The Prime Minister of the People’s Republic
of Bangladesh, Her Excellency Sheikh Hasina; the King of Bhutan,
His Majesty Jigme Singye Wangchuck; the Prime Minister of the
Republic of India, His Excellency Mr. Inder Kumar Gujral; the
President of the Republic of Maldives, His Excellency Mr. Maumoon
Abdul Gayoom; the Prime Minister of Kingdom of Nepal, Rt. Hon.
Mr. Lokendra Bahadur Chand; the Prime Minister of the Islamic
Republic of Pakistan, His Excellency Mr. Mohammad Nawaz Sharif
and the President of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri
Lanka, Her Excellency Mrs. Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga
met at the Ninth Summit of the South Asian Association for Regional
Co-operation (SAARC) at Malé, Maldives on 12-14 May 1997.
REGIONAL COOPERATION
2. The Heads of State or Government reiterated their commitment
to SAARC and resolved to accelerate regional cooperation in
order to realise the aims and objectives of the Association.
They reaffirmed their commitment to the principles enshrined
in the SAARC Charter, especially to the principles of sovereign
equality, territorial integrity, national independence, non-use
of force and non-interference in each others' internal affairs.
They were convinced that regional cooperation was indispensable
in an interdependent world for the realisation of the full potential
of the South Asian region.
3. The Heads of State or Government welcomed the holding of
the Commemorative Session of the Council of Ministers in New
Delhi in December 1995 to mark the First Decade, on the theme
"SAARC - Vision for the Second Decade". They observed
that over the past decade SAARC has matured as an institution
and the scope and volume of cooperative activities have expanded.
They expressed satisfaction that in addition to continued cooperation
in agreed areas, SAARC has now moved into the core areas of
economic cooperation.
4. The Heads of State or Government noted that, in the twelve
years of its existence, SAARC has seen progress in various fields
of its endeavour. They directed that a Group of Eminent Persons
(GEP) be constituted, with distinguished backgrounds in activities
pertaining to regional cooperation, comprising of one representative
from each Member State, with the discretion of each Member State
to appoint an additional representative. This Group, to which
the SAARC Secretary-General will be invited, will undertake
a comprehensive appraisal of SAARC, and identify measures including
mechanisms to further vitalise and enhance the effectiveness
of the Association in achieving its objectives. They further
decided that the Group may develop a long-range vision and formulate
a perspective plan of action including a SAARC Agenda for 2000
and Beyond which will spell out the target that can and must
be achieved by the year 2020. The Group may report to the Heads
of State or Government at the Tenth SAARC Summit.
5. With a view to enhancing the effectiveness of the role and
functioning of the Secretariat, the Heads of State or Government
agreed to amend Article V (1) of the Memorandum of Understanding
on the Establishment of the Secretariat and decided that the
tenure of the Secretary-General, with immediate effect, shall
be for a non-renewable term of three years.
6. The Heads of State or Government reiterated their determination
to reinforce the unity and cohesion of SAARC. With the objective
of enhancing regional solidarity and promoting overall development
within SAARC, the Heads of State or Government encouraged, under
the provisions of Articles VII and X of the Charter, the development
of specific projects relevant to the special individual needs
of three or more Member States.
7. They agreed that a climate of mutual accommodation and purposeful
cooperation was needed to impart further impetus to the SAARC
process during the second decade of SAARC in order to address
the developmental challenges facing the region.
ENHANCING POLITICAL COOPERATION
8. The Heads of State or Government recalled their commitment
to the promotion of mutual trust and understanding and, recognising
that the aims of promoting peace, stability and amity and accelerated
socio-economic cooperation may best be achieved by fostering
good neighbourly relations, relieving tensions and building
confidence, agreed that a process of informal political consultations
would prove useful in this regard.
ERADICATION OF POVERTY IN SOUTH ASIA
9. The Heads of State or Government were unequivocal in their
commitment to the eradication of poverty in South Asia at the
earliest, preferably by the year 2002 A.D. through an Agenda
of Action. They noted with satisfaction the establishment of
a three-tier mechanism on poverty eradication and endorsed the
recommendations of the two rounds of meetings under this mechanism
hosted by India and Pakistan, respectively. They desired that
the Ministers of Finance / Planning should meet again in the
near future to give further impetus to this process.
