M Ashique Rahman Research Fellow BIISS. 4th April 2012
Introduction: The Geopolitical Setting of Bangladesh Bangladesh is physically surrounded by India; The two largest countries in the region India and Pakistan are locked into protracted conflict; World s Major powers engagements and entanglements. While the region is home to one fourth of the world population, majority of them are mired in abject poverty. The natural resources are not concentrated rather dispersed over the region viz., water and energy resources; However, despite full of diversities in terms of size, ethnicity, religion, etc., the region constitutes one geographical unit thereby the potential for cooperation amongst the constituent members are huge;
Outline of the Presentation Discussing the Constitutional Imperatives and Foreign Policy Objectives of Bangladesh that motivate her to pursue regionalism in South Asia Role of Bangladesh Bangladesh as the Initiator of Regional Cooperation in South Asia; Contribution of Bangladesh in Organizational Continuity of SAARC; Role of Bangladesh in Promoting various Areas of Cooperation within the Framework of SAARC; and Bangladesh s Commitment to SAARC. How to Explain Bangladesh s Role
The Constitutional Imperatives and Foreign Policy Objectives of Bangladesh Article 25 of the Constitution of Bangladesh states that Bangladesh shall base its international relations on the principles of respect for national sovereignty and equality, non interference in the internal affairs of other countries, peaceful settlement of international disputes, and respect for international law and the principles enunciated in the United Nations Charter. It goes on to state that Bangladesh will strive for the renunciation of the use of force in international relations and for general and complete disarmament. Article 63 of the Constitution states that war shall not be declared and the Republic shall not participate in any war except with the assent of Parliament There are two more principles guiding Bangladesh s foreign relations Friendships to all and malice to none; Promoting international peace and security;
Role of Bangladesh in Promoting Regional Cooperation in South Asia Section I: Role of Bangladesh in Mooting and Establishing the SAARC Situation prevailing the period when the idea of SAARC was mooted: Inter state relations entered a state of flux, tension, distrust, discord and were sometimes even marked by armed conflicts; Political climate of the region became far from conducive to the growth of wholesome and stable good neighbourly relations; These countries lost sight of the reality that they shared many values and goals and that their shared heritage could be a source of enormous strength to them in their nation building efforts; Distortions in inter state relations created by mutual suspicion, distrust and fear became one of the most serious impediments to mutual cooperation for fulfilment of their common economic objectives. This trend in inter state relations, if not directly conflictual, led the countries towards isolation, mutual withdrawal and lack of positive interaction on a regional basis. Muhammad Shamsul Hug, Intra Regional Cooperation in Asia, The Bangladesh Observer, November 19, 1988.
Role of Bangladesh in Mooting and Establishing the SAARC Therefore, Bangladesh felt the urgent need to reverse this debilitating trend and replace it by establishing a new trend of creative interaction beneficial to the people of the region. Bangladesh shouldered the historic role of the initiator of a South Asian organisation as is also evident from the Bangladesh Paper on the proposal for regional cooperation in South Asia: Shared perceptions and values are an important factor for the success of any venture for regional cooperation. The countries of South Asia share many common values that are rooted in their social, ethnic, cultural and historical traditions. Perceptions about certain specific events or political situation of the world may differ, but such differences do not seem to create a gulf between them that cannot be bridged. In fact, the beginning of cooperation on a regional basis may be a positive force in generating climate of harmony conducive to a better perception of what the countries in the region have in common and the value of this shared heritage.
Role of Bangladesh in Mooting and Establishing the SAARC From 1977 1980, the President of Bangladesh visited many South Asian countries Pakistan, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka and mooted the idea; In November 1980, Bangladesh circulated the working paper entitled, A Paper on the Proposal for Regional Cooperation in South Asia. It proposed eleven areas of Cooperation. Four meetings of the Foreign Secretaries of the South Asian states took place from April 1981 to 1983. The first meeting of Foreign Ministers of seven South Asian countries was held in New Delhi in August 1983. The second ministerial meeting held at Male (Maldives) in July 1984, and agreed to organize the first regional summit meeting to be held in Dhaka. Finally the Heads of state or government of the South Asian states met in Dhaka on December 7 8, 1985 and formally signed the charter for the organization The SAARC secretariat started functioning at Kathmandu (Nepal) in 1987. And Bangladesh holds the position of the first Secretary General.
