South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation
Photo credit: §hepTalk 19:53, 26 August 2010 (UTC) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons.
South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation
Abbreviation
SAARC
Summary
With its Secretariat in Nepal, the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation is an association of eight states that seeks generally to promote the welfare and self-reliance of the peoples of South Asia. With respect to the counterterrorism area, the SAARC has developed two international legal instruments: the SAARC Regional Convention on Suppression of Terrorism and its Additional Protocol. Meetings of the SAARC may include discussion of measures taken by member states to implement these instruments, including by enacting enabling legislation at the domestic level.
Members
Members of the SAARC include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
Observers
Australia, China, European Union, Iran, Japan, Mauritius, Burma (Myanmar), South Korea, and the United States of America.