10. In considering the Report of the Ministers of Finance/Planning,
the Heads of State or Government agreed that effective implementation
of poverty eradication programmes required a focus on greater
participation of target groups in the formulation and implementation
of such programmes through social mobilization. They, therefore,
decided to designate 1997 as the "SAARC Year of Participatory
Governance".
11. The Heads of State or Government welcomed the successful
holding of the Micro-credit Summit in Washington, D.C. in February
1997 and its Declaration of support to launch a global campaign
to reach 100 million of the world’s poorest families,
especially women, with credit for self-employment and other
financial and business services, by the year 2005 A.D.
12. Recognising that micro-credit programmes have successfully
demonstrated their usefulness toward achieving many goals of
socio-economic upliftment, including the eradication of poverty
and empowerment of women, the Leaders agreed to intensify endeavours
in their respective countries so that the outreach of these
programmes becomes widespread.
13. The Heads of State or Government were convinced that an
enabling international environment to support poverty eradication
efforts of the SAARC countries is an essential element in attaining
success for these efforts. They urged all donor countries, international
institutions and other bodies engaged in eradication of poverty
to increase their support and assistance to these efforts.
ACCELERATION OF ECONOMIC COOPERATION
14. The Heads of State or Government noted with satisfaction
the entry into force of the Agreement on SAARC Preferential
Trading Arrangement (SAPTA) on 7 December 1995. They recognised
the importance of achieving a free trade area by the year 2001
A.D. and reiterated that steps towards trade liberalisation
must take into account the special needs of the smaller and
the Least Developed Countries and that benefits must accrue
equitably.
15. While expressing satisfaction at the conclusion of the
two Rounds of Trade Negotiations under SAPTA, the Heads of State
or Government welcomed the decision to launch the Third Round
of Trade Negotiations shortly. They agreed that preferential
tariff concessions should cover products which are being actively
traded amongst Member States. They further agreed that the Third
Round should deepen tariff concessions along with the removal
of non-tariff barriers and structural impediments in order to
move speedily towards the goal of SAFTA.
16. The Leaders welcomed the holding of the First Meeting of
the Commerce Ministers and the First SAARC Trade Fair in New
Delhi in 1996 and noted the decision of the Commerce Ministers
to meet annually. They further welcomed the offer of Pakistan
to host the second SAARC Trade Fair to coincide with the SAARC
Commerce Ministers’ Meeting.
17. The Heads of State or Government agreed that the efforts
to enhance trade and economic co-operation in the region would
be further strengthened by initiating specific steps to promote
and protect investment, increase complementarities in economic
activities of Member States and other measures supportive of
promotion of SAARC joint ventures. They also welcomed the offer
of India to host a meeting on promotion and protection of investment
and the offer of Pakistan to host a meeting on avoidance of
double taxation. They also welcomed measures of cooperation
in the areas of customs standardisation, arbitration and enhancing
industrial economy and management.
18. The Heads of State or Government agreed that in intensifying
economic cooperation the interests of smaller countries, especially
the least developed among them, should be taken into account
through the implementation of special measures in their favour.
19. The Heads of State or Government noted that inadequate
communications facilities amongst the Member States were a major
hindrance to closer economic co-operation. They stressed the
importance of developing infrastructure and adequate communication
networks among Member States to reinforce the process of economic
co-operation. In this regard, they highlighted the need for
the simplification of complex documentation procedures and transactional
software to facilitate economic interaction across the region.
They welcomed the offer of Sri Lanka to host a Meeting of the
Communication Ministers of the Member States.
20. The Heads of State or Government reaffirmed their determination
to encourage the private sector in the region to contribute
increasingly to the strengthening of intra-SAARC links in key
areas of trade, investment and finance. They welcomed the decision
by the SCCI to convene annually an Economic Cooperation Conference
in conjunction with the annual meeting of SAARC Commerce Ministers
and SAARC Trade Fairs.
