Planning Priorities in South Asia’s Developmenf (The Distinguishedl Lecture)

On December 8, 1985, the Heads of State or Government of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri lanka set their Hands and Seals to the Charter of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), thus initiating the single most hopeful development since the liberation and partition of the Sub-continent. The objectives SAARC set out to achieve are: (a) To promote the welfare of the peoples of South Asia and to improve their quality of life; (b) To accelerate economic growth, social progress and cultural development in the region and to provide all individuals the opportunity to live in dignity and to realise their full potentials; (c) To promote and strengthen collective self-reliance among the countries of South Asia; (d) To contribute to mutual trust, understanding and appreciation of one another’s problems; (e) To promote active collaboration and mutual assistance in the economic, social, cultural, technical and scientific fields; (t) To strengthen cooperation with other developing countries; (g) To strengthen cooperation among themselves in international forums on matters of common interest; and (h) To cooperate with international and regional organizations with similar aims and purposes.