1. The Prime Minister of the People's Republic
of Bangladesh, Her Excellency Begum Khaleda Zia; the King of Bhutan,
His Majesty King Jigme Singye Wangchuck; the Prime Minister of
the Republic of India, His Excellency Shri Narasimha Rao; the
President of the Republic of Maldives, His Excellency Mr. Maumoon
Abdul Gayoom; the Prime Minister of Nepal, the Rt. Hon. Girija
Prasad Koirala; the Prime Minister of the Islamic Republic of
Pakistan, His Excellency Mian Mohammed Nawaz Sharif and the President
of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, His Excellency
Ranasinghe Premadasa met at the Sixth Summit of the South Asian
Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) at Colombo, Sri Lanka
on 21st December, 1991.
2. The Heads of State or Government reaffirmed their commitment
to the principles and objectives enshrined in the Charter of
SAARC. They resolved to promote regional cooperation for the
benefit of their people, in a spirit of mutual accommodation,
with full respect for the principles of sovereign equality,
independence and territorial integrity of all States and in
strict adherence to the principles of nonuse of force, the peaceful
settlement of disputes and noninterference in each other's internal
affairs. They also reiterated their commitment to the principles
of the United Nations Charter and the Nonaligned Movement.
3. The Heads of State or Government emphasised the vital importance
of assessing the nature and extent of international economic
interdependence and of the need for reviving the North/South
dialogue. They noted the recent developments that had radically
transformed the international development relationship deeply
affecting the prospects for the economies of the seven SAARC
countries. The Heads of State or Government emphasised the need
for vigorously promoting SouthSouth economic cooperation to
offset the negative consequences of international economic developments.
4. The Heads of State or Government also exchanged views on
the priorities of their respective national economies. They
identified, for the further development of their economies,
the importance of securing less restrictive trading and marketing
opportunities for their products, more extensive technology
and resource transfers to South Asia, debt relief and access
on favourable and on more concessional terms to resources from
multilateral financial institutions. They agreed to keep an
open dialogue on these aspects through mutual consultations.
5. The Heads of State or Government assessed current international
developments in the political sphere particularly those that
affected the lives of the people of South Asia. They noted the
changing power structures in international relations and the
reduction of confrontations and tensions, particularly among
the Super Powers. These have contributed to the receding of
the threat of nuclear confrontation and to agreements on disarmament
measures. The Heads of State or Government hoped that these
developments would restrain the pursuit of military power in
all areas of the world. They expressed the hope that the peace
dividend would be used for promoting further development of
developing countries. They welcomed the trend towards popularly
based democratic governments in different parts of the world
including in South Asia.
6. The Heads of State or Government observed however that some
political issues in particular the Palestine question, the final
elimination of Apartheid as well as other problems remained
unresolved despite efforts towards their settlement.
7. In regard to human rights, the Heads of State or Government
observed that civil and political rights on the one hand and
economic and social rights on the other are interdependent and
of equal importance Human rights issues should not therefore
be viewed in narrow and exclusively political terms. In this
context they underlined the need to view the efforts of States
to guarantee human rights in their full context, through the
pursuit of development for all citizens in conditions of stability,
which in turn guarantees the enjoyment of human rights of all
persons.
8. The Heads of State or Government while reaffirming their
commitment to democracy, human rights and the rule of law, emphasised
the need to ensure that development remains at the centre of
international attention.
9. The Heads of State or Government agreed to participate in
the ongoing process of revitalising the United Nations as an
effective universal instrument for addressing international
issues on an equitable and democratic basis, taking full account
of the interests and concerns of all states, including those
in South Asia. Issues such as the protection and preservation
of the environment and the equitable and sustainable management
of global resources, economic development and the alleviation
of poverty, the suppression of terrorism, drug trafficking and
other international crimes required global responses and solutions
calling for action by all states.
10. In the context of the SAARC Charterobjective to strengthen
cooperation among MemberStates in international fora, the Heads
of State or Government resolved to encourage consultations among
delegations of SAARC countries at all international fora and
to promote articulation of joint positions where such action
would be in the interests of all. They felt that the development
of a collective position in international fora would accord
them greater credibility and enhance the international profile
of South Asia.