INTEGRATED PROGRAMME OF ACTION (IPA)
21. The Heads of State or Government emphasised the need to
make the Integrated Programme of Action (IPA) more effective
through the selection of target-oriented and time-bound activities
within an overall framework of enhanced co-operation among Member
States. In this context, they noted that the Secretary-General
had been authorised by the Council of Ministers to constitute
a Group of Experts to review the IPA.
REGIONAL CENTRES
22. The Heads of State or Government noted that Regional Centres
have an important role to play in harnessing the resources and
capabilities within the SAARC region in addressing specific
and shared concerns of Member States. They welcomed the decision
of the Council of Ministers to establish a Human Resource Development
Centre in Pakistan.
23. They stressed that Regional Centres should implement action
and result- oriented programmes and highlighted the importance
of rationalising the functioning of these Centres.
WOMEN IN DEVELOPMENT
24. The Heads of State or Government recognised that increased
social and political awareness in the region had brought positive
contributions to the issues of gender equality and empowerment
of women. They further emphasized the need for enhanced cooperation
to achieve the desired objective of bringing women into the
mainstream of socio-economic development in the region. In this
context, they emphasised the urgency to effectively implement
the recommendations of the "Dhaka Resolution on Women",
issued at the conclusion of the SAARC Ministerial Conference
on Women and presented to the Fourth World Conference on Women.
25. Taking note of the mid-decade review of the SAARC Plan
of Action on the Girl-Child, the Heads of State or Government
expressed their determination to accelerate efforts at reduction
of malnutrition and mortality rates, raising education and literacy
rates, reduction of the proportion of early marriage among girls,
and the postponement of the age of first pregnancy, thereby
contributing to the increased welfare of the girl-child and
reduction of population growth rates.
26. The Heads of State or Government reaffirmed their commitment
to take urgent action to alleviate the situation of Girl Children
in Especially Difficult Circumstances (GCEDC), including those
orphaned, disabled and/or exploited. In this context, they endorsed
the recommendations made by the Council of Ministers, aimed
at the creation of a socio-economic environment in the SAARC
region which would provide equal opportunities to children from
all economic sections.
27. Expressing grave concern at the trafficking of women and
children within and between countries, the Heads of State or
Government pledged to coordinate their efforts and take effective
measures to address this problem. They decided that existing
legislation in Member States should be strengthened and strictly
enforced. This should include simplification of repatriation
procedures for victims of trafficking. They also decided that
the feasibility of establishing a Regional Convention on Combating
the Crime of Trafficking in Women and Children for Prostitution
be examined by the relevant Technical Committee.
CHILDREN
28. The Heads of State or Government expressed satisfaction
that the annual reviews of the situation of children in SAARC
countries for the years 1995 and 1996 revealed significant progress
in reducing infant mortality and in enhancing the coverage of
immunisation in the region. They stressed that sustained efforts
should be made by Member States to consolidate the gains in
these areas. In this regard, they welcomed the decision to designate
Seventh December, 1997 and Eighteenth January, 1998 as "SAARC
Polio Immunisation Days".
29. The Heads of State or Government resolved to implement
appropriate policies at the national level to achieve the targets
and objectives set out in the Rawalpindi Declaration issued
at the end of the Third Ministerial Conference on the Children
of South Asia held in August 1996, including the call to eliminate
the evil of child-labour from the region by the year 2010 A.D.
They called for stringent measures to protect children from
all forms of exploitation. To this end, the Leaders agreed to
set up a Study Group at an appropriate level to examine the
social compulsions that create the problem.
30. They reaffirmed their commitment to improve the status
of children in disadvantaged circumstances in the SAARC region.
They recognised that the problems of these children are inextricably
linked to the prevailing socio-economic conditions and problems
of the region, and therefore, called for a holistic approach
to address them. They expressed the need to formulate a Convention
on Regional Arrangements on the Promotion of Child Welfare in
South Asia in launching the SAARC Decade of the Rights of the
Child, from the year 2001 A.D. to 2010 A.D.
