and
Services. They underlined the need for completing the Regional
Study within the stipulated timeframe.
7. They decided that measures for establishing joint ventures
in the field of cottage industries and handicrafts should be
taken up forthwith to set a stage for promoting collective selfreliance
in the region. They directed the SecretaryGeneral to appoint
a group of 23 Experts selected from within the region, to prepare
a paper suggesting the modalities for the setting up of joint
ventures, sources of funding and other necessary details for
consideration at the next meeting of the Council of Ministers.
8. The Heads of State or Government noted the proposal for
the establishment of a SAARC Regional Fund and directed the
Standing Committee to submit its recommendations on the proposal
for consideration at the next session of the Council of Ministers.
9. The Heads of State or Government emphasized the importance
of cooperation among the SAARC Member States in the field of
mass media and directed the SecretaryGeneral to facilitate,
under the auspices of SAARC,increased interaction among federations/associations
of journalists, news agencies and mass media of the region.
10. The Heads of State or Government welcomed the decision
authorizing the Secretariat to share information and exchange
reports, studies and publications with the European Community
(EC) and the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN),
to begin with, in the identified areas of cooperation.
11. The Heads of State or Government expressed satisfaction
that the work was well under way for the setting up of a nucleus
Centre for Human Resource Development in Pakistan. They were
of the view that the Centre would contribute towards optimizing
regional cooperation in this vital field.
12. They called for early completion of a regional plan "SAARC
2000 A Basic Needs Perspective" to facilitate activities
within a broad framework of a long term perspective.
13. They directed that the theme of `Poverty Alleviation' Strategies
be discussed in depth by Planners for formulating suitable recommendations.
14. The Heads of State or Government decided that in order
to maintain focus on the problems of the Girl Child the years
19912000 AD would be observed as the "SAARC Decade of the
Girl Child". They were deeply moved by the SAARC Girl Child's
appeal for love and care for them and their right to childhood.
They reiterated their resolve that the welfare of the child
in general and the girl child in particular, would figure at
the top of their list of priorities.
15. The Heads of State or Government emphasized the importance
of regular exchange of views among the representatives of the
SAARC Member Countries at international economic fora with a
view to concerting positions, as far as possible, on matters
of common concern. They decided to hold the Second Ministerial
Meeting on International Economic Issues in India in 1991.
16. The Heads of State or Government underlined the imperative
need for providing a better habitat to the people of South Asia
and decided that in order to focus attention on the problems
of the Homeless, the Year 1991 be observed as the "SAARC
Year of Shelter". They decided that each country would
organise a series of events on this theme and share their experiences
in order that the people of the region could derive practical
benefit from the "SAARC Year of Shelter".
17. They directed that the Regional Study on the Causes and
Consequences of Natural Disasters and the Protection and Preservation
of the Environment and the Study on the `Greenhouse Effect'
and its impact on the region be finalized before the next Summit.
They stressed that, pending the completion of the studies, Member
States should take necessary steps at national levels in this
vital field. They decided to observe 1992 as the "SAARC
Year of the Environment".
18. The Heads of State or Government stressed that immediate
action was required to reduce the sufferings of the millions
of disabled people who lived in the SAARC region. In order to
focus attention on their problems and to improve their quality
of life, they decided to observe 1993 as the "SAARC Year
of Disabled Persons".
19. They decided that appropriate programmes should be worked
out for observing the SAARC Year of the Shelter 1991, the SAARC
Year of the Environment 1992, and the SAARC Year of Disabled
Persons 1993. In order to derive the maximum benefit and to
sensitize the peoples in the region in the above vital fields,
they noted that Sri Lanka, the Maldives and Pakistan respectively
will circulate the recommended Plans of Action for implementation
at national level.
20. The Heads of State or Government noted that SAARC Agricultural
Information Centre (SAIC) was already functioning at Dhaka.
They decided that the SAARC Tuberculosis Centre and the SAARC
Documentation Centre would be set up in Nepal and India respectively.
They directed that necessary steps to establish the two Centres
should be taken up urgently.
21. The Heads of State or Government stressed the need for
adopting a more businesslike and functional approach in the
conduct of meetings held under the aegis of SAARC. They requested
the Chairman of the Fifth SAARC Summit and the President of
Bangladesh to initiate consultations with the Member States
in this regard.
22. The Heads of State or Government directed the Chairman
of Council of Ministers to prepare recommendations on rationalizing
SAARC activities with a view to promoting effective functioning
of the Association.
23. The Heads of State or Government expressed appreciation
for the pioneering work done by Ambassador Abul Ahsan, the first
SecretaryGeneral, during the formative years of the Secretariat.
They welcomed his successor, Ambassador Kant Kishore Bhargava,
and appreciated his valuable contribution to the ongoing activities
of SAARC.
24. They expressed profound happiness that the Fifth SAARC
Summit coincided with the TwentyFifth Anniversary of the Independence
of the Maldives which provided them with an opportunity to express
personally their solidarity with the people and the Government
of the Maldives.
25. The Heads of State or Government gratefully accepted the
offer of the Government of Sri Lanka to host the Sixth SAARC
Summit in Colombo in 1991.
26. The Heads of State or Government highly appreciated the
exemplary manner in which the President of the Republic of Maldives
conducted the meetings of the Association as the Chairman of
the Fifth SAARC Summit. They also expressed their sincere gratitude
for the gracious hospitality extended to them by the Government
and the people of the Republic of Maldives and for the excellent
arrangements made for the Conference.