11. The Heads of State or Government welcomed the Report presented
by the Chairman of the Fifth SAARC Summit, the President of
Maldives, and the Head of Government of Bangladesh on the adoption
of a more businesslike and functional approach in the conduct
of SAARC meetings, as well as the Report submitted by the Chairman
of the Ninth Session of the Council of Ministers, the Foreign
Minister of Maldives, on rationalizing SAARC activities. The
Heads of State or Government also considered other proposals
submitted by MemberStates and by the Secretariat to make the
Association a more effective instrument for the realisation
of the aspirations of the people of South Asia.
12. They decided that the Standing Committee should meet in
special session in Colombo in April 1992 in order to collate
and study all proposals and comments in this respect and to
submit a report with its recommendations to the Eleventh Session
of the Council of Ministers.
13. The Heads of State or Government reemphasised that regional
selfreliance should be resolutely promoted through closer cooperation
among countries of the Association and that this would help
mitigate the adverse consequences of negative international
developments operating against them.
14. The Heads of State or Government requested the Standing
Committee at its Special Session to study the question of cooperation
between SAARC and appropriate international and regional organizations
taking into account the evolution of SAARC activities in the
core economic areas and to report to the Eleventh Session of
the Council of Ministers.
15. The Heads of State or Government noted the progress made
by the Integrated Programme of Action (IPA) in expanding to
cover a number of sectors crucial for the economic and social
progress of the peoples of South Asia. They were of the view
that the challenge facing the IPA was to achieve its identified
targets within specific time periods. The Heads of State or
Government welcomed the proposals made and the discussions proceeding
in SAARC to heighten the effectiveness of the IPA.
16. The Heads of State or Government accorded the highest priority
to the alleviation of poverty in all South Asian countries.
They affirmed that South Asia's poor could constitute a huge
and potential resource, provided their basic needs were met,
and they were mobilized to create economic growth. This requires
that the poor are empowered and are irreversibly linked to the
mainstream of development. It was noted that each South Asian
country has had significant success cases of this approach to
poverty alleviation.
17. Recognising that a great majority of these people remain
below the poverty line, they evinced keen interest in a "Daal-Bhaat",
or assured nutritional standards approach towards the satisfaction
of basic needs of the South Asian poor.
18. Deeply conscious that primary education is the cutting
edge in the struggle against poverty and the promotion of development,
the Heads of State or Government reaffirmed the importance of
attaining the target of providing primary education to all children
between the ages of 6 14 years by the year 2000. They agreed
to share their respective experiences and technical expertise
to achieve this goal.
19. The Heads of State or Government decided to establish an
independent South Asian Commission on Poverty Alleviation consisting
of eminent persons from each SAARC Member State to conduct an
indepth study of diverse experiences of the seven countries
on poverty alleviation, and to report to the Seventh Summit,
their recommendations on the alleviation of poverty in South
Asia.
20. The Heads of State or Government were pleased to note the
establishment of the Committee for Economic Cooperation as an
important outcome of the Regional Study on Trade Manufactures
and Services. They declared their commitment to the liberalisation
of trade in the region through a step by step approach in such
a manner that all countries in the region share the benefits
of trade expansion equitably.
21. The Heads of State or Government approved that the Inter
Governmental Group (IGG) set up on the recommendation of the
Committee on Economic Cooperation should formulate and seek
agreement on an institutional framework under which specific
measures for trade liberalisation among SAARC Member States
could be furthered. It should also examine the Sri Lankan proposal
to establish a SAARC Preferential Trade Arrangement (SAPTA)
by 1997. They directed that the IGG should meet as early as
possible and report to the Committee on Economic Cooperation.
The Heads of State or Government accepted the offer of the Government
of Sri Lanka to host the Second Meeting of the Committee on
Economic Cooperation at Colombo in June/July 1992 at which the
report of the Inter Governmental Group would be considered.
22. The Heads of State or Government recognised that the degradation
of the environment has emerged as a major global concern. While
the protection of the environment is a common imperative for
all humankind, the main responsibility in this regard rests
on developed countries since most of the emission of pollutants
originates in those countries and since they also have greater
capacity for taking or facilitating corrective measures.