Role of Bangladesh in Promoting Regional Cooperation in South Asia Section II: Contribution of Bangladesh to the Organizational Continuity of SAARC Hosted SAARC Summits three times including the very First One in 1985 Held the position of Secretary General twice Hosting two Regional Centres Always took the initiative to hold SAARC Summits in due time. In this regard, sometime took initiatives to address the differences between the member countries of SAARC.
The Organization of SAARC and Bangladesh December 1985 (The First Summit) SAARC Summits (Attended by Heads of State or Government) April 1993 (Seventh Summit) November 2005 (13 th Summit) 16 Jan 1987 15 Oct 1989 Council of Ministers (Attended by Foreign Ministers) 31 Regular Sessions up to July 2009 Secretary General 11 Jan 2002 28 Feb 2005 Charter Bodies Standing Committee (Attended by Foreign Secretaries) 36 Regular Sessions and 5 Special Sessions up to July 2009 Directors (Eight Directors, one from each Country) Regional Centres (11) Technical Committees (Six Committees commensurate with the original areas of cooperation) SAARC Agricultural Centre, Dhaka SAARC Meteorological Research Centre (SMRC), Dhaka SAARC Tuberculosis Centre (STC), Kathmandu. SAARC Information Centre, Nepal Programming Committee Working Groups SAARC Documentation Centre (SDC), New Delhi SAARC Disaster Management Centre (SDMC), India SAARC Human Resources Development Centre, Islamabad. SAARC Energy Centre, Pakistan SAARC Coastal Zone Management Centre (SCZMC), Maldives SAARC Cultural Centre, Sri Lanka SAARC Forestry Centre, Bhutan
Section III: Contribution of Bangladesh in Promoting Regional Cooperation in Various Issue Areas Agriculture and Rural Development Agriculture continues to be the key constituent in each South Asian economy It is one of the original areas of cooperation decided during the time SAARC was established Since early 1990s regional cooperation in Agriculture and Rural Development moved through the two separate Technical Committees one on Agriculture and the other on Rural Development. As per the reconstituted SAARC Integrated Program of Action (SIPA), the two Technical Committees on Agriculture and Rural Development were merged into one as Technical Committee on Agriculture & Rural Development (TC ARD) Following adoption of the Regional Integrated Programme of Action (RIPA) in Islamabad in January 2004, India assumed the Chair of TC ARD for two consecutive terms and since then it has been meeting regularly. The fifth Meeting and the Sixth Meeting of the TC ARD had held in Dhaka in August 2009 and in 2010 respectively and currently Bangladesh holds the TC ARD Chair.
Section III: Contribution of Bangladesh in Promoting Regional Cooperation in Various Issue Areas Poverty Alleviation and Food Security Independent South Asian Commission on Poverty Alleviation (ISACPA) was established during the Sixth Summit in Colombo in 1991; The Eighth SAARC Summit (New Delhi, 1995) approved the establishment of a Three tier mechanism for dealing with poverty issues; At the Eleventh Summit in Kathmandu in 2002, the Leaders reconstituted the ISACPA with Nepal as its Convenor and Bangladesh as Co Convenor. In 2004, during the 12 th Summit the Plan of Action on Poverty Alleviation has been endorsed; And in 13 th Summit the decade of 2006 2015 is declared as the SAARC Decade of Poverty Alleviation; Food Security The Agreement to create a South Asian Food Security Reserve in 1988; During the 12 th Summit in 2004, the concept of SAARC Food Bank was mooted in 2007, through a ministerial meeting a regional food bank is established.