NUTRITION
31. Noting that malnutrition, often severe, is a serious concern
in South Asia, the Heads of State or Government agreed to launch
an Initiative on Nutrition aimed at promotion of availability
of food of essential nutritional value to individual household
and evolving policies for supplementing and fortifying essential
micro-nutrients, deficiencies of which have affected the well
being of the most vulnerable sections of the population, particularly
women and children.
32. The Heads of State or Government emphasised that the provision
of a safe, secure and clean environment was an essential pre-requisite
for the welfare of the most vulnerable sections of society in
the region, particularly for the proper growth and development
of children, and agreed on the need for launching technology
missions to develop low-cost, easily replicable technologies
appropriate local conditions for sustainable harvesting of water,
provision of clean drinking water and sanitation.
YOUTH
33. The Heads of State or Government welcomed the operationalization
of the SAARC Youth Awards Scheme and noted that the Scheme will
be reviewed in the near future with the purpose of expanding
it. They also welcomed the initiative to organize Youth Camps
in the region on various themes.
PERSONS WITH DISABILITY
34. Conscious of the continuing problems faced by disabled
persons, the Heads of State or Government reaffirmed their resolve
to continue the implementation of the recommendations of the
Ministerial Conference on Disabled Persons held in Islamabad
in December 1993.
SHELTER
35. The Heads of State or Government emphasized that housing
was a basic right of all people and reiterated their determination
to sustain efforts to improve the condition of human settlements
in the region, with a view to achieving the global objective
of "Shelter for All by the Year 2000".
LITERACY
36. The Heads of State or Government recognised that illiteracy
is one of the major causes impeding the development of the vast
human resource potential of the region and a major factor contributing
to the region's economic backwardness and social imbalance.
They noted that the Member States had observed "1996 as
the SAARC Year of Literacy" and reiterated their commitment
to continue endeavours to eradicate illiteracy from the region.
37. Recognising the resource, manpower and infrastructural
constraints to the promotion of vocational and higher education
in the region, the Leaders agreed that new and innovative methods
like Open Learning and Distance Education can play an effective
role in meeting regional needs in a cost effective and flexible
manner. Accordingly, they agreed that the institutional facilities
in such education available in the region should be utilised
on a regional scale. The possibility of the creation of a Consortium
of Open Universities in the region should also be explored.
ENVIRONMENT
38. The Heads of State or Government expressed concern about
the continuing degradation of the environment in different parts
of the world including the SAARC region. While recognizing that
collective initiatives were required urgently to address the
challenge posed by such degradation, they noted that unsustainable
consumption patterns in the developed countries and widespread
poverty in the developing countries are major factors contributing
to ecological degradation in different parts of the world. In
this regard, they noted that although both developed and developing
countries were required to undertake specific initiatives to
face environmental concerns, stress should also be laid on the
acceleration of development in developing countries to enable
them to face environmental challenges.
39. Reviewing the work carried out in the area of disseminating
information on the problems of environmental degradation and
their impact on the region, the Heads of State or Government
expressed the urgent need for the implementation of the recommendations
of the SAARC Regional Study on the Greenhouse Effect and its
Impact on the Region, and the Regional Study on the Causes and
Consequences of Natural Disasters and the Protection and Preservation
of the Environment. They welcomed the offer of the Maldives
to host a meeting of the SAARC Environment Ministers to focus
more directly on the Environment concerns of the region including
the formulation of a Plan of Action for immediate implementation
of recommendations contained in the two Studies, taking into
account the recommendations made by the Meeting of the Environment
Ministers in New Delhi in April 1997. The Leaders felt that
the meeting may also consider the feasibility of drawing up
a Regional Treaty on Environment in the context of existing
international Conventions on the subject. They reiterated their
view that Member States should take all necessary steps in vital
areas such as sharing and developing scientific capabilities
to protect and manage the environment.