23. The Heads of State or Government called on the international
community to address the question of unsustainable production
and consumption patterns and lifestyles which lead to environmental
degradation. They were also of the view that environmental standards
applicable to developed countries may have excessive and unwarranted
economic or social costs if applied in developing countries.
24. Adequate new and additional resources are needed for developing
countries to pursue an environmentally sensitive process of
development that will banish the underlying causes of environmental
degradation poverty, malnutrition and unemployment. Such resources
should be transferred to developing countries on an assured
basis together with environmentally sound technology at preferential
and concessional terms.
25. The Heads of State or Government expressed their conviction
that the framework could be laid for an equitable global partnership
of all countries with a view to safeguarding the environment.
26. The Heads of State or Government noted that in preparation
for the SAARC Year of the Environment, SAARC countries had taken
various national as well as regional measures for the preservation
of the environment.
27. The Heads of State or Government expressed their satisfaction
at the completion of Regional Study on the Causes and Consequences
of Natural Disasters and the Protection and Preservation of
Environment. They urged the member countries to promote cooperation
amongst themselves for enhancing their respective disaster management
capabilities and for undertaking specific workprogrammes for
protection and preservation of the environment.
They endorsed the decision of the Council of Ministers to establish
a Committee on Environment to:
- examine the recommendations of the Regional Study
- identify measures for immediate action
- decide on modalities for their implementation and welcomed
the offer of Bangladesh to hold the first meeting of the Committee
in Dhaka.
28. The Heads of State or Government noted with satisfaction
the decision of the Standing Committee concerning the time frame
to finalise the regional study on the " 'Greenhouse Effect'
and its Impact on the Region". They urged member countries
to consult each other on key issues concerning climate change,
Biodiversity and Biotechnology, a global consensus on forestry
principles, transfer of environmentally sound technology, management
of waste and other issues for discussion at Intergovernmental
Negotiating Committee and the UNCED in 1992 so that the concerns
of SAARC countries could be effectively articulated and projected,
keeping in mind their respective national priorities.
29. The Government of India renewed its offer to host a Ministerial
Meeting to harmonise the views of SAARC countries on these issues
before UNCED 1992. The Heads of State or Government welcomed
the offer.
30. The Heads of State or Government noted the useful activities
conducted during 1991 which was observed as SAARC Year of Shelter.
They decided to continue to work towards the global objective
of "Shelter for All by the Year 2000.
31. The Heads of State or Government were of the view that
Governments should play the critical role of facilitator and
supporter of the initiatives of the people and nongovernmental
agencies in the field of shelter. In this role, they should
be involved in the provision of affordable sites with secure
tenure, making housing finance available on an affordable and
sustainable basis, providing infrastructure development such
as water supply and sanitation, energy and waste disposal, increasing
the supply of building materials at reasonable prices using
indigenous resources, removing constraints to building activities,
and creating maximum opportunities for public participation
in decision making and management of shelter activities in the
overall context of poverty alleviation. Such activities would
be facilitated by the exchange of experience, personnel, research
and information among the SAARC countries.
32. The Heads of State or Government welcomed the recommendation
on the establishment of a shelter information network to be
called "SHELTERNET".
33. The Heads of State or Government accorded the highest priority
to the question of child survival, protection and development.
They welcomed the adoption of a Plan of Action on Children for
South Asia which incorporated relevant recommendations of the
World Summit on Children.
34. The Heads of State or Government noted in this context
that some member countries had completed their national Plans
of Action and urged other member countries to complete their
respective Plans. They also urged Member States to ensure coordinated
followup action on their respective Plans.
35. The Heads of State or Government welcomed the offer of
Sri Lanka to host a Conference on Children in South Asia in
1992 to consider implementation of the regional Plan of Action.
36. The Heads of State or Government welcomed the adoption
of the Plan of Action for 1991 2000 A.D. as the SAARC Decade
of the Girl Child. They requested the Council of Ministers to
ensure an annual review of the status of implementation of the
Plan of Action during the decade.
