KATHMANDU: Prime Minister Sushila Karki has stressed the need for a renewed commitment to revive the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) and transform it into a more dynamic, inclusive, and action-oriented regional body.
Extending best wishes to the governments and people of all member states on the occasion of the 41st SAARC Charter Day, PM Karki said the region can achieve shared goals by uniting around common interests, tackling emerging challenges, and fulfilling the aspirations of its people.
“Nearly four decades ago, our founding leaders envisioned a peaceful, stable, and collectively prosperous South Asia. Their shared foresight gave birth to SAARC as a platform to promote regional cooperation, strengthen bonds of friendship, and enhance the welfare of our peoples,” she said in her message.
Highlighting SAARC’s role over the years, PM Karki noted that the organization has served as an important forum for fostering mutual understanding, building trust, and advancing initiatives aimed at improving living standards across the region. She added that the SAARC Charter has continued to guide efforts to enhance collective self-reliance and build a shared regional identity while addressing complex issues such as food and energy security, climate change, digital divides, and poverty reduction.
As the current Chair of SAARC, Nepal remains firmly committed to working closely with all member states with a spirit of friendship, unity, and consensus in accordance with the principles of the SAARC Charter, she said.
PM Karki expressed confidence that joint efforts could accelerate progress toward shared development goals and bring tangible benefits to the nearly one-fourth of the world’s population living in the region.
She said she hopes this Charter Day inspires renewed dedication, deeper cooperation, and a revitalized sense of regional unity.
SAARC was established on December 8, 1985, following the signing of the SAARC Charter in Dhaka, Bangladesh. The organization comprises eight member states: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Its Secretariat was set up in Kathmandu on January 17, 1987.
The Summit of Heads of State or Government is SAARC’s highest decision-making body, generally held biennially and hosted by member states in alphabetical order. SAARC has held 18 summits so far, with the last one convened in Kathmandu on November 26–27, 2014. No summit has been held since then.
All decisions in SAARC are taken unanimously, and bilateral or contentious issues are kept outside its formal deliberations, as stipulated in the SAARC Charter.
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