40. The Heads of State or Government agreed on the urgent need
for cooperation through exchange of information, strategies
and technologies for combating pollution of air and water and
for evolving common minimum standards which could be applied
region-wide in this regard. Recognising the wealth of bio-diversity
in the South Asian region and expressing concern at the threat
of its progressive depletion through degradation and fragmentation,
they affirmed their commitment to take steps towards the protection
and conservation of these genetic resources. They noted that
many areas rich in bio-diversity in South Asia lay along shared
borders and agreed to cooperate in the creation of contiguous
protected areas where identified. They also agreed to cooperate
in the prevention of illegal trafficking in flora and fauna
and devise an appropriate mechanism for this purpose, including
the possibility of concluding a Convention. They decided that
the meeting of SAARC Environment Ministers should be institutionalised
henceforth as an annual event.
41. While expressing concern at the slow progress in the implementation
of the Agenda 21, the Heads of State or Government called for
the urgent implementation of the commitments, recommendations
and agreements reached at the United Nations Conference on Environment
and Development held in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992. In particular,
they also called for the early implementation of the United
Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and the adoption
of a Protocol or another legal instrument for reduction of greenhouse
gas emissions by developed countries within an early timeframe,
but not later than the year 2005 A.D.
42. The Heads of State or Government underlined the importance
of projecting an effective, and coordinated collective position
of SAARC at the forthcoming Special Session of the United Nations
General Assembly to Review and Appraise the Implementation of
Agenda 21. In this regard, they fully endorsed the New Delhi
Declaration issued at the end of the SAARC Ministerial Conference
on Environment held from 2-3 April 1997, as amended at the Eighteenth
Session of the Council of Ministers.
TERRORISM AND DRUG TRAFFICKING
43. Recognising that terrorism and drug trafficking pose a
serious threat to security and stability of Member States, the
Heads of State or Government reiterated their firm commitment
to combat these activities in the region. They emphasised the
urgent need to complete enabling legislation in order to implement
the SAARC Regional Conventions on Suppression of Terrorism and
on Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances.
44. The Heads of State or Government recalled the adoption
of the 1996 UN Declaration on Measures to Eliminate International
Terrorism and urged all Member States to work towards its implementation.
They called for international action to prevent the abuse of
Refugee Conventions and to halt activities which help terrorist
groups to collect funds for their activities in South Asia.
45. The Heads of State or Government noted the establishment
of the SAARC Terrorist Offences Monitoring Desk (STOMD) and
the SAARC Drug Offences Monitoring Desk (SDOMD) in Colombo.
They agreed on the need to maintain regular flow of relevant
information to enable the Monitoring Desks to function effectively.
46. The Heads of State or Government noted with appreciation
the convening of the First SAARC Conference on Cooperation in
Police Matters in Colombo during July 1996. They endorsed the
outcome of the Conference, particularly, the call for sharing
of expertise with regard to the different areas of police investigation
and investigation of organised crime and drug related crimes.
They welcomed the offer of the Maldives to host the second Conference
in 1997.
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
47. Noting that cooperation in the field of Science and Technology
was imperative in ensuring the acceleration of the process of
development in the region and recognising the progress made
in this field, the Heads of State or Government emphasised the
need to continue cooperation in this area, especially in facilitating
research and exchange of information in the fields of bio-technology,
genetic engineering, energy modelling techniques and low-cost
housing and building technologies.
TOURISM
48. Emphasising that tourism plays an important role in promoting
people to people contact in the region, the Heads of State or
Government stressed the importance of strengthening cooperation
with the aim of realising its full potential in the region.
They were convinced that greater cooperation in this area would
contribute to the enhancement of people-to-people contact within
the region as well as to the economic development of Member
States.
49. The Heads of State or Government noted that organised tourism
in South Asia has not yet achieved its full potential, and recommended
that appropriate measures to promote tourism be given priority,
and in this regard, welcomed the offer of Sri Lanka to host
the SAARC Ministerial Meeting on Tourism in Colombo in 1997.
PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE CONTACT
50. The Heads of State or Government reiterated their conviction
that enhanced people-to-people contact would contribute to strengthening
mutual understanding and goodwill among the people in the region.