37. The Heads of State or Government expressed serious concern
on the spread of terrorism in the region affecting the security
and stability of all Member States and unequivocally condemned
all acts, methods and practices of terrorism as criminal. They
deplored all such acts for their impact on life, property, socio-economic
development and political stability as well as on regional and
international peace and cooperation.
38. They recognised that cooperation among SAARC States was
vital if terrorism was to be prevented and eliminated from the
region. In this regard they urged Member States to take all
necessary measures to give full effect to their obligations
under the SAARC Regional Convention on Suppression of Terrorism.
They stressed in particular, the urgent need for the expeditious
enactment of enabling legislation by those Member States which
had not yet done so, for the implementation of the Convention
and the need for a constant dialogue and interaction among the
concerned agencies of Member States, including submission of
periodic recommendations to the Council of Ministers.
39. The Heads of State or Government welcomed the initiative
of the Government of the Republic of Maldives in drawing the
attention of the international community to the protection and
security of small states. They noted with satisfaction that
the resolution submitted by the Maldives to the United Nations
during the 46th Session of the General Assembly and cosponsored
by 65 countries including all the members of SAARC was adopted
without a vote. They agreed that small states may be particularly
vulnerable to external threats and acts of interference in their
internal affairs and that they merit special measures of support
in safeguarding their sovereign independence, territorial integrity
and the welfare of their people.
40. The Heads of State or Government noted with satisfaction
the increasing regional cooperation in combating the problem
of drug trafficking and drug abuse. They expressed serious concern
over the growing linkages between drug trafficking, international
arms trade and terrorist activities. While expressing satisfaction
at the signing of the SAARC Convention on Narcotic Drugs and
Psychotropic Substances at the Fifth SAARC Summit at Malé,
they urged Member States which had not yet done so to ratify
the Convention for its entry into force. They also recognised
the need for greater cooperation, including the submission of
periodic recommendations to the Council of Ministers.
41. The Heads of State or Government recalled that important
initiatives had been taken at the Bangalore and Kathmandu Summits
which had subsequently resulted in the increased involvement
of the peoples of South Asia in the process of Regional Cooperation.
They welcomed the steps being taken by business organisations/
professional bodies, scholars, academics, National Cultural
Councils and the media in South Asia to form regional entities/
bodies. They called on the Standing Committee to expedite the
formulation of guidelines for extending recognition to such
groups and bodies.
42. The Heads of State or Government welcomed the setting up
of a SAARC Fund for Regional Projects (SFRP) for identification
and development of regional projects. They noted that the Fund
would be managed by a Regional Council of Development Financing
Institutions of the SAARC Member States and that the First Meeting
of the Council would take place in India.
43. The Heads of State or Government requested the Secretary-General
of SAARC to set up a panel of experts to examine the proposal
of His Majesty the King of Bhutan to undertake a prefeasibility
study for the establishment of a South Asian Development Fund,
taking into account the views of all Member States.
44. The Heads of State or Government noted with satisfaction
that the Scheme in regard to the entitled categories of Members
of Parliament, Judges of the Supreme Court, Heads of national
academic institutions and the accompanying spouses and dependent
children will become operational from 1st March 1992. They called
for expeditious action to implement the scheme as well as to
consider other categories eligible for exemption.
45. The Heads of State or Government were conscious of the
vast potential being afforded by current advances in scientific
research for the application of science and technology towards
the wellbeing of the peoples of South Asia. They agreed that
for the South Asian region to derive the maximum benefit, scientific
and technological cooperation should transcend national frontiers.
46. Recalling the decision of the Malé Summit to institutionalise
cooperation in the field of biotechnology, they welcomed the
proposal for the establishment of a networking arrangement between
Research and Development Centres in the Member States as an
important step in advancing such cooperation. They also welcomed
the emphasis on organised study tours, workshops and seminars
proposed in the identified areas of cooperation in the field
of science and technology.
47. The Heads of State or Government gratefully accepted the
offer of the Government of Bangladesh to host the Seventh SAARC
Summit in 1992.
48. The Heads of State or Government of Bangladesh, Bhutan,
India, Maldives, Nepal and Pakistan expressed their deep appreciation
for the exemplary manner in which the President of Sri Lanka
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 Sri Lanka and for the excellent arrangements made for the
Meeting.