Section III: Contribution of Bangladesh in Promoting Regional Cooperation in Various Issue Areas SAFTA and South Asia Economic Union In 1995, the 16 th session of the Council of Ministers agreed on the need to strive for the realization of SAFTA; An inter governmental expert group (IGES) was set up in 1996; At Male Summit in 1997, the regional approach of Free Trade Area in South Asian region was first initiated; However, due to the political instability among the member countries, the enforcement of SAFTA was delayed; In 2004 at the 12 th SAARC Summit in Islamabad, the SAARC foreign ministers signed the framework agreement to establish SAFTA ; The Agreement entered into force on 1 January 2006, and the Trade Liberalization Programme commenced from 1 st July 2006.
Section III: Contribution of Bangladesh in Promoting Regional Cooperation in Various Issue Areas Energy The process of regional cooperation in energy sector began in January 2000 with the establishment of a Technical Committee on Energy; In January 2004, the Council of Ministers approved the creation of a specialized Working Group on Energy; The First Meeting of the SAARC Energy Ministers in Islamabad in October 2005 decided the formation of an Expert Group; A SAARC Regional Energy Centre was established in Islamabad in 2006 through the 13 th SAARC Summit; The concept of Energy Ring was developed by an Expert Group, which was approved by the Energy Ministers in their Third Meeting held in Colombo in January 2009
Section III: Contribution of Bangladesh in Promoting Regional Cooperation in Various Issue Areas Environment and Climate Change By 1992 two study was completed Regional Study on the Causes and Consequences of Natural Disasters and the Protection and Preservation of the Environment A joint study on Greenhouse Effect and its Impact on the Region ; More recently, SAARC has adopted a common position approach at various international meetings related to environment and climate change. A Joint Statement on Climate Change for COP15 was also issued by the Permanent Representatives of Member States of SAARC based in New York; In 1997, the SAARC Environment Action Plan was adopted and since then a number of measures outlined in the Plan have been implemented. During the Fourteenth SAARC Summit in Delhi in 2007, Bangladesh as well as other members expressed deep concern over the global climate change Thimpu Statement on Climate Change Climate Change was the theme of the Sixteenth SAARC Summit and adopted the Thimphu Statement on Climate Change.
Section III: Contribution of Bangladesh in Promoting Regional Cooperation in Various Issue Areas Transport and Connectivity The theme of the 17 th SAARC Summit Building Bridges Bangladesh declared itself as the Transit Country of the Region
Section IV: Bangladesh s Commitment to SAARC Always contributed to the continuity of SAARC; As initiator of the Organization, shouldered responsibility to make SAARC functional. As for instance, since its inception, in the last 27 years, 17 Summits have taken place. It has been postponed for 10 times and in each cases except the first postponement of the 13 th Summit, India or India related issues played the spoilsports. However, on many occasions Bangladesh took the initiatives to resume the due Summit. Committed to the plans and programs of SAARC; Floated new ideas and worked to include new issues. This shows Bangladesh's adaptation with the changing of SAARC. We can divide it into four phases of development so far: Phase I: From 1980 to 1985 Phase II: From Establishment to the End of the Cold War; Phase III: Since early 199os to the end of the Century; Phase IV: SAARC in the 21 st Century.
Section V: Explaining Bangladesh s Role Neo realist Explanation Present day problems faced by Bangladesh can only be addressed as Bangladesh believed through regional cooperation: Environment, Energy, Trade and Cross border Security. Developmental Regionalism The idea was put forward by John W Sloan in 1971 and as it now appears Bangladesh had adopted the strategy in two ways SAARC postulates a divorce between politico security issues and imperatives of economic development. The Strategy of SAARC is thereby devised as incremental and gradualist. Role as a Middle Power in the Region
The gigantic institutional set up touching almost every aspect of the people of South Asia will sustain SAARC s necessity and if it could really overcome the constraining factors then the vision of the South Asian Economic Union by 2020 will not turn out as a misplaced expectations. Concluding Remarks The Charter objectives of accelerated economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region are yet to be fully realized; Leaders of the region during all the Summits have expressed serious concern over the limited achievement in economic growth; However, positive developments such as : Social Charter, Charter of Democracy, Conventions on Terrorism and Narcotic Drugs, SAARC Action Plan on Climate Change; SAARC Convention on Cooperation in Environment; Agreement on SAFTA as well as
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