In this context, they noted the positive contribution made by
SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SCCI) and SAARCLAW.
51. They observed that SAARC Chairs, Fellowships and Scholarships
Scheme should be increasingly used to facilitate greater interaction
among students, scholars and academics in the region.
52. The Heads of State or Government noted with satisfaction
the inclusion of new categories of persons from different walks
of life in the SAARC Visa Exemption Scheme and believed that
this would further promote people-to-people contact.
53. They noted the offer of Sri Lanka to host the First SAARC
Film Festival in Colombo in 1998 to coincide with the 50th anniversary
of the Independence of Sri Lanka.
54. The Heads of State or Government agreed that the SAARC
countries possess enormous tourism potential that should be
properly utilised for the benefit of the people of the region.
In this context, they decided that the civil aviation authorities
of Member States should meet in the very near future with a
view to establishing direct air services between SAARC capitals
which would promote people-to-people contact and encourage tourism.
They welcomed the offer of Bangladesh to host the first meeting
of the civil aviation authorities.
SOUTH ASIAN DEVELOPMENT FUND (SADF)
55. While expressing satisfaction that the South Asian Development
Fund (SADF) had been established in June 1996 initially with
its headquarters in Dhaka, Bangladesh, the Heads of State or
Government recognised the need to make the Fund operational
at the earliest.
PROJECTION OF COLLECTIVE POSITIONS
56. The Heads of State or Government reiterated their commitment
to develop collective SAARC positions in international fora
on issues of common concern, in order to enhance the international
profile of South Asia as well as to enable Member States to
articulate their position on such issues in a more effective
manner. In this regard, they noted with satisfaction the collective
SAARC positions finalised and presented prior to the Fourth
World Conference on Women held in Beijing in September 1995,
HABITAT II held in Istanbul in June 1996, and World Food Summit
held in Rome in November 1996. They also expressed satisfaction
with the formulation of a SAARC common position before the forthcoming
Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly to Review
and Appraise the Implementation of Agenda 21.
SECURITY OF SMALL STATES
57. The Heads of State or Government recognised that small
states, because of their particular vulnerabilities, require
special measures of support from the international community
for safeguarding their sovereign independence and territorial
integrity. They further reaffirmed their view that such support
should be firmly rooted in the scrupulous adherence to the UN
Charter, the rule of law and strict adherence to universally
accepted principles and norms related to sovereign rights and
territorial integrity of all States irrespective of size. This,
they emphasised, may be ensured by all countries either severally
or collectively through the pursuit of appropriate action.
INTERNATIONAL POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS
58. The Heads of State or Government had wide ranging discussions
on current international issues, particularly those that affect
South Asia. In this context, reiterating their deep commitment
to the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, the Heads
of State or Government recalled that the commemoration of the
50th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations in October
1995 had highlighted the need to strengthen, revitalize and
reform the Organization. They reiterated their support to the
on-going process of restructuring and revitalizing the Organization
and reaffirmed their resolve to make it a more effective universal
instrument for addressing international issues on an equitable
and democratic basis, taking full account of the interests and
concerns of all states.
59. Addressing the question of reform of the United Nations,
the Heads of State or Government laid particular emphasis on
the principle of sovereign equality of States and on equitable
geographical representation in regard to the question of increase
in the membership of the Security Council. They recognised the
need to make the Security Council more representative, democratic
and transparent, so that it is better equipped to uphold its
responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and
security.
60. The Heads of State or Government reiterated their firm
commitment to the principles and objectives of the Non-Aligned
Movement (NAM) and underscored the continued validity and relevance
of these principles and objectives in the contemporary world.
They expressed their deep conviction that the Movement’s
innate strength equips it to continue to play a most constructive
role in laying the foundations of a new world order based on
the rule of law, non-interference, equity and cooperation.
61. The Heads of State or Government while expressing support
to the continuation of the peace process in the Middle East,
expressed concern at the setback to the peace process and unleashing
of violence against Palestinian people in occupied territories
and the resulting threat to the peace process due to policies
of the Government of Israel in establishing and enlarging existing
Jewish settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.
They were convinced that the peace process should be continued
by honouring previous commitments made by all parties involved.
They also called for the restoration of the inalienable rights
of the Palestinian people, including the right of self determination
and the establishment of a sovereign State under the leadership
of PLO, their sole legitimate representative, which could co-exist
with its neighbours in peace and harmony.
62. Noting that the end of the Cold War had created unprecedented
opportunities in the field of disarmament, the Heads of State
or Government recognised the need for the international community
to pursue nuclear disarmament as a matter of highest priority.
In this regard, they recognised the need to start negotiations
through the Conference on Disarmament and to establish a phased
programme for the complete elimination of nuclear weapons within
a specified framework of time, including a Nuclear Weapons Convention.
63. While reiterating their commitment to the promotion and
protection of human rights, the Heads of State or Government
resolved to take all necessary steps to achieve this objective.
INTERNATIONAL ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL ISSUES
64. The Heads of State or Government noted that current trends
of globalisation and liberalisation were imposing a heavy burden
on developing economies, in particular, the least developed
countries (LDCs) which are becoming marginalised from the mainstream
of the world economy. They also expressed concern over trends
to erect new protectionist barriers by linking imports from
developing countries to politically motivated social and environmental
values and concerns, such as human rights. They observed that
the impact of these trends is compounded by new challenges relating
to issues of access to markets, capital and new technologies.
They also noted with regret the overall decline in the Official
Development Assistance (ODA) over the years which has contributed
to the aggravation of the condition of the LDCs.
65. The Heads of State or Government reaffirmed the promotion
of a non-discriminatory and multilateral rule-based global system
of economic relations in order to engage the developing countries
constructively and on the basis of reciprocal shared benefits
in the process of liberalisation, as well as to assist them
integrate into the global economy.
66. The Heads of State or Government called on the developed
countries to assist the developing countries through the creation
of a favourable and supportive global economic environment,
in particular, through domestic action in their countries for
purposes of accelerating investment flows to developing countries
thereby generating a positive impact on the developmental efforts
of developing countries as well as assisting their integration
into the multilateral trading system. They also called on the
developed countries to substantially reduce tariff and non-tariff
barriers and desist from restrictive trade practices, which
would negatively affect the access of developing countries to
global markets.
SPECIAL MEASURES FOR THE LEAST DEVELOPED AND LAND-LOCKED COUNTRIES
67. The Heads of State or Government emphasised the need for
priority action on various international development commitments,
such as the Paris Declaration and the Programme of Action for
LDCs for the 1990s.
68. While noting with deep concern that economic growth in
the Least Developed and Land-Locked Countries is not progressing
well, the Heads of State or Government stressed the need to
take special measures for accelerating the process of development.
They emphasized the need to fulfil the internationally agreed
aid targets for ensuring accelerated and sustained economic
growth in developing countries particularly in the Least Developed
Countries. They stressed on the need for adequate resources
to facilitate implementation of economic reform programmes in
SAARC countries.
69. The Heads of State or Government emphasised that the review
of the criteria for the determination of LDC status for consideration
by the United Nations General Assembly this year, must take
into account the special significance of the extent and magnitude
of incidence of poverty in the poorest countries and the special
vulnerabilities of small island states.
DATES AND VENUE OF THE TENTH MEETING OF THE HEADS OF STATE
OR GOVERNMENT.
70. The Heads of State or Government accepted with deep appreciation
the offer of the Government of Sri Lanka to host the Tenth SAARC
Summit. They further decided that the Eleventh and Twelfth Summits
will be held in Nepal and Pakistan, respectively.
71. The Heads of State or Government of Bangladesh, Bhutan,
India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka expressed their sincere
appreciation for the exemplary manner in which the President
of the Republic of the Maldives had conducted the Meeting and
guided its proceedings in his capacity as Chairman. They expressed
their deep gratitude for the warm and generous hospitality extended
to them by the Government and the people of the Maldives and
for the excellent arrangements made for the Meeting.